Introducing my cats to a dog: pet doctor-approved method for this?

Factual Questions
1

My mom may be moving up to the state I live in to finally get a job after many months of unemployment. She will be here for an interview, but she’s bringing her dog, a 15 yo beagle. He’s a very sweet dog, but in my 30+ year history with animals, dogs and cats not raised together simply do not get along.

So, he’s an old dog. My cats are youngish, about 4, and one is a male. They were both fixed as young’uns. The dog was fixed, too, but at a slightly older age than normal. So I don’t expect anyone pissing on anyone, but can I expect a fight?

I was thinking about caging the cats, letting the dog in to walk around, then putting the dog in the back room and shutting the door, letting the cats out, but not letting them meet for at least a half a day while they smell each other. I had heard that this was a good way to get cats acquainted, so maybe it will work for dogs?

Is there some standard tactic for this that would be easiest on the old boy and my babies?

2

Doing the “cat in a crate” thing just freaked out my cat. But you can put up two baby gates in a doorway (one on top of the other) and let them see each other through that, and the cat doesn’t have to be so restrained.

3

Half a day? I’d say more like a couple of weeks, or more. And even then, they may never adapt to each other. And you’ll also have a problem with the dog eating the cats’ food and poop.

4

Our newest cat adapted to our dog in a couple of days. YMMV.

We feed the cats in the basement, which is also where we keep the litterbox. There’s a door with a cat-sized opening between the basement and the rest of the house. Works like a charm to keep the dog from helping himself to the (urk) goodies.