What Dog Breeds Are Good With Cats
Theres no way to accurately predict if your dog and cat will get along, but some dog breeds are known to be more cat-friendly than others.
These include the Basset Hound, Beagle, Bulldog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Border Collie, and Bichon Frise. Other breeds that will see a cat as a potential playmate are the Maltese, Boxer, Dachshund, German Shepherd and the Poodle. As always, proper socialization is a must.
What Might Cause A German Shepherd Not To Get Along With Cats
There are a number of possible things that could cause a German Shepherd not to get along with cats. Below are a number of reasons why it might happen. I have written more about why it might happen here.
Strong prey drive
As mentioned above, German Shepherds are a breed that i s known to have a strong prey drive. This means that they have it in their nature to chase after small things like cats, rabbits and even small dogs.
Jealousy
If you get a German Shepherd and it does not like cats, another possible cause could be that it is jealous of the cat. This would be more likely if it tends to become aggressive towards the cat when you are giving the cat attention.
To correct this it will be necessary for you to give your German Shepherd lots of attention and to give it lots of exercise so that it doesnât feel the need to be jealous of your cat. However, it would help to avoid rewarding it when it does become jealous.
Cats like to run
Another problem is that cats like to run. German Shepherds, as well as most other dog breeds, will naturally chase after small things that are moving. This is why, when youâre teaching your German Shepherd to stay, one of the last distractions you would show it would be a moving toy.
To correct this behavior it will be necessary for you to do lots of training with your German Shepherd on a regular and consistent basis so that you can break it out of the habit of chasing your cat.
Being dominant
Wanting to play
The Final Meeting Unleashed
The next step is to let your dog off the leash. ONLY do this if you are confident that your GSD will remain calm and doesnt pose a threat to the cat.
Its also important here that you get an accurate gauge on how your cat is feeling. If you have any doubt that your cat is ready for this introduction, do not let your dog off of its leash.
Remember that cats are not as animated in their expressions as dogs are. Their emotional cues are more subtle.
To check that your cat is feeling calm and relaxed, make sure that its ears are facing forward and that its pupils are not too small or too enlarged.
Read Also: German Shepherd Chihuahua Mix Puppy
What Is It Like To Have A Dog And A Cat Under One Roof
When I was researching the topic, I found it wasnt easy to find scientific information on how dogs and cats get along and what factors might influence their relationship.
Seriously, given how many households host both a dog and a cat, more research should be performed. However, I did find one study from the Journal of Veterinary Behavior that could offer some insight on how to handle the dynamic between dogs and cats living in the same home.
A majority of pet owners surveyed say that their dogs and cats live amicably. An amicable relationship in this context, as defined by the authors of the study, is living with a friendly, mutual bond, which is recognizable through the use of affiliative behaviors, maintaining proximity and effective, non-aggressive communication between individuals.
A few respondents even say that their pets relationship is close and well.
How To Introduce A German Shepherd To A Cat/kitten Meeting For The First Time
If you are going to look at new cats, or a new German Shepherd, take your existing pet to meet the new potential pet in a safe isolated place .
Definitely dont take your German Shepherd to a cat shelter or cat breeders place without first notifying them and asking how you can best introduce the two.
When the dog meets the cat for the first time, look for these signs that might suggest either the dog or cat is anxious, feeling aggressive or scared
Growling, snarling, lunging, baring teeth or other aggressive signs from the dog
A cat that snarls, hisses, bares its teeth, bares its claws or tries to swipe at the dog
Signs of herding German Shepherds are herding dogs
Stalking both dogs and cats can have high prey drives which might lead to stalking, chasing and hunting each other
General rough and uncontrolled body language
Once you and the existing owner have made the decision to introduce the animals, you can consider:
Keep the first meeting short and remove either animal immediately if they look overly stressed
Either take your cat to meet the dog, or take your dog to meet only a dog savvy cat in a safe place isolated from other cats ask the cat owner which cat might be best location for the meeting
Ensure both animals are aware there is a door or open space to retreat if they feel frightened
Put both the cat and the dog on leashes
Muzzle the dog for extra protection if required
Put the dog in a crate and allow the cat to roam near the dog if required
Read Also: What Size Dog Collar For German Shepherd
Do German Shepherds Get Along With Other Dogs
To go into greater depth, it does vary from breed to breed, animal to animal, and dog to dog. Much like any person, theres no guarantee that a German Shepherd will get along with others.
Now, first things first, lets talk a bit about what a German Shepherd is. A German Shepherd is a breed made towell, Shepherd sheep. Theyre hyperactive, fast, and more than willing to play. So, if you like to go outside, or are pretty energetic, then this is a good breed for you.
But, keep in mind, a German Shepherds temperament does depend on the line it comes from. I.E: if the line has a history of angry pups, then it stands to reason that the next one will likely have anger issues.
If you want a nice, easier-going German Shepherd, then it might not be a bad idea to try to get a longhaired breed, or a solid white one.
Now, onto getting along with other dogs. German Shepherds do, generally, get along with other dogs or animals so long as they grow up with them, or spend a great deal of time with them.
It is recorded that some German Shepherds do tend to be aggressive to dogs of the same gender.
I.E: Boys will roughhouse.
That said, it is possible that so long as there isnt another dominant dog, then its likely that they will get along. That said, try to be aware of the German Shepherds line and general temperament. Some dogs might get along better with others.
But if that does happen, it does fall to the owner to take responsibility for their dog. Training might be necessary.
Do German Shepherds Like Cats
Wanting to adopt a German Shepherd and need to know if German Shepherd Dogs like cats or how do you introduce a German Shepherd to a cat in the house?Well, German Shepherd Dogs score out of 5 in the scale of dog breeds that are good with cats.
Don’t Miss: What Colors Do German Shepherds Come In
Be Intentional With Your Love
Puppies are not only cute and fun to play with, but they require a LOT of training. This means, not only will your cat lose their autonomy over their own home, but they will also lose a significant amount of time hanging around you.
To compensate for this loss, I was intentional about spending time with my cats. This was especially important at night. For the first week or so, our cats were very clingy at bedtime. They were desperate for a little extra love. So we made time to give it to them.
After a few weeks, they fell into a routine and did not require as much attention from us, but I still make sure to treat all 3 as equally as possible.
Think about when and where you can give your current pet your undivided attention every single day.
How To Train A German Shepherd To Live With Cats Comfortably
You can start by choosing an appropriate first time meeting place. This should most probably be inside your home. It is the most recommended. Secondly, you should separate the animals and allow each some freedom time while the other is confined. This will allow the two animals to investigate and get used to each others scent. Do this until they are all calm and go back to their health behaviors. The third step is to try leashed introductions. Do this also until they get used to each other. This step should be done while they are in the same room. When they start ignoring each other, you can move on to the next step, which is to allow unsupervised interactions. Before doing this, you should have supervised them and become confident that they will not hurt each other.
Also Check: Who Would Win In A Fight German Shepherd Or Pitbull
Bringing A New Cat Into A Home With A German Shepherd
A controlled introduction process is often the best way to manage to bring a new cat into a home that already has a GSD. Carve out some space for the cat such as a spare bedroom. Make sure this space is a safe place for your cat and also contains water, litter, toys, and other things that help a cat to feel comfortable. Start with total separation between the two animals.
There is no point introducing your GSD to a cat until it has been trained. It needs to be able to stay and importantly it needs to be able to stay calm when it meets the cat.
The first and most important step in a controlled introduction is the swapping of scents. Have one clean cloth for your cat and one for you GSD. Run the cloth on the areas of each animal where there is the most scent. For cats this is the top of their head, cheeks and chin. For dogs this is their armpits and on their sides.
Once the cloths have captured each animals scent, place each cloth in the other animals environment. They should be left to discover this cloth themselves rather than you giving them the cloth. Watch how each animal reacts to the new scent. Does your cat become nervous? Does your GSD become over-excited?
Each day do scent fresh cloths again and leave them near the animals. Ideally, keep this up until both animals are calm around the scented cloths. Then you are ready to move onto having the animals see each other in a controlled way.
Personality Of The Cat
Cats tend to be very cautious and reserved, especially in new situations and in new environments. Like people, some cats are bold and some are timid.
This variable spans a wide spectrum, but in general cats will approach a new situation with more weariness than a dog. Keep this in mind when thinking of introducing your GSD to one.
Read Also: German Shepherd Full Size
Why Doesnt German Shepherd Like Cats
The explanation for this is that German Shepherds have an excellent hunting natural inclination which drives them to pursue small animals.
Cats also enjoy running, which makes German Shepherds yearn to scamper them. Some other possibility is that your German Shepherd is envious of your catâs adoration and craves it for himself. It would be good to train your GSD not to chase cat.
Listen To Your German Shepherd And Your Cat
Throughout this whole process, you want to keep your cat and German Shepherd as calm as possible. Therefore, if at any time during these steps your cat starts to show signs of deep distress such as hissing, spitting, moaning, or trying frantically to escape, take a step back. Get your cat feeling safe before trying again.
The same idea goes with your dog. If your dog starts acting overly excited by excessive barking and lunging, chasing, growling, or jumping, go back a step and find out at what point your dog can remain calm.
*This is very important*. Dogs have a limit to how much stimulation they can manage. Puppies thresholds are very limited as they are still learning this self-control. You need to understand what your German Shepherds stimulation threshold is in order to successfully train them to coexist with your cat. Especially for Step 6 and Step 7 below. Otherwise, I guarantee will feel frustrated and overwhelmed when your puppy tries to chase your cat down the hallway for the umpteenth time.
Check out 5 Things to Know About A Dogs Threshold by Whole Dog Journal to learn more.
Recommended Reading: Raw Diet For German Shepherds
German Shepherd And Kitten
A kitten is helpless and cannot harm the dog. On the other hand, even when the dog has no intentions of hurting the kitten, his size and weight can hurt or even kill the kitten. German shepherds are not that friendly even to new peoples faces, and the case is worse to cats and kittens. Some GSD is calm, and these can be trained easily to have kitten pet friend. When the two become attached, he will protect the cat from other dangers. They will live in peace and harmony.
German Shepherds And Cats Can Get Along
If a German shepherd meets a stranger cat, who knows what will happen. Unless your dog has been specifically socialized with cats, they make act aggressively.
However, German shepherds that are raised in a home with cats tend to get along just fine with them due to their unwavering loyalty and devotion to the pack. In fact, Rover calls them one of the top five most loyal dog breeds!
German shepherds also have a natural protective instinct, which makes them much more likely to keep the cat safe than to do harm to it. But of course, the dog must be very familiar with the cat and see the animal as a pack member.
Because of these two signature traits that define the German shepherd, it can be easy to make the two get along. Or at the very least, cohabit in a civil manner.
Of course, there are plenty of variables, including the personality of your cat. And a lot of it depends on how well and often you socialize your dog with the cat.
Don’t Miss: German Shepherd Sitting Drawing
Why Your German Shepherd Doesnt Like Cats
If your German Shepherd doesnt get along with cats then you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of reasons why your German Shepherd doesnt like cats and what you can do about it.
So, why doesnt your German Shepherd like cats?
One reason is that German Shepherds have a strong prey drive that triggers their instincts to chase small things. Cats also like to run which can cause German Shepherds to want to chase.
Another possible reason is that your German Shepherd is jealous of the attention your cat is getting and it wants it for itself.
And, what can you do about it?
A quick way to keep your cat safe would be to keep them both separated as much as possible. You can also train your German Shepherd to leave your cat alone by teaching it to stay when it is being distracted by the cat. Giving your German Shepherd lots of exercise also helps to reduce its urge to chase things.
Getting a German Shepherd to stop chasing cats is something that many people have struggled with before so to get it to stop wont be an overnight event. The good news is that a number of people have been successful in doing so.
Before getting your German Shepherd to stop chasing your cat it can be helpful to take the time to figure out why it is doing it.
Why Do German Shepherds Chase Cats
Dogs like to chase things. Many dogs run after squirrels, rabbits, and other forms of domestic wildlife. Dogs also like to fetch tennis balls and chase lures to exercise this natural instinct.
All dogs have a prey drive. According to Jean Marie Bauhaus of Hills, this prey drive can take several different forms depending on the way the dog was bred.
German shepherds are herding dogs. German Shepherd Rescue Elite notes that the breed was formally created in the late 1800s German Shepherds are all descended from a particularly noble sheepherding dog named Hektor.
Herding dogs have been bred to give chase as a response to their prey drive. This behavior is useful for rounding up sheep, chickens, and any other farm animal that might need to be wrangled.
When a German Shepherd meets a cat, his initial reaction will be that of any dog: curiosity, excitement, or confusion. However, most cats are extremely skittish, and they dont tend to react well to excited dogs. When a cat meets a German Shepherd, shes likely to run away.
If a cat runs, a German Shepherds natural instincts will encourage him to give chase. Whether the German Shepherd gives into these instincts depends on the dogs training and temperament.
Also Check: How Long Should I Feed My German Shepherd Puppy Food