View Full Version : Cat-friendly breed of dog?
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 12:40 PM
I'm toying with the idea of getting a dog and was wondering if anyone could recommend any specific breeds that are good with cats.
Out of my 5 cats, 4 have lived with or had experience with dogs before, so I don't think they will be bothered.
I don't want a huge dog though, something small-ish, but not handbag sized!!! lol Although maybe the cats would be less intimidated with a handbag-sized mutt!!! :)
If I get a bitch I will be able to bring her to work with me too, so she wouldn't be left at home alone!!!!
What does everyone think??
:)
my 5 cats live very happily with 2 staffies and a Boxer....The staffies tend to mother the cats...Each time I introduced a new cat, they dogs just accepted it...Even Chancer who wa a adult.....Its really up to you to make sure they sure intoduced properly...A Pup should be no problem....
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 12:53 PM
Thanks Moli..........I would make sure that they were all introduced properly. Do you think a pup would be better or too hyper??
:?
My 8 cats all live happily with our Chocolate Labrador Retrievers, however, I am thinking that Labs are a little bit bigger than you are thinking?
Tanya
19-01-2007, 12:59 PM
My Nan and uncle both have a staffordshire bull terrier (both males) and they get on fine with cats. My nans staffie is the softest dog you could ever meet - he used to lick my guinea-pigs (when we had them!) :)
Thanks Moli..........I would make sure that they were all introduced properly. Do you think a pup would be better or too hyper??
:?
A pup would learn to respect the cats, an adult dog may be a lot harder to introduce unless it had lived with cats, My girls are great with my 5 cats, but will chase any cat that comes into the garden...
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 01:05 PM
My 8 cats all live happily with our Chocolate Labrador Retrievers, however, I am thinking that Labs are a little bit bigger than you are thinking?
Yes, Fran - a little bigger than I had thought!!! :lol:
smudgley
19-01-2007, 01:45 PM
I think you should look into taking on a Guide dog Brood bitch ;)
Our cats allways lived with a small infantry of staffords & dobes oh and a derranged little peke...
Our dearly departed Jack Russell bitch was cat mad, she brought clementine up from a very small kitten and mostwill remember how close they were-Clem acually thought of her as mummy.
Our present two get on with the cats well, we have an X breed & an English Springer Spaniel, the latter being Ralph and sometimes he loves to play chase the moggie but being a baby, and this game usually instigated by the cats, i wouldnt expect much less.
However Springer's CAN be hardwork, definatley not for those of the faint heart..
Our 9 cats get on with our 3 dogs famously. The dogs are of varying sizes being a Bullmastiff, Border Collie and a Jack Russell. The Jack Russell actually looks after the kittens if he gets a chance.
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 02:44 PM
I think you should look into taking on a Guide dog Brood bitch ;)
What does this mean Smudgley and how do I look into it?
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 02:46 PM
However Springer's CAN be hardwork, definatley not for those of the faint heart..
I know..........my boss has three springers that are in the office with us all day!!!! They are lovely but perhaps too big and boistrous for what I was thinking!!!! :)
The Jack Russell actually looks after the kittens if he gets a chance.
Is it just a myth that Jack Russells are quite prone to biting and nipping then?
Jack Russells are a great breed of a dog, i lost my old girl year just gone but have vowed to have another. They have got a bad reputation for being yappy n snappy but a great deal goes into 'forming' them when they areyoung, they can be a pleasure to own however:)
And are a great litte dog too..very hardy!
Border terriers are also nice, maybe not as highly strung as russells can be, and of course we all know who has them!:lol:
smudgley
19-01-2007, 03:36 PM
What does this mean Smudgley and how do I look into it?
Guide dog breeding bitches live in family homes with people, as a pet dog would. The dog goes to live with her family when she is 12 months old having spent the 1st 12 months being with a puppy walker & being well socialised. She stays in the same home for all of her life. She would be bred from & wherever possible it is prefered for them to have their puppies in the home where they live.
All veterinary expenses & food are paid for & free boarding at the GD breeding centre too! :)
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 03:59 PM
Guide dog breeding bitches live in family homes with people, as a pet dog would. The dog goes to live with her family when she is 12 months old having spent the 1st 12 months being with a puppy walker & being well socialised. She stays in the same home for all of her life. She would be bred from & wherever possible it is prefered for them to have their puppies in the home where they live.
All veterinary expenses & food are paid for & free boarding at the GD breeding centre too! :)
That's very interesting. I've just had a search on Google and can't really find anything on the net about it?
They would probably be GSD or labs though wouldn't they? Might be a bit of a bigger dog than I was thinking.
I'd like to look into it though.
whiskey
19-01-2007, 04:02 PM
ive always had staffies who have always been really good with all my cats never ever had a problem with any of them .all they ever want to do to the cats is fuss them:D :D :D
smudgley
19-01-2007, 04:03 PM
That's very interesting. I've just had a search on Google and can't really find anything on the net about it?
They would probably be GSD or labs though wouldn't they? Might be a bit of a bigger dog than I was thinking.
I'd like to look into it though.
There isn't a lot on the website unfortunately, but I can answer any q's you may have ;)
Yes they are quite big dogs though. Labs / Golden Retriever size.
smudgley
19-01-2007, 04:04 PM
http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/index.php?id=1716
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 04:12 PM
I'd probably be better suited to a stud male tbh, as the dogs at work are all males and I would be bringing the dog to work with me in the week. (My boss would be fine with this, she is a dog lover and we have her three springers in the office with us!!)
I live in Northamptonshire though - which may be too far away?
Do the bitches come to the stud to mate, like with cats?
Are there any problems keeping entire male dogs, like spraying, as with cats? (I know they don't spray as such, but anything similar?)
What age do you get the dog and would he be okay with cats if he's older than a pup?
Do I get to keep him for his whole life?
smudgley
19-01-2007, 04:19 PM
I'd probably be better suited to a stud male tbh, as the dogs at work are all males and I would be bringing the dog to work with me in the week. (My boss would be fine with this, she is a dog lover and we have her three springers in the office with us!!)
I live in Northamptonshire though - which may be too far away? Depends which part of Northampton
Do the bitches come to the stud to mate, like with cats? They are always mated at the Breeding Centre in Warwick
Are there any problems keeping entire male dogs, like spraying, as with cats? (I know they don't spray as such, but anything similar?) They don't spray. Obviously they are a little more dominant than a neutered male, however are easy to control with good obedience in practice
What age do you get the dog 12 months and would he be okay with cats if he's older than a pup? yes, he would have been used to cats
Do I get to keep him for his whole life? yes
Hope that helps. I would say that the males are a lot stronger than the females & if you were thinking of a smallish dog, a male Lab maybe a bit bigger than you were intending.
dinahsmum
19-01-2007, 04:47 PM
Another vote for staffies here.
However, if you're getting a pup it doesn't much matter - you will raise it and the cats will teach it manners. However, a puppy is way more difficult to raise than a kitten and I would ask anyone who goes out to work to think very very carefully.
If you're going for an adult it will have to be a cat-friendly one and it's up to you to ask and be sure that's what you get - either a juvenile from a breeder, a retired breeding bitch or a rescue. Many of the rescues cat-test their inmates.
Good luck
(You should have kept the one you rescued!)
(You could pop over to Dogsey and have a look at the rescues (particularly private rescues) there. Nae got her Tilly that way. You could even advertise yourself as potentially looking for a rescue)
Look at this boy - fabulous!
http://www.dogsey.com/showthread.php?t=53166
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 05:47 PM
Awwwww - Digby is gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would have kept that stray, but he was quite big and looks as though he would have eaten my cats for dinner!!! lol
I might take a look around some local rescue centres here at the weekend.
Although I love the idea of helping the Guide Dogs, I think I need to have a smaller dog really. I do only have a 2-bed-semi and 5 cats already.
Thanks for all the help though, Smudgley. It's definitely something that I'd consider again one day; maybe when I'm married and in a bigger house.
I did see an ad for some Yorky cross pups locally. Are they yappy, snappy little things too or would they be okay? I know it depends on how they are raised too. :)
smudgley
19-01-2007, 06:22 PM
Snappy / Yappy ~ Depends what the yorkie was crossed with :?
Not my type of dog though.
I would say if you want a nice little happy dog who will bond well with your cats, go for a CKCS. Always a good family dog.
whiskey
19-01-2007, 07:13 PM
there`s a yorkshire terrier that lives near us its a trappy little thing it even come after my poor clyde i had to lift him up because it was chewing at his ancles:lol: .however i wouldn`t say they were all like that
random
19-01-2007, 07:37 PM
IMO any breed can get on with cats if they are intruduced properly. I think a puppy or a rescue who was used to cats.
Mine get on well with Dusty (miniature dacchie, very handbag size but weighs like a brick! lol) and Charlie (Border Collie X Springer), but not so much Maddy, she's a little mad with the cats and u have to keep telling her to leave them AN LIE DOWN FOR GAWD'S SAKE MISSY!
She's a Weimaraner, :roll:
I think if you want a dog but do not have a set idea on breed then go for a mongrel or crossbreed in rescue or needing to be rehomed. Maybe a young dog under the age of 12 months - you can see then the overall size of the dog a problem with mongrels (as they do not tend to follow a height pattern :)) or maybe even an older dog being rehomed due toa marriage breakup or someone going into care past the nutty puppy stage or you could see what breed catches your eye then have a look at resuce for that breed dogs being rehomed for a variety of reasons.
Karen
Labrador is to big.
Handbag size is to small
Do you mind long hair - grooming?
How about a whippet or a rescue greyhound? greyhounds fit into the smallest of spaces someone on here has a rescue greyhound at the moment who is it my minds gone.
charliebubs
19-01-2007, 11:32 PM
Labrador is to big.
Handbag size is to small
Do you mind long hair - grooming?
How about a whippet or a rescue greyhound? greyhounds fit into the smallest of spaces someone on here has a rescue greyhound at the moment who is it my minds gone.
I don't mind long hair / grooming as I do the cats anyway.
I like the idea of a whippet or rescue greyhound. I'll look into that I think. Thanks Kazz. :)
Someone on here has a rescue greyhound who is is??? is it Kim????
Someone on here has a rescue greyhound who is is??? is it Kim????
I think you're right Kazz.......
tilly
20-01-2007, 01:02 AM
Have you thought of a standard dachshund as they are bigger but still small.
I walk one for a lady and she lives in a one bed bungalow and the dog is fine. He is also good with the ladies daughters cats.
The link below is for a site with some informaiotn on them.
http://www.dogclub.co.uk/dogs/profile-ddwh.php
Sally
Sweet
20-01-2007, 07:09 PM
Exciting time ahead then.....keep us all posted - Ive never had dogs x
Someone on here has a rescue greyhound who is is??? is it Kim????
Yes it is me!! I did see the earlier posts to this thread but thought a grey might be too big.
I adore greyhounds, they are big babies, couch potatoes, don't need much exercise, despite what a lot of people think. Actually we are fostering an ex-racer greyhound this week-end, Rudy. He is a babe! He completly ignores the cats and turns his head the other way if they approach him! I will start a new thread about him and post some piccies later. I would recommend greys 100% (but I am biased!!) You will have to be careful though, as they are often used as racers they are certainly not all cat friendly. Rudy had lived with cats and is only in kennels because his owners relationship broke down, so I knew he should be okay here. I was cautious at first though.
Not sure if this link will work, but this is the thread to where he is kennelled. Just in case you are confused, my name is Brenda on here, which is my first name, my middle name is Kim, which I prefer. :-D
http://wlld.proboards62.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=rehoming&thread=1167317917&page=2
Her is another link, on the same rescue site to another grehound called Norman. He sounds such an easy dog, but it doesn't say if he is cat friendly.
http://wlld.proboards62.com/index.cgi?board=rehoming&action=display&thread=1169317228
smudgley
21-01-2007, 06:26 PM
OMG! (imagine hearts here, can't get emoticons to work) :roll:
I think you should go & get Norman - immediately
I worked at a greyhound kennels when I was at school & briefly when I left school, they are lovely dogs & although quite big, they are not a boisterous dog like some other breeds & they are quite slight in build, so they're kind of not that big really :?
charliebubs
21-01-2007, 07:37 PM
Wow - Norman is gorgeous!!!!
I've had a little look this weekend at adverts for dogs that are available in my area and have realised that it's sooooo different to getting a new cat!!! I have also found that the people with litters of pups don't seem to be so helpful as I hoped. Not that I'm generalising!! I have also had concerns about some of the ads I've seen and whether they could be puppy farms.
I think a rescue is the way forward, but the worry for me with that is how they would get on with the cats if they are older and already have some life experience.
Going to look at the white lodge longdogs site again now............
xx
I like greyhounds/whippets/lurchers and those I have seen in friends houses you would hardly know they are there they seem to be able to take up the smallest of spaces. :)
Wow - Norman is gorgeous!!!!
I've had a little look this weekend at adverts for dogs that are available in my area and have realised that it's sooooo different to getting a new cat!!! I have also found that the people with litters of pups don't seem to be so helpful as I hoped. Not that I'm generalising!! I have also had concerns about some of the ads I've seen and whether they could be puppy farms.
I think a rescue is the way forward, but the worry for me with that is how they would get on with the cats if they are older and already have some life experience.
Going to look at the white lodge longdogs site again now............
xx
As a new dog owner I think maybe a rescue like from whitelodge or similar would be ideal for you. Especially as somewhere like whitelodge for instance you could approahc them explain your situation and ask if you could foster first with a view to homing on a forever basis.
That way you get a trial run, which is nice test the water without jumping straight in.
I think from your posts a greyhound or similar would be ideal for you - don;t know why. As I should be voting for a Staff but don't think that would be your sort of dog.
Sorry to presume.
Karen
smudgley
21-01-2007, 09:46 PM
I think most rescue places should be able to tell you if the dogs are ok with cats. If the dog has a known history, they can tell you if he's lived with cats. If they have no history, they may have cats that live there (at the rescue place) who are introduced to the dogs to gage their reaction. :)
dinahsmum
22-01-2007, 10:24 AM
CB - we brought a rescue lurcher (less classy pointy dog!) into a house with cats. He had been cat tested at the rescue and he was absolutely fine. Actually he was rather shy/frightened of the cats, rather than just 'good'. And I agree with Kazz - although they are big standing up they don't take up too much space in the home - they fold up small!
Rosie
22-01-2007, 11:25 AM
Firstly definitely get a rescue dog. I think most dogs given the time and space will get used to cats. I have had several different breeds and have all settle with the cats eventually. I currently live with a lurcher so am biased but although she doesn't actually love the cats they all coexist harmoniously.
smudgley
22-01-2007, 12:25 PM
fold up small :-D :-D
fold up small :-D :-D
That made me smile too! I know what you mean though, the trouble is they often start small and just stretch out. Caleb can take up most of the room on our sofa or bed!! :lol:
I do agree that many dogs can learn to live with cats, but some greys are just too 'keen' and I have known of several to have killed cats. :( White Lodge will 'cat test' and they are often fostered first which gives potential owners a lot more info on the temperament, etc. Fostering seems to be more common place now than kennels, which is an unnatural environment for a dog I think. Our lurcher, Caleb was fostered for 3 weeks before we had him, and lived with cats in his foster home. However, we don't think he had lived in a home prior to that and it took months before he would go up or down stairs. He learnt to go up them first, but wouldn't go down so we had to carry the big baby! It was when we had Beauty, a foster dog who used the stairs no problem, he decided to go down them. :-D
Jusr thought I would share this pic of our previous dogs, Daisy, a greyhound & Ben, a lurcher happily sharing our bed with Misty & Sidney.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i168/Brenkim/DSCF0002.jpg
What a lovely piccie Kim! How on earth did you keep your bedding so white with all those pets sleeping on it? :shock:
dinahsmum
22-01-2007, 08:31 PM
What a lovely piccie Kim! How on earth did you keep your bedding so white with all those pets sleeping on it? :shock:
........... and where do you and your oh sleep? In a nice wicker basket on the floor? :-D
What a lovely piccie Kim! How on earth did you keep your bedding so white with all those pets sleeping on it? :shock:
The bedding is covered with an old white sheet, it must have been summer Fran, because you should see it at the moment! ;)
........... and where do you and your oh sleep? In a nice wicker basket on the floor? :-D
:lol: :lol:
Cats and dog sleep downstairs at night. Caleb does come into our room at night sometimes when he just wont settle on his own, he just whines and none of us would get any sleep :roll:
charliebubs
23-01-2007, 12:01 PM
Oh Kim - that's a fab photo!!!!!!!!! I'm sold on the idea of a greyhound / whippet type thing now!!!!!!! :)
dinahsmum
23-01-2007, 01:02 PM
CB, this is my sister's lurcher Jeff. He is about as small as you will get in a lurcher and he is a nice boy. Hope you can judge his size from his big sister Nell :)
http://wwwdogsey.com/pics/31315single%20Jeff.JPG
http://wwwdogsey.com/pics/27382Jeff%20and%20Nell.JPG
It's strange, we were saying the other day how the next dog-not for a few years yet, till current two are 'in their prime', will be a rescue hairy lurcher[cat friendly] as they are such nice dogs. Jeff is really lovely DM:)
Good luck Charlie, hope you find the perfect hound!:)
charliebubs
23-01-2007, 01:09 PM
Jeff is lovely DM and Nell is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuugggggggeeeee!!!!!!
Thanks for the pics & thanks Luke, I hope so too. I'm not rushing anything tho as want to be really sure. :)
Lots of my family have working lurchers, and the B-I-L of an aunt of mine has a pair of lurchers which are bred Irish Wolfhound/Greyhound and are absoloutley HUGE hairy beasts...but as gentle as a kitten!
Great thing about lurchers, they come in all shapes, sizes, colours, coat types etc
Is it just a myth that Jack Russells are quite prone to biting and nipping then?
We have never had any problem with our Jack Russell he has a lovely temperment. Here is a pic of the 3 of them.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d71/Tilsie/Dogs.jpg
charliebubs
23-01-2007, 04:14 PM
Ahhh - great pic Kay. What posers they are!!!! lol
Oh Kim - that's a fab photo!!!!!!!!! I'm sold on the idea of a greyhound / whippet type thing now!!!!!!! :)
Thanks Charlie. I must say that now I have had pointies I woudn't want any other type and they suit our lifestyle perfectly. :-D A whippet would be great, the temperament of a greyhound, but smaller. Or if you wanted the smallest sighthound of all, why not an Italian greyhound?!
Found this website
WWW.THEITALIANGREYHOUNDCLUB.CO.UK
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