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

[PolishPython]

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

[SnakesNStangss22]

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!

[PolishPython]

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

[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

[SnakesNStangss22]

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..

[SnakesNStangss22]

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

very well put!

[mainbutter]

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.

[cinderbird]

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

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.

[accidental777]

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 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.

[PitOnTheProwl]

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

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 with the )


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.

If you have any questions feel free to pm me.