Adding a Dog to home with 2 cats???????????

Well as some of you know I just bought a house and we make settlement May26th. I have always wanted a dog since I moved out and plan on doing so. My problem is while apartment living my wife and I bought 2 cats, 1 is less than a year and the other is about 2-3 years old (both have their claws). My wife is a school teacher so she will be off from June 17- September 1st so within that time she (we) should be able to train a dog. I figured a puppy would be best with the cats because the dog will be starting off the same size as the cats. My wife is really worried about the cats revolting against us. Any suggestions and help is appreciated.
Dogs we are considering are:
German Shepherd
Pit Bull Terrier
Siberian Husky

the cats will not revolt against you... i have always had dogs and cats together, and usualy how it works for me is that (if we have the cats 1st and get a new dog) the cats will be timid of the puppy, but after a week or so, they will warm up to each other.

you will have NO problems getting a puppy. like i said the cats may be a lil timid or scared at first of the new hyper puppy..

i would advise against the pit bull terrier... they have known aggression and im sure you know of all the risks that come with a pit bull... but like any dog, it can be a complete sweetheart as well.

i would get the German Shepard.. they are very smart and intelligent dogs.. but a husky would be another great dog too, plus Ive always wanted one too!!!

i hope i helped in some way, im sure some one else will chime in here too and help out, but here is my $.02!

Also , where can I find a breeder thats not a puppy mill or anything of that sort ???

You could always opt for rescue dog that gets along with cats. It will be a change for everyone. Are your cats the type that hold grudges? or do they frequently have behaviors (like not using the litter box) when they are stressed? If so be prepared for that. Take introductions VERY slowly. Allow everyone to sniff through a closed door. See if you can have the dog stay in a room that will be his for a bit so he has a place without the cats. Take the dog out after a while, put the cats in. They'll be sniffing each others scents.

I would start actual introductions one at a time.. If you've got a frendlier cat, do that one first. Don't leave them alone unsupervised until you are sure everyone is ok.

A puppy is a good choice, just keep in mind puppies learn and grow at different rates, and what if 4 months isn't enough? Or what if the puppy will not overcome the prey drive and terrorizes the cats? Its all stuff to think about.

Dogs and cats have lived together successfully for ever. We're planning on adding a dog to our two-cat household at some point in the future.

Also, keep in mind the personalities of the breeds you are choosing. Huskies tend to be VERY headstrong, high energy and stubborn. Gsheps are incredibly smart and need an outlet for that intelligence. Pibblies are very smart and very eager to please, just PLEASE don't get one from a back yard breeder.. There are so many of these guys in shelters :(

Good luck though, keep us updated :)

when we got our puppies, a yorkie and a powder puff Chinese crested, we searched on the internet to find a breeder near us, then called them and talked to them to find the best one.

no matter what, if you train what ever dog you get from a puppy, they will be just fine for ya, i have just seen/read to many articles about pit bulls, but then again, i dont know how they were raised..

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

You could always opt for rescue dog that gets along with cats. It will be a change for everyone. Are your cats the type that hold grudges? or do they frequently have behaviors (like not using the litter box) when they are stressed? If so be prepared for that. Take introductions VERY slowly. Allow everyone to sniff through a closed door. See if you can have the dog stay in a room that will be his for a bit so he has a place without the cats. Take the dog out after a while, put the cats in. They'll be sniffing each others scents.

I would start actual introductions one at a time.. If you've got a frendlier cat, do that one first. Don't leave them alone unsupervised until you are sure everyone is ok.

A puppy is a good choice, just keep in mind puppies learn and grow at different rates, and what if 4 months isn't enough? Or what if the puppy will not overcome the prey drive and terrorizes the cats? Its all stuff to think about.

Dogs and cats have lived together successfully for ever. We're planning on adding a dog to our two-cat household at some point in the future.

Also, keep in mind the personalities of the breeds you are choosing. Huskies tend to be VERY headstrong, high energy and stubborn. Gsheps are incredibly smart and need an outlet for that intelligence. Pibblies are very smart and very eager to please, just PLEASE don't get one from a back yard breeder.. There are so many of these guys in shelters :(

Good luck though, keep us updated :)

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very well put!

I had written a very long response, but it just sounded too negative. Here's my summarized thoughts:

-Puppies are high energy
-Pits/GS are high energy
-I've met a number of huskies I wouldn't trust around children and small dogs, much less small cats and kittens. These are well-trained dogs kept by experienced dog owners, hard to blame some of the dog's reactions to small-critter stimuli on the owner. And of course, high energy.

There is a ton of what you're looking for that makes me think "gee, unless he keeps the dog leashed around the house 100% of the time, at least for the first three years, he's asking for trouble."

I know plenty of people lean towards purebreeds and non-shelter animals, but if I was going to add a dog to a 2-cat household, I would ONLY go with an animal already proven to be cat-socialized.

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Originally Posted by PolishPython

Also , where can I find a breeder thats not a puppy mill or anything of that sort ???

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Research research research research and did I mention RESEARCH?

Honestly, I would recommend a shelter or rescue dog, with pibbs a lot of them will have puppies. The workers will also be able to tell you which ones seem to get along better with their other animal companions than others.

If you need a breeder... Look for someone who only works with ONE breed. Multi-breeders are a hallmark of BYBs. MAKE SURE they will let you see and interact WITH THE ACTUAL PARENTS. Keeping mom and dad locked away is another hallmark of a BYB. Talk to the breeder, do they seem to know what they are talking about. Do they crop all their dogs ears? (not always an indicator, but if you're on the edge about purchasing) Are their dogs ears cropped professionally? Or does it look like the pup got a hackjob with some garden sheers? Are the dogs friendly and well socialized? Are they participating in any CGD --canine good citizen, are they registered. Do they do health testing with the parents before breeding. Ask about what veterinary care the pups receive. Are they active with any pit rescues in the area? Do they have a mandatory spay/nuder clause for any pet-home puppies? Do they SHOW their animals?

Also, avoid the pits that look like they have taken steroids..

I think thats all i can pull out of my brain for now.

Also, those don't just apply to pit breeders, they apply to ALL dog and cat breeders.

I have a pit puppy right now, and I have adopted a 4 year old adullt before. I will say that in my experience, it was far more enjoyable to own the adult lol. I am not saying that pit bull puppies are a bad experience, it just does take a long time and a lot of training for them to mellow out and become spectacular family dogs.
When I had adopted my adult she was older, and came with the canine good citizen certificate. She was already a well trained, house broken, well behaved dog, and did indeed get along with cats. Best dog that I ever owned.
My puppy on the other hand does puppy stuff lol. She has accidents on the floor, chews things up, and still needs lots of training. She is actually pretty good for a pup, but still has a long way to go before she will be the type of canine companion I had before. I do keep her within an eyes distance from me at all times lol. Otherwise bad things would happen :P She does do well with the cats though. She is very snuggly, and does very well at off leash work. Pits thrive on human attention, so teaching them to come when they are called is easy. I consider that a plus.
I have fostered a german sheperd and a siberian before. I can say that niether of those would be easy to do anything off leash with. This could have been because of previous experiences with people, but if they had gotten off leash, either of those dogs would have been gone never to be seen again. I can also say that a husky may not be the best choice if you have cats. Good dogs, but both need lots of exercise and training. As does a pit bull.

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

Also, avoid the pits that look like they have taken steroids.

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HUH?????
Good genetics will always produce a bully that has good game and muscle tone.
(This is for a later debate though, so not to :hijackd: with the :fishslap:)


GSD are good dogs, mostly easy to train and willing to learn. My grandparents bred them for some decades and only had problems with a couple of them. I wasnt too involved with them just because they were not my style.

"pitbulls", proper names being American Pitbull Terrier (APBT), American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff), or Stafforshire Terrier (Staffy) are a VERY high drive and full of energy ALL of the time. It can take 2 to 3 years for your bully to start to calm down. They will get in to tons of trouble if you do not keep them occupied. They do take a lot of work and discipline form YOU to get what you want out of them. Though you will get a great dog and friend in return for all your training.
One other thing to keep in mind is :You will have to answer for your pibbl too! You will get to deal with idiots every day all day. You will hear all kinds of stupid MYTHS that the media likes to blow-up. ***They are man eaters.......They have locking jaws.........They kill people because its in their blood..............If they taste your blood they will kill you.........and so on.***
Study and make sure a bully is what you want and what you think you can handle.
With a bully you may also want to get an old treadmill to help burn some energy when you dont have the time to walk it.
With ANY of them you want to invest in a good dog kennel so that they cannot get into trouble while you two are at work. It sounds cruel but its better than coming home to a dog that was bored and found a power cord to chew on.:gj::gj:

If you have any questions feel free to pm me.

Thanks everyone for the Advice ...... I also forgot to add the other dog that is the front runner so far and thats a Lab Retriever because from what we have read it is great with kids (dont have any yet but soon) also because I had one as a child and he was a great dog !!

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Originally Posted by PolishPython

Thanks everyone for the Advice ...... I also forgot to add the other dog that is the front runner so far and thats a Lab Retriever because from what we have read it is great with kids (dont have any yet but soon) also because I had one as a child and he was a great dog !!

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Most breeds can be trained to be great with kids. Ive never been big on labs or goldens but its a personal choice. Just dont fall into the trap of "my childhood pet was the best, I want a (dog/cat/hamster/millipede) just like him!" Each animal has its own individual personality. I've seen people get disappointed with animals that didn't turn out like they want or have the personality that they wanted (...because thats TOTALLY trainable, amirite?)

Oh! I've even heard of breeders that will take basically, a profile of the type of dog you're looking to add to your family and then go through pups once they're born and basically delegate what family/person gets which dog based on personality. I think for the most part this is a great system. It matches familes and pets to their needs so you don't end up with an aloof dog when what you wanted was a one who enjoys being more involved with the family

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

HUH?????
Good genetics will always produce a bully that has good game and muscle tone.
(This is for a later debate though, so not to :hijackd: with the :fishslap:)

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There are a boat-load of back yard "pit" breeders that breed for dogs with not only poor temperaments, but poor structure and actual health problems. Gigantic dogs with spread out shoulders and squat bodies have trouble breathing. Its like the greyhounds with the double muscle gene, the dogs dont live a normal life.

You want good muscle tone in a dog, the key word is good. Its when they are bred to look like bricks you start running into problems..

Anyway, I'm not looking to get into a debate on this, which is why i didn't really expand in the first post. Anything else in regards to this specific portion I'll ask for responses in PM.

Now back to your regularly scheduled topic.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

HUH?????
Good genetics will always produce a bully that has good game and muscle tone.
(This is for a later debate though, so not to :hijackd: with the :fishslap:)


GSD are good dogs, mostly easy to train and willing to learn. My grandparents bred them for some decades and only had problems with a couple of them. I wasnt too involved with them just because they were not my style.

"pitbulls", proper names being American Pitbull Terrier (APBT), American Staffordshire Terrier (AmStaff), or Stafforshire Terrier (Staffy) are a VERY high drive and full of energy ALL of the time. It can take 2 to 3 years for your bully to start to calm down. They will get in to tons of trouble if you do not keep them occupied. They do take a lot of work and discipline form YOU to get what you want out of them. Though you will get a great dog and friend in return for all your training.
One other thing to keep in mind is :You will have to answer for your pibbl too! You will get to deal with idiots every day all day. You will hear all kinds of stupid MYTHS that the media likes to blow-up. ***They are man eaters.......They have locking jaws.........They kill people because its in their blood..............If they taste your blood they will kill you.........and so on.***
Study and make sure a bully is what you want and what you think you can handle.
With a bully you may also want to get an old treadmill to help burn some energy when you dont have the time to walk it.
With ANY of them you want to invest in a good dog kennel so that they cannot get into trouble while you two are at work. It sounds cruel but its better than coming home to a dog that was bored and found a power cord to chew on.:gj::gj:

If you have any questions feel free to pm me.

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We have a 13.5 year old staffy bull. He is cat friendly, dog friendly and my two kids learned to walk by holding onto various parts of his body. As far as trusting an animal around smaller critters and kids - a well trained an socialized bully breed is hard to top.

He was crated for the first year of his life. Laying down the limits of what he can chew, what he can sleep on, where he can crap, what he can chase, etc. cannot be enforced when the owner is not home. Therefore, until the dog shows that he can be a good house mate, into the crate he goes.

As for cats, even a dog who is accustomed to the the house cats, may still chase and kill the cat that wanders into the yard.

Socializing cats and dogs is best accomplished with a young puppy, a crate and time. Many of the mannerisms that dogs use to communicate are taken as threats in "cat". Therefore it is is imperative that (1) the puppy learn that the cat is a member of the pack, (2) any interaction between the two animals is done in a controlled manner and (3) that a crate is properly used to allow the cats ample opportunity to check out the new demon in their house at their comfort and leisure.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...fandChurch.jpg

It will not happen overnight. It can take months for cats and dogs to learn to settle down and, at a minimum, tolerate each other.

Well we made up our mind. We got in touch with a a friend my wife played soccer with in college who got their Chocolate Lab from a breeder about and hour or so from us. We contacted him and told him our story about my wife being a teacher and needing a pup between mid june - July first and he said "NO PROB" and that he already has 6 teachers lined up for pups. I am super excited to get a pup.

Good luck with your pup!


And every dog is an individual, I just want to say I had about the sweetest dog in the world who was a siberian husky--calm except during play, intelligent, and loved kids and our cats. He never bit or growled at anyone and I miss him every single day. I have never had an animal become that much a part of my family as my sweet Bear.. they can be good dogs, they get a bad rep sometimes. But he was one of us in every way and really one of the most gentle dogs we ever owned! But every dog is different I guess, I just wanted to sort of point that out. It's been a few years since he passed but my hurt hasn't gone away, so I'm sensitive about my sweet huskies :(

Cats can usually train puppies pretty easily. Adult dogs are harder, but if you get one through a breed rescue, sometimes they've actually taken the time to figure out if the dog can live with cats.

We got our second pointer through a breed rescue, and I really recommend it. They interviewed us and grilled us like we were adopting a kid, and it ended up costing almost as much money as buying from a breeder. But it meant a dog that really needed a home found a good one, and the rescue will always take the dog back if something happens and we can't take care of it anymore.

Great pic skip! super cute.

I think a lab is a great idea. Don't take it personally, but labs are known as the "dog breed for dummies". They are extremely easy dogs. Easy to train, easy to care for, easy to socialize. I recommend labs to anyone that hasn't owned a dog, doesn't have a lot of time to socialize a dog, or has children/other animals they are worried about. You'll rarely find an aggressive lab, they are naturally friendly to anyone, even strangers, they definitely don't make good guard dogs, unless you want the robber licked to death, lol.

I know you already got a lot of great response, but I just thought I would add my two cents anyhow. Any guarding breed, pitt, rott, dobie, shepard need a lot of socializing, if you don't do that, you are just setting your dog up for failure. Any breed needs socializing, but it's especially important with breeds that have a bad reputation to start with.

As for having cats that you are worried about, for most larger breeds I would say get a puppy so it can grow up with the cats. Make sure if you adopt a dog from the shelter that it is a decent shelter and that the dog really is cat friendly. I tried adopting a pitt mix from a shaddy shelter and they said it was great with cats, but they never had it around cats... Long story short I took her home and she bit me through my winter coat, drew blood, and tried to eat my cats... That's the only time I've tried to adopt a dog, and it ruined me on adoption for awhile.

I know you've already made up your mind, but I just thought i'd also add my 2 cents, just in case. I adopted my dog from the shelter, and he had been caged with small dogs and around lots of small dogs without ever having a problem, and when he came home with me he was alright for a little while with the neighborhood little dogs and cats. BUT once he got used to his new home, his tolerance of small animals completely took a 180 out of nowhere and now I have to turn the other way if I ever see a small creature while walking him. so, I would just use caution if you change your mind and decide to adopt.

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

Any guarding breed, pitt, rott, dobie, shepard need a lot of socializing, if you don't do that, you are just setting your dog up for failure. Any breed needs socializing, but it's especially important with breeds that have a bad reputation to start with.

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Such a great post!!:handshake:handshake

Only thing is, too many people think of a "pit-bull" as a guard dog. Your bully should never show human aggression. This is one of the best thing that the ol time TRUE dog fighters did for the breed. These breeds were designed to kill anything with four legs BUT human aggression was killed out of them. They did not tolerate any dog that snapped or growled at an human. Even in the ring in the midst of combat, they were able to be handled by their handlers, the ref, and even strangers. This now creates our current problem of people not knowing what they are getting into with the bullies and making them what they are not and that is a guard dog.;)

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Such a great post!!:handshake:handshake

Only thing is, too many people think of a "pit-bull" as a guard dog. Your bully should never show human aggression. This is one of the best thing that the ol time TRUE dog fighters did for the breed. These breeds were designed to kill anything with four legs BUT human aggression was killed out of them. They did not tolerate any dog that snapped or growled at an human. Even in the ring in the midst of combat, they were able to be handled by their handlers, the ref, and even strangers. This now creates our current problem of people not knowing what they are getting into with the bullies and making them what they are not and that is a guard dog.;)

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^^^^^^^^^^^
100% correct

We just moved in our new house. We went to a shelter and adopted our cat and dog the same week. They are doing great together. They lay together sometimes. Check out your local Humane Society. They have lots of Pitbulls, shepherds, Huskys to. They also have rescue groups for thoughs breeds to. Enough preaching. I am sure they will do fine together.

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Such a great post!!:handshake:handshake

Only thing is, too many people think of a "pit-bull" as a guard dog. Your bully should never show human aggression. This is one of the best thing that the ol time TRUE dog fighters did for the breed. These breeds were designed to kill anything with four legs BUT human aggression was killed out of them. They did not tolerate any dog that snapped or growled at an human. Even in the ring in the midst of combat, they were able to be handled by their handlers, the ref, and even strangers. This now creates our current problem of people not knowing what they are getting into with the bullies and making them what they are not and that is a guard dog.;)

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Oh shoot, I'm glad you caught that. Usually I'm the one reminding people that pitts are not guard dogs... :rolleyes: You are totally right, if you want a guard dog, don't get a pitt! I guess I was just lumping them in the bully breed category rather than guard dog breeds.

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

Oh shoot, I'm glad you caught that. Usually I'm the one reminding people that pitts are not guard dogs... :rolleyes: You are totally right, if you want a guard dog, don't get a pitt! I guess I was just lumping them in the bully breed category rather than guard dog breeds.

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:tongue2::tongue2::wuv::tongue2::tongue2:
It happens every now and then;)