puppys with cats

[sean021368]

I have 3 adult cats and very much would like to bring a puppy into our lives. I am not the type of pet owner who gets rid of their pets when something goes wrong...my wife and I strongly believe when you take a pet for a companion be it cat or dog you take the good with the bad and help nurture and train to make them part of your family...with that being said I have 3 adult cats and would like some advice from experienced owner . what breed of dog would fit in with our family.

 

[furlove]

It really all depends on the future puppy's personality, whether it has been socialized with cats, your cats' adaptability to a foreign scent in the house, and whether they have been socialized with dogs before (this is not a particularly important factor). I have had 3 adult cats and 2 American Pit Bull Terriers living perfectly in the same house for more than 4 years - normally, when people think "Pit Bull Terrier", they think "aggressive", "naturally high prey drive", "dangerous", but our terriers have even allowed our cats to sleep on them and have never shown signs of wanting to attack - not even once.

When I adopted my 2 APBT puppies from the shelter 4 years ago, the first thing I did was scent-to-scent introductions  (or scent-swapping). An effective way to do this is to slowly bring in items that your cats have "rubbed" their scent on (i.e. blankets, old clothes, even empty cat beds), and vice versa (with the dogs). There is a helpful article on TCS: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-dogs

When it is very clear that the two sides have established their familiarity with each other's scents (this may take more than 2 weeks), the sight introductions may begin. Since most cats are not fond of carriers, the best option would be to put the puppy on a leash (make sure you have a firm grip), and see the puppy (and cats') reaction. If the puppy establishes playful curiosity with the cats, this is not necessarily a bad sign, but if it is constantly staring at the cats wherever they go, this may be a sign of high established prey drive. Immediately back off and try again the next day or at the end of that day. Patience is the key. 

 

If you are looking for certain breeds that may have a higher chance of getting along with cats better than others, check out this thread: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/157742/which-dog-breeds-are-known-to-be-good-with-cats

Good luck!