Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Best breed of dog for a cat household?

We have 3 cats, and my daughters want a dog. What some good dog breeds to consider?
Answers:
Breeds can go either way as a class.

Sporting breeds generally do well with kitties. Cat says Buzz off -dog goes, oh okay, I'll be gentler in playing, but please please like me.

TERRIERS DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT. They were bred to hunt down, chase and kill small things - rats, moles, groundhogs etc.

Herding breeds are split. Border collies and Aussies will tend to chase the cats but not to hurt them -they want to herd them and keep them where they can see them. Other herding breeds are not as strong in the "nip to herd" behavior and dote on their kitties.

Dogs that have a high prey drive such as GDSs, Dobes, Huskies, Malmutes, Bouvier des Flandres, ..nope, not a good idea.

I've a 'herd guarding' breed and he will defend his cats to the death against anyone or anything, just worships them and fusses over them. He is the cats 'favorite toy. When I hear a cat shrieking, it is not because the dog has done something to the cat - it is because the 10 lb cat wants the 115 lb dog to play -walks right up to the dog and slaps him on the nose and says "lets go!" (And I'm yelling at the cat to stop picking on the dog and for heaven's sake, settle DOWN - if you guys flip that coffee table one more time. with that racing and diving under it.!)

I've had Boston Terriers (GREAT WITH KIDS!), Bulldogs (English), Shetland Sheepdogs (GREAT WIHT KIDS), .Welsh Corgis (DITTO), Golden Retrievers (Yep - if they are healthy and get LOTS of exercise), a Chow Chow/Keeshond cross, and Kuvasz (the big guy) all living with cats quite happily.

Go to the link below and read about the breeds and talk to the breeders. A responsible breeder who is a member of the Natinal CLub for their breed will tell you yes/no immediately on how they do with cats. They don't want to sell you a puppy - they want a forever home for their puppy.

Now, my picks would be all the ones I have listed plus

(1) the calmest Sporting Dogs - Goldens and Labs (yep, compared to the rest of the group those are the calmest, kitty friendly breeds.)

(2) Hounds (ummm, we are talking high prey drive here) so pretty much no except maybe a Dachshund or a Bassett (both are couch potatos)

(3) Working - Great Pyrenees Kuvasz Newfoundland Saint Bernard (I would add Bernese Mountain Dog but their average lifespan is only 7 years.)

(4) Terrier -now there are some small breeds in this Group that a cat could take out but why have a constant chase going on??

(5) Toys - pretty much any of them EXCEPT the ones whose name ends in Terrier or an Affenpinscher (terrier like breed)

(6) Non-sporting. Pretty good selection - no Dals or Chow unless child is 10/12 years old.

(7) Herding, Cardigan Welsh Corgi , Collie, Old English Sheepdog, Pembroke Welsh Corgi , Shetland Sheepdog

By the way, you will of a breed called Jack Russell - the official AKC name is Parson Russell Terrier. NEVER EVER with cats - ever!

First, start with the list of breeds on the AKC

website.http://www.akc.org/breeds/index.cfm..

You can search by Group, Breed name or all of them at once.

Now, when you click on the picture of the dog and go to the page for that breed, on the left is a column. At the bottom of the column, is a link captioned "National Breed Club". Click on it - that takes you to the link to the National Club that is the only club about the breed that is recognized and accredited by the AKC and it sets the standards for the breed .

The Clubs' websites will give you an ENORMOUS amount of information about the breed - the good, the bad, and the why or why not to get that breed. The clubs websites also have:

(1) a breeders list or breeder referral contact - all of whom have agreed to abide by the breeders code of ethics (which you can read)


(2) a link to the breed rescue for their breed

Do give serious thought to adopting from an adult from a breed rescue. Breed Rescue run by a Breed CLub is composed of volunteers who have that breed themselves and they foster dogs in need of a home in their own homes and work with them. The dogs are not placed for adoption until they are satsified with behavior, temperment and health. The clubs' breed rescues go to a great deal of trouble to determine the dog's temperament, personality, likes and dislikes (particularly kids and cats and other dogs in the household), health, and level of training. They make a huge effort to match the right dog to the right home - and if they don't have one they think will be suitable for your home, they won't place it. Great way to avoid the puppy training, newspapers, chewing.They have dogs that are purebred and part-bred (1/2 or so of their breed.) Dogs that come through rescue are so thrilled to have a forever loving home having once been abandoned to a shelter or rescue that they are typically extra devoted and loving. Dogs lose their homes for reason that are not their fault: death, divorce, a move and they couldn鈥檛 keep them, financial problems鈥?

If you decide to get a puppy, please use one of the breeders who are members of the breed club. A well-bred pet puppy may not be a candidate for the show ring (that nose being 1/8th of an inch to long or something else very picky) but they will be very healthy, the parents carefully screened for hereditary health problems ( and that involves a LOT more than a checkup at the vet) , and from a breeder who has devoted a great deal of time to understanding the breed and bloodlines. A responsible breeder will have a written contract with a health guarantee for hereditary problems; require that if for any reason you ever have to give up the dog that it comes back to them; and always be available for help, assistance and advice about your dog. Such a breeder will tell you if they don't think their breed is right for you based upon your needs. They want a perfect forever home for the puppies - not the money. (In 43 years in the dog show world, I have never known a breeder of that caliber who has made a profit on their dogs - it is labor of love.)

A puppy from such a breeder costs no more - and often less as poorly bred dogs tend to have very high vet bills over the years - than from a backyard breeder who doesn't do the health checks, knows nothing about the breed or bloodlines, doesn't give a guarantee, never wants to hear about the puppy again and has breed from mediocre or poor quality dogs.You may find the breeder who has the type of dog you want but no litter on the ground at the moment. Most good breeders have waiting lists -get on it. You may find the breeder and puppy you want but at a distance. Among the really responsible breeders(members of the club) shipping a puppy is quite normal -they want the best possible home for the dog and the written contract is very extensive - and they have stackes of documentation abou health from the OFA, CERF and others plus a drawer full of AKC certificates for the titles their dogs have earned..

Do ask the breeders on the club list if they have any dogs they bred that they need to rehome - good breeders all require if the owner can't keep one, it comes back to them. It may be a dog they placed and it came back because the owner didn't have time, didn't realize how big it would get, got divorced.. It may be a dog who was a show prospect but as they grew didn't meet their early promise. It may be an AKC Champion they decided not to use in their breeding program because while it did get the Championship, they don't need more bloodstock or find a tiny conformation flaw they don't want to reproduce.


NEVER EVER buy from a pet shop. Those puppies came from puppy mills where the parents are locked in cages, bred until they literally die from it, never vaccinated, never wormed, fed just enough so they don't quite die of starvation, live in filth, never bathed or groomed or cared for, are typically of very poor genetic stock both physically and often mentally. The puppies are shoved off to pet stores with no vaccinations, no worming, no socialization or handling. You are buying nothing but heartbreak at a price higher than what a responsible breeder charged for a pet puppy.


IF A SERIOUS BREEDER OR RESCUE TELLS YOU THAT THE BREED IS NOT SUITED FOR YOUR SITUATION - BELIEVE THEM - NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU LIKE THE WAY THE DOG LOOKS


Now once you know what the tendencies and traits of the breeds are, you are prepared to think about adopting a mixed breed. Now you know when they say "mastiff/collie" cross, what you are geting into. PLEASE consider adopting from your shelter. They make just as wonderful pets as those with a pedigree. They are often more loyal and bond more closely when they know that they can trust you not to leave them having already been abandoned and deserted in their lives, and thankful for a loving home. You can go to your local shelter.
i had a chihuahua a small breed of dog and he LOVED to play with the cats because they cant get too rough!
My advice: get a puppy, so that they can get used to cats in their lifetime. They have some real cute puppies at the pound..
If you are an experience dog owner then I would not get a bully breed they have a strong prey drive, if you are looking for a family pet then go to www.petfinder.com
they are plenty of homeless dogs there needing forever homes!

good luck
Poodles work well in my house, but any breed can learn to live with a cat/cats
Wouldn't get something very nippy, but I would get them as a puppy so they adjust to the cats. The cats will probably attack the puppy for the first month or two. I would get something like a Corgi or pug, both of them don't have very strong predatorial instincts (The corgi is really dependent, it was originally bred as a herder, biting at ankles of animals), are very cute, and are the perfect size; big enough to play with, small enough to take places. A lot of pugs require attention when they want it, or they start chewing on things. Hope this helped!
um i don't really know.But we hads a Boxer who nursed 5 abandoned kittens.
cavalier king charles are the best bread ever they are cute, are good with kids and are good with other animals and i also suggest that you get it at a puppy so you can train it how you want and it will take the knowladge in step by step.

No comments:

Post a Comment