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brightstar123

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Everything posted by brightstar123

  1. Thanks everyone for the great replies so far. So many cute photos too :) Putting together what everyone has said, I think my number one choice is an older dog (of just about any medium to large breed) being rehomed by a breeder, from health-tested parents and raised around cats. That would be perfect! I'd also consider a rescue dog fostered with cats, although I'd be more careful with this option as recommended by others. Also a puppy from a breeder with cats could be good too. Someone recommended a setter to me yesterday - I've haven't really encountered many English/Irish/Gordon setters so not sure about that idea. Like everyone says it's also the individual dog and cats too. Anyway any further recommendations are welcome and keep the photos coming! If anyone can suggest anywhere to look for an older dog other than the mature dogs section on DOL or Pet Rescue please let me know! Or if there are any breeders that raise their large-breed pups around cats and have available pups this year, please speak up :)
  2. I have considered an adult rescue dog, although in larger breeds I'm worried about health concerns like hips and elbows. A retired (cat-friendly) greyhound could be a good choice I think, as they are generally pretty healthy. I do understand that socialisation and training are very important, although I do think that some breeds are more naturally inclined to co-exist with smaller animals. For example, a Husky would probably not be a great idea!
  3. And I totally agree with you RuralPug, it does depend on the cats. Two of our cats are really good - curious and interested in making friends after the initial horror has worn off. The third is a big fellow of around 10kg who was attacked by a staffy in the past. He is a bit hissy and will lash out if pushed at all, although he generally won't run. He tolerated the lab though as she just ignored him (I think she was scared of him!) Even though I think I could get it to work with a breed with more chase or prey drive like GSDs, rotties etc, I don't want the cats to be chronically stressed and defensive. A breed with very low prey drive would probably be the easiest for everyone!
  4. Thanks for the replies so far, the pics of the TMs with the cats are great! Interesting about the Pyrs, I actually love livestock guardian breeds and was wondering about the likelihood of it bonding with the cats if introduced at a young age. I was considering Pyrs and Maremmas here mainly. As you said though, there are other factors to consider. We do live in the city about half of the week, then spend 3-4 days on a large horse stud with cattle, horses, chooks, cats and small dogs. Lots of room to run freely there. In the city though, we have an average-sized well-fenced yard, can provide approx 1.5-2hrs leash walking daily plus some free running, games, training etc. Happy to groom, I've had long haired GSDs before, a Keeshond etc so the long coat doesn't put me off much. We would prefer to have the dog inside with us in the evenings/ at night and mainly outside if we are out. We like to take our dog out to do things with us e.g. the beach, cafe etc but there would be times when it would be home alone. Not sure if this lifestyle could suit a livestock guardian breed - many people online comment that they shouldn't be keep as pets but then others seem to do so with great success. If we got the right pup from a litter and put a fair bit of work in while it was young, could it work?!
  5. Hi everyone, I'd like to ask everyone's opinions about which dog breeds they think work particularly well with cats? I'd love to give a retired bitch or older dog a home, but I know a puppy would probably be easier to socialise with the cats. We love medium to large breeds and have three rescue cats that live indoors. They are big confident cats but they do run around and play inside sometimes. They've had varying experiences with dogs, from a house sitter that brought his terrier x with him (unknown to us) and it chased the cats constantly and aggressively for a month, to a lovely quiet foster lab who didn't react to them at all. Breeds that I've considered could be possible are the lab or golden, maybe a sighthound so long as the cats are never outside with the dog (I love deerhounds!), a more laid back working dog like a kelpie, border collie etc and even a Dobermann. We do like working-type GSDs and Belgian Shepherds but obviously they usually have a lot of prey drive. We love our cats and don't want to have a dog that is constantly tempted - that wouldn't be fun for us or fair on the cats or the dog. I understand the need for early socialisation with cats and training, but obviously some breeds are easier to keep with cats than others! I'd love to hear other peoples' experiences keeping cats and dogs together (particularly large and giant breeds) and which breeds seem to work well. We are open to just about any breed and obviously our main concerns are temperament and health. Thanks!
  6. 1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc) We owned a Keeshond as a family dog when I was younger. 2. Where and why was the breed first developed? Not sure about this one, I'll leave it to the breeders! 3. How common is it in Australia? I've come across a few but generally not too common. I mainly see them at shows. 4. What is the average lifespan? Our girl lived until 12yrs of age, I believe that's fairly typical. 5. What is the general temperament/personality? Our Keeshond had a lovely temperament, very loving, gentle and happy. She was boisterous and needed exercise and training as a young dog. Quite naughty and cheeky - not a meek/mild type of dog! Not a couch potato dog until 7-8yrs old! Very food motivated, smart and easy to train. Not a great retriever! Good watchdog with a slight tendency to excessive barking if bored, like most dogs. She had a charming Keeshond smile and loved to be with people - a bit of a 'velcro' type. Very much an indoor/family dog - not one to live outside all the time. Great with strangers and children. Our dog was not a "one person dog", she bonded with the whole family. I've had many other breeds such as labradors, working German Shepherd, Beauceron, Malinois, Greyhounds and Jack Russells and she was most similar to a show/English-type labrador in temperament. As an older dog she couldn't have been a more perfect family dog - sweet, obedient, calm and loving. 6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult? As a young dog - 45min walk was ok, with a few zoomy episodes around the yard/house daily! Like the previous person commented, she very much felt the heat and this restricted exercise in summer. Swimming was also popular although the coat was a bit of a nightmare to dry regularly. 7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with? In my opinion, yes, so long as the owner has a good understanding of the requirements of the breed. If the owner is prepared to groom the dog daily or pay to have it professionally groomed frequently and provide a normal amount of exercise and training then I think it would be possible. I wouldn't buy a Keeshond unless I was going to have it inside and spend time with it. 8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods? Our dog was a solo dog and she coped ok, although she did get bored and rearrange a few things in the yard if we didn't provide enough exercise/mental stimulation. She seemed to love being with people more than other dogs. At the park, she was always the one sitting next to someone's BBQ or wandering onto another family's picnic blanket, rather than playing with the other dogs! 9. How much grooming is required? Grooming is an important issue I believe. I think a prospective owner needs helpful advice about what type of brushes/combs to buy and how to use them correctly. This can save lots of time and anguish! We groomed our Keeshond daily or every other day with a range of brushes i.e. undercoat rake, slicker brush, dematting comb for about 20min daily. This reduced hair loss inside the house substantially. 10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)? This would depend on the individual dog. They aren't huge in size but could accidentally knock over a small child. Our girl was always very gentle and never jumped on children, but she would have been able to bowl over a very small child. 11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of? Unfortunately our Keeshond suffered a range of health problems, some hereditary and some not. Moderate hip dysplasia, atopic dermatitis with secondary pyoderma, flea allergy dermatitis, otitis externa, osteoarthritis, fibrocartilaginous emboli and eventual death by secondary lung cancer (primary cancer never found). Since it was about 15yrs ago that we bought her, perhaps hip/elbow rads were not as common back then? I believe we purchased her from a reputable breeder - this breeder is still showing/breeding today and is listed on DOL. She did suffer fairly constant skin problems throughout her life, which were markedly worse in summer. 12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be) Hip/elbow rads in the stud/bitch, history of skin/ear problems. I have also treated two Keeshonds with hypothyroidism, one of which wasn't diagnosed until the dog had a severe stroke and had to be PTS. I believe epilepsy can also be a problem, as can hyperA, mitral valve disease and PRA.
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