I agree with the advice you got from wolf_q.

My dogs recently killed one of my cats, after 5 years of peaceful co-exsistance. Never had a problem until the night I came home to find Dominique's broken body.

So this is my advice from that perspective:

Never, ever leave them unsupervised together. EVER. No matter how long they have been living together, no matter how well they seem to get along. My dogs are allowed inside. However, they are not left alone with the cats. If I have to out for a minute or even into a different room, the dogs are confined.

When you are first introducing them, keep your dog on a leash or crated at all times. The kitten must be free to get away. He should not be held or restrained in any way. He can approach the dog on his terms. The dog should be firmly and consistently told NO for any interest in the cat.

I don't allow my dogs and cats to play together at all. They sometimes get close to each other, like on the couch, but they are never allowed to play chase. I keep one room of my house blocked off from the dogs. The cats can get in--I use baby gates across the door. The dogs can't get in there. It's a safe haven for the cats if they don't want to put up with the dogs.

Most of my dogs have learned to tolerate the cats. Any negative interaction with a cat leads to the dog going directly back outside. If they want to be inside, they learn to get along with the cats. My cats don't go outside. While my dogs are good with the cats in the house, an outside cat doesn't stand a chance in this yard. Unfortunately, I can prove that--Dominique escaped somehow and paid for it with her life.

Not all dogs can learn to be cat safe. I have two who are never allowed to even a see a cat. Despite my best efforts and the efforts of a couple other trainers, Kayleigh and Deuce are a threat to my cats. When it's their turn to come in the house, the cats all get locked up in one bedroom. There are ways to make a dual species household work, even with a non-cat safe dog, but it takes constant work and vigilance.