Dog Community

Recommendations on dog breeds? (long)

Posted : 1/7/2007 8:00:20 PM

Hello, I am new to this site. I have been tossing around the idea of getting a dog for several years now. Since I have been in school for so long, I have not put much serious thought into the matter until now. I will graduate in just over 2 years, however, and at that time would be interested in bringing a dog into my life.

I have been thinking for a long time about what I would like in a dog, and I have some ideas about what I would be looking for. The main criterion is that the dog MUST be good with cats. I currently have three cats (5, 6 & 11), and they rule the roost. I don#%92t expect friendship between them, but tolerance is essential [

].

The other things I am looking for in a dog are not as important as getting along with cats, but I still have some rough guidelines. I would like a dog that enjoys physical activity but isn#%92t a flaming bundle of energy, as my husband and I are fairly quiet people ( I am thinking a walk a day, and often longer play sessions on the weekends). I plan on having a fenced backyard for the dog to play in, but I would prefer a dog that likes to spend the majority of its time indoors. I have narrowed down the size category a little bit. I want a dog that is larger than a cat, but less than half my size (so between 15 and 60 lbs [

]). Long or short hair doesn#%92t really matter, and the amount of grooming isn#%92t one of my main concerns. I don#%92t want a dog that is extremely dominant, as I don#%92t have much experience training dogs. I am more than willing to take my dog to obedience classes, and think it would a great chance for the two of us to learn together. I would prefer a dog that gets along with other dogs, as I think it would be nice to be able to bring him/her to work occasionally (I will be working as a veterinarian).

I am thinking of adopting a dog that is 5+ years old (there isn#%92t an upper age limit). I figure, since I will be a veterinarian, that I could provide a wonderful home for an older dog, despite having very little experience. I would also think that an older dog would be a bit more sedate, and thus fit into my lifestyle better. I will be looking at shelters, breed rescue groups, senior dog rescue as well as searching for retired breeding animals. I think my best bet is to adopt a dog that has previously lived with cats and is known to get along with them.

So, finally to my question [

]. Given the sort of things I am looking for in a dog (especially cat-friendly), does anyone have recommendations for dog breeds that I should look into? I realize that all dogs are individuals, and that breed information is really just a guideline. On the other hand, I also don#%92t want to be looking at breeds that in general have a propensity for not being cat-safe (terriers and greyhounds come to mind). Some breeds I have thought about are Boston Terrier, Standard Poodle, Sheltie, and Cocker Spaniel. Any thoughts?

brookcove

Posted : 1/7/2007 8:50:34 PM

If you will be a vet, I would advise that you simply wait. When you start practice, it won't be long before a dog needs a home - dumped at your clinic, puppies in need of homes, owner demands the dog be put down for somethign stupid like shedding, dogs boarded and abandoned.

Most vets I know who like dogs spend more time resisting the urge to collect the needy ones they encounter, rather than having to go out of their way to find one. A sad commentary on our society, I know.[

]

Luvntzus

Posted : 1/7/2007 8:53:50 PM

That's true Brookcove. When I worked at a vet there were always animals being abandoned there in one way or another. Queen of the Nile you won't even have to make a trip to the animal shelter. [

]

mudpuppy

Posted : 1/8/2007 10:21:10 AM

wow. Someone who actually has a realistic list of criteria for choosing a dog. Some older dog is going to get lucky soon.

Xebby

Posted : 1/8/2007 10:33:55 AM

I have to agree with the waite till you start your practice. When I was a vet tech we often had dogs that I wished I could have saved. Many the owner just simply could not aford to pay for the surgery and the dog was euta. A few fellow techs that I worked with agreed to take a dog in and pay for the surgery themself instead of having it put down and ended up with a wonderful dog. The owner would surrender the dog to them and everything worked out fine.

I've always thought that the best pets are the ones that find you.[

]

Chuffy

Posted : 1/8/2007 12:28:19 PM

Obviously no advice needed here.... move along people.....

The only thing I would say is that although waiting till you're in practise is a good idea, try not to let the decision be an emotional one. Your criteria is sound and based on common sense so if you take a dog in, try to make sure it's one that fits the citeria you've set fairly closely.

Scout in Canada

Posted : 1/8/2007 12:59:11 PM

I like everyone's advice about seeing what pops up at your practice... however I would like to chime in that some greyhounds are fine with cats. The nice thing about greyhound rescue is that they usually cat-test all the dogs so they can show you the ones that do well with cats.

I only mention this because the other characteristics of greyhounds sound so right for you - not crazy bundles of energy, like to lounge aorund the home, nice walkers and often come from the rescue with great leash manners, etc.

There are a couple people here who have rescued greys that could chime in some info, particularly JJsMom if you are interested.

Case in point: [

]

jones

Posted : 1/8/2007 1:43:32 PM

I think you will have a relatively easy time finding the right dog because your requirements are totally realistic and older dogs are not as in demand... though there are some breeds you could eliminate right off the bat bc of high prey drive and more dominant or challenging

ersonalities (I'm thinking Huskies, GSDs, Akitas...) most breeds will be fine for you. One of the advantages of adopting an older dog is that you have a good chance of the shelter or rescue already knowing whether the dog is good with cats or lived with cats in a previous home.

Have you looked through Petfinder? www.petfinder.com

TinaK

Posted : 1/8/2007 1:56:48 PM

Once you have a few breeds selected, I'd suggest visiting that breed's dog forum, I bet each breed now has one. Poke around in their behavior, health sections. Ask specific questions to people who own your potential breed. It helps a LOT!

Leah F

Posted : 1/8/2007 9:50:07 PM

Thank you everyone for your comments! They have been very helpful.

I actually hadn't thought about the number of needy dogs that will come my way as a veterinarian. Strange, but true

. I will definately keep that possibility in mind! As Chuffy said, however, I will have to keep to my guidelines, and not be swayed by every dog that comes through the clinic needing a home. I worry that I would feel pressured to keep a dog that wasn't a good fit, just because the alternative is euthanasia. I would have to be very careful if I acquired my first dog through the clinic I work at.

Does anyone have a breed recommendation for me? I find it is hard to locate the sort of information I am seeking without narrowing the field a little. I think I've for the most part eliminated any of the terriers, the majority of dogs known to be 'lap dogs' (too small), and anything larger than 60 lbs (so collies, goldens and labs are out). The ones that I think I will do more research on at this point are poodles, cocker spaniels and maybe french bulldogs. Unfortunately, french bulldogs aren't very common in Canada, and they aren't always known for being cat friendly.

I am also going to do more research on rescue Greyhounds. Thank you Scout for pointing out that many of these dogs get along with cats famously. The thing that I like about the Greyhound Rescues is that they appear more organized than other breed rescues, and most are adamant about testing the dogs with cats. Unfortunately, many shelters do not temperment test dogs for safety with cats, and so it seems there would be more risk adopting an untested shelter dog, than a grey that has been known to get along with cats. I find it really interesting that you classify greyhounds as house loungers, because most things I have read say they are only for people that are extremely active (ie: jogging). It just goes to show that information on the internet can be very conflicting! I have had the fortune to spend time with the wonderful blood donor greyhounds at the college, and I really do like their personalities. They are amazingly calm for dogs that have lived in a run for years of their life, although they are taken for long walks every day.

Thanks again, and please keep the comments coming!

houndlove

Posted : 1/8/2007 10:08:25 PM

[linkhttp://www.coonhoundrescue.com/]American Black & Tan Coonhound Rescue[/link] is a great organization and many of their foster homes have cats, so they always have several individuals who are known to be okay with cats (not all coonhounds are, it's sort of an individual thing--mine is great with cats indoors but outside cats still fall into the category of "prey" for him). A black & tan would fit your requirements. The small ones stay around 50-60 lbs. (there's sort of two "models" in b&t's, larger ones that get to be about 75 lbs and smaller that stay around 55 lbs.). They are cuddle bugs in the extreme and enjoy being curled up comfortably and warmly in the house. They have tremendous stamina and love outdoors activities, but when you're feeling lazy they tend to be pretty happy just sleeping at your feet. Coonhounds are non-aggressive and great with other dogs and kids. Because hounds hunt in packs, they have to be accepting of other dogs.

Oops I see you're in Canada! AB&TR might still work with you or refer you to a more local group, but [linkhttp://www.dawgzden.com/dawgzden/rescue/index.html]here's[/link] Canada's coonhound rescue. I don't know as much about the other coonhound breeds, and I couldn't find a black & tan specific rescue for Canada, but maybe there is one.

jjsmom06

Posted : 1/8/2007 10:18:33 PM

I find it really interesting that you classify greyhounds as house loungers, because most things I have read say they are only for people that are extremely active (ie: jogging).

This is one of the biggest misconceptions...they are incredibly lazy dogs! They only need moderate excercise and mine sleep more than my cats...YES CATS ... I have now owned 4 different greys with these cats with no problems what so ever. I have owned greyhounds for the last 10 years, am a volunteer at a local rescue and am a placement representative for them, so if you have any questions at all...please don't hesitate to ask (you can pm me if you prefer). I think a greyhounds fit the majority of characteristics you are looking for and might be something worth considering.[

]

agilebasenji

Posted : 1/8/2007 10:50:43 PM

Ask Colliewog about a smooth collie. Toller?

jones

Posted : 1/8/2007 10:58:21 PM

I think Shelties may be a bit high energy for you but I may be wrong... Bostons are great, you might also want to consider a Beagle... I talked to Beagle rescue for a while about their breed and the older ones are known for being good couch potatoes [

] and great with other animals. I love Cocker Spaniels as you can see from my avatar... but with Cockers I think you'd have to go on a case-by-case basis - some will be high energy, others not as much, some will be great with other animals but others can be timid & defensive... they're not terribly consistent due to a lot of bad breeding over the years.

grab01

Posted : 1/9/2007 2:01:20 AM

I think a cat tested greyhound would be ideal. There's one in my neighborhood whom I often see taking leisurely walks with his elderly owner[

] (not that you're elderly, just pointing out that a greyhound owner need not be a marathon runner[

])

If you don't mind hounds, my Basset (since passed on) was wonderful with cats. In fact, she raised all but one of my current cats from kittenhood. Young bassets can be energetic, but once they hit several years of age, they tend to settle into couch potatoes.

Another option, if you aren't set on a specific breed, would be to look into a local rescue group that uses foster homes (thus, likely cat tested, presuming said home had a cat). You could likely find a nice dog that would fit your criteria.

Good luck in your search!