12/10/2024
Adding a cat to a dog family and vice versa
I’ve had 3 people ask this question of me in the last 10 days so…
Just some tips-
As a general rule, a Golden Retriever and a Cavalier would be my picks to add to a cat household. This is based on my experience with them; if you need stats from the last 100 years, A) I’m not that old and B) Go and google! The GENERAL answer is at your fingertips.
Just because a shelter or rescue says the dog is good with cats, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE still be vigilant. Also, some dogs are only good with their cats. A new cat is not theirs and is not automatically welcome.
A lot of us trainers do cat/dog training. In my experience with clients, 3-6 months is the AVERAGE time it takes to train a peaceful co-habitation when the pair do not initially get along. Some cases are quicker and some take months longer. I charge $120 per lesson and cat/dog clients usually do 1 lesson every 3-4 weeks. YOU DO THE WORK, NOT ME. It is daily work; not difficult, but time consuming.
Does training always work? NO. My Rottie Ripley is great when I’m around but when I leave for work, into the bedroom Oliver (the cat) goes. Meanwhile, I trust Bruce, my Cattle Dog 100%. I can put him in the bedroom with Oliver without worrying. Bruce has a very high prey drive and is very territorial. He has killed small critters on my property like rabbits, pack rats, mice and lizards. He loves and respects Oliver. Dogs are individuals and not all can be put in a general category.
This is my last cat/dog client, Gracie, the resident dog that lives with and loves her cats. A new kitten (in the photos) was added a few months ago and there was some training that needed to be done. Of course, I have the best clients and they did their homework, hence these pics! Good girl, Gracie!