Choosing a pup that likes cats?

joe_linda88 · 03-07-2011, 09:03 PM

We're looking to adopt a GSD that can get along with cats. I have a 7 year old sweet cat that loves dogs and it's really important to me that the pup can get along with her. Is it possible that a breeder would mind sort of a "test" if we were to bring our cat (in a carrier of course) and maybe see what kind of reaction the pup has to the cat (high prey drive or not).

We are extremely upset that we had to return our new pup that we had for only one week back to the breeder. She was 4 months old and the prey drive was through the roof. She bit our cat 2 times luckily both times we rescued the cat from being torn to shreds. The pup would not even go to the bathroom if she knew the cat was outside. She was without a doubt hunting down the cat. We've tried working with the dog with treats and distractions and everything under the sun. We know it doesn't happen overnight and completely didn't expect her to be trained to not kill the cat in one week. Our cat means so much to us and it just wasn't fair for the cat to go through the stress.

Luckily the breeder refunded our money and took the pup back. Although he did say "what did you expect"? He also said that ANY dog that we bring to our home will want to get at that cat. Really, I think NOT! We've had 2 dogs in the past and both LOVED the cat and slept side by side with her!!! Our close friend has a GSD that loves her cat!! I'm sorry but I don't buy that for one minute.

My question to the forum is....how can you tell if a pup has that extreme prey drive? I don't want to make the same mistake again!!

I'm in the forum for honest and kind advice. Please no sarcastic remarks. Thank you.

idahospud49 · 03-07-2011, 09:30 PM

I would definitely let the breeder know right off the bat. They should be able to have some idea of what kind of prey drive the puppy will have.
The idea that every puppy will go after you cat is ridiculous. When I brought Amadeus home his first introduction to a cat was Jazmen who was about 8 years old at the time. She gave him a couple slaps on the nose and he always had a certain amount of fear/respect/concern for her. Even as an adult he respected her and would "protect" her from other cats as she got older.

crackem · 03-07-2011, 10:16 PM

i've always had very high prey driven dogs. Only one has wanted the cats. The rest have been fine. my last two knew very well how to play with the cats. Very gentle. Liked to chase, but never rough with them. Ever. One of my current though, she just wants to eat them and it's obvious.

Two were introduced to cats as adults and were fine, the current was as an adult as well and doesn't hate them, but see's them as snacks, not family members. My other one will let them crawl all over her and they play quite a bit, she was raised with them as a puppy.

Prey drive can be controlled, i don't think that is the deciding factor. It will take work as a puppy though, you can't just turn them loose and expect things to be ok. Otherwise get an older dog you know is good with cats. if you don't want to put in the work with a puppy, don't get one.

they'll take work to get along with the cats, and more than a week, and they will want to chase, it's normal.

KZoppa · 03-07-2011, 10:18 PM

Shasta was more interested in figuring out what the cats were. She's good with cats in the house. She knows not to chase and they're family. She's weary of them because i dont trim their claws often so she knows if they slap her, she's getting hurt from it. She does want to be friends with them so badly but she doesnt know how to go about it. If i were you i would tell the breeder right off the bat that you have a cat and you would like a puppy that can coexist nicely with the cat without thinking of it in terms of dinner or snack. a good breeder will be able to match you up pretty nicely if they have a pup currently available that would fit.

onyx'girl · 03-07-2011, 10:22 PM

I think it depends on the cats, if they run, dogs will chase.
My dogs/cats don't lay around together but the dogs respect the cats. I wish I had cats that would just hang with the dogs, but they don't.
Many cats are just cool that way... I do believe the dog can be trained not to chase, but the cat can't be trained not to run.

**Cassidy's Mom** · 03-07-2011, 10:23 PM

The breeder should be able to tell you which pups have extreme prey drive. I worked VERY hard with Cassidy - my previous kitty Punkin died at age 15 just a couple months after we got her, and we went 6 months without a cat. By the time I got a kitten she was a year old and very high energy. I spent months with Elvis living in a separate room, and they had supervised visits every day. Even after a year she was still very excited by him, but I no longer worried for his safety. I didn't watch them every second after that, but I also never left them alone when we were gone.

Keefer and Halo will both herd the cats if they run, but they also won't hurt them. My cats are very dog savvy, having grown up with previous dogs, and they have lots of safe zones where they can escape to. I have a baby gate across the cat room, with their food and water, a cat tree, and the litter box.

doggiedad · 03-07-2011, 10:27 PM

something tells me you don't know
how a pup reacts to a cat. my pups have always
wanted to play with the cats. the cats didn't want to
play in the begining. pups play with a cat like they
play with a pup. you have to give it time. they'll
work it out especially since your cats like dogs.
the cats will let the pup know when it's to much.
i think you're expecting way to much from a pup.

doggiedad · 03-07-2011, 10:33 PM

i really don't think a breeder can tell you how a
puppy is going to react to a cat. the training
of the pup will determine how things are going to work
out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KZoppa

If i were you i would tell the breeder right off the bat that you have a cat and you would like a puppy that can coexist nicely with the cat without thinking of it in terms of dinner or snack. a good breeder will be able to match you up pretty nicely if they have a pup currently available that would fit.

joe_linda88 · 03-07-2011, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joe_linda88

We're looking to adopt a GSD that can get along with cats. I have a 7 year old sweet cat that loves dogs and it's really important to me that the pup can get along with her. Is it possible that a breeder would mind sort of a "test" if we were to bring our cat (in a carrier of course) and maybe see what kind of reaction the pup has to the cat (high prey drive or not).

We are extremely upset that we had to return our new pup that we had for only one week back to the breeder. She was 4 months old and the prey drive was through the roof. She bit our cat 2 times luckily both times we rescued the cat from being torn to shreds. The pup would not even go to the bathroom if she knew the cat was outside. She was without a doubt hunting down the cat. We've tried working with the dog with treats and distractions and everything under the sun. We know it doesn't happen overnight and completely didn't expect her to be trained to not kill the cat in one week. Our cat means so much to us and it just wasn't fair for the cat to go through the stress.

Luckily the breeder refunded our money and took the pup back. Although he did say "what did you expect"? He also said that ANY dog that we bring to our home will want to get at that cat. Really, I think NOT! We've had 2 dogs in the past and both LOVED the cat and slept side by side with her!!! Our close friend has a GSD that loves her cat!! I'm sorry but I don't buy that for one minute.

My question to the forum is....how can you tell if a pup has that extreme prey drive? I don't want to make the same mistake again!!

I'm in the forum for honest and kind advice. Please no sarcastic remarks. Thank you.

I do need to mention that my cat will actually lay on her back being submissive to the pup and allow the pup to smell her and get as close as it wants to. But the pup couldn't control itself and just bit her. The cat NEVER ran from the pup and she never swatted or scratched. She loves dogs so much and just wants to be friends. I sort of wish she would swat at them to warn them, but she just doesn't. The pup just stared the cat down as we held her on the leash. She wouldn't let her eyes off of her and just waiting to pounce. At one point in time she was barking at the cat just as if it were a police canine barking at a criminal. Pretty scary and pretty aggressive for a 4 month old.

Thank you everyone for your input. I do agree it will be tough to judge a dog's prey drive towards a cat until you actually put the cat in front of it. We just don't know what to do at this point in time and it's very upsetting.

joe_linda88 · 03-07-2011, 11:15 PM

I can handle some chasing of the cat. No problem. But the pup was extremely eager and driven to catch and eat. Too much for us to handle! That's the reason we had to give her back. The cat NEVER ran away. She was always laying on the deck minding her own business and wouldn't flinch when the dog would come out. So, the cat never instigated any chasing. Dog just wanted to attack her for prey.

03-07-2011, 09:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
joe_linda88 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 42	Choosing a pup that likes cats? We're looking to adopt a GSD that can get along with cats. I have a 7 year old sweet cat that loves dogs and it's really important to me that the pup can get along with her. Is it possible that a breeder would mind sort of a "test" if we were to bring our cat (in a carrier of course) and maybe see what kind of reaction the pup has to the cat (high prey drive or not). We are extremely upset that we had to return our new pup that we had for only one week back to the breeder. She was 4 months old and the prey drive was through the roof. She bit our cat 2 times luckily both times we rescued the cat from being torn to shreds. The pup would not even go to the bathroom if she knew the cat was outside. She was without a doubt hunting down the cat. We've tried working with the dog with treats and distractions and everything under the sun. We know it doesn't happen overnight and completely didn't expect her to be trained to not kill the cat in one week. Our cat means so much to us and it just wasn't fair for the cat to go through the stress. Luckily the breeder refunded our money and took the pup back. Although he did say "what did you expect"? He also said that ANY dog that we bring to our home will want to get at that cat. Really, I think NOT! We've had 2 dogs in the past and both LOVED the cat and slept side by side with her!!! Our close friend has a GSD that loves her cat!! I'm sorry but I don't buy that for one minute. My question to the forum is....how can you tell if a pup has that extreme prey drive? I don't want to make the same mistake again!! I'm in the forum for honest and kind advice. Please no sarcastic remarks. Thank you.

03-07-2011, 09:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
idahospud49 Elite Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Linden, Arizona Posts: 1,690	I would definitely let the breeder know right off the bat. They should be able to have some idea of what kind of prey drive the puppy will have. The idea that every puppy will go after you cat is ridiculous. When I brought Amadeus home his first introduction to a cat was Jazmen who was about 8 years old at the time. She gave him a couple slaps on the nose and he always had a certain amount of fear/respect/concern for her. Even as an adult he respected her and would "protect" her from other cats as she got older. __________________ Megan Amadeus 1/13/2003-10/20/2010 RIP Glock 1/25/2011

03-07-2011, 10:18 PM	#4 (permalink)
KZoppa Crowned Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Maryland kinda missing CO Posts: 13,809	Shasta was more interested in figuring out what the cats were. She's good with cats in the house. She knows not to chase and they're family. She's weary of them because i dont trim their claws often so she knows if they slap her, she's getting hurt from it. She does want to be friends with them so badly but she doesnt know how to go about it. If i were you i would tell the breeder right off the bat that you have a cat and you would like a puppy that can coexist nicely with the cat without thinking of it in terms of dinner or snack. a good breeder will be able to match you up pretty nicely if they have a pup currently available that would fit. __________________ The more people I meet and talk to,the more I love my dogs and their intelligence. www.krystalscollarcreations.weebly.com Riley GSD/BC 1/10/05 Zena GSD 6/1/03 Shasta GSD 5/5/10

03-07-2011, 10:22 PM	#5 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,605	I think it depends on the cats, if they run, dogs will chase. My dogs/cats don't lay around together but the dogs respect the cats. I wish I had cats that would just hang with the dogs, but they don't. Many cats are just cool that way... I do believe the dog can be trained not to chase, but the cat can't be trained not to run. __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

03-07-2011, 10:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
Cassidy's Mom No Stinkin' Leashes Moderator Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: SF Bay Area Posts: 24,948	The breeder should be able to tell you which pups have extreme prey drive. I worked VERY hard with Cassidy - my previous kitty Punkin died at age 15 just a couple months after we got her, and we went 6 months without a cat. By the time I got a kitten she was a year old and very high energy. I spent months with Elvis living in a separate room, and they had supervised visits every day. Even after a year she was still very excited by him, but I no longer worried for his safety. I didn't watch them every second after that, but I also never left them alone when we were gone. Keefer and Halo will both herd the cats if they run, but they also won't hurt them. My cats are very dog savvy, having grown up with previous dogs, and they have lots of safe zones where they can escape to. I have a baby gate across the cat room, with their food and water, a cat tree, and the litter box. __________________ -Debbie- Dena 9/12/04-10/4/08 Forever would have been too short Keefer 8/25/05 Halo 11/9/08 Cassidy 6/8/00-10/4/04

03-07-2011, 10:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
crackem Elite Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,195	i've always had very high prey driven dogs. Only one has wanted the cats. The rest have been fine. my last two knew very well how to play with the cats. Very gentle. Liked to chase, but never rough with them. Ever. One of my current though, she just wants to eat them and it's obvious. Two were introduced to cats as adults and were fine, the current was as an adult as well and doesn't hate them, but see's them as snacks, not family members. My other one will let them crawl all over her and they play quite a bit, she was raised with them as a puppy. Prey drive can be controlled, i don't think that is the deciding factor. It will take work as a puppy though, you can't just turn them loose and expect things to be ok. Otherwise get an older dog you know is good with cats. if you don't want to put in the work with a puppy, don't get one. they'll take work to get along with the cats, and more than a week, and they will want to chase, it's normal.

03-07-2011, 10:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
doggiedad Crowned Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Jenkintown,Pa. Posts: 9,846	something tells me you don't know how a pup reacts to a cat. my pups have always wanted to play with the cats. the cats didn't want to play in the begining. pups play with a cat like they play with a pup. you have to give it time. they'll work it out especially since your cats like dogs. the cats will let the pup know when it's to much. i think you're expecting way to much from a pup. __________________ "Life Without A Dog Is A Life Unfulfilled"

03-07-2011, 11:15 PM	#10 (permalink)
joe_linda88 Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 42	I can handle some chasing of the cat. No problem. But the pup was extremely eager and driven to catch and eat. Too much for us to handle! That's the reason we had to give her back. The cat NEVER ran away. She was always laying on the deck minding her own business and wouldn't flinch when the dog would come out. So, the cat never instigated any chasing. Dog just wanted to attack her for prey.

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