Cat Testing a Dog

Kat0121 said:

 
What breed of dog is it? How big?

I knew my dog would be fine with cats because she was "tested" with 2 of the most obnoxious (though lovable) toy poodles ever. Those poodles really tested her, too. They both had small dog syndrome. They bullied and pestered her all the time when they were around her and she took it like a champ. She wanted to be friends with them but they did not like her at all because she was so much bigger than them. I think she found them rather amusing. My dog is a 12 year old, 40 pound border collie. Despite her breed, she has never tried to herd or chase either the poodles or the cats. The poodles were even a little older than she is. The cats are much younger.

She treats the cats the same way. She finds them amusing except for when they go after her wagging tail. She has never shown any aggression towards them, nor them to her. They like to play with her tail but have never used teeth or claws.

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Purrrdy said:

 
I own a Doberman that was raised as a guard dog on my land, chasing away any groundhogs, and going after stray cats or other animals. She also acts unfriendly towards stray cats on walks and when they enter into her yard. She is a very intelligent dog with a high desire to please me and protect what is hers.

I recently introduced my new 6 mo kitten to her very slowly and they are now best friends, in less than 1 month. I too was initially concerned because my Doberman would absolutely stare at her constantly from the other room. Staring is usually a sign of dominance, prey drive,  or aggression in dogs, but in her case, she was absolutely fascinated by the cat and simply could not take her eyes off of her. She was also fixated, but in a good way - she still stares at the cat constantly, but they really are best buddies.

I think it mostly depends on the temperament and training of the dog, and they must be evaluated on an individual basis. Protective breeds are pretty smart, and will normally accept another animal into their pack if the owner sends them proper signals to accept the animal, they will then take over the role of adopting that animal into their pack and protecting it.

When we bought our kitten, I told my husband not to expect them to be alone in the same room together for at least 1 month. It only took about 1 week mostly for the cat to feel comfortable, and my little 5 lb kitten is now lying on top of my 80 lb Doberman being licked all over and groomed  by the Dobe.

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