I Have Cats And I Want To Get A Dog!

1 bruce 1

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I'm going to preface my comments with the fact that I work at a dog boarding place and see all kinds of dogs on a regular basis. In most cases, I would suggest small dogs only if you are going to be home a lot. If you're gone 8 or 9 hours each day and you can't take them with, most small breed dogs will not take it well.

I would never recommend a GSD for any new owner as these dogs will walk all over you. Most new dog owners just don't have the confidence to handle one of these dogs and adding cats to the equation would become a disaster quickly.

I would also not recommend a puppy to anyone who hasn't had a dog before. They are incredibly challenging no matter the breed and exhausting. I have a Cardigan Corgi puppy right now and he takes up most of my time right now.

I personally would suggest a dog that was at least 3 or 4. Either a calm mixed breed or some type of Lab or Golden retriever. These are perfect dogs for someone who hasn't had one before and tend to be incredibly calm, forgiving, and easy to train. We had one that helped us raise two foster kittens, keeping them warm and clean. If you adopt one, look for one with a lot of good temperament testing. Right now there are a lot of really crappy Lab/Retriever breeders out there pumping out Labs and goldens that are long legged, hyper, and just a hint neurotic. Not what you're looking for.
Excellent advice!
Especially on the retriever breeds. They're SO popular and most people love them (why wouldn't they?) and crappy breeders are pumping out crappy examples that will turn people off forever. And what a shame for these wonderful dogs that have no dog in this fight (pardon the pun.)
In retrievers, a field bred dog will be WAY more energy than you'd want. Show bred dogs are not my cup of tea. I love these field bred dogs for their speed, athletic ability, and smarts, but I also do love show bred Goldens. They're gorgeous, sweet, intelligent, etc.
I LOVE field bred Labs. I could take or leave show bred Labs. They're sweet and really nice dogs that make excellent pets, but aren't my "thing" for various reasons I won't get into.
Don't get me started on the strains of German Shepherds.
Goldenretrieverforums.com is a site I lurk on a lot. There are a lot of smart people there that know the breed and, if a Golden is a dog you're considering, can help you locate a breeder that breeds for what you're after. They seem extremely supportive and kind, as well, which is very helpful.

Location totally matters here, and I'm not sure where the OP is located.
But if there's ANY kind of guide dog group in your area, talk to them. They sometimes have 2-3 year old dogs that are wash outs for guide work for whatever reason that have been socialized half to death and trained since day one and have EXCELLENT manners that make the BEST pets you'd ever want.
 

Willowy

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IMO stay away from Craigslist and other sites like it.
Yes, with the caveat that I got my Collie from a craigslist ad, lol ;). This is what I say: do NOT buy from a breeder who advertises on craigslist. Don't buy a puppy from craigslist (probably a puppymill broker). Be very very careful because at least half of craigslist ads are from scammers. But some very nice people who can't keep their adult pet dog for unavoidable reasons will also post on craigslist, and sometimes you can get a good well-trained pet, just because their owner fell on hard times. You just have to be careful and ask a lot of questions.

There are less risky advertising venues though.
Puppies are more forgiving of mistakes
Nooo, no, no, no, no, no, lol. At least not in my experience. It's SO easy to mess up a puppy. Both dogs I raised from puppyhood had/have issues that I can identify as being my fault :/.

My easiest dog was a 3-4 year old GSD mix from the city shelter. He just fit right in. And at least if an adult dog has issues, I can blame someone else instead of myself ;).
 

Pucks104

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If you choose a puppy enroll in a positive training puppy kindergarten class. Continue through Canine Good Citizenship certification. This will give you a solid foundation in understanding your new puppy and will provide your puppy with an understanding of your expectations. It will also facilitate communication between the two of you.
The stronger your bond the better you’ll be able to understand how to help your puppy live in peace with your cats. In my past experience, adult cats tend to learn to tolerate a new dog. Only sometimes will they accept and develop an affectionate relationship with the new dog. Don’t allow the puppy to chase the cats unless the cats get to a place that they initiate play. Don’t allow the puppy to be aggressive with the cats. Also don’t allow the cats to be aggressive with the puppy. A successful relationship between all will require many months of supervised interaction. Only take this on if you are willing to commit to helping the dog and cats learn to live in peace. Living in a home where the animals do not get along is very stressful for them and their humans!
 

thefiresidecat

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I wouldn't do it. I don't think it's fair to cats. if they've been kittens around dogs it's one thing.. but cats being introduced to dogs as adults. you're going to ruin their lives. :(
 

MeganLLB

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I wouldn't do it. I don't think it's fair to cats. if they've been kittens around dogs it's one thing.. but cats being introduced to dogs as adults. you're going to ruin their lives. :(
Lmfao! Are you fur reals?:flail: How old are you like 10? You will not ruin their lives. I think that's a bit much. Artemis was introduced to Bosco as an adult and they both are fine. His life has not been ruined. He is very happy living together with him as are many other cats and dogs.
 

thefiresidecat

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Lmfao! Are you fur reals?:flail: How old are you like 10? You will not ruin their lives. I think that's a bit much. Artemis was introduced to Bosco as an adult and they both are fine. His life has not been ruined. He is very happy living together with him as are many other cats and dogs.

keep telling yourself that. maybe it will make you feel better in your selfish decision to stress your cats out.
 

Bauer25

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keep telling yourself that. maybe it will make you feel better in your selfish decision to stress your cats out.
I agree with Megan, you have got to be a young teen or younger to have such a closed mind about this with limited knowledge on the subject to just attack someone like that and call them selfish, you have no idea how her cats interact with the dog and the body language, you have no right to comment that. Cats aren't delicate little flowers who are going to have their lives completely ruined by adding a new family member in a correct way.

Cats can be introduced with dogs at older ages and be 100% fine. they can enjoy the company and new energy actually.
 

Bauer25

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Im just going to add this as I am mostly a dog person and have been researching training and everything for years. Just brought home my first cat to my Lab and everything went smoothly, much I credit to the training I have done with the dog.

1- look into balanced training for dogs, they are not cats and thrive on being told what you want them to do (positive based training) COMBINED with corrections and such when the dog knows the command well and just decides to not listen. Dogs like to know what is expected of them, both with what is wanted and what is not wanted. very different to any kind of cat training. there are some good (GREAT actually) trainers on youtube to learn from and get all the best ideas to have a easy managable house with dogs and cats. a few are Larry Krohn, Tyler Muto, Leerburg, SolidK9training, TheGoodDogTraining.

Train the dog to ignore the cats, train "place" (you can find many videos online) so the cats know that the dog is in control and is not a threat to them. if the dog does have prey drive training is even more important but many many dogs can successfully live with cats that have prey drive. One important thing is to not allow chasing of any animals outside of the home. make it known that that is a 100% NO

Best of luck to the OP and anyone else reading this thread looking for advice on dogs and cats :)
 

Pucks104

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18 yrs ago when my daughter got her first apartment with her then boyfriend later husband she got a cat. When the cat was a couple of yrs old she, against all advice got a Siberian Husky puppy. All went reasonably well for the first year or so until she adopted a young adult SH. She had assumed that since things went well with the puppy that all would go well with the older dog too. In spite of baby gates to give the cat safe spaces within a month of the older dog joining the household the dogs killed her cat. Sometimes things work out well when another animal is added to a household and other times not. If you are going to add another animal to your family do your research first.
 

4horses

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I have all the wrong dogs in my house. Meka is a Belgian shepherd mix. As a puppy she had zero bite control and was extremely nippy. Most dog people refer to this as sharking. She would run up to say hi and bump her teeth into you. Ouch!

She was leashed or crated around the cats for the first 2 years. Now the most she does is slobber on the cats with kisses. The cats are pack as far as she is concerned. She is extremely dog aggressive though. It makes going for walks difficult. My old cat loves her- they are adorable together.

My second dog is a Jack Russell terrier mix. She has the jack russell head, and a white body with brown spots. She's much larger than a russell though- 30 lbs. It took 2 years and she is just starting to ignore the cats. Same as before, she is leashed or crated at all times. We just started letting her off leash. The other day Izzy ran through the room and she looked interested in chasing her, even trotted after her, but definitely not a full chase. She also gets jealous if you hold cats in front of her. Since she isn't trustworthy yet, the leash and crate are your friends. I definitely don't think she would be ready for unsupervised interactions anytime soon. She does not see the cats as pack yet.

The cats are not to be played with, pawed at, or nipped at. Walk near the cat, ask the dog to sit and lay down, repeat. Repeat, repeat. You want eye contact on you, the dog should ignore the cat. The dog should walk a circle around the cat without invading its space. Do not let the dogs run into the house out of control. They should sit and wait, get leashed, then enter. Something I sometimes fail to do...

My dogs were both difficult and not ideal to have around cats. Both required extensive training and commitment.

My black lab mix was ideal to have around cats. He required zero training other than basic obedience... extremely smart and laid back. He house broke in 3 days. He loved small dogs and cats. I miss him terribly. He was left loose even as a puppy with no concerns about the cats. He passed away from kidney failure a few years back.

If you can't find a puppy, look for an adult dog that was raised or fostered with cats.
 

frankiecatsle

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If the cats have never seen a dog before I really wouldn't suggest a puppy. But that's just me. Neither you or the cats are used to having a puppy around so it will really increase everyone's stress levels. Puppies are hyper, very curious, play rough, and are far more likely to terrify a skittish cat. Obviously with puppies you're constantly supervising and training but encounters do happen, eventually they must, and even people with experience make a few mistakes. And the training is a process that takes time - time two cats w/ no dog experience might not allow. Our two cats are very, very used to dogs. They came from my mother (who also had dogs) and lived/played with our Boxer for a long time until he passed away. My brother-in-law came over with his puppy not very long after that and oh dear, far too much energy for my dog-loving cats. :lol:

I'd honestly suggest checking out shelters and looking for more mature dogs. There are some in my area (and possibly yours) that truly know their dogs and know if the dog gets along with cats. Also the dog's temperament, health issues. There's a few shelters in my area who have placed dogs with foster families and sometimes those fosters will bring the dog to you *and your cats* for a few visits to see if everyone would get along.

Also, I wouldn't get too dead set an any breed of dog! Or entirely against a breed that you wouldn't at least check them out. As I said, my dog was a Boxer. And Boxers are known for their overwhelming amounts of energy! But mine? He slept constantly, even as a puppy. Just the calmest dog in the world from the day he was born until he passed away at 14 years old. Just keep an open mind and be willing to do lots of research about where ever you adopt from, rather it be a shelter or breeder!
 

goingpostal

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It really depends on what you are looking for. Almost any dog can be taught to live with a cat and on the flip side, there is no guaranteed safe good combo that will always get along well. Dogs are still predators after all and have instincts. I have all the "wrong" breeds with cats, pit bull mixes, husky, shepherd, rat terriers, puppies, between my dogs and foster ones. But it takes time, training, management and animal knowledge. My advice would be to work with a positive trainer no matter what and go slowly. You want them to live together maybe a decade or more, there's no reason to rush intros.
 

Geralizze M.

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I have two dogs and two cats. One of my dogs was actually raised by a cat so he thinks he is one of them. He even attempts to climb trees whenever he sees a cat do it and gets frustrated when he sees he can’t lol. He never met another dog until I brought a puppy in.

It takes time and a lot of training to get a cat and a dog to get along. Since you are a first time dog owner a small, low energy breed would be ideal. But then again it really depends more on the dog’s temperament and training than the breed.
 

Animal Freak

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I think there's a lot of good advice already here, but thought I'd share my experience as well. I definitely think a small, low energy dog would be best, but it's not impossible with another type of dog. I think how the dog is raised matters much more than breed, genetics, or whatever else.

Personally, I have three cats. Two of them are seven years old and one is four. The four year old is an insecure cat who doesn't like change. I brought in a relatively high energy chihuahua/Pomeranian(and probably something else because she's 16lbs of muscle) who's been with us for a couple of years now. And, honestly, the first year was awful. I thought I was going to have to rehome the dog. Not because of anything on her part, but because my four year old cat just wouldn't stop attacking her. No claws, just fierce slapping and hissing. Prior to this, the only dog my cats had known was a tiny chihuahua/Poodle mix who was less than half the size of my smallest cat and that dog only came occasionally for short periods of time.

Today, one of my cats sometimes attempts to play with the dog, another will headbutt her, and the insecure one pretty much walks all over her like she's not even there. Now I did have an advantage because this dog was my aunt's and I was there all the time. I worked with her, knew her personality, and she was bonded with me. For the first several months, she wouldn't leave my side. She was also raised with cats.

Probably the most amazing thing though, is that we've had a friend of the family bring his chihuahua mix puppy(he owned the chihuahua/poodle mix, but she passed and he recently got a puppy) over on several occasions. My insecure cat actually stays out in the room with her and does not hide, despite the fact that this puppy is high energy and has no manners. I never thought this cat would be so accepting of an intruder in the house, let alone a hyper canine intruder that wants to play with her.

When I was a kid, we also had a German shepherd/Alaskan malamute mix. I do not know how he was raised or trained because the dog was older than I was. But he did just fine with cats despite having minimal obedience training and acting like a puppy up until the day he died. Admittedly, he was an outdoor dog, but he came in on the hot days and we did have a cat who went outside.

My cousins currently have a giant(100+lbs) German shepherd along with several small dogs. They have had hunting dogs and a Rottweiler in the past as well. They have a few cats who are fine.

One thing that has to be considered is the cats involved though. Their temperaments are just as important as the dog's. Some cats are going to be much more willing to accept a dog than others. One of my cats had almost no issues with the dog. He kept his distance, but never really went through a phase of hiding or anything. He just stayed out of reach. My insecure cat took a year to accept the dog and it's not perfect. If the dog moves too fast, too close then the cat slaps and spits. But overall, they get along well for an insecure cat who wasn't used to dogs and an energetic dog who actually did have a bit of a prey drive.
 

Pjg8r

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I have always had great Pyrénées dogs with my cats. I’ve had some grow up as puppies and some I adopted as adults. They have no prey drive and adore cats.
 

Pucks104

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We had a Great Pyrenees/Golden Retriever mix who looked just like a Pyr but weighed about 65 lbs. Arthur was wonderful with our cats. We lost him to cancer when he was 4 yrs old. Broke our hearts.
 
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