Does anyone have dogs?

[goingpostal]

I've only had dogs since I moved out on my own, none as a kid, we adopted three shelter specials over the years after getting a house, all adult pit bull mixes. We also fostered several dogs of various breeds for rescues and friends. Currently have one senior bulldog/pit mix left and a Presa puppy. I wouldn't really recommend a guardian breed or one known for aggression like a Shar pei for someone without a lot of dog experience. Most dogs are much more bark than bite and that's generally enough to deter home invaders, a dog that would be an actual threat is going to require a great deal of training, time and extra care, many insurance companies won't cover dogs known to be aggression also so that's something to consider also.

 

[neely]

nurseangel have you made a decision, have these posts been helpful one way or the other?

I almost forgot we had this sign on the gate to our fence.

 

[posiepurrs]

We have always had dogs with the cats. I purposely mostly picked breeds in the herding category, with the exception of our English Setter and the Cavalier. The Setter thought he was a big cat. Riley, the Cavalier gets along fine with them. Our collie and Sheltie have just ignored them.The Sheltie does try to take care of them when they are sick. I would be wary of any dog with a high prey drive around any other animal or small children.

 

[Pywacket21]

I had a Moyen poodle, still have a Maltese. Both were getting older. Maltese will be 14 next month, poodle was 13, went to the Bridge this summer. Got cat because I couldn’t stand the thought of being petless when the dogs were gone. Poodle and cat were best buds. Played, chased around the house. Maltese hates cat. Nothing will change her mind. Poodle was my security. He’d bark at any sight or sound he thought was wrong.
If I thought my health would hold up, I’d get an Australian Shepherd. Yes, they shed, a LOT. One owned me for over 14 years. Great all around dogs.
Eventually it will just be me and Pywacket. And I will have to increase outside security.

 

[fionasmom]

many insurance companies won't cover dogs known to be aggression also so that's something to consider also.

This is a good point to consider. Depending on the company, their reaction will vary from never even asking you if you own a dog all the way to telling you that your insurance will be canceled if you don't get rid of the dog.

 

[game misconduct]

american bull mastiff keep a hand towel handy and your good.

 

[tiggerwillow]

Suggestion instead of getting a dog, if not everyone in the family is on board with the idea - a recording of a large dog barking and snarling, and put up a "beware of the dog" sign on your property?

That way, anyone coming in, will think "where the *bleep* is the dog"?

but also it won't stop the postman/woman from leaving post, they'll hear the dog but will learn that they can get safely to where they put your post, and out of your property again, without getting bit

 

[nurseangel]

You all have given me a lot to think about. I would definitely be open to a mixed breed rescue dog, one that gets along well with cats. DH is probably not going to get on board, though.

 

[iPappy]

You all have given me a lot to think about. I would definitely be open to a mixed breed rescue dog, one that gets along well with cats. DH is probably not going to get on board, though.

If you get matched with the perfect dog, he might change his tune. I've seen that happen quite a bit.

 

[kashmir64]

I remember one time a guy down the hwy was killed by a guy who's property was caddy corner from ours. The sheriff and a team were tracking him and came on to our property. I was sitting outside with my Dalmatian (who I had chained to run around). I told the sheriff not to come close, but he did. My Dalmatian went after him. The sheriff drew his gun when I jumped up and said "Oh, I will get rich if you do". I called off my dog and he put his gun away.
Then he said "Is he always like that"?
"Yes, until I call him off"
"Good, keep him close to you until we get this guy"

Dalmatians are great dogs and extremely loyal. If you can get past puppyhood.

 

[iPappy]

nurseangel just another thought for you. I've told my customers who are interested in adopting an adult dog to make a short list of breeds or mixes they would be interested in. Then make another short list of things you absolutely MUST have in a dog (example: Cat tested safe), things you'd be willing to work with, and things you absolutely would not tolerate (in your case, high prey drive/fixation on small animals) Then, start contacting breed specific rescues (or all breed rescues).
I have worked with some breed specific rescues before. IME, they know their breed inside out and if they feel the breed isn't a good fit for you, they will tell you so and suggest breeds that might be a better fit. I would really encourage you to look at dogs that are being fostered in a home with cats, as their safety is a huge priority.

 

[KittyFriday]

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.

It's funny, because my dog really isn't all that big (about 30 lbs). But he doesn't like strangers and he has a deep bark. I had a woman come by once that I was selling a car to and she asked me wide-eyed what kind of dog I had and didn't believe me when I said a spaniel mix. But he's also black and looks scary, and a lot of people have really strong opinions about Cockers so he's a fairly good deterrent.

That said, if someone did break in I would hope he would hide and keep himself safe. It's about 50/50 on what he'd do if I wasn't there. If I were in the home I know he'd lose it.

 

[amethyst]

I've had dogs ever since I moved here so all my current cats have been around dogs and all the dogs grew up with cats. Over the years here the dog I've had around the cats are, a rottie/golden lab mix, a rottie/akita/german shepherd, a lab/german shepherd, rough collies, and now currently down to just a rottie/bullmastiff (who is great with and protective of the cats). A lot does depend on the dog's personality as well as training, but also your cats. It also matters what exactly you want the dog for and expect it to do. You also need everyone on board, at least to tolerate having the dog in the house. If they just don't want to be responsible for caring for and training it that is one thing, but if they might treat the dog poorly or if it might turn into a point of argument in the household that is another.

If what you are looking for though is more deterrent from coming near your house, not something to physically protect you, there have been studies done that just the recording of a large dog barking can be just as effective as an actual dog. If you set up a security system that includes the recording that is on a motion sensor or something and will play when someone gets near that might work.

If however you are looking for something to physically be with you, like on walks around the neighborhood, and protecting the yard a dog would be needed for that. Although getting a puppy and having the dog grow up with your cats would be the most ideal situation for having them good with your specific cats, puppies are a lot of work. It also does take most around 1-3 years (depending on breed) before they are mature enough to actually be of any real use beyond just barking and physically looks. So a adult dog that has been around cats may be the best bet if you want something more "good to go now" rather then in a couple years.

Of the dogs I've had I would personally not recommended the rottie mixes, I love them and they work well for me and what I want/need but if you don't want or can't do A LOT of training they can be a disaster. They are great once they have grown up and had proper training and socialization, but are a lot of work for the first couple years as pups and juveniles. Rough collies on the other hand may be a good option though, one of your issues is dogs can be smelly, rough collies don't have that doggy odor, even when wet they do have a smell but it's not stinky. They are also normally gentle with the cats, fairly easy going and easy to train, and protective. Most people don't realize it but rough collies are technically a protection/guard breed too, not just a herding dog, they were designed to stand their ground and protect the sheep (or other livestock) from predators, similar to a great pyrenees. They make good watch dogs and will bark if they see an intruder and also look scary when then curl their lip up and snarl, it reminds me of a wolf (long snout with lots of teeth).

 

[kashmir64]

nurseangel just another thought for you. I've told my customers who are interested in adopting an adult dog to make a short list of breeds or mixes they would be interested in. Then make another short list of things you absolutely MUST have in a dog (example: Cat tested safe), things you'd be willing to work with, and things you absolutely would not tolerate (in your case, high prey drive/fixation on small animals) Then, start contacting breed specific rescues (or all breed rescues).
I have worked with some breed specific rescues before. IME, they know their breed inside out and if they feel the breed isn't a good fit for you, they will tell you so and suggest breeds that might be a better fit. I would really encourage you to look at dogs that are being fostered in a home with cats, as their safety is a huge priority.

That is the best advice I've heard

 

[fionasmom]

I have worked with some breed specific rescues before. IME, they know their breed inside out and if they feel the breed isn't a good fit for you, they will tell you so and suggest breeds that might be a better fit. I would really encourage you to look at dogs that are being fostered in a home with cats, as their safety is a huge priority.

Most breed rescues are completely protective of their dogs, even to the point of bluntness if someone is not what they perceive as a good fit. Make sure that the dog was actually fostered with cats, not so-called "cat tested" unless it means that the dog lived with cats. The rescues I know consider it inhumane to a cat to bring them face to face with a dog just to see what happens, so don't buy some story of how a cat was brought up to the kennel and the dog supposedly did not react.

 

[iPappy]

nurseangel , have you come to any decisions?

 

[nurseangel]

iPappy , I haven't. A sudden situation that is kind of unbelievable has come up, and I have put my search on hold for a bit. I do look on Pet Finder and see dogs that have been fostered with cats. The only problem is that they are so much more expensive than the ones at the high kill shelter one county over, which is probably where I would want to go. And the problem with that is that most of the dog's history isn't known, only that she (and it would be she) is owner surrender or something like that. I have no problem adopting a senior dog, either.

amethyst , my husband would never be mean to an animal. In fact, we drove into our driveway one day to find a creature sitting there. "Is that a bear?" I said in wonder, and then I realized it was a very large dog. A very large dog. "I wonder if it's friendly?" I said, as I ran up to him and hugged him. DH went to the store immediately to buy dog food, since we don't keep it in stock. The dog was old. DH came back and was wondering how we would bury him when he died. "We'd have to rent a backhoe!" Anyway, the dog wasn't interested in food, he only wanted attention. The next morning, he was gone. I saw him again in the backyard of a house on a country lane across the creek from us. He must have wandered off or just went for a stroll.

Being cat people, we had never planned to get a dog. Then one night we were driving to the fish camp (for those out of state, that is what they call some restaurants that sell fish - I was amazed, too) to pick up a takeout order. We saw a dog get hit by a car on the busy highway. Nobody was stopping. The dog ran into a ditch and DH's friend, who was on the way to a horse show, stopped his truck that was pulling his horse trailer and helped us rescue him. The dog was coughing up blood and I thought the vet would probably have to put him to sleep. She came out in the night for us, since so many of our cats were her patients. "Is this really your dog?" She asked all suspicious like and how dare she suspect us of calling her in for a dog that didn't belong to us, just because we didn't know his name or if he would bite! He had a broken leg, and she gave him pain killers via IV, put him on a heating pad and operated the next morning. He was a natural bobtail dog, and my cat Redman loved him. (The others would ignore him or spit when they walked by.) He and Redman played together in the backyard. Redman would jump off the lawnmower seat onto his back. Great fun. Until my brother's dog came over for a playdate. Redman jumped on his back, and he started yelping and running. He thought he was under attack from above! (For the record, we did ask around the area where he got hit, but nobody claimed him.) We named him Spike, which was later changed to Bo. Every now and then I find a hamburger squeak toy that he buried in our backyard.

 

[nurseangel]

Update: DH came home and told me he found me a birthday present for $800. I told him I was not worth $800, and he had better be joking with me. He ran into a woman with a miniature poodle at Dollar General. Apparently, he asked her where she got it, and she gave him the name of the breeder.

I have nothing against people who breed dogs because they are passionate about the breed, (puppy mills are a different story) but I would rather adopt from a high kill shelter or an individual who needs to rehome their pet. I have seen a few on Craigslist that are interesting to me. One is a pit bull, something I had sworn I'd never get, that someone is rehoming. She is good with cats (she is pictured sleeping with her head on one, both snoozing away). Another is a Mini Australian Sheepdog. These people have to rehome because of landlord issues, which I don't have to worry about, as I am the landlord here. They have small rehoming fees in hopes of getting a good owner, and I am not concerned at all if the dog turns out to be a mixed breed.

I am not particular about the breed, though I am partial to German Shepherd/mixes, since I had one was what I had as a child, when my dad took me to a deplorable pound where all manners of dogs were mixed into crowed cages together. I pointed to a Yorkie with a bow in her hair and he said someone would adopt her. He wanted to get the worst looking dog there. We ended up with a German Shepherd that was skin and bones, with scars all over his face. He seemed to instantly believe that his job was to protect me.

 

[fionasmom]

I told him I was not worth $800

Never tell your husband that!

As I understand this, your husband did not get the poodle? Like you, I have only ever rescued, so I see your point of view.

I have known pits who were completely trustworthy with cats. One who lived at the property next door to my workplace actually guarded our feral cat colony which was in the parking lot and would let the cats jump into his yard for safety. With a pit, however, get the whole story about the dog as some are dog aggressive (this one was).

An Aussie may want to herd, but they are very intelligent and highly trainable. I brought cats into a house with an Aussie mix and he learned very quickly the cat rules.

 

[iPappy]

If you're partial to GSDs and their mixes, an Aussie type might be a good fit for you. Herding breeds are incredibly smart and usually pretty good about listening to their owners, and in most cases are incredibly easy and rewarding to train. (I was very, very tempted to take the brother of a friends Aussie when they were puppies, but life circumstances were holding me back.)
Pit bulls IME are incredibly loyal, but HIGH energy (higher than herding breeds) and are incredibly strong. I've known some who were very good with cats and even small dogs, but other like sized dogs, not so much. Then I've known some who never gave another dog a second glance. I've heard it said that their prey drive/dog aggression usually kicks in between the ages of 2-3, so if the dog is older than that, I wouldn't write it off.