[Ozymandiasmv]

Hi all! Brand new to the forum and already feeling VERY grateful for this community and the broad knowledge base to be explored here. ?

My family has decided to adopt a GSD and we are happily anticipating bringing home one of Randy Tyson's girls in just a few weeks. Randy has been really wonderful and responsive to our questions. She knows a reasonable amount about our suburban family already, including the fact that we have 3 cats (2 Maine Coons and a Maine Coon -DSH mix - a 1.5y old rescued barn kitten) in the house, who move freely in and out between our house and our large deck.

I'd love to hear from any GSD puppy moms and dads who have brought an 8-week old into a home with cats.
Specifically I'd love to hear how you helped minimize stress for the cats. I've read about the two-week shut down for rescues and new adult dogs. We plan to crate train right away, and the puppy will spend some time at work with my wife (crated/penned) as well as alone at times, but the plan obviously is to minimize lonely times as much as possible especially between 8 and 20 weeks.

We'd also love to hear about problems with aggression toward cats in the house even after the puppy was raised with cats from the start of socialization.

Who's got stories, techniques and pearls to share??

Thanks in advance!!

Oz

 

[Orphan Heidi]

Not a puppy, but my 2 yr. old female (rescue) shepherd was introduced to my 2 adult cats as soon as she came home.

The cats considered this 'wild thing' a total inconvenience and something to avoid. I worked with them daily, actually several times daily, with dog on leash, and at other times separated the cats so they could eat peacefully.

You want to teach puppy not to chase or play rough with cats. Hopefully your cats have nails, because until the cats

swat or box the dog, doggy may not leave them alone. Once doggy learns to respect the nails and the cats, they

start to become friendly buddies. It's only been a month and all mine sleep in same room or near each other, and

I've never used a crate.

 

[Ozymandiasmv]

Not a puppy, but my 2 yr. old female (rescue) shepherd was introduced to my 2 adult cats as soon as she came home.

The cats considered this 'wild thing' a total inconvenience and something to avoid. I worked with them daily, actually several times daily, with dog on leash, and at other times separated the cats so they could eat peacefully.

You want to teach puppy not to chase or play rough with cats. Hopefully your cats have nails, because until the cats

swat or box the dog, doggy may not leave them alone. Once doggy learns to respect the nails and the cats, they

start to become friendly buddies. It's only been a month and all mine sleep in same room or near each other, and

I've never used a crate.

Thanks for the encouraging reply. I am expecting that swats and claws will help for sure. And we will provide some privacy and safe haven for the kitties. ?

 

[Orphan Heidi]

Forgot to say WELCOME TO OUR GREAT FORUM~~~~

It will also depend on whether or not your cats have been exposed to a dog before.

My previous, departed GSD, took a week of work to learn to not chase my cat when she was

2 yr. old rescue. She was very laid back and mellow so that may have helped with this new

dog.

It's great that your puppy will be exposed at such a young age, I think that could make it easier for you.

 

[Malibu]

From the sound of it you already have a zoo and I assume everyone gets along or stays out of each others way. I wouldn't think with an 8 week old puppy that you shouldn't have anything to worry about. I would be more concerned with your kitties nails hurting the eyes especially of your new puppy.

 

[Hellish]

I would be more concerned with your kitties nails hurting the eyes especially of your new puppy.

Exactly what I was paranoid about when pup came home to 3 adult cats. Pup's reflexes were no match for the swats. This meant a lot of vigilance and making sure the cats had high places and rooms to retreat to. Pup came with high pain tolerance. There were no lessons to be learned there, just vet bills.

Two of my three cats are a non-issue now that pup is 18 months old. He accepts them as pack members. But the third cat he eyes like prey still. Judicious e-collar use has kept that from escalating so far but I don't kid myself that it is solved. I am considering rehoming her but since all the cats belong to my elderly rottweiler I need to clear it with him first.

 

[Ozymandiasmv]

It's the "eyes like prey" part that worries me in particular. One of our cats is more shy than the other two, and smaller to boot. I'm just hoping that with intense socialization and a strong Alpha figure in the house, the pup will learn from the get-go that the cats are in charge and are not prey and never will be.

 

[Steve Strom]

The cats are a bigger threat to the puppy then she'll be to them. Don't let her get started chasing them. Concentrate on teaching her to be calm in the house in general and try making the cats just something else she has to behave around.