# Puppy concerns with cats, two working adults



## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Hi! I apologize if there's a similar topic active right now (skimmed titles and didn't see one).

My husband and I are considering a GSD - or rather, he has signed off and is leaving the decision up to me.

I have a few concerns about having cats already in the house, and about having a puppy and a two career family. (No kids or other dogs.)

I've been in touch with breeders who have said that realistically, most people work and they figure it out. I have a short commute, telecommute option, and a petsitter nearby I can likely hire to help out with midday.

I've read that the GSD has a prey drive but that chances of success are higher with a puppy who doesn't really know anything other than living with cats. My husband isn't comfortable with risking an adult dog with the cats and would prefer a relatively blank slate.

I feel equipped to do right by a puppy, but I also have no personal experience with GSDs. I'm likely overthinking, but I'm wondering why the breeders haven't been more leery of me!

Any info or experiences on GSDs and cats would be welcome, and any insight regarding the fairness of a two career family to a puppy would be appreciated. Thank you so much!


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## TxQuax (Jul 13, 2013)

Hope you get some responses soon....I'm a "newbie" at this so there are many on this forum who are better equipped to help. I will say your work options in addition to pet sitter for middays sounds great and I would think y'all will be just fine. As far as a puppy (blank slate) with kitties, I would think everything will be ok there, too with the proper introductions, supervision and training. Also, puppies can han low, medium and high drives so if a strong prey drive is a concern with the kitties....you may want to look for pups with low or medium prey drives. However, I will definitely let someone with more knowledge and experience expand on that subject as I am still learning about the drives myself. Good luck and keep us posted!

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## jlhorowitz36 (Sep 2, 2013)

Hi welcome. I can tell you my experience so far with my gsd pup but it's only been a month. First of all we both work and we have a 3 to little girl. I only work part time so time isn't really one of our issues because I'm home most days and working in an animal hospital I take her to work with me the days I do work. So as of that I still think you'll be fine as long as you have a plan and keep in mind if you do get a puppy it will need out way more frequently than an adult dog if the pet sitter could do a couple extra breaks in the first couple months or so. As for cats I have 3 who have never been in constant contact with any dogs. I don't think my puppy would be considered high drive over all but definitely has drive for those cats! Of course since they aren't familiar with dogs they like to hiss and spit and run. That makes the game wayy more fun for my pup. I suspect if they were less freaked out and would let her get near them my pup would be fine. I am basing that on the fact that she met a dog savvy cat at my animal hospital and the cat wasn't scared of her she went up and was licking its head. I didn't get her until she was 12 wks though and I think if you got and 8 wk pup you'd have an easier time getting the cats to agree and an easier time teaching the puppy that cats are " normal" and not prey. 


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

Never leave them alone together. Never let the puppy chase the cats..always intervene and redirect. Have the puppy on leash if you have to. Set clear boundaries and make sure there are areas your cats can always go to as safe areas. I have the den baby gated off and that's where I spend most of the time with my pup, now 5 months old. He is still fascinated by the cat and I do a lot of blocking and 'leave it' with him. The cat doesn't stay away either *sigh*.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Galathiel said:


> Never leave them alone together. Never let the puppy chase the cats..always intervene and redirect. Have the puppy on leash if you have to. Set clear boundaries and make sure there are areas your cats can always go to as safe areas. I have the den baby gated off and that's where I spend most of the time with my pup, now 5 months old. *He is still fascinated by the cat and I do a lot of blocking and 'leave it' with him. The cat doesn't stay away either* *sigh*.


This makes me laugh. I can just see that happening with mine, too. Well, two of mine. The third will put a wide berth between herself and the dog.

I'm planning on a crate for the puppy for when I can't watch it, and am also planning on the leash on the puppy to keep it from chasing. We have already identified areas for the cats that will be safe - the orange cat has HIS OWN ROOM (yes I know...I know...) and that's one designated safe area; the other will probably be the basement. Dog will be upstairs on the main floor, which is where I spend 90% of my time when I'm home.


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## ofl52 (Apr 11, 2013)

This was one of the issues I had too-I have over 20 cats (_all spayed/neutered_) that I have rescued over the years for various reasons. I decided that it would be best/safest to get a puppy and rear him with the cats-than to get a grown/rescued dog-No matter what- it would be GSD type and after many months of looking.....The stars alined and my new best friend came to be......Skipper'D 8wk old white ball of fire......

Anyway......with over 20 cats-some more wild than others, each with their own personality and tolerance to dogs in general-I am happy to say that him at 8mos- most of the cats have befriended my pup. I am more worried of the cats injuring the pup to some degree-***(_I live way out in the woods and the cats don't all live in the house._)

My last rescue cats I got about 3yrs ago (_Mathew, Mark and Luke)_ Two pure white and one yellow. 
It seems that one of the white cats- Mark and Skipper'D are best friend and I mean a really odd relationship between the two from the very beginning-My pup will even share food with him-he bring the cat toys-the funniest thing is watching these two play-the 15lb cat chasing the 85lb 8mo old puppy will have you on the floor rolling...lol...Skipper'D has learned to use a toy to encourage some of the other cats to chase him as well as to help protect his face from the claws.

The other white cat-Luke-they will play kinda-but only after Skipper'D irritates him to the point that Luke will chase him-Funny to watch...lol...gotta get this on video...

Mathew the yellow cat-he will just lay down when Skipper'D approaches him-he will mouth him a bit-but when the cat tells him enough-Skipper'D leaves him alone.

I have several cats that rub all over him-grab his face with both paws and lick his nose, a few that will hunt him down an attack him-slap in the face letting him know they are the boss and yet others that are totally fearful of him and run-they run he chases-

This is where training come into play. From day one-the commands started-the cats that stand up to him or challenge-he respects that and will back down-the ones that run-this is still a work in progress-He will stop when he is told, however, I am not always there to give the command and the temptation/prey drive is too strong and so he gives chase. 
It will be an on-going process-I can say that when he chase the cats he is doing this in play, however, due to his size I do understand that he can play with them to death and he will always need to be supervised. Even with Mark and Skunk (_black/white cat_)as much as it seems that they are buddies and these cats let him mouth their heads/necks....He could kill them in a second-I would be a fool if I thought otherwise...

Point being-every dog and cat are different in regards to their personality and tolerance of each other-And even if they seem to tolerate each other...it could change for various reason.

IMO-I think I just got lucky with the puppy I picked out or I should say he picked me out-thats another story all together....lol....

I won't leave Skipper'D alone in the house with any cats when I am not at home, however, that is rare that I leave the house more than 2-3 times a month at most. Maybe when he is 2-3 years old-I might trust him-but a big ole pup that he is right now....Nope.....don't trust him in the house alone with any of the cats since he out grew his crate--too much of a risk. In the yard-I would leave him unattended since the cats can get away if needed....

IMO-I wouldn't let having cats stop you from getting a puppy-Have a plan, use a crate and proper training...etc....


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## igottabecrazy (May 24, 2013)

We were/are in exactly the same position regarding the reason for getting a puppy v. an older dog - the safety of our 3 cats. I'm not saying it's been easy in our house, but getting better. Indie is 6 1/2 months old now; she's never shown any aggression toward the cats. She wants to play with them and lick them - but she's so much bigger - it puts them on the defense or they run and the chase would begin. I have followed advice given by other members (safe area for cats, redirection, keeping her on a leash, making myself more interesting with treats). She now mostly ignores two of the cats, but the third is another story. Then I started watching them.... that cat taunts her. Then runs. I have been slowly having more success with calling her off the chase - so it looks like we are on our way. I have been scolding that cat as well. He's sneaky. Good luck. 

As far as working - she's crates all day from when I leave for work at 7:45 until 3:30 when the kids get home. She has the tv and a kong. Like all the other critters in the house, she probably sleeps all day. She's been fine except for the fact that she's getting too big for her crate (her ears stick out of the top when she's sitting or standing). She will be moving to a kennel we have in the basement soon - along with her tv.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Honestly, I'm very surprised nobody is telling me this is a bad idea.

A friend told me that I'm being inherently unfair to a dog by bringing it into a two career home. My husband's family has told him they think it's a terrible idea for the same reason.

I'm more of the opinion that it will not be easy and I'll have multiple times along the way at which I'll be ready to tear my hair out, but that it can be done.


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## WVGSD (Nov 28, 2006)

If you went to a GSD rescue group and got an adult dog that had been in foster care in a member's home following their rescue, you would also have the possibility of a great dog that can peacefully coexist with cats and without all of the puppy issues. Having been in foster care, the dog will nearly always be housetrained, crate trained, spayed or neutered, fully vetted and you will know about how they exist with cats and kids. Just a thought.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

WVGSD said:


> If you went to a GSD rescue group and got an adult dog that had been in foster care in a member's home following their rescue, you would also have the possibility of a great dog that can peacefully coexist with cats and without all of the puppy issues. Having been in foster care, the dog will nearly always be housetrained, crate trained, spayed or neutered, fully vetted and you will know about how they exist with cats and kids. Just a thought.


It would be a suggestion I would consider if we felt comfortable with trusting a rescue. I am willing to be narrow minded. Neither my husband nor I would be comfortable with an older dog; we would rather know the puppy was brought into our home knowing nothing different. I have my trainer lined up and I'll have her walk me through how to introduce the animals and how to continue working with the puppy.


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## mbussinger166 (Sep 10, 2013)

Hi, I too have a cat and have never had any issues between my dogs and him. When I first brought my Husky home 9 years ago everyone told me that he would kill my cat (even my vet) and that husky's are known cat killers. I never had any issues between the two, in fact my husky would often snuggle up at night with the cat and sleep. I also rescued a small terrier from a local shelter and she too has had no issues with the cat. 

With my Husky I made sure he spent a lot of time around the cat while he was a puppy and corrected him if he got to rough with him. With my rescue I did the same even though she was 2 years old when I adopted her. Occasionally she will chase the cat around the house but has never been aggressive with him, and she too will snuggle up with the cat and sleep. 

I now have another German Shepherd puppy (14 weeks) and have been working with him as well. They learn quick and can be taught very easy that the cat is not a toy. My GSD will sometimes bark at the cat but has not been aggressive with him yet. 

I am also in a two career family and it is totally do-able. Both me and my wife work day shift. I do have a family member that lives a few houses down from me which does make it easier. He takes the pup out halfway through the day and usually will take him for a walk. Can't leave a puppy in a crate for a whole day you will need to come home on break or have someone take him out midday. 

If you go the rescue route you can often find a nicely trained GSD at a breed specific shelter that already has experience with cats. Will also most likely be house trained and can go longer without being let out. 

Good luck in your search! Praying you find your dream pup


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## WendyM (Aug 21, 2013)

WateryTart said:


> Honestly, I'm very surprised nobody is telling me this is a bad idea.
> 
> A friend told me that I'm being inherently unfair to a dog by bringing it into a two career home. My husband's family has told him they think it's a terrible idea for the same reason.
> 
> I'm more of the opinion that it will not be easy and I'll have multiple times along the way at which I'll be ready to tear my hair out, but that it can be done.


We're currently a two career home, no kids, with a 4.5 month old puppy, so very similar to your situation. I'm not going to lie, it's tough, but you have a better foundation than we did. We have a long-ish commute (1/2 an hour each way), no telecommute, and no pet sitter. We could hire one, of course, but we haven't felt comfortable doing that yet. One of us comes home every day at lunch for an hour and our entire evening is pretty much consumed by getting the puppy enough exercise and interaction. This was our day yesterday, for example:

5:45 am - let puppy out to go to the bathroom, bark at neighbor's dog, lay down and not want to move
6:00 am - walk puppy for 20 minutes
6:20 am - try to make lunch for work while puppy follows us around adorably
6:30 am - I leave and my husband feeds the puppy
6:40 am - puppy in crate while my husband showers and gets dressed
7:00 am - husband lets puppy out and plays around - indoor fetch, mental games, whatever
7:30 am - back out to bathroom and then back in crate
12:00 pm - I get home and let the puppy out, then feed her
12:10 pm - walk puppy for 20 minutes
12:30 pm - handling check (can I see your ears? ohhhh, such pretty ears)
12:35 pm - play "find your duck"
12:45 pm - back outside for light tug (mostly just carrying a tug rope in her mouth because she's teething) and bathroom
12:55 pm - back in crate
5:45 pm - husband lets puppy out and they play games like "bring your tube to the mat", "soccer fetch", etc (we're great at naming games, as you can tell). also some basic obedience/mental work.
6:30 pm - feed the puppy
6:45 pm - run errands with the puppy - petco and kohl's. 
7:15 pm - walk the puppy around a major shopping complex to meet people and work on anxiety when my husband and I separate while out in public
7:45 pm - stop to get dinner at chipotle, since the concept of cooking has gone out of the window for the foreseeable future. Husband walks her around while I go in and order
8:15 pm - come home and we eat. give puppy a bully stick and settle her on a bed at our feet. watch some tv while she's occupied.
9:30 pm - put puppy to bed. Take shower, do dishes, etc.

That's our day every single day. What we do at night differs - sometimes we have basic training class, sometimes we go to a park, sometimes we go out to meet new people - but our focus is her all night every night. Anything we do for ourselves, like shower, happens after she's in bed for the night. Even the hour of TV we watched last night is an anomaly, but we're trying to get her to understand settling down near us, and that the bed is hers and she gets very good things when she settles down there (she sleeps in a crate, but we ultimately want to to transition to the bed). The weekends are easier, but they're our opportunity to get her longer stretches of exercise while the sun's out, so we'll go for a hike or for longer sessions at a park, and the break we get is when she naps in the afternoon.

Is it unfair to the dog? I don't know. She'd probably be happier with people who could spend more time with her, but we try to maximize the time we do have. We didn't understand the time commitment we were making when we got her. I mean, we understood it conceptually. But we didn't understand how completely every other thing in our lives would become subordinate to taking care of her. As she gets older, hopefully some of her extreme energy will mellow out, and we'll have a calmer puppy, though I'm sure she'll always be energetic. I think a lot of depends on the energy and drive of the puppy you end up with. But you need to be prepared that it will be consuming. The good news is that you're a couple, so you can trade off. One of you can take the dog for a walk, or a car ride, while the other has some time to do something exciting like take out the trash.  So in short (too late, I know), I think it's certainly doable. But it's a huge adjustment. For example, we never go out with friends (or each other) in the evening anymore unless we take her. It's not fair to her to leave her in a crate all day, and then let her out for half an hour only to go back in again because we want to go to dinner. We have frequently looked at each other and asked ourselves why we intentionally did this to our lives. But we did it because we wanted her, and because we love her, and because one day all of this chaos will pay off with a great dog, instead of a handful of a puppy. Good luck!


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

Holy cow. Thank you, Wendy! That gives me a good idea of the kinds of things I'll want to do. I was planning on exercise/play/training time in the evenings, and puppy classes as soon as she's old enough, but the fact that you don't feel you have time to go out for dinner would give my husband pause.

My husband has made it clear this is my dog, my show. Not that he wouldn't hang out with me while I exercise or play with it, but I'd be on the hook to adjust my work schedule as needed for the most part.

It sounds like you do a LOT, and it's something to consider. Because my husband feels VERY strongly about only bringing in a puppy - he said he'd be cool with having a dog if and only if it came in at 8-10 weeks - either I'll do that or not get the dog, depending on what I decide


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## mbussinger166 (Sep 10, 2013)

WateryTart said:


> Holy cow. Thank you, Wendy! That gives me a good idea of the kinds of things I'll want to do. I was planning on exercise/play/training time in the evenings, and puppy classes as soon as she's old enough, but the fact that you don't feel you have time to go out for dinner would give my husband pause.
> 
> My husband has made it clear this is my dog, my show. Not that he wouldn't hang out with me while I exercise or play with it, but I'd be on the hook to adjust my work schedule as needed for the most part.
> 
> It sounds like you do a LOT, and it's something to consider. Because my husband feels VERY strongly about only bringing in a puppy - he said he'd be cool with having a dog if and only if it came in at 8-10 weeks - either I'll do that or not get the dog, depending on what I decide


Your husband says that now. My Wife was the same way. She said that If I get another Puppy that it was my dog and my responsibility. Since I brought him home a few weeks ago she can't get enough of him. She walks him, helps during our training sessions, even wants him to sleep in the bed with us at night. I'm sure your husbands attitude will change once you bring that cute ball of fur home.


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## WendyM (Aug 21, 2013)

Keep in mind I have a very high energy/high drive dog, so my experience might be a lot different from yours. We are going to dinner with friends on Friday, but ONLY because I'm off work and the puppy will only be in her crate a few hours during the day, at most. In that case, I don't feel as bad crating her for an extra hour or two in the evening. And if you have a shorter commute, you may still be able to do dinners out. But I feel like I made the decision to get her, she didn't make the decision to get me. So if she's been in a crate all day, I don't want to put her in a crate again at night (before bed time, that is) just so I can go out. Once in a while would probably be fine. But not on a regular basis. When she's matured some, and can be trusted out in the house alone, I'm sure I'll feel differently. At least I hope I will. I miss going out with my husband and talking about something OTHER than the dog!


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

mbussinger166 said:


> Your husband says that now. My Wife was the same way. She said that If I get another Puppy that it was my dog and my responsibility. Since I brought him home a few weeks ago she can't get enough of him. She walks him, helps during our training sessions, even wants him to sleep in the bed with us at night. I'm sure your husbands attitude will change once you bring that cute ball of fur home.


We will see. His idea of cute is a cat (hence the three) or an English bulldog (no).

Seriously, if I had a dollar for every time I have said, "I promise you the dog will not eat your cat," I would have the purchase price banked already!


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