Does anyone have dogs?

[nurseangel]

We have had some frightening things go on at our house lately so now I am considering a puppy. DH, I should note, is clearly against the idea. He simply wants to ramp I up security. I used to be a dog person but all that has changed. I don't like to hear horror stories about what someone has done to harm a dog; nothing like that. I just gradually changed sides. I wouldn't want to upset the cats little apple carts either.

I find dogs much more difficult to take care of and (no offense) a lot of them smell. But I still love them. I have a birthday coming up soon and a sharpei mix would do the trick, right?

 

[Kris107]

I have flirted with this idea many times. For me, it had to be right for my family (resident cats). I even got a puppy and the cats were VERY unhappy. Sadly, that, combined with some other things led to rehoming the puppy. It was a horrible experience, but I had to give my allegiance to the fur children I already had. I would never make their lives miserable just for my own pleasure. Have you ever seen your cats around dogs? Every dog is different too. Some don't pay much attention to cats, others are relentless. It's a big gamble!

 

[KittyFriday]

I have a dog and was raised with them too. My dog has some behavioral issues that make life challenging at times; he's a rescue so there was a real roll of the dice there (I've had other rescues that were lovely).

Shar Peis can be a lot of dog so I probably wouldn't personally recommend one to someone who is out of practice with dogs and they probably wouldn't be the best in a home with cats, either.

If you want a larger dog that is a good deterrent, I would say something like a Black Lab would be ideal; they're generally really loving, easygoing dogs but the fact that they are larger and darker in color and have a deep bark would probably be all you'd need to feel a little safer. You could also look into smaller breeds/mixes as they may live more easily with the resident cats and, while they don't look as scary to intruders, often just the bark to let you know something is amiss is all you need.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I have been wanting a dog for years! When my kids were little no way! I didn’t have the time or patience for training and grooming. DS however would absolutely benefit from a dog. He adores the dogs we’ve had live next door and any family or friends dogs. He’s especially into Corgi’s right now. We ran into someone with one in Lowes a few weeks ago and he was glowing after petting him.

We had a lab mix when I was in middle school and my mom brought home a mutt from the dollar store when I was in college. I loved both and they both lived long lives!

My dream is a golden retriever or two though. My uncle and aunt always had them and bred their pair a couple times when I was a kid. They were the BEST dogs! One of the leaders at DS’s program and church is expecting golden puppies soon. She brings her dogs on their camping trips so DS has met them.

It’s really not in the cards until we get DD and DH through some allergy testing. And the wait for that is 6 months!! But maybe I’ll get to see a puppy or two. I absolutely won’t commit to a dog if I’m not certain we can give them the life they deserve.

I could just see a golden and a corgi running in our backyard though. Joining us on walks in the state parks… The neighbors corgi likes chasing a remote control car around their yard with their other dog. Its hilarious!

 

[iPappy]

To put it bluntly, Shar Pei can be very weird, and very aggressive. I wouldn't recommend one unless you're 100% dedicated to handling, raising, and training them properly. Are you looking for a dog to scare people away from the house, or a full blown protection dog?

 

[kashmir64]

Used to have dogs, but my last one died Christmas Eve 2021.
I want to get another dog, but out of all the breeds I've had, my Dalmatian and my Pit Bull were the best once they grew up. My Dalmatian almost didn't make it to 2yo.
The problem is, I would only consider one of those two breeds. Even if I got an adult, they are both high energy dogs and with my health right now I couldn't give them what they need.
Until then, a gun will work.

 

[denice]

Dobermans have a natural protective instinct. They also are innately good at figuring out when they need to go into protection mode. All dogs are different, not all fit neatly into the breed profile. Dogs also need to be well socialized when they are young, that is the best way to have a balanced dog that isn't fearful.

 

[fionasmom]

I would rethink bringing a dog into the house if all members of the family were not on board. An alarm system will cost you much less in the long run than a dog for whom you will have medical expenses, wellness responsibilities, food and general upkeep, and miscellaneous expenses for at least 12 - 15 years.

Having said that, I am a lifelong dog owner, way before cats, and my two favorite breeds are GSDs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. The CKCS will protect you from absolutely no one and nothing. GSDs are highly motivated to please their owner and are highly intelligent, but the breed in general has not been managed properly globally and it would require a great deal of investigation to avoid a dog who was improperly bred and who did not have health issues, primarily, and possibly behavior issues.

If you want to pursue this, I would skip terrier breeds, spitz breeds (this includes even the small ones in those breeds), and even the Shar Pei. The idea of a big, goofy, loveable Lab is a good one as they are big enough to possibly seem as if they might provide some protection, but bad guys who case places can tell pretty quickly if a dog is friendly or not.

Not to end all of this on a downer, but around here it is not unheard of for dogs to be poisoned and quickly dispatched before any attempts are made on the property.

 

[denice]

Irresponsible breeding has done the same thing to Dobermans mainly some health issues. They have fell out of popularity so hopefully the breed will rebound through responsible breeding. That also happened to Cocker Spaniels in the 50's, that showed up mainly as behavior issues, they became a very snappy breed. They fell out of popularity and the breed is recovering.

 

[neely]

DH, I should note, is clearly against the idea. I find dogs much more difficult to take care of and (no offense) a lot of them smell. But I still love them. I have a birthday coming up soon and a sharpei mix would do the trick, right?

If you plan to adopt the shelters here insist on everyone in the family being present and interviewed so based on your above post that might not work for your DH. He not only has to be in agreement with you but also share the responsibility and be consistent. As for the Shar-pei breed, they not only need to be well socialized but they are not for a first time dog owner. They can be independent and, most of all, high maintenance due to their skin folds as well as prone to various health issues. Perhaps a mix of two other breeds would be a better choice. That being said, we really lucked out with our dogs. The cats coexisted with them and our last dog, a German Shepherd, was best buddies with Neely. It was heartwarming to see them run and play together. I would strongly recommend taking any dog to obedience classes and earning their CGC certificate at the very least. Regarding your comment about some dogs smelling there's nothing more endearing than puppy breath. In summary, don't rush into anything. Think it over as well as the temperament of your cats.

 

[iPappy]

With a puppy, you're going to be waiting several years before your dog is properly grown, matured (mentally) and trained, no matter what the breed. nurseangel I have no doubt you would offer a dog a wonderful home. But I've known so many people who get a dog "for protection" and it ends in disaster for all, so I caution you to carefully weigh your options here. If someone is set on breaking into your house, the first thing they will do is shoot a dog that's preventing them from entering.

 

[neely]

If someone is set on breaking into your house, the first thing they will do is shoot a dog that's preventing them from entering.

Yes, that's true but I've always felt you can tell the size of a dog by their bark. A toy poodle or chihuahua's bark sounds a lot different from a German Shepherd or Rottweiler. And I think some break-ins might be scared away by the bark of a large, protective dog. Our GSD liked to sit by the storm door to see who was walking by especially if it was another dog. Once a solicitor approached the door and our dog growled, barked his head off and showed his teeth. Needless to say the guy went running as fast as he could.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

I have two dogs who are from the same litter so they have the same health issues. They are mixes of Staffordshire terrier, Lab and Rottweiler, so I got a good mix of protectiveness, playfulness, and sweetness with them. I got Poppy as a puppy and Roo was returned to the rescue after 9 months. I ended up foster failing with him and adopted him a year after Poppy. Poppy was A LOT of work as a puppy and I will definitely not get a puppy again, at least not for a long time. Overall though, they both are a lot more work than my three cats.

I live alone in a higher crime suburb, and while I've never felt unsafe, it is nice to have them as protection because, Roo especially, reacts to almost all noises. They both look aggressive when in protective mode but have never attacked or hurt anyone.

As for my cats, it did take some adjustment. None of them had been around dogs before. The dogs don't have unsupervised access to the basement or one of the bedrooms which are the cats' safe places away from them. Flora and Maisie are the two cats who warmed up to the dogs quicker. Maisie rubs against them all the time, Flora rolls around them and tries to get their attention and when Poppy was a puppy, Flora loved trying to catch her wagging tail. As for Remy, he's got a short fuse as it is, so he loves tormenting the dogs and they love tormenting him. It's worked out for us so far though.

Would I recommend a dog? That depends. If your husband isn't on board, I would say no. If he gets on board and you don't mind the extra work that comes with a puppy, I'd say yes. I would recommend a young adult dog over a puppy though.

 

[muffy]

A neighber told me that the police arrested some guys that were robbing houses in our neighborhood.
They had a list of the houses they were going to rob. They police asked why were some of the houses crossed off. They told him that the crossed off houses had dogs.

 

[denice]

They told him that the crossed off houses had dogs.

That makes since for people who are just looking for a quick break in and scoop up some valuables. They don't want any other trouble, often they aren't even armed. A dog would both slow them down and make a lot of noise. A neighbor hears the commotion, calls 911 and they have a whole lot more trouble than they had bargained for.

 

[fionasmom]

There was some kind of survey done here...no, really...of criminals who break into houses with the purpose of robbing the owners. Some said that a dog of any kind is a deterrent and others said that only a big dog is a deterrent. A few felt that they could probably kick a small dog out of the way or otherwise handle it, but the idea of a Rhodesian ridgeback landing on them was another story.

When I was at the vet's today, I asked how many Shar Pei they see. The answer was not many and she mentioned that many have entropion due to all the skin folds (eyelids turn in and scrape the eye, so surgery is required many times). Also mentioned that there is probably a small breeding pool for the breed which could mean that careful breeding is not being done.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

There was some kind of survey done here...no, really...of criminals who break into houses with the purpose of robbing the owners. Some said that a dog of any kind is a deterrent and others said that only a big dog is a deterrent. A few felt that they could probably kick a small dog out of the way or otherwise handle it, but the idea of a Rhodesian ridgeback landing on them was another story.

When I was at the vet's today, I asked how many Shar Pei they see. The answer was not many and she mentioned that many have entropion due to all the skin folds (eyelids turn in and scrape the eye, so surgery is required many times). Also mentioned that there is probably a small breeding pool for the breed which could mean that careful breeding is not being done.

I watched a video awhile back where some dog owners were asked to participate in a fake home invasion to see how their dogs would react to someone trying to rob or hurt their owners. All of the people with big dogs thought their dogs would protect them, but they either were very excited to see the intruder or they ran away. The woman with two small dogs though thought her dogs would protect her as well and they actually did. They kept trying to get the intruder even after he pushed them away.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

Here's the video I was talking about.

 

[denice]

A lot depends on not only the breed but the individual dog. Dobermans generally have an innate ability to know when protection is needed. I have even seen trainers say that people who are just looking for protection if needed shouldn't even have their Dobermans trained for protection. Their protection instinct and the instinct for knowing when protection is needed is so good that training isn't necessary.

 

[iPappy]

nurseangel , would you be open to an adult dog from a reputable rescue organization? Good rescues are excellent at making sure their dogs are cat safe. I was thinking that a nice adult cat-safe Great Pyrenees might be good for you. They are naturally territorial and will bark up a storm if someone (or something) strange comes onto their property, but are not usually "aggressive". They consider their home, yard, you, and any other pets "theirs" to watch over. They have a deep, booming bark but are very low energy, so you wouldn't have an active dog bouncing off the walls. I have worked with many over the years, and I have considered one for myself.