How can I stop my dog from terrorizing the cats in the house?

I adopted a 1 yr old dog a couple of months ago and since then, that dog has stolen food from the two cats in the house, scares them constantly and just terrorizes them everyday. What can I do? I don't want to tie the dog in the yard because he'll just bark and bark until it annoys me.

Put it down, cheap and easy.

Your dog needs to know that he is the bottom of the pack (household members). Cats should always figure higher on the list. You will need to be constantly on his case. He may NOT eat from the cat's bowl. Apart from putting him higher in rank than the cats, it is also bad for him (cat food is far too high in protein for a dog.) The cat, on the other hand, may eat from his bowl or at least drink from his bowl.Always greet the cats first when you come home and feed them first. The dog will wait its turn. The cats may sleep on your lap, the dog must sit at your feet, etc etc.It will be hard, and it might be easier to return the dog to the shelter with the excuse that you don't have a compatible home for that dog. They should understand, in fact I'm surprised that a shelter would even let a cat-hating dog go to a family with cats.

Try desensitizing the dog: secure him and bring a cat over to him. If he doesn't stay calm and freaks out, walk away and leave him alone. Repeat the process until he seems relatively calm and reward him for good behavior. He is young, but that just raises his chances of being accustomed to the cats. With the stealing food issue, I don't think there is a dog capable of resisting the pungent smell of the cat food right under their noses. The only solution is the place the food high up like on a countertop. If the cats are not free-fed, then train the dog to 'leave it' as they are eating. Good luck to you, your kitties, and your dog.