Dogs that are good with cats?

LikeAnOcean

So I have a seven month old kitty. He's a big guy already though, 9 lbs and pretty skinny for his length. Really friendly. Has been to my parents and gets along with their small dog.

My girlfriend and I plan on getting a place in October. She asked if it was ok if she got a dog.. I'm ok with it. I love dogs, grew up with them, so I have no problem with it.

She mentioned some breeds she was interested in and one was a wheaten terrier. I'm reading online that Terriers have hunting instincts and will go after small animals. A smaller dog we mentioned was a Jack Russell Terrier, but I'm also reading they have been known to kill cats..

Just not sure what dogs are good with cats. My kitty's going to be a big guy, so would a Jack Russell really be a threat? to a bigger cat?.. Growing up we had a big cat that used to terrorize the neighbors toy collie.



P.S. I really want a pug, but she thinks they are ugly as hell. She also wants a German Shephard. I would think that would be a bad choice for a cat too.

Fifthelement

I don't really know about specific breeds, but I would think that any dog that was socialised with cats (and vice versa), would be what you should look for.

When we brought our dog Nikita home from the pound our cat Stella freaked. Mind you she was a complete bitch who didn't like any other animals and barely tolerated small humans We slowly acquainted them through closed doors and under close supervision. Nikita love, love, loves cats, so she was a little obnoxious at first trying to check Stella out. Within a couple months, once the pecking order was ascertained - cat, dog, humans, everything calmed right down.

They became very close over the years. When Stella died a few years ago Nikita was devastated. She was depressed for months. To this day, if you say Stella's name around her, her ears perk up and she starts looking around.

Hope this helps. Good luck

StillHere

In my experience, and we have dog(s) AND cats, if you have your cat first, and then bring in a YOUNG dog, a puppy, you will probably have no problems. Your cat will set the ground rules while the puppy is young. This has been true with both our large (Boxer/Chow mix) and small (Shih Tzu/Chihuahua mix) dogs.

Good luck.

LikeAnOcean

Looks like the best option is rasing the puppy with the cat.. Still worries me when I read Jack Russells kill cats. Really? They weight 13 to 17 lbs.. My cat is going to be at least that in size. I would think a dog would have no chance against a cat thats the same size. I've seen a 16 pound cat hold it's ground against a 140 lb pit bull, no joke.

Loulou

Mine put up with alot of shit from my cat Mr. Thompson. They are both poodle x whippet. I think it's good to bring them up together for sure, I love pugs by the way. Some of the nicest dogs I have met have been Pugs or French Bulldogs but they do have alot of medical issues. That's really the only downside but they are lovely little dogs. Cavalier x Poodle have a very mellow temperament, (Cavoodle), they tend to get along with anything and everything too. Good luck and let us know what type of puppy you get!

HeavyHands

It's hard to say how either a dog or a cat will react/interact. Personally I think it has to do more with their personality rather than instincts.

Case in point is a pit bull. They have a really bad reputation, but I don't believe they are inherently any more dangerous than any other breed. I know someone who rescued a pit bull that was used for fighting and with some love and proper attention she was able to make that thing as easy going as a sunny day. How the animal is treated will determine how it acts.

Generally speaking, I think the situations people have mentioned above (about introducing a puppy to a cat) is probably a wise course of action.

Here's my situation. I have a dog and two cats. My first dog was a completely different breed than the one I have now. She was a mutt, but still part herding dog. We introduced all of them as adults and were lucky that they all got along and respected each others space. No incidents ever other than the occasional curious cat getting too close to the princess-of-a-dog in the middle of the night and hearing a bark or two.

That dog died and I went a year with just the two cats. Both cats were kind of weirded out by her absence. Their behavior did change (sometimes pooping outside of the box) slightly and, if you ask me, they missed her presence in the household. Like someone mentioned above, the pecking order changed and they didn't know what to make of it.

A year later I got another dog. This time a male and a completely different breed (a trained hunting dog - retriever). He was between 5-6 and the cats were approaching 8 (I think). He went from being an outdoor dog his entire life to being an indoor dog. His old yard had two kittens that stayed in his house with him when it rained.

Bringing him in the household upset the pecking order again, but the cats adjusted amazingly quickly. They were a little weirded out by his strange presence, but came out right away to sniff and check him out. His personality is very laid back about other people/animals so there haven't been any incidents at all. In fact he starts to police them if they get too rambunctious when they chase each other around. The one cat stopped going to the bathroom outside of her box and hasn't done it since.

There were a lot of dynamics at play in my case, but the fact that everyone is really laid back and calm is key, I think. Personally, I think you can do it.

mysticweed

having had many of both
it has been my experience that the dog will behave based on the way he/she is raised
i agree though that you would need to bring in a puppy for the best chance of compatibility

polaris_x

jack russell terriers are spazzy dogs ... they have soooo much energy ... it's ridiculous ... that generally doesn't translate well with cats i don't think ...

i have two cats - first dog that showed up at my house basically got beat up ... now ... they are more open to them as long as they mind the dogs mind their own business ...

i think you are right to look into dogs that have aggressive behaviour but agree with most who say if you introduce the dog ... the cat will dictate the progress of the relationship ...

brianlux

I had a yellow lab that liked cats (and labs are generally very sweet). A friend has a golden retriever that gets along with their cat very well but golden's are generally more high strung (though well tempered).

chime

We had a boxer and introduced a kitten and they were best friends when our boxer passed the cat definitely went into mourning and we later introduced a 3 year old springer spaniel and they again became good friends.

I will say Jack Russells are the only breed I don't particularly like as they can be very unpredictable and can by 'nippy' .... I remember as a kid being in a park and my friend asking a Jack Russell owner if it was ok to stroke her dog ... she replied sure the dog was friendly ... and the dog just latched onto my friends hand and would not let go ... the owner ended up having to hit it to get it off ... my friend ended up with about a dozen sets of teeth marks in her hand and having to go to the emergency room.

Cradles Broken Glass

Our beagle is great with our cats. I actually feel really sorry for him at times because he is real playful and when he sees our two cats playing he tries to join in, but they are often stand-offish. However, sometimes he and our tom cat plays chase throughout the house, it's really fun to watch. I'm not really sure if all beagles are like this, but it's a good combination in our house.

LikeAnOcean

I've done some research and am going to talk her into a Golden Retriever. I wanted a Pug or Boston Terrier, but she wants a bigger, harrier dog.


Trouble now will be finding an apartment that's ok with dogs. Most aren't. :?

Slap upside the head

Any dog that is smaller than the cat would work.

LikeAnOcean

Slap upside the head wrote:

Any dog that is smaller than the cat would work.

She doesn't want a small dog because they are too hyper. :?

Slap upside the head

Gob wrote:

Slap upside the head wrote:

Any dog that is smaller than the cat would work.

She doesn't want a small dog because they are too hyper. :?

Pugs and Shit-Sues are not hyper at all.

LikeAnOcean

Slap upside the head wrote:

Gob wrote:

Slap upside the head wrote:

Any dog that is smaller than the cat would work.

She doesn't want a small dog because they are too hyper. :?

Pugs and Shit-Sues are not hyper at all.

A pug is my first choice, but she thinks they are ugly.

Drum Machine89

We used to have a golden retriever that was great with our 2 cats, think she treated them as small dogs!

We have a new 10 week old retriever puppy and so far he hasn't gone for the cats or anything. All he seems to want to do is play with them but when they don't they just run away. Golden retrievers are normally very friendly to other animals so that might be a good bet but from the sounds of things you guys are going to go for a smaller breed. So good Luck!

blackredyellow

We have a wheaton terrier, and she is awesome. We don't have cats, so I can't help you there, but she doesn't really chase stuff outside.

Like said before, if you get any dog as a puppy, he/she will learn to grow up in a house with a cat, and they will co-exist.

Bronx Bombers

Take a look at Irish Jacks, they're bred a lot tamer than the regular ones not as hyped up and they get along great with cats.

Gob wrote:

So I have a seven month old kitty. He's a big guy already though, 9 lbs and pretty skinny for his length. Really friendly. Has been to my parents and gets along with their small dog.

My girlfriend and I plan on getting a place in October. She asked if it was ok if she got a dog.. I'm ok with it. I love dogs, grew up with them, so I have no problem with it.

She mentioned some breeds she was interested in and one was a wheaten terrier. I'm reading online that Terriers have hunting instincts and will go after small animals. A smaller dog we mentioned was a Jack Russell Terrier, but I'm also reading they have been known to kill cats..

Just not sure what dogs are good with cats. My kitty's going to be a big guy, so would a Jack Russell really be a threat? to a bigger cat?.. Growing up we had a big cat that used to terrorize the neighbors toy collie.



P.S. I really want a pug, but she thinks they are ugly as hell. She also wants a German Shephard. I would think that would be a bad choice for a cat too.

HeavyHands

Bronx Bombers wrote:

Take a look at Irish Jacks, they're bred a lot tamer than the regular ones not as hyped up and they get along great with cats.

Look out Itchy! He's Irish!

Lukin66

I think most previous posters hit the nail on the head... It will depend on the dog itself. I have a pitbull mix that I adopted out of a shelter 2 years ago, as well as two cats (a Maine coon and a Siamese mix, both males). Lou (dog) knows the pecking order in the house, and I've never had a problem between her and the cats. In fact, the Siamese loves her and will cuddle up with her in her bed. That being said, Lou has a great temperment and acclimated to the existing animals in the house with no issues. I was definitely lucky with her. It just goes to show that temperment and training are far more pertinent than actual breed.