They only get along when they're in different rooms/Ben Westhoff
When we first got Pippi, I was overwhelmed. Between her insistence on peeing and pooping wherever she wanted and her constant need of attention, I was a bit freaked out. She was as well. Still a puppy, she'd been shuttled between a breeder, a temporary guardian, a foster dad and us, all within six months. And as a dalmatian/pointer mix she had boundless energy, requiring four walks a day and was constantly taunting our kitty Nora. "I thought having a dog would be like having a cat," I told my friends at the time, "but now I see that having a cat is more like owning a pet rock, while dog ownership is more like caring for a baby."
But in the past few weeks I've found our baby to be less of a burden and more of a pleasure. We've gotten into a dog-walking routine, her house training has taken, and I've realized something that is, to me, delightful: Dogs really let you manhandle them.
I've always been a pretty hands-on, rough-and-ready guy when it comes to affection, be it wrestling my brother or aggressive cuddling with my cat. The only thing is, Nora doesn't like it when I hold her too close. Like most felines, she prefers affection on her own terms.
Pippi, on the other hand, doesn't mind when I bear hug her. In fact, I've taken to picking our 45-pound pooch off the ground and placing her paws on my shoulders. I proceed to squeeze her tightly and kiss her on her snout while she licks my face. It's a bizarre scene, no doubt, and Anna is always surprised that Pippi tolerates it. But I get the feeling she likes being as close as possible.
And so I have stopped calling myself a cat person. I'm not quite ready to say I'm a dog person yet -- I would prefer not to play favorites among my pets, for one thing -- but we'll see what happens. Now if we could only get Pippi and Nora to be friends, we would really be in business.
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See, this is why I consider myself an animal lover, not a specific kind of animal lover. All animals have reasons why we love them. I've had/have dogs, cats, canaries, cockatiel, ferrets, hamsters, and desert tortoises. All of them have something to recommend them as beloved pets and all of the reasons are different--from the ferrets hopping around & the things they can get into, to the dogs laying their heads in your lap & looking at you lovingly or such as is happing now, putting a toy in your lap trying to entice you to play. Love them all for their own reasons.
Question: Do those of you who have cat knowledge think that a kitten/cat takes on...reflects..the personality of it's owner?
doges will worm there way into you heart. When they are puppies they can realy worm there way into your heart. I have two shilties that give me lots of joys, plus I have a cat that is crazy as the day is lone.
She like to try and play with the dogs, they let her get away with for a while and then the put her in her place. They dont bite they just show her there teeth and she knows to leave them alone. She is only about 6 months old. I got her from the pund. Have fun with your dog and he will take care of you.
Ahhh I am also an animal lover. If I could have a pig, an elephant and a gorilla along side my two cats I would. I love dogs too. Grew up in a house with both. Just don't feel I have the temperament for the early morning walks as I live in an apt. But, when I can my family of pets is going to grow and grow. Enjoy your new friend. And don't worry Nora will soon find love for the pooch too when she calms down a bit. Very excited for you! And thank you for adopting a puppy with such a unstable background. May I suggest you check out pet airways and paw nation.
Dogs are much more work (especially in the beginning), but can be much more generous and less moody than cats. Our dog Angus and our cat Lucky will never be friends. It took us a while to accept that, but accepting it has made our lives easier. They give each other a wide berth, and coexist peacefully, which is enough for me!
We own 2 Chow Chow (used to own 4) and due to relocation to another country we had to give up 2 dogs for adoption.To this day we regret it.
The dogs fill up owr life with great joy.
For the last3 weeks \\\i have been in a hospital and hopfully I will come out in 2 weeks. According to my wife the to female Chow-Chow sit al day long by the entrence to the house crying and lookin for me,
I miss them a very much and can't wait for the moment I see them again.
That is so cute. Just to let you know, i am in the hospital alot due to an automobile accident and we asked our hospital if we could bring in our dog because i missed her and she missed me. Many hospitals will let you bring inyour pet because it has been proven that it actually helps patients heal faster.The only think they ask is the dog/cat is up to date on shots...leashed and well behaved. I did not own a little dog i have a rottweiler. Many hospitals actually have volunteers that do therapy with their pets and go to hospitals and visit patients with their dogs. That is actually a great way to give back to your community. it is usually a requirement that your dog has his/her good canine citizenship certification which you can train for and get at most large pet store chains like superpets, petsmart.etc..Good luck with your baby and remember nobody will ever be able to love you like your dog loves u. its unconditional love forever!!
Elan! You CAN see your dogs even while in the hospital.I'm an RN and have helped several patients with this. You can be put in a wheelchair and taken outside for a "break" and someone can bring the dogs there for you to love.
We adopted all our dogs from a shelter, and the behaviorist there said the dogs are like 2-year-olds. Whenever my husband or I travel, we do just as we did with our children: Call nightly. Tell them you love them. Tell them how many more darks (nights) until you come home. Just like toddlers, they love the contact, and they are delighted when you come back home to them!
Wishing you well!
I've been following all the posts and I think you've gotten a dog that is too big for an apartment. It sounds like she's rather rambunctious, she's fairly big, she's obviously a Dalmation/possibly pointer, possibly blue tick hound cross which is a fairly energetic mix in both ways. I own a 3 bedroom 2 bath 1700 square feet home and I still only own 3 toy poodles. At 5 - 6 pounds each, they still only equal up to a fraction of your dog in weight and size. Dalmations are also on the lower end of the totem pole in intelligence as well. Border collies are the most intelligent, followed by poodles, then go down the list. It is best to research a breed prior to gaining ownership. I also noticed your entry on the biting question. Any dog can be pushed to a certain extent, but we personally know of a Dalmation in our neighborhood that is prone to biting anyone passing by and we know the owners, they would never do anything to their dog to cause it to be that way. Beware of the barking and howling issue while you are gone, there are many places now that will take your pet away even if it barks or howls in your home. This state just enacted a law against barking. Toy poodles are notorious for protecting the home when you are gone, luckily our dogs cannot be heard outside. We've tested that theory numerous times. I would not have gotten a dog that outweighed the cat by so much either. I have a friend that came home to his cat having been eaten by his hound/dalmation mix. I would definitely have this dog in behavioral and command training classes as soon as possible.
Deborah, negative much? You must be a lot of fun at parties although I suspect with that condescending attitude (and unsolicited opinion mentality), you aren't invited anywhere often.
Ben, Congrats. Welcome to the other side. I have always compared dogs to living with a chronic two year old. They are a lot of work initially but as they age, you do fall into a routine and they do mellow out. As much as I love cats, nothing compares to a dog's excited and happy wiggle butt reaction when you arrive home. And, when you talk to them, they act as if every word that falls from your lips is pure genius. Once your girl matures, when she starts looking at you with that absolute & complete trust, love, and devotion in her eyes, there is nothing that compares to it.
Wow, you are full of horror stories. Yes, it is imperative to know your dog and the type of temperament it has or will have. I always chose mutts. However, I want to point out I have had several dogs that absolutely love cats and cats that love them right back. The owners knowing how to handle their dogs is the key element here. Some people just shouldn't have dogs.
Toy poodles are notorious barkers, biters and overall fragile creatures who couldn't tolerate rough housing. I can't say I even consider them dogs. But to each his own.
lighten up.
Deborah your so right. A person who has never owned a dog should do some research on dogs. I've witnessed bad dog ownership. And I have witnessed a dog, a pitbull, attack a shetland sheepdog and kill it.. The pit bull was a very aggressive dog and should not have been adopted out to this person. The other dog was chained and had nowhere to go. The owner of the sheltie should have left the dog in the house, because they were cutting the grass. But hind sight is 20/20. Who could have know the pit bull would get lose. It's not always the animals fault. It falls on the shoulders of the owners, who don't take the time to properly train the animal.
Deborah, I feel sorry for you that you seem to have such a negative atitude that has anything to do with pets. Sounds to me that you are one of those people that shouldn't own any yourself...I have to admit, I am rather concerned about how yours are treated. I have 4 goldens, a miniature poodle and 2 cats. They ALL get along perfectly and I am inclined to think it is because they dont live with an anal pet owner and are all treated equally. Our dogs and cats will lay on the couch together and even play together. We once had an Irish Setter that was never around cats. When my Husband moved in with me, there were overturned tables, you name it, with the dog trying to get to the cat. My solution was to lock them in a very small bathroom together while I went to work one day. I will never know what went on in there, but the cat was not eaten and they had gotten along ever since.
Deborah, you need to go to Costco and buy one of those 'happy lights'. You have made me feel depressed just reading your post.
I own 5 Min-Toy poodles and for anyone that say poodles are fragile dont know mine. I have had their bloodline from 1976 and none are "fragile". They have extreme personalities and they know it, But with all their reputation of being a foo-foo dog I can assure they are not, Poodles are German water foul retrieving dogs.
I can only speak for mine but they are very intelligent and they amaze my friends how they react (not trained) to things. My oldest thinks he is a 125 lb dog since he likes to bark and try to pick a fight with them all 13lbs of him. Yes they bark like any small breed but I can leave my doors open and anything or anyone coming 40 ft of my door I know it.
As I my bumpersticker on my car reads: Poodles are like potato chips you just cant have one LOL
The size of house you have has nothing to do with the size of you dog you should get. You should get a dog that matches your temperment, experience and exercise level. Dogs don't get their required amount of exercise running around an apartment/house/yard. They get it from the owner actually going outside the house with the dog.....
I beg to differ with you when you say dalmations are not smart. Their low keyed temperment may at times give this impression. They are very smart and easily trained and among the most loyal. They adapt to their sourroundings quickly. They do get bored very easily due to their high energy factor. This is why many of them dig the yard out for you. Beautiful choice if you have young children.
Let me say that I believe some of your comments to be those of a person that has never really owned a cat. I have had cats and a few dogs for over 25 years, and have come to the definite conclusion that cats are much more intelligent than any dog can ever hope to be.
Cats are independent, loving, smart, outgoing, actually have personalities when the owner takes the time to notice, which is something you apparently have never realized. If I wanted another real baby to cope with, I would have one, raised three of them and that is enough for me. I don't need a four legged one that drools, slobbers, whines, cries, barks, demands attention all the time, and craps wherever and whenever it wants.
No thanks! Give me a nice, quiet, relaxing, sweet, attention getting on their terms, CAT anyday!