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Post by Use Less on Jun 4, 2015 19:43:12 GMT
Are some breeds of small dog better with cats generally than others? I have three cats, one 8 or so? and two 10+ All stray/feral who made themselves to home. I am considering adopting a small dog. Not tiny like chihuahuas, but the size and style of miniature poodle, bichon frise, Westie or other fluff-dogs. Likely a mix and possibly a senior dog surrendered somewhere. I have heard that dachshunds, whose looks and intelligent faces I really like, aren't typically so good a mix with cats. Thanks.
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Post by Raeven on Jun 4, 2015 19:59:38 GMT
I wouldn't give up on the Dachshunds. I have a mini who is a rock star with his three cats. He also gets along fine with strange cats. If he approaches the stranger and the stranger issues any kind of warning, even one of those Askance Looks, my Dachshund turns on his Ignore feature. But if welcomed, he is quite interactive and plays with them gently -- 'gently' being a relative term, meaning however rough the cat likes it. He will chase, be chased, tease and generally make a fine fuss over the cat.
For his favorite cat of my three, he will --by invitation only -- pull her around in circles by the ear. The cat just lays there and enjoys the spin. It's pretty hilarious, and when kitty has had enough, she need only get to her feet and the Dachshund backs off completely. The cats usually have to tease him to get him to play like that, but he will indulge their whims if asked prettily enough.
They all get along like a house on fire. I think the key with the Dachshund breed is to choose carefully while the dog is still young, then let the cats assert their authority over him/her. Dachshunds can be willful, so choose one that seems eager to please you. He/she will be far easier to train because it wants to make you happy.
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Post by Bear Foot Farm on Jun 4, 2015 22:44:32 GMT
Dogs, like people, are all individuals, so there's no way to predict how they will react to cats.
Dogs raised around cats tend to do better, but often even older dogs will accept them
You never know for sure until they are together
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Post by katievt on Jun 4, 2015 22:55:39 GMT
It really depends on the individual dog.
We recently adopted a coonhound from a shelter. The shelter cat- and rabbit-tested her for me and she passed with flying colors. A local rescue also listed her. Because she is a coonhound who was trained to hunt, they listed her as no cats, no exceptions. If we had blindly followed that, we would have missed a great dog!
All that to say, dog behavior is not set in stone based on the breed. Pits, for example, can be cat-killing machines or best friends with them. Just use caution. If adopting from a shelter or rescue, ask if they can cat-test any dogs you are interested in.
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Post by Mari-in-IN on Jun 5, 2015 2:42:26 GMT
Once upon a time ago I had a Pomeranian (Julius) and assorted cats...They got on like a house on fire!! (Chasing/Playing) I did raise him as a pup-don't know if that makes a difference?! Mom has a Pom with her two cats and it's the same thing---they all get along great... Just my 2 cents!!
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Post by aoconnor on Jun 5, 2015 12:21:05 GMT
My dogs and cats all get along just fine. The first thing I do when a new dog comes home, the MINUTE it even glances at one of my cats, I yell NO! That has worked beautifully for me:-) I then go on and introduce the dog with my kitties, making sure the dog understood the rules the first time. It would be horrible for me if one of my cats got killed because i brought a strange dog home, but to date that hasn't happened.
I have had both large and small dogs around my cats, the only problem child was a Cattle dog.
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Post by mollymckee on Jun 5, 2015 20:27:45 GMT
My Westies get along well with the cats, but they are pretty good in general. They love to play with the cats, but are careful and one hiss will end the game.
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Post by Maura on Jun 7, 2015 20:24:31 GMT
Rat killers generally don’t get along with cats. There are exceptions, of course. Many dogs that will chase cats will leave their own cats alone. It’s really hard to say if a dog will get along with your cat. I had one rescue Boston terrier that the previous foster mom said was fine with cats because it didn’t chase her outdoor cat. He was actually very cat aggressive. Some dogs have enough sense to wait until the cat is close enough before attacking, and I think this was the case.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2015 21:18:09 GMT
Second Mari-in-IN's Pom suggestion. Nice dogs in the house and frisky well into old age, sweet nature with small animals. The ones I've known loved to please their owner and were quick to pick up signals. Maura I think tells well. (As always!)
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Post by Mari-in-IN on Jun 11, 2015 22:21:14 GMT
Second Mari-in-IN's Pom suggestion. Nice dogs in the house and frisky well into old age, sweet nature with small animals. The ones I've known loved to please their owner and were quick to pick up signals. Maura I think tells well. (As always!) That TOTALLY describes the one I had and my mom's to a "T"! |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2015 14:22:10 GMT
My experience has been that dogs with vermin killing in their blood line generally regard cats as vermin.
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Post by aoconnor on Jul 22, 2015 3:51:35 GMT
My Cocker Spaniel was wonderful with ehr kitties. She never fussed at or with them:-). I also had a little Dachshund boy that loved my cat...he never had an issue with it at all.
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