When we are young, we learn a lot of bad wisdom that seems to originate from parts unknown. For example, we learn that the idea of cats and dogs getting along is really strange.
All of this begs the question: Why do dogs hate cats? To be fair, the question is somewhat misleading. Perhaps a more poignant question might be: Do dogs actually hate cats at all?
Indeed, their perceived conflict has more to do with us and our homes than cats and dogs themselves. Here’s why:
In their wild form, animals from the dog and cat families are predators and scavengers. They are not known to predate upon each other, though, so they are not enemies in that sense.
When they became domesticated, cats and dogs developed a roughly similar relationship with humans. That is to say; both learned that hanging around humans was an easy way to stay fed and keep warm.
However, dogs tended to be more adapted to work or at least assist with daily living. They might shepherd livestock, protect goods or assist with the hunt. Some dogs were purely decorative, of course.
Cats and dogs communicate in very different ways. And this may account for why they didn’t always see eye to eye when their worlds collided in human homes.
The most conflict between cats and dogs tends to happen when you are dealing with adult animals. In truth, cats and dogs that are raised together and socialize accordingly can get along perfectly well.
Another factor is breed. Certain types of dogs (German Shepherds, for example) are just that much easier to train, and some cats will simply not mind other pets in the home.