How do you best introduce a dog into a house with cats?

[tigerbaby]

Surely that is the main reason why people take the dogs for walks??

Um, no. Shadow is welcome to poo and pee wherever he wants as long as it is not in the house. I take him for walks because it gives him a chance to sniff new smells, meet other people and dogs, see something other than the fence, get some exercise and have some variety in his life. It would be a boring sort of life if you lived within four walls 24/7 and never met anyone new except for your 10 minutes exercise of your bladder...

Well that is a personal choice then, I don't know of any dog owners who allow their dogs to poo and pee wherever they like. To me taking a dog on a walk round the block in the mornings is to let them do the biz. Of course it is also for exercise, fresh air, sniffing etc... of course it is. Note I said ''main'' reason why dogs are taken for walks, not the sole reason.

Our dogs were taken on walks numerous times in the day, for poos and pees (scooped up, always!) and on top of that given lots of exercise. That is how I believe dogs should be taken care of - you can't substitute the 10 min walks round the block for exercise, they need way more than that.

I don't know what you mean with your last sentence as it comes across as if I've been talking about giving the dog no exercise whatsoever (four walls, 24-7, no socialisation etc), which is completely the opposite to what I've been saying, the importance to match a breed to your lifestyle, and how much time and space you have to give..

I have no idea how this could get so confusing and so many disagreements.

[blackcat]

you might also like to point out the inconsistency between his message and his decision to approve you for homing the dog - I mean how inconsistent is that!!??

I would, however, wait until the dog is safely home....

[ems]

Do you know bc as i just read that back i realised how bad it is 

Will speak to them tomorrow 

[blackcat]

definitely report him then. That is bullying and threatening behaviour, and I don't care how low an opinion we might have of that organisation, but that sort of behaviour should not be allowed to become part of its corporate culture.

[ems]

Thanks bc 

Jon said he reckons he was a paid up member, he had a go because there is a branch of the organisation on the same road as where Jon works and this guy is based at that shelter. Cut a long story short he basically accused Jon of "not being much of an animal lover because he couldn't even be bothered to get a dog from next door to his work". For the record we had looked there and it was awful 

I was only at the other branch on the other side of liverpool as i drove past it after an appointment for work and popped in for a mooch at the refurbishments 

Another one was Jon was saying that growing up they always had animals and took in pregnant cats and ferals etc. They guy said he would have taken a number of the cats away if it would have been on his "patch". What a nugget. 

[blackcat]

woo hoo!! Celebrations all round. Well done Ems. Ignore the idiot, you know you have all of us here if you run into problems with the introduction process. And frankly, that guy should be sacked (assuming he is an employee of said organisation and not some idiotic volunteer who thinks he knows all ...

[ems]

Well...... we passed the homecheck and are picking the handsome boy up next Sunday (3rd Aug)   

You will love this one... Apparently the guy who came to homecheck (from a v.well known Royal animal rescue establishment that shall rename nameless  ) said for us to be prepared to have the cats pooing all over the house and if they haven't settled after we have had the dog for 3 days (yes...3 days) we have to give Gibson back?  He also came out with all sorts of random nonsense, when i have Gibson's lead in my grubby little mitt i will be mentioning something to the people at the rescue 

Luckliy my oh is a sensible sort, it's a good job i couldn't make it... 

[lucy]

[It would be a boring sort of life if you lived within four walls 24/7 and never met anyone new except for your 10 minutes exercise of your bladder...

Sounds like Big Brother! 

[Millys Mum]

How did the home check go? Hope you get him soon!

I think dogs should eat wet food as well as dry, the same as cats.

[blackcat]

Surely that is the main reason why people take the dogs for walks??

Um, no. Shadow is welcome to poo and pee wherever he wants as long as it is not in the house. I take him for walks because it gives him a chance to sniff new smells, meet other people and dogs, see something other than the fence, get some exercise and have some variety in his life. It would be a boring sort of life if you lived within four walls 24/7 and never met anyone new except for your 10 minutes exercise of your bladder...

[Den]

I WANT PICTURES!!!!!!!

Arden Grange or CSJ would put weight on him!

TB- I'm not saying you wouldn't be able to take care of a dog, not at all ... good read my pre PM PM!!!

Molly certainly isn't having a walk today .. she hurt herself. It looks like something out of the film SAW 

[ems]

Just to update that we are being home-checked at 2pm today. They only let me know his about 10 mins ago so i can't get out of work  but Jon is at home so he is sorting it 

We went to see him again yesterday, no photos unfortunately as he wouldn't sit still long enough  He really is a lovely boy, it is obviously a case of his previous "owner" getting him as a cute puppy and then because they aren't sure what he is crossed with he has carried on growing...and growing  He needs some meat on his bones though, you can clearly feel every rib and his back bone. The staff have been feeding him on JWB dry only so i wanted to see what others thought of this? Will PM peeps if thats ok?

We are very lucky in that since we moved to our new house we have 3 big parks in walking distance (1 at the end of the road in fact) for his daily walks then loads of coastal areas and other country parks within 15 minutes drive for exhausting him on the weekends. We only have a yard which we would obviously only use for emergency wees etc. Also Jon can take him to work a fair bit during the day which means he will have loads of other space to run around outside 

Fingers crossed for the homecheck please everyone....

[tiga]

I wouldn't say that the main reason for taking a dog a walk is to poo and pee. Yes, they will certainly do their business on a walk, and our dogs have always preferred to do their stuff outside of the yard. But the reason for taking a dog out is for exercise, a change of scenery, socialisation and fun - whether it's on a leash or off leash.

[Den]

I'm sending you a PM

[tigerbaby]

I know that I am supposed to clean up after dogs!  I have grown up with 3 dogs, I have years of experience of that ... besides it's the law (in sweden anyway). I do not have a problem with poop scooping at all. I STILL wouldn't let a dog pee or poo on my lawn, that is gross - my cat doesn't do it, fox don't do it or other neighbour cats. That is what I would take the dogs for walks to do. Poo and pee. Surely that is the main reason why people take the dogs for walks??

Just explain why you think my situation isn't ideal? I'm curious. I don't see how I couldn't take care of a small dog and give it the time and exersice it needs?

Edited to say: I have grown up with dogs, so I know WHAT they need in terms of basic care, walks, cleaning up poo, exercise, tlc etc... I am referring to my HOUSE situation and my un ability to take a dog on a long off lead walk in a park on a daily basis. (the nearest parks are always full of hoodies). This is why I'm saying I could give a small dog equal exersice in my own garden, but it would be harder for me to give it to a large dog on a DAILY basis. We often go (3-4 times a week) to Richmond Park, or to the countryside which is doggy paradise! I'm referring to the basic daily exersice.. which includes more than walks.

[Den]

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease don't hate me 

I honestly don't feel your situation is suitable for a dog right now  I don't mind going into further details with you why I think that  I say wait for that bigger place and get a staffie and a pug 

[blackcat]

dog ownership = poo ownership. You are obligated to clean up after your dog. And please don't tell me you will do it when other filthy beggars start cleaning up after theirs. Lead by example, I say.

[tigerbaby]

Thanks guys ... aka my new dog gurus! He he!

Ooh just to clarify - I am fully aware of small dogs still needing walks etc - that goes without saying. I was referring to the daily excersice on top of that. There is no way I would let a dog do the business on our lawn!!! ... quite possibly let it do it in the shrublands behind the house! (But don't tell the neighbours!!)  That is why I am annoyed at rescues stating they will only home to people with secure and confined gardens!

From my experience, small dogs get tired way quicker than big ones. We used to throw a ball etc round the lounge, or have a game of fetch in the garden (in my previous house) and after 20 min there would be 3 knackered chihuahuas stretching out on the lawn, panting away!  Whereas it's a bit harder exercising a large dog indoors or on the lawn, I mean, that is when I would prefer a nearby (safe-ish) park to take them too.
What I'm trying to say, is that, our garden is big enough, and could work as a subsitute for a park (on a daily basis) for a small breed. Whereas there would not be enough space to throw a ball around for a large breed. I firmly believe all dogs regardless of size should have a daily runaround off-lead, but I am not in a situation (right now) to be able to take a dog to the park on a daily basis....

I still maintain that larger breeds require way more time and space for exercise though!!

Yes I think a pug would suit me... I would prefer a short haired breed. Oh, and did I mention OH HATES yappy dogs? I could not get away with having one!! Although if you ask me they will scare off an intruder way better than a large rottie! ....waking up the whole neighbourhood with their piercing, highpitch squeaky yaps!

[blackcat]

I'm with Den on that selection, but since i have an aversion to long-haired animals, the pug would be top of my list. You do have to be very careful when selecting a pug that you are getting them from a responsible breeder as they are a breed which is pre-disposed to breathing difficulties because of their face shape. They are a lovely, loving dog and very fond of a lap if one is on offer, but you have to bed over to pick them up as getting on the sofa is a challenge when you are that short. They are also very good with cats (my friend who bred them had cats also and no problems) and are a very affectionate breed, but happy to be left alone if you are working (as did my friend).

I am with you BF on the subject of chihuahuas, they are not real dogs at all ...

[Den]

Righty - ho .. Firstly, pedigree is known parentage, and parents are of the same breed - eg labrador. Cross-breed, is a mix of 2 breeds, parentage known - eg labradoodle (lab x poodle). Heinz 57 is an unknown mix the dogs that have a bit of everything.

It doesn't matter if you have a garden or not. Really a garden is for wee's and poos and a bit of play time. I'm afraid a garden doesn't make up for daily walks, they are needed no matter the size of dog. Walks are more than just exercise .. you have socialisation, mental stimualtion and a change of scenery for pooch.

The thing about big dogs = more exercise, little dogs don't is a myth  If I had a penny for every person who has said to me "Oooo I'd love a collie, but couldn't deal with the amount of exercise, they need hours and hours of exercise everyday" I'd be very rich by now  You'd still have to take a chihuahua on a walk everyday come rain or shine I'm afraid. A tired dog is a happy dog. Just playing with a dog doesn't usually tire them out for long .. getting them to use their brain does!! Some rescues do rehome to people in flats or with no gardens. A lot of times thedogs are looked after better than people with gardens, they get more walks for toileting. A lot of people use their garden as a substitute walk - which never works.

Based on your situation I'd recommend a dog age 2+ that way you've got past the houstraining, which is sooooooooooooo much easier in an enclosed garden and you've got a dog past it's adolescence which is a nightmate. At the age of 2 dogs start to settle down. Personally my favourite age for a dog is 5 

Bostons will need a long walk. I know they are small but they are active.

Out of the 3 breeds you mention Pug would be the best. They need the least exercise and you have to be careful you don't overdo it.
Pomeranian would be good provided it could run somewhere such as in a park.
If you are up for a challenge you could try the Papillon.. should be good with cats. A bit of a yappy breed, if you live in a quite area with quiet neighbours there shouldn't be a problem.
Miniature Poodle - are good with cats, active indoors, intelligent but are barkers.
A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel could be perfect ... great with people, kids, dogs, cats. Affectionate, like cuddles, they need a walk but will settle indoors easily. Not real barkers .. they will bark but less than other breeds. And they are small.
Bichon - Likes people, other animals, they are small, moderately active and love travelling 

I think all those breeds could work in your situation  .. all are small. If I was to narrow it down even more in order of best to worst I'd say ...

1) Bichon
2) Cavalier King Charles
3) Pug
4) Papillon

You should be able to find all breeds in rescue ... unfortunately if you wanted a Boston you'd be looking at buying a puppy from a breeder as they are rare in rescue and there's usually a long waiting list.

[tigerbaby]

Ooooooo list all the things you want out of a pooch. Do you want cross breed, heinz 57 or pedigree (there are tons of full peds in rescue). I love matching people up with dogs 
PS - large breeds don't always take up a lot of space 

I'll employ you as my personal dog-matcher!! Woot!

Ok - I really don't mind the breed, I love mongrels just as much as pedigree. What is a Heinz 57 though? 
Umm also - I do have experience with larger breeds such as labradors, staffords, alsations etc, and although we might be able to squeeze the RIGHT dog into our apartment, it is not just the space I'm concerned about - but also the huge amounts of exercise these breeds require on a daily basis. I know they need a min of 2 hours off lead exercise per day and right now it would be hard to commit to that aswell as taking them to a park - that isn't full of hoodies - on a daily basis.

Me and OH are thinking a small dog would suit the apartment AND lifestyle (in that small dogs are easier to take with us - esp on the kinds of jobs I do, and they get enough exercise from running around in the garden on those days I wont be able to go to the park - our garden is decent sized). In the future we'd love a bigger dog though, time and space allowing.

I want a pug because I'm obsessed with them, I also like Boston Terriers. I also love chihuahuas (used to live with 3) although OH reckons they don't count as dogs!  But overall I'm not fussed, as I fall in love with every dog I meet in the street and would like to adopt from a shelter.. although I've been told I can't cos we live in a flat and garden not enclosed. Humph - as if I couldn't give a dog a good life because of that? 

So Den...match me up!!!

[Millys Mum]

Good luck, make sure you take a pic 

[blackcat]

Fingers crossed for you Ems!

[ems]

Thanks bc! Great photos by the way 

Thanks for all the advice guys 

Our boys name is going to be Gibson, he looks like a bit of everything  but he's about the height of a boxer with the same ears but ganglier and with a longer snout so maybe greyhound or something? He is tan and white 

Going to see him tomorrow afternoon so fingers crossed we can get a home check sorted and it all goes to plan 

[blackcat]

wolfhounds are also a fairly lazy breed. But doesn't matter how prepared an animal is ot be a couch potato, you still need to ensure they get at least an hour out of the yard getting some exercise every day ...

[Millys Mum]

I would love to introduce a dog to our household one day. Jameson seems to like dogs, having been raised with all sorts of breeds. I just don't know what breed would be suitable for the size of our flat! (although we have a garden). Anything bigger than a Staff wouldn't work.

Some big dogs are lazy and dont require loads of space, i hear greys are like this   

[Den]

PS - large breeds don't always take up a lot of space 

... except on the bed 

  Too true. Mediums take up the bed, and chairs too, leaving a tiny amount of space for the resident human 

[blackcat]

PS - large breeds don't always take up a lot of space 

... except on the bed 

[Den]

I would love to introduce a dog to our household one day. Jameson seems to like dogs, having been raised with all sorts of breeds. I just don't know what breed would be suitable for the size of our flat! (although we have a garden). Anything bigger than a Staff wouldn't work.

Ooooooo list all the things you want out of a pooch. Do you want cross breed, heinz 57 or pedigree (there are tons of full peds in rescue). I love matching people up with dogs 

PS - large breeds don't always take up a lot of space 

[tigerbaby]

I would love to introduce a dog to our household one day. Jameson seems to like dogs, having been raised with all sorts of breeds. I just don't know what breed would be suitable for the size of our flat! (although we have a garden). Anything bigger than a Staff wouldn't work.

[blackcat]

yeah, they are pretty unbearably cute 

Ems, Smidgen (the cat) grew up with a large dog who was an integral part of his household. Despite that, and the fact he had been introduced to Shadow and they travelled back down from Cheshire on the back seat of the car together, this is how he responded when first in the same room with Shadow in his new place ...



Shadow was raised by an earlier generation of cats, so was just looking confused in this pic.

A dog in a new environment will be uneasy and will be wanting to know what his place in the new 'pack' is going to be. So he will be amenable to gentle reinforcement of the message that he has to be bottom of the pecking order. If you don't do this you will run into problems. Shadow sincerely believes that most living things are superior to him and so can be excessively submissive at times. Not all dogs are like that naturally, but if your boyfriend is an experienced dog owner, he will know this. Obedience training is a good way for both you and the new dog to get to know each other and for you to learn how to build a good relationship with the dog. Obedience training is more about training the owner than the dog, but it is a very useful tool that I can not recommend too highly, even though the BF is an experienced dog person. I had dogs most of my life, but had had a long gap before I got Shadow. Training methods these days are much more gentle and more in tune with the dog's natural behaviours, so a refresher course is always a good idea, even if you think you know dogs well.

Good luck with it, a happy relationship between dogs and humans is one of the more rewarding sorts of things ....

[tigerbaby]

That is a gorgeous picture Blackcat... infact so lovely I've spent ages just sitting here staring at it with a silly grin on my face!! 

[blackcat]

I like Tiga's idea of the long walk. In your case, this will also give you a chance to get to know the dog (and vice versa) before it is thrown in at the deep end with potentially antisocial cats. Just to reassure you it does work (and just cos it gives me a chance to show two of my favourite babes  ), here is evidence. These two had known each other less than six months when this was taken ...

[Den]

Best to introduce with the dog on a lead and plenty of treats. Expect the cats to hiss it's perfectly natural and they get over it. Just enjoy the woof ... welcome to the wonderful world of poopie ownership 

[tiga]

When we have introduced a new kitten to our dogs, we always made sure that we took the dogs for a really good walk before hand so they were tired and chilled out. Then we brought the kitten down from upstairs and the dogs didn't get too excited.

[ems]

Thanks everyone 

As i thought really 

I've never had a dog before but Jon has always had dogs, in fact the 3 years we have lived togther is the longest he has been without one  so i totally trust his judgement. I will be looking out for my girls and he will on the dog team 

We are going to see doggy again on Thursday and hopefully getting homechecked asap. Got our letter from the landlord and references etc so fingers crossed 

[blackcat]

make sure that the cats have somewhere to run to. A new dog, even if it is accustomed to other cats will need careful handling as it does not know you and will not necessarily recognise you as the person in charge until you have gone through the necessary training process. So me, I would restrain the dog (giving it lots of cuddles) and let the cats approach in their own time. There will be lots of hissing spitting and swearing, as well as deepthroated growling which will confuse the dog if it is accustomed to a friendlier cat and possibly over excite it (which is where the cat escape route is essential). But with calmness on your part, and time, it should work very well. My dog and cats are best buddies and Shadow protects them from other threats very well. They scamper into the garden and he lunges along the back fence making growling noises to ward off threats

[Millys Mum]

No advice as I've never introduced a dog to cats, but congrats on your new boy 

Same here!
Gradual supervised meetings is how id do it if i was in the situation tho.
A dog gate can be handy as a cat can get away to a safe zone if needed then

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

No advice as I've never introduced a dog to cats, but congrats on your new boy 

[ems]

Hi everyone,

Just after a bit of advice re introducing a dog into our house with our 2 girls?

It is looking very likely that we will be adopting a gorgeous rescue boy in the near future (the next month or so). He is 18 month old x breed and is used to cats having lived with them before.

Nina and Kiki are pretty laid back and don't seem to have a problem accepting other animals. Kiki is still prone to hissy, growly spats when frightened though.

This being said i obviously want things to go as smoothly as possible so would be grateful for any advice

 

ems
xxx