Hi! Those of you who have been reading blogs forever might remember me; I was hilzoy at Obsidian Wings, and now I am hilzoy here. Anyways: I’m writing because I want to adopt a dog, I wrote to John asking for advice, and he suggested I post here. So here I am.
I love dogs. Unfortunately, though, I have Vicious Dog PTSD. I did not grow up with dogs, so I don’t have that basic, gut-level knowledge. I adopted two dogs, sisters, back in the late 90s. They were very sweet in the pound, but I realized pretty quickly that that was their “OMG I am scared to death” behavior. I knew that they had been kept outside instead of being socialized, but I didn’t know that they had been abused until I saw their reaction to my then-boyfriend, one of the least threatening guys ever to walk the planet. When he moved his arms in any way (never a violent way, just gesticulating calmly), they ran for the corners. Besides that, they wanted to kill my cats. I ended up partitioning my house into the Dog Zone, the Cat Zone, and the Neutral Zone (sort of like the airlock on a submarine: if you make a mistake and open the door that separates the sub from the sea, it will only affect the airlock, not the whole submarine.) They were vicious, so I basically didn’t invite anyone over to my house for three years. Not a happy story, and it didn’t end well for anyone. They would, with no notice, turn into two halves of a joint homicidal wild dog mind, and attack. I tried all the trainers I could find, and in LA, there were a lot. (Movies.) All of them told me: these dogs cannot be trained. I left them with the best dog trainer in LA for a month, and at the end of it, he had taught them to heel some of the time, maybe, if they were in a good mood. He suggested maybe getting several much larger dogs to keep them in line. That might have been a good idea, but on the other hand, I was really not sure I wanted to “solve” this problem by adopting even bigger dogs, at the time.
As best we could tell, they were certainly part coyote and part some sort of Spitz dog, probably Shiba Inu. Not, really, a good combination, especially for someone who had never had dogs before. Anyways, the point is: I have Vicious Dog PTSD. I love dogs, and I would love to get another. But I don’t want to go through that ever again.
I have a cat who does not like strangers. (She has her reasons: a friend of mine found her in a cat carrier in an alley. What sort of horrible person would leave a cat in a cat carrier, where there was no reason to think that anyone could find her? And though she must have been owned by someone, since she was in a cat carrier, she truly had no idea what stroking was when I got her. “Wait!”, she would say, “why are you invading my personal space??!!” She has become a total snuggle-bunny since then, but she still distrusts strangers. Like strange dogs.) She has accustomed herself to them before: when I took her in, I had two other cats, and while she never exactly liked them, she made a sort of chilly peace with them. I expect that the same would happen with a dog; that said, I would really rather not get a puppy that she might kill, or a dog who might respond to her dislike by killing her. Here she is, threatening to eat the world:
I work at home most of the time, but I have to be out for 4-5 hours at a stretch about 3-4 days a week. So a dog that needed constant company would not work. I would prefer a dog who would make muggers think twice before going for me; thus, probably not a toy. But most of all, I just want a dog who will not attack my friends or threaten to kill my cat. If anyone wants to help, I’m in Baltimore.
PS: Further problem: A lot of the dogs in Baltimore pounds are pitbull mixes. I don’t want a pit mix, since, as I said, I have vicious dog ptsd. Just a friendly medium to largish dog who will neither threaten my friends nor kill my cat, nor take it the wrong way when my cat gets all possessive about the house.
Thanks.
redshirt
I kind of want a dog too, but I’m scared. Of the commitment and the destruction.
Warren Terra
Delighted to see you blogging again, even if I have no relevant advice to offer.
You might want to fiddle with your account settings, you’re posting under your real name instead of your desired ‘nym. I know it’s not all that secret, but might as well fix it.
redshirt
And because of the so many responses I am afraid to walk into a shelter for fear they will pelt me with Sarah Mac music and sad puppy after sad cat etc.
Bill D.
Yay! I loved reading your occasional posts at Washington Monthly long ago and I should have followed you over to Obsidian Wings while you were blogging there.
Ruckus
Welcome!
You were one of the first people that I read regularly when I started blogging, which seems like a couple of decades ago, but of course it hasn’t been. Good to see you here.
I have no dog to offer but I would suggest a medium sized dog, 30-40 lbs. Not so big as to be overwhelming yet big enough to be somewhat a guard dog. An older dog could be a good choice, most likely somewhat trained, at least house! Do be careful and work with the dog a bit before making up your mind. A longish walk to see how they do on a leash, maybe a home visit to see how they accept new surroundings. A rescue org may be your best bet in a larger city area but you never know what shows up at the humane society or the pound, could be the love of your life.
Adam Lang
The cat thing is much more down to the temperament of the individual dog than it is to the breed. There are certainly breeds that are somewhat less likely to be good companions for cats (e.g. anything with a high prey drive, anything that is very driven to herd) but even that is pretty random. (I’ve known several corgis who got along quite well with cats, and they are almost as much ‘obligate herders’ as border collies are.) I’ve seen plenty of golden retrievers, poodles, and Labs that got along with cats… but quite a few that didn’t too. All I can suggest is try fostering a dog, and see how it does. If it works out, adopt it.
Incidentally, the two multiple-cat-killer dogs I’ve known (one when I was a kid, one recently) were both Labs, and both dogs that were kept outside all the time. They were both obviously full Labs, but the more recent one was relabeled a ‘pit bull mix’ as soon as he killed the second cat.
piratedan
I would say check up on the breeds themselves, while it may not be an exact match for your situation, there are some breeds that may better fit your needs than others. I would stay away from herders so that your cat may lounge in peace as a rule of thumb (but I have a sheltie and a corgi and the sheltie is oblivious to the cats and the corgi plays referee to any cat fights, so go figure). A previously unmentioned resource would be your own vet, talk to them about what it is that you’re honestly looking for in a canine companion, they may be able to steer you down a good path since they already know you and your feline overlord.
sharl
Always good to see you Hilzoy. I have no personal expertise on this, but Adam Lang’s suggestion to go the fostering route sounds like the best option for your situation, especially if you can find a good fostering agency that can provide specific guidance based on your situation (including your Vicious Dog PTSD).
Best of luck!
Ninerdave
Pet Finder.
It’s a searchable database that will contain most of the shelters and rescues in your area. When I volunteered at a shelter (we also had a large population of pittbulls) it drove most of the traffic that came through our door and that motivates shelters to use it, which means it’s pretty much a one stop shop.
Picking a dog: based on what you said you wanted, stay away from puppies (time commitment), aim for a dog ~ 2 years old. You already ruled out toys…good, they are generally yappy and nippy. Any mutt with lab in them will probably be a good choice as they are typically really sweet. But really, you just have to go spend time with them. Do so on multiple days, don’t just walk in fall in love and walk out. Dogs in shelters are obviously stressed and will have good days and bad. Seeing them on different days and times can give you a glimpse into what they’ll be like. Ask the handlers lots of questions, if they don’t regularly walk/show the dog, there’s probably someone who does. I know we all had our favorites and because of that knew some better than others.
Bottom line, take your time, see lots of dogs. If you don’t know what you want just yet, spending time with dogs at the shelter is a good way to figure it out (hey! you could even volunteer ;) ).
Complete side note on pits. I worked with a lot of pits at the shelter I worked at, they are some of the biggest love bugs. Most of them didn’t even want to play ball, they just wanted belly rubs. Having said that I understand why they have their terrible reputation and most certainly wouldn’t be a dog for you with your Dog PTSD.
Hope that helps
Arclite
Wow, Obsidian Wings, forgot about that place. Used to visit regularly during the Bush Admin. Welcome (back).
SWMBO
We have the dogs that own us now through a former coworker of my husband. She married a veterinarian. We had made it known to everyone that we were looking for a dog. When her husband was text spammed with a pic of a scared little girl who was pulled about an hour before she was scheduled to go to the kill room at animal control, I spent the next several hours hooking up with this person and got our Pixie. This same person had a woman come in showing off pics of her daughter’s dog’s new litter of 6 puppies. We wound up with the three boys and the former coworker got 2 of the 3 girls. They have all been the sweetest, happiest little characters. Ask at the vet’s office if they know of anyone who has/had a litter and couldn’t find homes for all of them. An older puppy that has been socialized and mostly house trained by the momma might work out. Crate train your new dog to assume they will be crated during certain times of the day (the times you are usually out for a few hours). This will cut his/her anxiety and the cat will know peace while you’re out. My daughter is a foster fail. Every foster she’s taken in has stayed. But they were all sweethearts.
Mike E
My daughter spent the better part of two weeks at her local shelter getting to know, then getting to know better, her chosen adoptee. She picked a 46-lb lab/sharpei that knew her place among the many people, dogs and cats there, and Miss E is happy with her choice. If other pets come into the picture she will probably handle it well, but one never knows for sure until it happens…she’s currently crate training her charge, after I suggested it may be best for the dog while she’s away from the house. I’ll update when I hear more reports!
karen marie
I cannot recommend spaniels enough. They are wonderful dogs. Smart, fun outdoors, well behaved in the house, and typically respectful of cats.
Earl
Suggestions: pick a breed. Though it’s obviously not deterministic, you’ll get a much better grasp on personality, how barky they are, whether they like strangers, exercise requirements, shedding, etc. I tend to find corgis very endearing, but that’s me. Corgi specific highlights: they’re 25 lbs-ish with short legs, so they’re easy to tire out; they tend to like people; and since they are endlessly hungry, then tend to be very trainable. My then 13 year old cat took about a year to allow the corgi to sniff her without hissing, but after we brought him home he took one swat to the nose and left her alone.
After you pick a breed, most breeds will have breed specific rescues. You can find them by googling or via breed club websites. Breed rescues will have both breeds and high fraction breed mixes. You can contact them and say I want a non-cat-reactive dog; they should be happy to assist you. Training dogs to be left alone for even 6 hours per day with sufficient exercise should be easy. Lots of dogs can be crate trained in the beginning, and left out more once you trust them. You may also find doggy day-care to be a good alternative: my current dog is a cattle dog mix and he comes home just exhausted. Daycares are often price competitive with dog walkers, and they socialize the dog to be used to meeting lots of strange dogs. Good daycares should require a temperament test before they’ll let you bring your dog there. Taking your dog there 1-2 days / week will also help when you travel and board the dog: both you and the dog will be far more comfortable if the dog is familiar with the daycare and you trust them.
Finally, while opinions vary, there is so much need that you shouldn’t feel selfish if you are picky about breeds and behavior. You shouldn’t have to separate animals; there’s lots of dogs that will happily mix / be trained to mix with cats. Plus you’re making a big commitment and deserve an animal that doesn’t require major life compromises.
ps — the easiest crate training method is to only feed breakfast and dinner in the kennel. “Kennel” will become a very popular word in your house; it inspires a flat out sprint in ours.
Ian
Try cprdogs.com we have adopted from them twice. They bring dogs up north from high kill shelters in the south and drop them off with adopters.
They likely stop near you.
karen marie
@Ninerdave: Also, breed specific rescue places are good places to look. The dogs are mostly in foster care so you can get a better idea about any issues and the dogs are less stressed.
Any dog is going to require time to adjust to a new home, so I would set aside at least several days when he/she arrives to get the basics of a schedule worked out to where the dog is comfortable. “Accidents” occur many times because the dog does not have a reliable schedule. They can tell time, and if they know they can rely on going out at particular intervals, there will be fewer accidents.
Also, dogs think cat shit is candy, so think about a baby gate. My previous cat loved it. She would land momentarily on top, turn and laugh at the dogs.
karen marie
Cavaliers are a particular favorite. While they do not do well if left alone all the time during work hours, your schedule would probably work. Too bad you are not in California. San Diego Spaniel Rescue always has a lot of really nice dogs.
Casey
Many rescue organizations have a lot of info on individual dogs – from fosters, etc. They can find you a dog that meets your criteria, no guessing. Good with cats. Mild. No separation anxiety. Ask and they will find.
Older dogs can be a joy, too.
Hilary Bok
@karen marie: Yes, but Cav. King Charles Spaniels often have that horrible brain disease … plus, not so great for making would-be muggers think twice. E.g. (this happened on my block, and I missed it by maybe ten minutes): http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-bolton-hill-abduction-rape-20150821-story.html
karen marie
Also, imo, it is a mistake to get a dog with muggers in mind. A dog scary enough for that would be more trouble than it’s worth and require a lot more training because you have to be able to reliably control the dog so that it would growl at people on command but not start making decisions about who is a threat. I lived in downtown Boston for 25 years and never got mugged, and I was outside often with my two Cockers at one or two o’clock in the morning.
karen marie
@Hilary Bok: Yes, the brain thing is sometimes an issue but it typically shows up, if it’s going to, by age two.
Just having a dog with you adds a level of complication that I think discourages people looking for trouble. Granted a dog under 25 pounds is as good as not having a dog, but I don’t think you need to go big breed. I like a dog between 25 and 50 pounds as they are small enough you can easily lift them and their poop isn’t the size of your head.
Steeplejack
@Hilzoy (you probably should change your âposted byâ name at the top):
Good to see you here, and I hope you become a regular commenter, if not front-pager.
I will put in a recommendation for you to consider a greyhound. They are good-sized (50-60 pounds), look a bit fearsome to the non-knowledgeable eye and typically socialize very well.
Both my brothers have had a succession of greyhounds over the years (and the occasional whippet and Italian greyhound), and I have never seen a bad-tempered one. Itâs kind of amazing, actually, with the neglect (if not abuse) that they presumably experience in their racing (or training-to-race) days. They typically have some issues adapting to civilian life (e.g., âWhat are these things you call stairs?â), but the ones I am acquainted with did adapt with frightening speed and were taking up their third of the bedâin the middleâin no time. And they tend to consider themselves (60-pound) lapdogs.
Some people have warned that you have to worry about greyhoundsâ âprey driveâ around cats, and that is something to consider. My experience is that if the cat is already established in the household and is presented to the dog as part of the family, the greyhound typically âgets it.â And the ones I have seen donât have that much prey drive anyway. Occasionally they will zoom after a squirrel, but often as not their attitude is more âYeah, no, I did that at the track and Iâm done with it.â A lot of their prey drive seems to be to chase rather than to grab and kill. My opinion, anyway.
One brotherâs current greyhound also has adapted seamlessly to the introduction of a baby human in the household. The kid is now 10 months old, crawling around like crazy and starting to teeter on her feet a bit, and the greyhound has been very mellow with the touching, the grabbing and the poking. She (the dog) either puts up with it or gets up and moves away. And once when the cleaning lady came over the dog “defended” the kid, positioning herself between them and giving the cleaning lady the fish eye (until she—the dog—was told it was okay to stand down).
As with most breeds, there are greyhound-specific rescue organizations. I really like NGAP (National Greyhound Adoption Program) in Philadelphia, and in fact I take my brotherâs greyhound up there once or twice a year to get her teeth and nails done (spa day!). Because they are greyhound experts, they can typically do the work without having to put her under anaesthesia. And the vet gives her a once-over to check her condition.
mai naem mobile
I would go with an older dog who had been given up for unforeseen circumstances and is being fostered so you can find out if they’ll fit your situation. Spaniels are good and they’re a good size too. Also dachsunds.
Steeplejack
@Steeplejack:
It goes without saying that almost any greyhound you have a chance to adopt is a rescue (from the track) and at least two years old. So no housebreaking issues. And they are also crate-trained or very crate-amenable.
Anne Laurie
You are getting much excellent advice on this thread, Hilzoy.
Petfinder is a great place to find out what attracts you in a dog — start browsing the shelters in your area, see which type of dog specifically appeals, work outwards from there.
And it seems counterintuitive, but yeah, picking a breed (or a couple of breeds) really does make it easier to filter… not to mention, breed rescues, in my experience, are more honest (more experienced) than general rescues about whether or not you’ll be happy with a particular dog of their breed.
You don’t want to “overbuy”, size-wise — as you know, even a 40lb dog can fight free of the average sedentary middle-aged human, no sweat. A dog in the 25-40lb range is big enough to scare random evildoers, but small enough that you won’t injure yourself if you have to grab him/her to keep him from running into traffic or assaulting the mail carrier. Herding dogs and terriers can be, as mentioned, problematic with cats… but if you work with a breed rescue group, make sure they know you have a less-than-mellow cat, they can help you find a corgi or a wheaten terrier that won’t harass Tea. (Well, maybe once or twice, just for funzies, to be sure… )
Poodles and poodle mixes are smart, people-focused, cat-friendly dogs, if you can either pay to have them groomed on a regular basis or learn to handle the job yourself. Corgis are great entertainment, but they can be extraordinarily stubborn & will take full advantage of your every weakness. (Also, if you live in a walk-up or otherwise have lots of stairs, watch out for back problems — yours, if you have to carry the little monster up & down all day.)
Shelties (shetland sheepdogs), in my experience, are much more cat-friendly than most of their kin, but they can be very, very barky indeed; if that will be a problem in your housing situation, make sure the rescue group knows before you fall in love with an otherwise irresistible dog!
Labradoodles, again IMO, are mostly terrible (because they’re the offspring of sub-par canine livestock, whelped in rabbit hutches by profiteers, sold too young to idiots & impulse buyers, and never get the training a biggish high-energy dog needs) *but* if you are patient, and actually want a high-energy dog who’s smart enough to mold her/his schedule to yours, there might be one with your name on it waiting in a foster home right now.
One other point, which is gonna sound sexist & horrible: Not always, but quite often, adult male dogs are a little friendlier with human women (and adult female dogs with men). Even a dog who’s been neutered very young tends to have the sex-based who-I-should-challenge-for-dominance coding built into their brains. It won’t matter 95% of the time, for a properly bred & trained dog, but sometimes you want that edge to work in your favor. To a degree, this holds with cat-dog interactions as well. So, all else being equal, I’d tell the rescue / foster groups you contact that you’d prefer a (neutered of course) male dog.
(Of course, once your male poodle/sheltie/corgi/papillon has bonded with you, he’ll be extremely judgmental about any male visitors in your life. Not threatening, just… old-fashioned dad checking out his daughter’s date sort of behavior. This may or may not be a problem for you; I know single women who consider their dog’s minor protectiveness to be a useful sorting filter.)
Summer
Like many, i too loved reading you back in the day and am happy to see your post here! And although I have an abandoned pit bull I am desperate to find a home for I will NOT offer you her! Thirding suggestions that you get an older dog; A foster group would know if the dog were cat friendly. All of my strays — chihuahua/terrier, everything/corgi, something/border collie — some of whom seem to have been abused, have been good with cats, but my current collie/golden retriever i got when she was five is the only one who has a “we’re family i nurture and protect” attitude about everything in the house, even though she likes to chase other cats. Good luck.
duck-billed placelot
Hilzoy! I really hope you start posting here on the regular, or irregular even.
As for dogs, I’m going to go in the opposite direction of what a bunch of people have said and recommend a huge dog. Like a newfie or mastiff or another one of those baby elephant sized living rugs. They tend to be very gentle, and I’ve seen more than mastiff mix one go through a years-long rebuffing process to make friends with cats. Even if you get a puppy, they’re big enough that an angry cat probably won’t do major damage.Their size might help you recalibrate, too, as the experience is so different. A pup is something like a breathing (slobbering) stuffed animal, and the adults, well. Plus a big dog like that will definitely help with the ‘stay away’ vibes. Although they’re not aggressive, newfies, bernards, and mastiffs are usually friendly but protective, so they’ll lay their massive heads in your friends’ laps but put up a serious growl or two if you show them you’re feeling threatened. Also they’ll outweigh some attackers, so that’s nice.
One thing to note is that they tend to not live as long as smaller dogs, so if you were to get an older rescue, you might only get a few years with them. Also training is key, as they are too big to just manhandle even in an emergency situation. But they learn quickly and usually love to please, unlike the hellbeasts you harbored before.
Betty Cracker
A boxer might be a good fit for your situation. They’re typically good natured and easy to train, tolerant of other critters and fearsome enough looking / sounding to discourage criminals.
I have a pair of female boxers, one fawn and one brindle, and the brindle is often mistaken for a pit bull by people who are unfamiliar with the breed. No one ever fucks with us on our walks, and the dogs raise enough ruckus when strangers pass by to discourage burglars. Boxers are big but not huge, usually weighing in at around 50-70 lbs.
I am all for the rescue of older dogs from a humanistic standpoint, but there’s really nothing like training up a puppy yourself to make sure you end up with a dog that meets all your requirements. It takes time and patience, but it sounds like your schedule would allow for it.
In any case, I hope you find the right dog. Always a pleasure to see you posting; I much enjoyed your contributions to OW back in the day.
Anne Laurie
Two more breeds you may want to look into – Springer Spaniels and Portuguese Water Dogs.
geg6
Hang out long enough at Balloon Juice and you’ll find a dog or two soon enough. Look at me. Both of mine are BJ refugees. I love them!
That said, a Lovey (or Thurston) wouldn’t work for you. But a sweet Lab like my Koda would be perfect. She was a year and a half and 45 lbs. when her picture appeared here, already trained and as sweet and gentle as can be. She’s going to be four in October and now weighs in at 96 lbs., but is still the sweetest, gentlest dog in the world. When the 9 lb. (only 6 when we got her) Hurricane Lovey showed up, Koda took it it stride and still does, even with all the nipping, climbing on and crazy running that Lovey subject s her to. She even lets Lovey win tug of war. Sometimes. :-)
WereBear
I must second the huge dog recc. They truly are Gentle Giants and have the “protective but mellow” vibe that seems to be what would suit your household.
I also say there are mixes waiting for homes. Getting a hybrid Giant means a smaller, more managable size. Possible genetics issues are moderated, such as a longer life. Also, it’s been my experience that a lot of breeders are not very good at the main point of creating a great dog. Mixes are likely to have those extreme breed traits moderated.
Remember that there would have been no tolerance for an annoying or uncontrollable giant dog. Unlike the toy breeds who are able to be put in a closet when annoying (and this lack of training is 90% responsible for their rotten rep) giant dogs were bred to be sweet and obedient.
I’ve had Newf/Chow, Malamute/Collie, and standard poodle/who-the-heck-knows all being best friends with my Circus of Cats back in the day. They were all gotten as puppies and I think that helped.
kbeagle
I work with a beagle rescue and would also recommend picking a couple of breeds, then working with rescues to find the dog. For someone with vicious dog PTSD, a beagle might be ideal. The breed is meant to get along with other dogs, so you rarely have to worry about them picking a fight, they love people and little kids, so you don’t worry about them scaring people. They are funny and snuggly and sweet. I really appreciate having dogs that don’t scare other people and animals, so I have never understood the need to have a guard dog. They will bark when they need to, so they do make good watch dogs. Mine live with cats just fine, as most do, but some do have a prey drive. The good thing about working with a rescue is that they can help you find the right dog for your situation and past experience. Rescues pull dogs out of shelters right before they’re euthanized and give them time in a real home to settle down.
WereBear
I also wish to add that we can use our heads, and should, but there is also that indefinable spark that creates a bond, whether we are looking for a pet or other kind of soulmate.
We can decide we want a certain kind of dog with this and that handled by the foster parents, and somehow wind up with a dog from a completely different background and in an age or size or breed we didn’t expect.
Just as we listen to our own reasoning powers, we should listen to our own pull of the heart. Because what we want most of all is a connection.
Elmo
Hilz,
My wife is a retired dog trainer and behaviorist who has done A LOT of rescue and rehoming consultations. We are about 90 mins out of B-more. Email me at LM
Hagan
Aaaaat…
Att dot net
If you’d like her advice about local breed rescues and thoughts about cat compatibility.
Elizabelle
@kbeagle: Second the beagle.
They’re wonderful, although they can bark or bay. (Having a second pet in the house may reduce that; my first beagle was barking a lot while I was at work cuz she was lonely and bored. Adding a second stopped that.)
Not scary, but you will meet even more neighbors, who might bend to pet your beagle or ask “how did you get that thing housetrained?”
(Again, love, love, love beagles, but you start to notice how many pet rug cleaning products have beagles on the label. Mine were good, but …)
Gindy51
@redshirt: Destruction can be mitigated by crate training. All my dogs are crated in their own special space when ever we leave. They LOVE it. I feed them in there for months after we get a new dog, adult or puppy. Now they go in willingly. All I have to do is plop a food bowl down with some dog treats, close the crate and lock it. No howling, no destruction just dogs who go to sleep in their cave. I leave one large hard antler in there for them to gnaw on.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
Thanks for posting hilzoy – I’ve always enjoyed your writing.
Bernese Mountain Dogs are sweet and gentle and playful (though they can have hip problems). Our Sophie is a 50# mutt and has a little BMD in her: Nothing dominant, traces of GSD + Dachshund + Great Dane + BMD + Irish Water Spaniel + German Shorthaired Pointer according to a DNA test we had done about 8 years ago. She’s one of a kind. ;-) She has a strong prey drive for squirrels (probably the Dachshund), but she seems to like but be wary of cats (she’ll whimper and wag her tail and act like she wants to play but is afraid, staying a good distance away). She’s extremely sweet around people (especially little kids), but can be protective around other dogs on walks (unless she knows them and they’re playful and respectful of her). She’s a perfect lady when we board her at Dogtopia.
Dogs are complicated beasts. A lot of their character and behavior is a product of their childhood. But there are breed-specific traits that can be hard for normal humans to control (e.g. barking, prey drives).
Fostering would probably be ideal, but you have to pick one first. Hang out at PetsMart/Petco and doggy parks on the weekends if you can. See what’s out there. If you’re a laid-back person but get a dog that needs a lot of activity/exercise (border collie, some greyhounds, etc.) then it might be tough to come to a beneficial arrangement.
HTH. Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
When I was deciding on a dog 5 years ago, I found a great website that told all about the various traits of various breeds – this kind of dog will be happier with other dogs, that kind of dog is more suited to be an only dog, etc. I did a quick search just now and didn’t find it, but I bet you could find it with a more intensive search.
They even had short videos – maybe 5 minutes – about each breed of dog so you could find out more if you were kind of interested.
The second thing I highly recommend is getting pet insurance right out of the gate. I get mine the day I bring my guys home. I spent an entire day researching pet insurance offerings before I decided, and I couldn’t be happier with PetPlan (gopetplan.com)
Have you considered volunteering at an animal shelter? That way you could be around various kinds of dogs and might get a better sense of what you might want.
Countme-In
Hi, Hilzoy.
I hope you find the dog you are looking for.
OBWI misses you.
j
MelissaM
How about an older dog? Many times they are thankful for the chance at another life; they are over the puppy/teenage stage; and they are usually basically trained. Look for one that has been around cats and your cat may grow to accept dogs just like it grew to accept human hands.
My $.02.
oldster
Sweetest, most good-natured dogs in the world: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
Never bite, never chew, hardly even frown at you. They just want company and laps and love.
They’re also not terribly bright or trainable, and as with all breeds, you have to make sure you get a reputable line without congenital problems (I think it may be hips, but I forget–ours does not have it).
Wonderful, sweet, loving dogs.
And sharing the general sentiment–your blogging at ObWi set the standard a decade ago that still has not been topped. If we can look forward to posts from you here at Balloon-Juice, then we are lucky indeed.
debbie
Fostering sounds like a good idea because you’d get a sense of whether the dog would fit into your household.
You can’t go by breeds. My brother, when in high school, was driving the freeways when the car in front of him tossed a German Shepard out onto the shoulder and sped away. My brother stopped, picked him up, and they were inseparable until the dog died almost 13 years later.
The dog was more afraid than viscous and had a very scary-sounding bark. My brother took him to college with him and he became the pet of his fraternity. Probably being around humans as much as he was helped in “normalizing” Rex. He never overcame his fear of thunder (sometimes he’d flee to the nearest closet), but he became one of the most lovable dogs I’ve ever met.
When I first met Rex, I had to move very cautiously (all that submissive stuff), but he was soon my buddy and nothing more than a big baby. He was exceedingly tolerant of the two human babies born during his tenure. I dog-sat often and other than his refusal to walk properly on a leash (especially when a squirrel had been sighted), he was the perfect pet.
Rex also never lost his sense of gratitude to my brother for saving him.
Bobby Thomson
I second looking for a family dog whose family moved or married into allergies.
Another option is pug rescue. Pugs tend to have the personality of mellow cats.
Nombrilisme Vide
Rescue greyhound maybe? Decent-sized dog, but not horribly aggressive – my former landlord has one who’s a sweetheart and who deals quite well with solitude while they’re spending time off at work.
Ajabu
I’m going to have to agree with Steeplejack about Greyhounds. Over the years I had two retired racers and they’re a delight. (Just have to watch out for teeth problems – common to the breed)
In a general sense, I highly recommend sighthounds. If you want to go real elegant, my favorite breed is Borzoi (what the uninitiated call “Russian Wolfhound”). Physically the same category as Greyhounds but with long smooth coats. These are the dogs that are invariably portrayed in ads aimed at indicating wealth and elegance. In reality, they’re big old babies who love to sprawl and hang their long legs over the sofa. We had a Borzoi in the house for 12 years with a mixed breed lab, an African Grey parrot, a cat, and a fish tank. (We were young & strong at the time) Nobody had a problem. Everybody got along although, realistically, the parrot was in charge because he could talk and order the dogs around in my voice. There are Borzoi rescue operations nationwide. Really consider these wonderful animals.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borzoi
Lee
Solid advice in this thread.
A couple of points I would reiterate:
I always suggest a greyhound rescue if you have no small pets. But you have a cat so that is out. This is not an idle comment. My wife is a veterinarian. In vet school they did a lot of greyhound rescue. In one incident a Pomeranian jumped out of someone arms and a greyhound was on a leash down the hall. It broken the student’s hand and was on the Pomeranian in 5 seconds then walked back like nothing happened. My wife said it was both very impressive and very horrifying.
If you are looking for a rescue in your situation don’t get any type of cattle/working dog .
Percysowner
I’ll second the greyhound recommendation. They are sweet dogs who crate well and are pretty mellow. If you have a yard with a high fence, you can let them out, they run around like maniacs for 10-15 minutes and they are done for the day, except for slow quiet walks. Some are good with cats, others aren’t. Most come from rescues that are really conscientious and will cat test. If that’s too big for you, Basset Hounds are big old couch potatoes but do better with a fenced yard because if they find a scent they like to follow it. Beagles are sweet as could be but really hard to house train and really high energy. My beagle goes from barking at my cats, chasing my cats to play and curling up and sleeping with them. They need a fenced yard because they want to follow scents as well. There is nothing more interesting than walking a beagle in the morning. They have found a scent (who knows what) their nose is to the ground and they just keep going. If you don’t watch out they will run into the mailbox, because the scent is all.
I would go to a rescue, not a shelter. Shelters are under tremendous pressure to get the dogs homed and often don’t have time to check temperament. A rescue, especially ones that have fosters, often have more of a chance to get to know the dog and will help you find one that fits your life. There are many sweet, non-aggressive dogs in rescues. Good luck finding a good one.
Mathguy
The retired greyhound is a very good suggestion. One place to look is Sighthound Underground, which is not too far away. All of the dogs have been cat tested, people tested, etc.
oldster
Cavvies and brain-disease: right, got it. Yes, their owners do sometimes get a brain-disease that leads them not to read the thread before they post.
Okay–our Cavalier has no problems with brain disease himself (whatever my condition may be). But if I had read the parts where you emphasize that you are really serious about your need for a deterrent against criminals, then I would not have recommended a Cavalier.
The damned breed is so ridiculously sweet and loving that he greets every stranger to the house like a long-lost friend. He’s a great dog, but a terrible, useless watch-dog.
(Indeed, if protecting their owners from strangers is one of the virtues of a dog qua dog, then Cavaliers are vicious dogs. A moral philosopher will appreciate this joke.)
MomSense
Do not get a herder if you have a cat. I have a puppy who is just shy of 10 months. She is a mix of several herding breeds and would not do well with a cat. I took her for a walk and when she spotted a skunk (before I did) she gave chase. I managed to stop her just in time from being sprayed. Even after the skunk sprayed the area in front of us, she was intent on going after it. She has also eaten things I didn’t even realize could be eaten–like walls and game console remotes.
We needed a puppy for emotional reasons but I think the people who suggested a rescue dog at least two years old are giving good advice especially given your established cat household.
Halcyan
@karen marie:
I agree about not getting a BIG dog for protection. Not necessary. If you LIKE big dogs, great, but if you are more comfortable with a smaller dog, just get one with a big VOICE – the noise discourages mischief.
Tim F.
A coyote-shiba mix? Jeebus Hilzoy. I love dogs and that’s a combo I would never touch. Red flags on both sides but taking on a part coyote is epically brave.
FWIW I would skip the whole thing. Matching your cat with any dog will be a full time job, and that assumes you get lucky with a cat-friendly dog. Normally you would bring the cat to check for a personality match at the shelter, but it sounds like that is not an option. Pass on breeds with a prey drive for sure.
I know that it’s pissing in a violin around here, but I know dozens of rescue pits at this point and I’m concerned about maybe two of them. Mostly they want belly rubs. There’s a reason the breed was considered the ultimate nanny dog back before they became popular with assholes. The downside is that they’re useless for protecting the home/owner. Too friendly to strangers. The ones that attack people are generally abused. There are a lot of those and they are generally just as dangerous to the family as to anyone else, since they have gone insane from mistreatment. Shelters try to screen those out but as always a little judgment is necessary.
Juju
Once I got my first golden retriever that has been my breed of choice since. I have raised puppies and had rescue goldens, full and golden mix. One of the dearest was a chocolate lab, golden mix. My last three have been adult rescues. My current rescue is Martha. From what I can tell from Martha’s medical history and some of her behavior, is that she must have had a horrible life before she was placed with me, and yet she is one of the sweetest most good natured dogs I have ever had. If I had lived her life I think I’d have bitten a few people by now, and yet Martha is trusting and gentle and she has a good sense of humor. Goldens can be good with cats or not. If they are raised with cats they tend to know how to deal with cats. If you look at golden rescue organizations, they foster and train and work with the dog and they usually have a good idea if the dog can live with cats. If you go the puppy route, the color of the golden is determined by the color of the ears. A puppy will have a Twinkie colored body and ears that are any color from the same Twinkie color to a beautiful dark red. I love the red goldens. My last three have been red, including the chocolate lab,golden mix. Good luck with your dog search and consider a golden retriever.
Paul in KY
Please visit your local pound. I can assure you there will be fine dogs there who will be ever so happy to get out of that place. Best wishes!
rumpole
Homeward trails is a really good DC/MD/VA animal rescue outfit. (Petfinder). They will allow you to adopt an animal to see how it gets along in your household.
If you like active dogs, throw some border collie or shepherd in there. If you think you want a dog highly motivated by food vs pack instincts, go lab. The ability to get along with cats is a dog by dog (and cat by cat) thing. And 40 pounds is the starting point for a dog that spooks others.
WereBear
And, of course, it’s possible that:
The solution to your pet problems is more cats.
Worries re: muggers can be handled by going out in public in your worst clothes, a straggly wig fished from the Halloween room at the Goodwill, and crying out in a scratchy voice “Here kitty kitty kitty” and then bad-witch cackling.
I tell ya, it works wonders.
Tinare
I would suggest finding a good rescue group or shelter that takes the time to know a dog’s temperment well and wants to match you with a suitable dog. They will likely cat test their dogs to see how they react. It really does come down a bit to an individual dog’s temperment. I’m a Lab person so I of course think that they are the greatest dogs around. I have a Chocolate Lab that I adopted who was about a year old at the time. I brought him into a house that had three established, older cats, and they trained him quickly to understand their boundries. The rural, understaffed shelter that I adopted him from did a very rudimentary test where they walked him through the cat room and gauged his general interest (which was next to none) so I really did luck out that he was both not interested in pursuing the cats, but also responded well to being smacked across the face regularly by the cats. A shelter with more resources will likely test the dogs a bit better than that.
For breeds likely to be good with cats in general, Labs and Goldens tend to be just goofy and friendly without a high prey drive. As someone mentioned above, Greyhounds can have high prey drives, and being sight hounds may want to chase cats, but most Greyhound rescue groups that I’ve seen will cat test and let you know if an individual exhibits that tendency. From people I’ve known with Greyhounds, several have been very good at adapting to living with cats. They also tend to be “cat-like” dogs. As sprinters they have quick bouts of energy, but tend to be couch potatoes most of the time, and just general lovebugs.
Good luck!
kent
Hi hilzoy!
I’m going to add to the throng recommending the huge breeds. I have a “pure-half-breed” Newfoundland / Golden Retriever and she is the gentlest creature in the world. We have 4 cats including a new 3-pound kitten and ALL of our cats are boss over our dog. I have never seen a Newfoundland that was anything other than sweet and adorable.
(I’m also going to agree with the recommendation to stay away from labs.)
Good luck.
Davebo
You can never go wrong with a lab. Missing mine these days. If nothing else, they’ll get you off the couch on a normal basis.
geg6
@Juju:
I can agree with the recommendation of a golden. My dear departed Otis was a very blonde golden, so beautiful and he knew it as he was very vain about how his paws and fur looked. Loved baths and brushing and pedicures. He was the most loyal and wonderful dog. Koda has a similar personality but is not quite as full of pathos as Otis was since it was clear when we rescued him that he had been abused and neglected. Koda, although adopted through Balloon Juice, was very well treated by her previous owner and it showed. Otis was just a huge ball of furry needy love with the world’s most soulful eyes.
beergoggles
I’m sorry about your past experiences but it seems like adopting may not be the best future experience for you. Instead I would suggest obtaining a gentle, low energy, easily socialized puppy that is not a retriever/terrier type. Consider a newfoundland or a mastiff. If you want smaller, try a pug or corgi.That way you can socialize them in your environment to suit your needs.
It is possible to adopt a puppy of one of the above breeds, but there is no telling what other breeds they have been mixed with which could lead to other issues in the future.
wonkie
I think that there is a contradiction between wanting a dog that will intimidate a mugger and one that will welcome our friends and be mellow with your cat.
For mellow, my suggestion I go to a rescue and l inquire about a dog that is living in a foster home with cars, and thusly proven cat-safe.
Meet the dog at the foster home and see how it reacts to you, a stranger, entering its space. You want a dog that is all smiles and sweetness right off the bat.
In general stay away from huskies, spitz, shepards, dobies, rotties, border collies, cattle dogs and heelers, corgies, terriers of any kind. NOt that they are bad dogs, just prone to chasing and guarding. I’d hone in on a Newfoundand, if you don’t mind slobber.
TaMara (BHF)
@Steeplejack: This. I was wracking my brain on what I might suggest and Steeplejack reminded me of the obvious.
I rescued a greyhound and they are basically cats in dog skin. Couch potatoes, snuggle bunnies, independent (at least mine was, he had no separation issues or need to be entertained 24/7 – I’m looking at you Bixby).
They love a good walk, a good run if you have an enclosed space (i.e. no open fields where a rabbit can make them dash for the hill and you’ll never catch them) and lots of love.
You’ll start to find them at about 2 years – because that’s when they decide if they can race or not. Mine was a “winner” so he was 4 yrs old when I got him – he was a sire before they released him.
Mine was fine with cats, but not all are, so make sure yours was fostered and evaluated before checking them out.
Good luck. I got Bixby because I began working at home and it’s been great. Never a dull moment in my office.
TaMara (BHF)
@Steeplejack: LOL, Mine had a bit of an issue. They are usually trained to go in specific place at their facility – before mine understood that place was outside, he thought our spare room would be a good place. Once we showed him the outside place, it never happened again.
Amy Wolf
We recently adopted from The Sato Project that rescues stray dogs from Puerto Rico. Our dog is so wonderful and from our trainer I have learned that these dogs are very trainable and are wonderful pets. She is loyal and loving but spunky and enjoys the company of other dogs and all people. We have taken her to friend’s homes with and without other dogs and she gets along with everyone. I believe that this is not unique to our “sato”. Go on their website, http://www.thesatoproject.org. I also work at home and go out for hours at a time and it is not a problem. We also have a cat but ours is a very mean one and does not get along with us. We have a gate to keep the dog out of the cat’s food. The cat can come and go as he pleases. Get a sato, they are fantastic pets.
kifaru1
I volunteer with Basset Rescue of Old Dominion that covers MD. I would suggest a basset, but you have to be as stubborn as they are. They do not require as much exercise as a beagle (love their couches) but they also have a deep bark that might frighten away robbers :) Even if hound dogs aren’t your thing, go through a rescue group that has the dog you choose in a foster home. That way you know more details about their behavior…. Good luck!
qwerty42
Welcome!
Cannot help with the dogs (I’d tend to recommend labs as they are usually very sweet-natured, but I gather the dog in this is a lab mix and … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqz4PYhyI-A)
However, welcome! Enjoyed your writing at Obsidian Wings.
WaterGirl
When I am in the market for a new car, I window shop in parking lots – at the grocery store, movie theater, etc. I like this car, I don’t like that car… pretty soon a pattern emerges. So I think going to the dog park, or doggie daycare, or the animal shelter are all good ways to help you get a feel for what you want.
But stay open. Just like Cole got Lily when he went to look for another car, two dogs have come my way that I would NEVER have chosen based on my preferences. I never wanted a big dog, or a black dog, or a boy dog, but when a coworker’s neighbor took off for CA with their kids and their dog, and they left one dog and the cat behind, I completely fell for the dog when my coworker asked me to watch him for a week while they went on their vacation. He was a very special dog and even people who didn’t like dogs loved him.
So do your homework, but stay open and listen to your heart.
Marty
hilzoy,
I have a Weimaraner that is a beautiful companion. They are very needy in that they don’t like to be separated, but are wonderfully tempered and want to always be touching you. Smart, largish, not big barkers but certainly loud enough if strangers knock on the door.They are not good to kennel so they are not good if you have to travel much but 4-6 hours gets you a great greeting.
I did grow up with dogs, and he is the smartest and best tempered dog I’ve ever had. I have two cats, one owns the house, and other than an occasional dust up over the dog bed they tolerate each other fine. The cat will lie under the bed and swipe at him occasionally just for spite and he takes it with a quick bark and then walks away.
When we first got him I lived in a neighborhood that had no leash laws on an acre of land. The first couple of weesk I took him and walked the perimeter several times a day and when he strayed off the yard gave a little tug and said not your yard. After two weeks he knew the boundaries of where he could go and stayed in his yard with no fence unless enticed by an animal to chase.
Two houses later he needed only two or three walks around to understand where his yard ended.
Original Lee
@Earl: What Earl said. We work with a breed-specific rescue, and I really think it’s the most likely way you and the dog will be a good match and end up happy.
Our rescue lets you have the dog on probation for several weeks. I would say that the success rate is pretty high, but there are times where the relationship works best as a one-night stand. One of our first fosters went through about three families before he found his forever home.
I also highly recommend getting a senior dog (7+ years) if you think you will be on the sedentary side or want a dog that keeps you company while you work without bugging you to play all the time. Senior dogs are hard to place because people think that means they’re going to die in a couple of years. For most dog breeds, if you adopt a 7-year-old dog, you will have that dog around for another 7 years or so. All of our family dogs, except for our first dog, have been seniors, and we love how mellow they are.
BC
Some of the dogs mentioned have breed specific behaviors/issues that you should consider.
The larger breeds are much more expensive to feed and kennel. They also are more expensive in the case of repairing certain kinds of problems (hips, knees, etc) and can be very difficult to care for during recovery. Think carrying a 80+lb dog to the outside to do their thing when they are not supposed to be putting load bearing weight on joints. As mentioned, the larger breeds do not live as long.
Some of the breeds mentioned need constant grooming/monthly trims or drool excessively/continuously in large copious amounts.
Some of the breeds mentioned need a lot of exercise – or else they will be destructive in the house.
As for cats, I have had cats and dogs together for 40+ years. Cats and dogs adjust to each other best when they are kittens/puppies together. They will wrestle and play together, and be good companions for the rest of their lives. Since you have older cats, you need to be careful with the dog. If you get a non-puppy, then I would suggest you go the breed based rescue route, as mentioned above. They specifically test dogs to see if they can handle strangers/children/cats/etc. You will still need to allow your cats a way to escape the dog while they adjust to the dog. Almost all cats will react negatively to a new dog and start hissing and swatting at them. This will excite almost any dog into thinking the cat wants to play, which may not end well. So there needs to be some way for them to have a safe place in the beginning, and they need to get to their food/water/litter box without having to brave the dog.
As for breeds and viciousness, some breeds are known to be more tolerant/playful/etc while some are known to be less so. But, this is only in general. Think humans – our personalities are all very different. Dogs are the same – you can get a less tolerant dog from a gentle breed and a gentle dog from a more aggressive breed. By choosing a breed and carefully observing the parents and getting recommendations – you are hoping that the puppy falls in line. That is one reason many people buy from a breeder. A rescue will test their dogs to see if there are issues through fostering. You experienced what can happen when you tried to choose a dog from a shelter. The result can be very good or very bad.
There are many rescue organizations in Maryland so you should have no problem finding a great dog through a rescue. The rescues also will work with you if you have any issues. Most rescues hold adoption open houses at places like Pet Smart. I suggest you start attending them and local dog parks. Talk to the people and observe the dogs.
Ruckus
@karen marie:
Not all spaniels are the dog for hilzoy.
Mine would have been a complete failure for her.
WJS
I live in the same area, and I would like to suggest adopting a rescue pet. This is an organization we used earlier this year:
http://www.arfusa.org/
51 Piney Narrows Rd.
Chester, MD 21619
Mailing Address:
PO Box 396
Chester, MD 21619
Phone: (410) 643-8700
Email: [email protected]
Here in Howard County, Maryland, we have the same problem you do in Baltimore–lots of pit bulls at the pound and no real way of knowing which ones are socialized properly and trained.
However, with ARF, you can specify whether you want an animal that can be left alone for short periods of time and they’ll work with you. We struggled to find a companion dog for our first rescue, and they worked with us. You can go to their facility on Kent Island and meet the pet there; they will meet you at your home and stay with you for a few hours to ensure things are working.
Great resource, great people, and they will work with you.
Check out Jolene and Missy:
http://www.arfusa.org/adopt/
karen marie
@Ruckus: What was up with your dog?
MadamZorba
Fostering from a rescue is great advice. Don’t look for a particular breed, look for personality. The last dog I adopted is a smooth coat collie mix. She got my attention because she licked my hand when I put down to let her smell it. Most other dogs will sniff and let you pet them. She is very people friendly, about a year old and gets along well with the cats and my other dogs. The children in my neighborhood absolutely LOVE her and she loves them. When they see us walking they call out to the other kids, “Harley’s here” and they all come over to pet her.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Hi! I have advice. If I knew you better I’d have better advice, but your story was helpful.
I’m a Guide Dogs for the Blind raiser, so I have some dog experience. I do believe that ANY dog can be great, any dog can be a murdering killer. Most of it has to do with how they are raised; sometimes you just get a born bad dog (I actually had a horrific experience with one in the early part of this year, which is the only time I’ve ever had to return a puppy). But that’s rare. Don’t get discouraged if you have a bad adoption. It happens.
Firstly, get EVERY book by the “Monks of New Skete” and read and re-read them repeatedly, before you get a dog. I would have avoided a lot of mistakes had I done that.
Two: find a REPUTABLE breeder – they are not that easy to find – and talk to them, tell them what you want. If you can, talk to a few of them. Hit every one of them up for an obedience trainer contact as well, you’ll need to work with one for at least the first year of the pup’s life. Then hit those trainers up for breeder contacts. You need info.
If you adopt from a shelter you’ll need a trainer even more. But talk to as many people as you can. You’re not going to Costco to buy soup, you need to shop around a lot and talk to everyone. Some will contradict others. That’s fine. Shelter dogs can be great but you have no idea what you’re getting, both in the short and long term. After working with the Guide Dogs people and their purebreds, I am never going back to a shelter dog again. You know what you’re getting, both regarding the dog’s likely temperament and their physical condition.
Don’t be surprised if the breeder asks a LOT of questions, some of which may seem either irrelevant or prying. They probably aren’t, they just need to know you and your situation to match you with the best dog possible (this is how good ones operate, anyhow). They will probably want to visit the house and meet your other pets. This, again, is normal with a good breeder.
Also, go to dog parks and talk to people who have cool looking/acting dogs. You’ll learn a lot, never met a dog owner who didn’t want to talk your ear off about their pup. Some will surely have breeder/trainer recommends as well.
The dog I’d normally recommend, no hesitation, for someone in your situation (pets, sedentary) is a lab, but you want a dog that can also serve as some personal protection, and sadly, a lab or a golden is never going to be that dog. They’d probably help the mugger if there’s a treat in it for them (that’s a joke, they’d run in terror).
What I would recommend based on the very limited amount of info you’ve given me is a German Shepherd, not from a show breeder but from someone who breeds working dogs. You need one – here’s the important part – with VERY low prey drive and pretty submissive, but still able to put on a show of bravado. They’re out there. Shepherds can go all the way from “lap dog” to “can only be handled by their law enforcement partner”, and you want the lap dog end of this, for sure.
But get the books and find some good breeders and start talking. You made a good start posting here, lot of folks here who have done really well with their animals, some of who have been extraordinarily difficult, and those are the kind of people you want to talk to.
karen marie
@WJS:
I need a trigger warning when people say shit like this about pitbulls because it makes my head asplode. It does not matter how well socialized or trained they are, as three out of three of my dog’s scarred bodies and Tunch’s grave can testify. Would you like to see photographs of a friend’s Cavalier/Cocker mix who was nearly ripped in half by a pitbull in her daycare? Three surgeries, the last one to debreed dead flesh, and she still might not survive the attack.
joel hanes
@Countme-In:
OBWI misses you.
Indeed it does.
bberr
If you are willing to come down to the DC metro area (not sure which side of Baltimore you’re on), I would suggest Pet Connect Rescue (http://www.petconnectrescue.org/) or Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL, http://www.warl.org/). IMHO both of these rescues are very reputable and should work with you to find the right dog that fits, even if that means trial stays before you make a final decision. We didn’t adopt our latest from either of these but it was just happenstance that we found a puppy from a different rescue at the right moment. As for breed, I humbly suggest a lab/beagle mix (aka labbe, or beagador) in honor my good old girl who passed in February 2015. food-oriented as all heck but a loving, friendly (cat-friendly, in her case), moderate energy companion for 17 years. but of course, it’s all about the specific dog and not as much about the breed or mix. Either way — good luck!
Tom Hamill
We have a rough collie (think Lassie). Scotty is pretty lazy and non-needy inside, but quite vocal outside (“calling all dogs! come play!”). Collies from reputable breeders are supposed to be kind of a do-it-all dog; a good companion dog who is at heart a shepherd, but one who can fight off a coyote if necessary. Scotty is 62 lb, but looks bigger with his fur. He blows his coat once a year, roughly mid-June through early September. My wife feels secure walking him at night, my 4 y/o mauls him and the worst Scotty does is run away if bothered. I got Scotty from http://www.romanycollies.net/
princess leia
I decided to get a dog after years of having enough cats to be considered the neighborhood cat lady. I won’t blame John Cole, but the posts here at BJ definitely encouraged me to do it. I had no idea how to get a good dog. I went on Petfinder and looked through pictures until I saw a dog I liked. An older cattle dog. There was a picture of her with a cat, so I fostered her and I assumed all would be ok with my cat pack.
And so it has been, even though she is a herding dog. I adopted her the day after she arrived. I just fostered another cattle dog, who also ignored the cats.
I don’t think this means get a cattle dog (well, maybe I would!), but I think that I would second working with a rescue rather than a shelter. If I had adopted my dog from a shelter, I don’t think I could have lived with myself if it didn’t work out and I had to take her back. I probably would have done what you did before, divide and keep on high alert. And that is no way to live for you or them.
Best wishes for a perfect match!
grumpy realist
Well, I definitely recommend against getting a Shiba Inu unless you want to deal with a stubborn, deviously intelligent dog that will BOTH dig its way to China AND climb over an 8-foot fence. And eat walls. And totally not obey you (they’re like cats in that way). With a strong prey drive.
There’s also the Shiba shriek, which will convince your neighbors that you are feeding little Akiko into the woodchipper and call the police. Brought out when you try to bathe your dog, clip its nails, or just because it’s plain bored.
Then there’s the shedding…..dear God, the shedding. Shibas have double coats and will dump most of it at least once a year. You will be grooming your dog for an hour, produced a heap of hair at least half the size of the dog, and your Shiba will look just the same and still be shedding just as much.
Thou hast been warned….
Capri
Just a few more thoughts:
What breed a dog is claimed to be on PetFinder and what they actually are can be two different things. Most dogs are listed as the breed that the dog faintly appears to resemble or that someone at a shelter thinks will get it adopted more quickly The more uncommon the breed, the less likely it is that the dog on PetFinder is actually that breed.
I just went of PetFinder to search for Whippets. I was told that there were 382 near my zip code. I looked at the first 50 an not a single one looked at all like a whippet, the majority appear to be thin Pitbull crosses with sighthound-ish ears.
A lot of desirable purebreds such as Porg. water dogs, Black Russian Terriers, Soft Coated Wheaton terriers etc. can cost a lot of money – even from rescues.
I’d recommend getting an adult dog and fostering it or having it “on spec” for a few weeks. Breed characteristics only go so far when predicting an individual dog’s temperament and behavior.
My current dog was advertised on the rescue web site as a Whippet, which was why I was interested as I love sight hounds. She is probably a terrier/Australian shepherd cross. Despite this, she is mellow as can be and hasn’t glanced at the cats once since we’ve had her.
I used to have Basenji’s, but if you didn’t know what you were getting into, with that breed there’s no way I’d suggest getting one.
WJS
@karen marie: I was being sympathetic to the folks who have a difference of opinion on these issues. Given the site’s history with pitbulls and pitbull discussions, I was not trying to offend them or yourself.
There is no way I would ever adopt or own a pitbull. They are bred to be killing machines. That’s my opinion, and I accept that there are disagreements on this subject. Would I ban them? Hell yes, because they are abandoned en mass by owners who shouldn’t be allowed near animals.
The only safe pitbull is one that’s been euthanized.
Libby's Person
You can get perfect dogs at a shelter – I know because I have one! Here’s one that’s in the Durham NC shelter waiting for a home:
Lobo is a very sweet 55 pound collie-shepherd mix, a neutered male about 3 years old at the Durham shelter waiting for a home. Hereâs how the person who found him describes him: âmy dog and I found this lovely creature, in the bushes along Ellerbe Creek Trail, near Trinity Avenue. He had a chain dangling from his collar, with no tags, and had clearly come a long way to escape a bad situation. Regardless, he was the absolute sweetest thing, and followed us home. In the couple days that we looked after him, he turned out to be amazing with people, other dogs and even befriended cats. He has the sweetest, non-demanding, grateful personality, and can both be playful and completely chill, laying on the floor while watching a movie. He is housebroken, walks well on a leash, and seems like he would make a lucky family very, very happy. We quite frankly cannot believe that anyone would let go of this sweet, young thing with absolutely model behavior. We really hope to find someone, or a family, who would be willing to foster or adopt this dog–it would be a gift for both dog and owners.â
The shelter volunteers say he is a bit shy, easy to walk and on the very, very house trained list. And he has the sweetest face! I wish I could have a second dog…
TG Chicago
Hilzoy! Less dogging; more blogging! :-)
You are missed. Good luck with your pooch pursuit.
CONGRATULATIONS!
@WJS: I sadly agree. I could, given one as a puppy, train it to be safe around me. But that’s all I could guarantee. My wife, all the neighborhood animals, the neighbor kids – their safety I could not guarantee.
That’s flat-out not OK.
What’s been done to the pitbull by the underground breeders is unconscionable. They killed the weakest and bred the meanest. Darwin will not be denied, here. Worse, they’ve cross-bred the killing fuckers with EVERYTHING. At least 70% of the animals in every single one of my local shelters has some to a lot of pit in it.
The last encounter I had with one was a year ago with some gangbanger who had his unneutered pit off leash down at the school after hours, when I was walking my lab. The dog approached and was not friendly. So I told the guy, “if your dog gets within five more feet of me or mine, I’m going to shoot him.” He called the dog off, and fortunately the dog listened.
I would have. With regret. But I would have.
ETA: Craigslist bears a lot of blame in the current pit explosion, as they are last site standing where people go to get fighting dogs. They need to do what they did to their “adult services section” and nuke it with fire and screen any and all pet ads. Nobody else allows backyard breeders to advertise save Craigslist, and they need to stop it.
PurpleGirl
I’ve often written about Hugo, my friends’ Doberman pinscher. They have a reputation but if a Dobie has been raised as a house pet, they can be as sweet and gentle as any other dog. Hugo decided I was one of his humans and would park himself down by me wherever I was sitting. He obeyed me. (I had to be trained to handle him.) Really, he was a marshmellow with me but looked fierce to others.
My friends also had a series of retired racing greyhounds. I second that they are sweet and gentle. And they tend to be lazy… “I’m retired, I’m not moving unless I absolutely have to.” They are accustomed to being crated; but if you put pillows and blankets in the crate that is more luxury than they knew on the track. They do tend to be doofes and awkward, again, because they lived in crates at the track and didn’t experience much. But they will love you back for taking them in.
Princess
I would get a Labrador retriever if I could find a breeder where they were not too inbred, and as long as I had the room for one (like a nice big backyard). I have never known a Lab not to be lovely and sweet. The worst Lab I ever knew was lovely and sweet, but just too excitable.
Betty Cracker
@CONGRATULATIONS!: Your story reminds me of something my father did once. My stepmother was riding a bike in the neighborhood and got chased by a pit bull. When she told my dad about, he marched over to the neighbor’s house and said, “If your dog ever chases my wife again, I’ll shoot it. And if it ever bites my wife, I’ll shoot YOU.” The dog is probably dead of old age at this point; we never saw it roaming again. Sometimes big scary rednecks can come in handy! (Not that I condone threats or guns! And I’ve known nice pit bulls. But there ya go.)
Libby's Person
@Capri: I had a similar experience, but it worked out well in the end. Libby was labeled as a border collie mix, and I was told over the phone that she was about 50 pounds. Instead, she’s almost certainly a German Shepherd / Australian Shepherd mix, and she was 84 pounds at the time! But she was as gentle and sweet as advertised, and very quiet and calm. In fact, she ended up being a better dog for us than a BC mix might have been! Petfinder is a great tool, especially if your local shelter doesn’t have what you’re looking for, but be both skeptical and open-minded when searching. And talk to the shelter volunteers if you can – they know the shelter dogs better than anyone else!
Remember that there are total treasures waiting in shelters! Many absolute sweethearts get dumped through no fault of their own – people can be real jerks.
Stephanie
I have a Miniature Schnauzer named Boris (he’s actually a 25 pounder, so not a tiny mini). Prior to getting him, I did research and knew I wanted a small dog, a dog who was fine in a condo/apartment, who didn’t need tons of exercise, who doesn’t shed, who enjoys being a one person dog, and who is good with cats (I had two at the time). I then went to the Schnauzer rescue and told them what I was looking for, and they made a great match! This is what I would recommend. Most of the breed rescues are very concerned with making a good match for you and the dog – they’d rather place the dog in the perfect home than just place the dog, which is how some of the shelters do it.
JohnK
Not to be to harsh, but not sure you will be able to find a pound dog that will fully meet your needs, at least not without making a large commitment in time and energy to repair past behaviors, socialize and train the dog. I’m happy to be wrong.
I have had good luck with my dogs, but I put a lot of energy into socializing and training. My dogs are big, 70-100 lbs and they will scare the crap out of anyone including me. They are sweet dogs after the the alarm calms down. I drive very carefully with them in the car. Cops have no (zero) hesitation shooting dogs.
Anyway, my dogs are golden doodles (retriever-poodle crosses) and there are probably many in rescue status. I have one rescue and maybe one more rescue on the way. Apparently many people fail to realize how much work it is to properly train and care for a dog, especially one that can be high energy and intelligent. I prefer puppies, about 7 weeks old because they can be trained and socialized to fit perfectly into the home routine. Puppies are a lot of work but they are also a lot of fun and frustration.
The dogs are very low maintenance but they get 1-2 hours of play and exercise every day. They are also have low veterinary costs because of the extra vigor they get from breaking up the pure breed genes on the first cross.
Good luck, hope you find the perfect companion!
Juju
@geg6: I have followed your Koda adoption closely because I also offered to take Koda, but you beat me by about six comment entries. She just looked like the kind of dog you could sit on the floor with and pet all day or just roll around and play with until you both get tired. If you decide you just don’t want her any longer I’m still available. ? Like Otis, Martha is a bit needy, but then, so am I. I have had other breeds of dogs and have loved them all, but I know I will always have a golden or golden blend in my life. I highly recommend golden or golden blend. They just love to make you happy.
How is Lovey doing? Has she eaten anything of importance lately?
J R in WV
Would not recommend beagles for a city dweller, they need to run – a lot, until they are exhausted, which takes an hour or two. Also like to chase, which is bad for cats.
Would not recommend greyhounds, taught to chase, like to chase already before that training. Bad for cats. Otherwise good, friendly, etc, but they will run after anything that flees. Pit Bulls, obviously not good, German Shepherds can work, but their hips go and they don’t live very long, which hurts.
We have had great luck with mutts, who are so grateful they have been saved. They really do know, and are totally dedicated and in love with their rescuers.
Currently we have an older brown lab mix, with a longer wavey coat. She is named Happy, because she was so happy to run around our rural place after we brought her home for our Vet Clinic, which runs a low-key rescue service, as all the vets have a huge soft spot for critters in trouble.
Happy was stolen of a chain in a backyard late at night by a neighbor who could not stand to see her mistreated any longer. She was in the vet clinic for 9 months while they treated her heart-worm. She was also beaten and damaged in that way. The vet techs helped her recover from that, but she is still a little skittish if she gets alarmed by something new. Which means she will go behind a chair or under a table to hide, not get aggressive, she can’t do that normally.
A couple of years ago we lost two older dogs, and I went to the local shelter, which tries very hard to be a no-kill shelter, and they had announced to the news media that they were nearly full, and might have to put down otherwise healthy dogs. I found a white lab mix, 9 months old, quivering in her individual place.
I took her for a walk on leash outdoors, and she had no idea what grass was. She was a little girls puppy who grew up too large for that in an apartment. She was mostly in a crate, I think they didn’t understand that crating was for special occasions, not all the F’ing time!
She was pretty soft, not strong and muscular. Now she’s as strong as you want a lab mix to be. Friendly with cats, will wash their ears as long as they will put up with it. The tag on her cage at the shelter said good with cats and kids. So we tried her out, and she is wonderful. Well behaved, able to run on our farm. Would probably be OK with long walks or a fenced in yard.
She is junior dog to Happy, even though she outweighs Happy, is stronger (now) she is still younger, so Happy takes the toy, knows to take the toy first thing. They will get on the bed with us, but know they need an invitation. Mrs J frequently gets her ears cleaned out just before coffee in the AM.
I think any affectionate mutt would be a good bet. I don’t care for pure-bred, as there are too many recessive defects that get potentiated in that kind of breeding. Our German Shepherd was my cousin’s, who passed her to our Grandma, who loved her but couldn’t take care of an aging 80 or 90 pound dog. We had her for about a year, enough time to love her, but too short, she was 12 when we had to put her down. Totally incontinent at the end.
They are good when they are good, but you can’t always tell in advance. Someone else mentioned that already I guess.
So in the end, I recommend a grown Lab-mix mutt that isn’t too big for you. That’s worked for us. We’ve also had a country mix big dog that looked like he might have had some Pit Bull in the mix, but he was gun-shy, totally. Very friendly, lover, not a fighter. Neighbors house trained him and we told them we would adopt him at that point, we were both working 60 hour weeks at the time.
We also had a black dog with a huge coat, shaved him down in the spring, in the winter he wanted to be outside, the colder the better. He would roll in foot deep snow on the back porch, pushing his face into the snow like a short narrow plow. He had a little herding instinct, but was happy walking behind people as if he was herding.
No idea what kind of mix. No chow, no spots on his tongue. We named him Clyde, full name was Step Aside Clyde as he was a little underfoot as a puppy. He came down the hill behind our house in light snow as a puppy, just a little ball of black fuzz, and was so happy to see me he was mine right then!
But you can’t duplicate having dogs appear in your life like this. you need to be proactive in looking for one. In the country where we are, people drop off perfectly good mutt puppies all too often, and we do the best we can. Sometimes that means a trip to the shelter, sometimes we take them in or place with with a friend.
Best of luck. Stick around, many of us know and like you already!!
Eadgyth
I adopted a dog and had the exact same experience as OP. Horrible. Also adopted an old dog and gave him a great last few years, but due to health problems had to put him down at age 11. At this point I admire all the people who have successfully adopted dogs, but I have decided that for me, I will only adopt puppies.
My current dog is a Wheaten terrier, which someone recommended. I wouldn’t for you. My dog is the sweetest most loving dog I’ve ever had, but he has pulled over and dragged my wife (he’s 50 lbs and she’s about 100) a few times. He loves to chase cats he sees outside, but he always defended our kitty from the ones not from our house, and was good with her. But he needs a good 1-2 hours of exercise a day or he loses it. So, great dogs if you can really commit to them, but not for someone just wanting an easy companion. Very prey driven.
I really hate how everyone now says crate training is wonderful, even mandatory. Every a$$hole I know who has used them has left their dogs in there from 14- 20 hours a day! Yes you who are posting here are responsible and do it very well. Other people leave their dogs in crates well over 12 hours and then talk about how much they love their dogs. Frankly their dogs are better off dead sometimes. I currently have a neighbor of this variety, and I get to listen to their dogs moaning and crying for hours daily. (Yes it has been reported; no they are not in violation of any laws.) I think crates should be banned because of people like them- they are not a small number.
Finally please do not go to those monks for training advice. I remember reading their stuff 20 years ago. Maybe they have changed, but at that time it was all ‘dominance theory’. Go to Victoria Stilwell’s site instead: https://positively.com/ She has videos for everything, and if you can find them, she had a TV show called “It’s me or the dog” that was awesome. She uses all the modern research on canine behavior to come up with a doable approach for the most rank amateur.
Stella B
Two or more dogs of any type become a pack and that was part of your original problem. With mixes, you don’t know what you are getting, often. I would avoid chows and pits, myself. They may be okay, they may be a disaster. Working in ERs, the only serious dog bites that I have seen have come from those breeds.
Purebreed rescues can be good as long as they are established. I had a problem with a dog I adopted from a new program 20-some years ago and they refused to take her back since she was a biter. She was an Australian shepherd and although she was lightening quick with her teeth, she didn’t bite hard. I finally had her put down, though, since I was always terrified that she would bite someone outside of the family. It was traumatic, but she was replaced with the gentlest of collies.
Cavaliers are sweet, but short-lived on average. Corgis can be quite dog-aggressive although they’re so small they can be controlled, but it’s still a pain. I’ve had many rescue German shorthairs, but they are super high-energy dogs (also Vizslas and Weimaraners) and only appropriate for runner/hiker/outdoor types. I introduced a tiny kitten to an older, widowed GSP with no cat experience and they rapidly became BFFs. Collies are wonderful, sweet, smart, trainable dogs although the coat can be challenging and they are bark-o-matics. We currently have poodles who are smart and trainable (and non-shedding!!!), but they are a tightly bonded pack and we don’t trust them around other non-poodles. Pugs are nice and trainable, they snore a little and they are not much in the security department, but they make up for that with charm.
Anyway, those are my experiences.
Annamal
I would pick greyhounds as well, they’re legendarily lazy but big enough to make someone think twice.
The only downside is that you would want to be careful to make sure to get a hound that has been socialised with cats
In New Zealand there is an organisation called Greyhounds As Pets(http://greyhoundsaspets.org.nz/adoption/dogs-for-adoption/ )which fosters and then rehomes greyhounds.
They rank all of their dogs on their ability to get on with cats, I expect there’s a similar organisation somewhere near you.
MPAVictoria
Straight up Hilzoy I think you should adopt an older pug from a dedicated pug rescue. Pugs have great personalities, are relatively sturdy and tend to be very friendly. Plus if you adopt an older one that is being fostered in a home you will have an idea of what kind of personality it has before you take it home.
This is the path my partner and I took at 7 years later we love our senior citizen pug :-)
Scooter
Hilzoy! I’ve missed you. Didn’t have the patience to read all of the comments so. . . I grew up with dogs and cats, my friends have dogs and cats, my children have dogs and cats. You get the idea. My first thought: Hound. Even-tempered, gentle, tend to like everyone. Including other animals. Available in various sizes. YMMV of course.
Daffodil's Mom
Hi again Hilzoy, and your Tweets are wonderful!
Now for dogs. First off, some dogs of any breed will be cat-safe and some wonât, so make sure whoever youâre interested in has been tested to be cat-safe. And THEN have them re-do the test in your presence: if it shows any interest AT ALL, think twice.
Secondly, you probably are better off with a not-too-young dog thatâs been fostered, for all the reasons everyone said.
Third, YES!!! to greyhounds. Weâve had five purebreds and one greyhound-Plott Hound cross (huge, gentle, laid-back and brindle, so people *think* heâs a pit bull) and ALL have been perfectly fine w/cats. Also, theyâre basically couch-potatoes but a large one (29-30â) will not only look formidable but, uh, have a pretty darned strong jaw.
Fourth, standard poodles are unbelievably wonderful dogs but arenât really happy alone all day (trust me on that).
Good luck!!!
satby
Greyhounds spend the first years of their lives chasing a pretend rabbit. A cat running can look an awful lot like that to a greyhound. Some greyhound rescues won’t adopt out to families with cats or small children.
Hilzoy, I used to read you all the time, glad you’re here and hope you post more. Now, I have done pet rescue for over 10 years, and I was starting to be so appalled by some of the advice I skipped to the bottom of the thread to comment.
Find a good pet rescue in your area and work with them to find a match to your situation. You want a rescue that Safer tests the dogs before adopting them out, and that will have you bring your cat or will bring the dog to you to observe how it behaves with the cat.
I really dislike the woo around “breed traits”. Yes, dog breeds were bred for specific jobs, but whether a dog is this or that trait because of it’s breed is more of a crapshoot than people realize. I always suggest medium sized mutts for inexperienced dog owners. The rescue may even have a middle aged to older dog that could be perfect: mellowed, usually trained, and often available only because of an owner’s death or disability. A mid sized (30-45 lb) mutt would probably be ideal for you and your cat.
But work with a well regarded rescue or the Humane society.
Fine Swine
Greetings and welcome, Hilzoy. Count me as another who used to regularly read your musings back in the day. With any luck, maybe Cole can talk you into regular contributions.
Ruckus
@karen marie:
Don’t know if you’ll see this as I just got home from work. Any way…..
He was an older 10-12yrs rescue that had been found by the pound and rescued by an org. When I saw him at an adoption day, I walked him for about a half hr and he was great. I watched him for about 3 hrs around people and he was calm and cool. Boy did he fool everyone. At the time my bed was on a mat on the floor (bad back) and he would sleep at my feet. So far so good. About 30 days in he moved to sleeping right by me. So I was accepted. But feeding was always an issue. He could probably eat his own weight in about 2 min. You didn’t hesitate getting your hand out of the way when putting the food bowl down or you’d pull back a stump. I’ve had golden and shepard and never had an eater like this.
Now on to the not so good part, he was very territorial, very protective and loyal to a fault. No one, including me could pet him, he’d at the very least try to bite. Groomers would on do him once and tell me never bring him back. So I had to figure out how to groom a dog that would not stand touching and grew hair at an almost visible rate. Now he was OK with bathing, actually seemed to like it.
Sorter, an ornery bastard, but of all my dogs he was the best. Had life not screwed me I’ve have kept him till his last day.
Ruckus
@CONGRATULATIONS!:
I had a shepard, she was a grand dog. Calm, could play for hours, hardly barked at all, liked to swim in lakes, even when chasing a deer would come immediately if I whistled. She raised pups a couple of times, was a great mom. We kept one who was the exact opposite, dumbest dog I’ve ever seen.
KS in MA
Hilzoy, I’m another fan of yours from back in the ObWi day. I hope you find a dog you like!
negev79
My husband and I got our first dog as “grown ups” almost 17 months ago. We both had dogs as kids, but had never had primary responsibility for one. We are both basically dog noobies. We had some parameters in mind: medium sized, smart, easily trainable, not a herder (we have two cats), and with low to moderate exercise needs (we both work full time away from home).
We started out by researching breeds first. We watched a lot of “Dogs101” on animal planet/youtube. Looked around on the internet and in bookstores, lots of good information out there on general breed characteristics. We eventually landed on the possibility of a Keeshond, a breed we hadn’t even heard of before. THEN, I started researching breeders in my area, went out and met them, and their dogs, and just generally got to know the breed. THEN I got on the wait list for my chosen breeder (she only has a litter every couple of years) and waited for the next litter. While I waited I started researching lots of different training methods and techniques.
All told, it was an almost year and a half long process before we took Wicket home in June of last year. I know that a lot of people recommend rescue, and I have no argument there (I have rescued many many cats over the years), but for us, for our first real attempt at dog parenting, we felt we needed to know ahead of time, really..how big is he going to get, and although all dogs are individuals, at least generally the breed characteristics so we’d have some idea of personality. So this time around anyway, we went the reputable breeder route instead of rescue. And it’s worked out great! Wicket is a medium sized dog, who is smart, very treat motivated (so pretty trainable) and…well ok, he chases the cats and has eaten some walls, and really needs more than moderate exercise (but he’s still a puppy) – but he’s been a joy and we don’t regret our choice, he’s our spoiled baby and we adore him. He’s pretty fluffy so there is a lot of grooming involved, but I don’t mind that. And we’re working on more peaceful cat/dog interactions – when they are still all is well and they all tolerate and even like each other. He just can’t resist the lure of chasing something when it runs. He’s never done anything to them even when he’s caught them (other than scare/annoy them). But they do try to steal his food, which makes him defensive.
In any event, an added bonus is that his breeder has always been available an invaluable resource for us and introduced us to others who own Keeshonds as well, so we have this wealth of information available from experts on the breed and can get lots of opinions (sometimes too many) whenever we have questions.
Bottom line, everyone’s situation is unique, and the perfect rescue or purebred puppy is out there for you. The trick is to approach this patiently, with lots of advance thought and planning, so your emotions don’t get the better of you and you end up properly matched.
Good luck!
Anne Laurie
@TaMara (BHF):
A sighthound breeder once told me all sighthounds are “half toy (dog), and half cat”. Loving, winsome, demanding, finicky & often more than a little vain. They’re also scary fast, even the old fat out-of-shape ones, which is why I don’t have a whippet right now — I’m too old & fat to stay as alert as a good sighthound owner must be, 24/7.
Also, much as I love Great Danes / Newfies… apart from the fact they will break your heart when they die too young, one needs to be young enough & strong enough to deal with their weight. The Newfies I’ve known, in particular, tend to have hip issues as they age — like, at 4 or 5 — and if you aren’t tall or strong enough to “hoist” their back end up for them after they poop (much less climb even one or two steps), you’re both in big trouble.
PS: Check out Gizmo, here. Looks like he’s not too far from you. Aussie Cattle Dog for sure, crossed with… well, I’d bet some Labrador, at least, but who knows?. ARF says he’s been cat-tested and he’s good with other dogs & people. But believe me, any sane mugger looks at that head is gonna think pit bull and go find him an easier mark. And any insane mugger is liable to find out how much trouble forty pounds of angry dog can be…
Hilzoy
Hi everyone, and sorry for not replying yesterday; I was hit with a bunch of work *and* a vicious head cold. — Anne Laurie: are you sure Gizmo isn’t part pit? He sure looks it, though otherwise seems great.
I have now amassed a bunch of links to particular dogs, and plan to try winnowing them down tonight and tomorrow. I’m already really grateful to everyone here for pointing out that one needs to be able to carry one’s dog. I have zero problem having a really large dog who doesn’t need to be carried, and I still think of myself as being able to lift more or less anything (I was always the person my friends call to help them move, because I can, in fact, lift a lot of weight.) However, I had abdominal surgery which I managed to tear open a couple of times by lifting very heavy things (the first time: I filled a trash can full of wet clay, took it down to the bottom of my garden, and upended it, oops), and so I probably shouldn’t lift anything (= get a dog) over 50 lbs or so. I’m also really grateful for the breed suggestions and good points on how to approach this, which I’m sifting through.
My operating principles now are: nothing toy, nothing over 50 lbs., no breeds that anyone has bred for fighting or defense (primarily), on the grounds that while many people might adore their Dobies, with good reason, I should not start with a dog of that kind. I’ll keep you posted.
Also: thanks for all the kind words about my previous life as a blogger. I miss it.
Hilzoy
@Tim F.: Nothing brave about it; I just didn’t know. Alas. I wish I had; it would have saved me several years of agony.
Hilzoy
@WereBear: You laugh, but I have done (most of) that. When I first got the vicious cat-killing dogs, one of my cats just took off. I couldn’t find her for several months, and would wander around the neighborhood meowing. (I have a very convincing meow.) Finally I did, but in the intervening months of homelessness, she had become paranoid, and so I had to feed her outside, which required more meowing. Luckily, my neighbors were very understanding about this.
Hilzoy
@grumpy realist: Oh, trust me, I know about Shibas. When I first got my sisters, they were so terrified they tried to burrow through the floor. Unfortunately, there was a small nick in the linoleum, and so, when I came back from a trip to the supermarket, there was a 3’x1′ burrow-shaped hole in the linoleum, where they were trying to escape to China. But hey: I had been meaning to replace the linoleum anyways …
Hilzoy
@Capri: And, yes: Petfinders’ breed listings are just hilarious. At a certain point, I started trying to see whether there was any breed I could enter that would not pull up an obvious pit bull on the first page. I went through Italian Greyhounds, Whippets, Newfies, Pyrs, Great Danes: in each case, the first page was mostly pit bulls. Sigh.
Daffodil's Mom
Hilzoy,
Gizmo’s head looks pretty pit-bullish to me. Otoh, that rescued dog in Durham may be just right — cat-safe, gentle and the right size. I’ll put another plug in for greyhounds though — must be leashed or fenced (sighthounds run so fast they can’t always find a scent-trail back home, plus of course, cars. Some have strong prey drives, some don’t, but since they’re used to being in a pack, even those who do quite often just adopt “their” cats as part of their pack. We never had a problem with any of ours, and They. Are. VERY. Laid. Back. Italian Greyhounds and Whippets — well, smaller dogs tend to be more high-strung. The full-size greyhounds, otoh, basically just sleep, smile and snuggle. ;~)
Anne Laurie
@Hilzoy:
Not without a blood test, but that “pit bull” head is also a Lab head with pointy ACD ears. (There’s a lot of piano-bench-shaped Labs in the Midwest, although I haven’t seen as many here in the Northeast. The rescue group says he grew up interacting safely with cats (& kids) which is more important for you IMO than his genetic pedigree. And if he’s 8, he’s not going to suddenly “mature” into a monster, but you’ll still get to enjoy each other for another 6 or 10 more years…
If you’re renting, landlords can be (understandably) skeevy about “pit bulls” but you can point out that 40lbs is way small for one of those Monster Dogs that “everybody” knows are stone killers.
Gizmo or some other dog, there’s one out there with your name on him/her, for sure!