Family/Cat friendly dog breed advice please? Westies?

2177 Views 18 Replies 11 Participants Last post by PoppyTheDoxie, Feb 14, 2016

FireMoonGypsy

Discussion Starter · Feb 3, 2016

Hi All,

Not sure if anyone read my last thread, but I posted about a really sad situation involving a husky we got who, despite our very best efforts and trying everything we could think of, was still suffering from severe anxiety and other issues. Well, after a second attack on our cat and biting hard enough to break my son's skin on his leg-not provoked, we will be returning him to the breeder on Sunday. One of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make, feeling pretty awful because of it, even though I think it's the right decision for the dog and for us. Not sure if the previous owners did some major damage, but I hope he finds the right, loving home free of cats and kids where he can be happy.

I don't know when we will get another dog, I really want to take the time to touch base with owners of all different breeds so that this next time we actually find our forever dog and don't have to go through this again. I keep coming across "family friendly" dog breeds who are supposedly good with cats and kids, but they end up listed as "prone to separation anxiety" as well and since we are planning on getting one dog at this time and not multiple ones, I don't think that's a good idea. Then I find breeds like a Westie Terrier that are good with kids and great at being alone when necessary, but might hunt the cat (I read mixed things). Does anyone have any advice on a breed that's good with kids, can put up with cats and won't go crazy if I have to leave the house for 40 minutes a day to pick up my son from school? Thanks!

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Jess23

· #2 · Feb 3, 2016

There is no definitive line when it comes to dog breeds being good with kids and cats. the bottom line is that it comes from training. BUT with that being said, you can set yourself up to succeed. I think the most popular breeds for families are Bernese mountain dogs, goldens, labs, and poodles or poodle crosses.

Have you considered a rescue? It takes some time, but usually if you go through a rescue they will have their dogs in a foster home and will be able to tell you if the dog will be a good match for your family.

Jess23

· #3 · Feb 3, 2016

There is no definitive line when it comes to dog breeds being good with kids and cats. the bottom line is that it comes from training. BUT with that being said, you can set yourself up to succeed. I think the most popular breeds for families are Bernese mountain dogs, goldens, labs, and poodles or poodle crosses.

Have you considered a rescue? It takes some time, but usually if you go through a rescue they will have their dogs in a foster home and will be able to tell you if the dog will be a good match for your family.

ChessaQ

· #4 · Feb 3, 2016

It really depends on the dog whether they're good with cats or not. Also being raised with cats makes a HUGE difference. I know for sure Chess would be bad with cats if she hadn't been around them since she was 8 weeks. Generally if a dog is raised with an animal, they don't see them as prey. That's not always the case though.

The Westies I've known have been great family dogs and good with cats. They're definitely more on the laid back end of the terriers. I have 2 terrier mixes and a beagle mix that are all good with cats.

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travelingswift

· #5 · Feb 3, 2016

Yes it definitely depends on whether you're getting an adult or a puppy.

If you're getting a puppy - honestly just raising the puppy & providing proper training should make them suitable to live with cats and children. My close friends have a Friese Stabij (Dutch hunting dog) and it has the most maxed out prey drive I've ever seen in an animal -- yet it's fine with their two cats since it was raised with them from 8 weeks old.

If you're getting an adult, then go through a reputable rescue and they'll place the dog based on exhibited personality. I would definitely do adult dog sourcing through a rescue and not through a breeder or private individual. Good rescues know the drill and have honed their skills at matching dogs to good owners (note: I say GOOD rescues).

Any breed of dog can be good with kids and cats and any breed of dog can be good/bad about separation anxiety -- it's more to do with how *prone* a breed is it those tendencies and what training they receive in their formative years.

The breeds listed above are great starts for breeds to look at if you're interested in a purebred. If you're open to a mutt then the sky is the limit

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annageckos

· #6 · Feb 3, 2016

Separation anxiety is based on dog too, the husky you had was extreme in it. My lab/pointer had separation anxiety but has gotten over it over the years. My experience with terriers is they have a high prey drive. But my first dog, a scottish terrier when I was 10 was fine with my cat and even my pet rats and parakeets. But she would kill squirrels, birds and other small animals given the chance. She even took off once after a possum and attacked it. My mom has two now and the male she raised from a pup is fine with cats but will go after small animals while the female who she got when she was older will try and kill cats given a chance. She had another one that was an expert at hunting down birds. She was the goofiest dog and it surprised me she had the stealth to do that.
Labs are good family dogs, if you can put up with the puppy stage.

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Aspen726

· #7 · Feb 3, 2016

@FireMoonGypsy - first, I'm sorry this happened to you and your family. I understand how heartbreaking it can be.

Second, kudos to you for doing your research and taking the time to find the right dog for your family.

I recommend getting in touch with a few rescues. Get your application in and be very open and candid about what you want/don't want. I live in New England but my dog came from Louisiana. I contacted the rescue and told them exactly what my lifestyle was and what I wanted from a dog. They matched us up perfectly! Many of the dogs live in foster homes, so these people really get to know these dogs personalities. As far as breed goes,I think what you are looking for are more individual dog traits.

Best of luck and please keep us posted!

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Aspen726

· #8 · Feb 3, 2016

Oh, also... I really recommend finding a positive reinforcement trainer near you and starting some obedience classes as soon as possible. It's a great way to bond with your dog and teach him/her manners right from the start.

I also have children so as soon as I got my pup, I taught her "leave it" because I knew if she stole one of the kids toys and wouldn't give it back, my house was going to turn into a war zone haha.

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FireMoonGypsy

Discussion Starter · #9 · Feb 3, 2016

Jess23 said:
There is no definitive line when it comes to dog breeds being good with kids and cats. the bottom line is that it comes from training. BUT with that being said, you can set yourself up to succeed. I think the most popular breeds for families are Bernese mountain dogs, goldens, labs, and poodles or poodle crosses.

Have you considered a rescue? It takes some time, but usually if you go through a rescue they will have their dogs in a foster home and will be able to tell you if the dog will be a good match for your family.

We were looking at rescues for the year before deciding on the breeder because honestly I would rather adopt. We had the kids with us and most of the dogs we happened to come across at our local shelters were older and skiddish around the kids. I'm not sure if we weren't doing it right; we asked to be notified and put our names on a list if any pups came through, but the only three groups that did were pitbulls. I know people who have well trained pits, but it's not the dog I want.

TruckersMom

· #10 · Feb 3, 2016

FireMoonGypsy said:
We were looking at rescues for the year before deciding on the breeder because honestly I would rather adopt. We had the kids with us and most of the dogs we happened to come across at our local shelters were older and skiddish around the kids. I'm not sure if we weren't doing it right; we asked to be notified and put our names on a list if any pups came through, but the only three groups that did were pitbulls. I know people who have well trained pits, but it's not the dog I want.

Are they Reputable Rescues or Shelters/Pounds? I was looking at dogs as far away as Texas before I got my dog. Especially with breed specific Rescues they are generally willing to transport if you find the right dog. Sometimes expanding your search a couple hundred miles helps open up the Rescue and bred pool.

FireMoonGypsy

Discussion Starter · #11 · Feb 4, 2016

TruckersMom said:
Are they Reputable Rescues or Shelters/Pounds? I was looking at dogs as far away as Texas before I got my dog. Especially with breed specific Rescues they are generally willing to transport if you find the right dog. Sometimes expanding your search a couple hundred miles helps open up the Rescue and bred pool.

OH I didn't know they were willing to transport between shelters! I'll expand the search, then. Thank you! I'm in Ohio and it seems like all my dog matches are in California. I don't know if they will go that far, but I can check the east coast, too.

TruckersMom

· #12 · Feb 4, 2016

@FireMoonGypsy Do you have a specific breed in mind? Maybe you might look at a Basset Hound/Lab Mix (Just an example https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/34371775) or really any Basset Hound Mix (https://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/34362566)? I know a couple people who have done well with Basset/Lab Mixes and Cats (no personal experience just friend experience).

I think @annageckos might have a cat though and be able to give first hand experience on how Basset's do with small animals

and in family environments.

This rescue seems to have really good fosters.
FIDO's Companion Rescue Inc.

Laco

· #13 · Feb 5, 2016

There is really no rule, just generalities for breeds, like in general, beagles and terriers are more hyper and difficult to train, but there are of course exceptions. Poodles and poodle mixes are generally very loving and family and people oriented, but then again there are exceptions. We adopted Samantha, a poodle/bischon mix from the shelter, and worked with the behaviorist there. She seemed to have a lot of insight into Samantha's personality, but of course no guarantees. We were really fortunate, she turned out to be the 'perfect' dog for us, and six years later still is. She was a little over a year old when we got her, so she is seven now, and is absolutely family.

annageckos

· #14 · Feb 5, 2016

Yup, I have five cats. Shorty loves them, and all critters. He's very gentle with the small animals I have. He's afraid of children, but not aggressive towards them. He was chased by a kid when he was a tiny puppy before I could stop her. I think that did it for him. But he does get over it if the kids are quite and food doesn't hurt either. I also have a lab/pointer mix who is afraid of cats and all other animals. But he loves kids, the biggest problem is though that he doesn't play. And kids want him to chase a ball or something. He'd rather sit and be pet and lick faces. I don't think his personality is normal for a lab mix. He's like the anti lab, doesn't fetch, doesn't swim afraid of small animals.
I do think a lot of it is the dog's personality, part of it is breed and part of it is how they are raised. Freyja my dane pup is learning not to chase the cats. She's good most of the time but sometimes it's just too much when a cat runs. She doesn't hurt them, never even touches them. She only wants to play, and I have one cat, LG who is an instigator. He starts it more often than not. I do stop it any time they get started and reward her for being calm around the cats. I also make sure the cats have places they can get away from her if they want to. Baby gates and cat condos work great.

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annageckos

· #15 · Feb 5, 2016

Couldn't edit my other post. But here is a photo of Shorty with two of my cats, LG the instigator is the grey and white and Jade, she is his favorite cat. He's wearing Harley sweatshirt here, it was winter and he gets chilly and shivers. I tell him he is the disgrace of Basset Hounds and hunting dogs everywhere.

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TruckersMom

· #16 · Feb 5, 2016

@annageckos The Basset mixes my friends have work well in their family environments, kids and cats (also work well as they move a lot due to the military) but I knew that you would have much better first hand knowledge

BrittaS

· #17 · Feb 5, 2016

FireMoonGypsy said:
OH I didn't know they were willing to transport between shelters! I'll expand the search, then. Thank you! I'm in Ohio and it seems like all my dog matches are in California. I don't know if they will go that far, but I can check the east coast, too.

Just to make sure, shelter does not equal rescue.
You can search on http://www.petfinder.com for Rescues (and or dogs) and then get in contact with them. They normally don't have "one place" to watch all the dogs they have (like shelters do), but they foster them in families, as said before.
I bet with their help you will find someone suitable for you and your family

akodo1

· #18 · Feb 8, 2016

You are looking at this backwards by trying to find the right breed.

You need to find the right BREEDER. Granted, some breeds are more inclined to certain behaviors, but really there is a ton of variability within every breed and a HUGE part of how a dog turns out is based on the dog's life experiences.

You need to find a breeder who has kids and cats and who makes a point of exposing the young pup to those kids and cats at a very early age. OR, if you are going through a rescue, ask about what dogs they have placed in families that have kids and cats, that gets along with those kids and cats.

PoppyTheDoxie

· #19 · Feb 14, 2016

My dachshund grew up with two cats, one she plays with and one she stays clear away from (the 15 year old needs her personal space, which Poppy learned after getting a nail in her head!). My family also has had adult dogs if different mixes (pit bull, doberman, brown with black faces, up to 4 or 5 dogs) that were introduced to chickens. One dog would even hang out in the dirt pit with them!

I think what is important is the age that they are introduced (when they are young, before 4 months old, they quickly learn to associate a cat as something not to chase!) or your training. I do not remember how we trained the dogs with the chickens. I think whenever they showed too much interest my mum corrected them. Took two or three days I think!

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