Dog breeds with low prey drive to live with an indoor cat

[sweetpickle2]

Want to get a dog, our cat is indoors (health reasons) so want a breed that will work with this ie no high prey drive types. Any suggestions?

Same here!

I'm going to say golden retriever based on the lovely relationship between this cat & dog (Villager Jim on Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/100044248278639/posts/1626158938869033

Have a look at getting a withdrawn/retired guide dog or similar, most will have cat experience and are often wary of cats.

A friend in your position adopted a dog through https://paws4homesfoundation.com/about/ - they also have rescue cats and they check the pups around the cats before stating whether they are cat-friendly or not.

I introduced an ex working resue border collie to a resident cat,. Turns out she had a healthy respect for cats ( farm cats can hold their own.) Make sure the cat has dog free places to retreat to ( my dogs don't go upstairs) and the cat has high places to perch in the rooms they share. They eventually became firm friends and would share a sofa .

I have a Staffie and a cat, cat is very much the boss!

My podencos (high prey drive sight hounds) live with cats. It defo depends on the dogs and the cats, not necessarily the breed. Sorry, that’s not helpful, but as per 101 Dalmatians, lol, the cats always win

I have two cats and got a Golden Retriever and it has been wonderful. He is great with the cats. In fact he is best friends with one of them.

I think it’s said having cats first then introducing a dog is the best way. We got our boy as a puppy and there has been no issues. He is a very typical GR, great personality and very gentle if not a bit dopey.

Yup, we have a dog who chases one cat and not the other. How bolshy is your cat?

Had a chocolate lab (9 months) then a 7 week kitten. They were partners in crime. Came home one lunchtime they had shredded all the telephone books, Thompson directories etc were very proud of themselves sat amongst the sea of paper

Our golden retriever lives happily with our two cats but we got him first at 10 weeks then the kittens when they were all 6months old. Very slow introductions (they didn’t even meet for the first two weeks but got used to each others smells in the house) then we trained him (he’s highly food motivated) not to bother them. If he sees another cat and it runs he’ll try to run after it but never ever chases our cats

If you’re getting a puppy then I would genuinely say I think most breeds would be fine. You just manage introductions well. I have a terrier who loves with two cats, he considers them part of his pack and his best friends. My bichon frise is also fine with my cats, but would chase a cat if they came across a strange one out on a walk.

My lab is fine with cats but she was raised with them. I think cats will swiftly train your average puppy. Otherwise possibly go down the rescue route.

My labradoodle adores my cat, they curl up like siblings

our rescue collie / springer would chase cats outside of the house but is submissive to our two pet cats, they quickly establish a pecking order. He is even submissive to our two free ranging bunnies.
I think it depends more on the cat than the dog, a cat that stands it ground and doesn’t run away is going to be further up the pecking order than most dogs.
someone suggested poodle but they were originally bred as hunting dogs, I’ve had a few poodles that chased cats. Most retriever types (labs/setters/ pointers) have less chase instinct.

Thanks all! This confirms my current research which is that there is no clear answer.

The puppy vs rescue is interesting- I would prefer a rescue. but assumed a puppy would be better as can make introductions and cat can set out his stall as boss early on. But sounds like that might not be the case?

I worry that even if a rescue dog is 'cat tested' its not tested with my cat, who is indoors. We had cats growing up and when my parents got dogs later on the cat, who didn't like it, just buggered off outside when the dogs were around. I'm worried as mine doesn't have that option- although we would keep the dog downstairs, whereas cat can go upstairs.

Our cat isn't the type to run away and hide under a sofa, he will stand his ground and likes to be in charge.

There is much more to think about clearly! Which is why we don't want to rush into it, and these comments are helpful.

Avoid terriers, sight hounds, etc. We've always had Golden Retrievers with our cat. Provided they have good owners they're the softest breed going. Very easy to train too. At puppy stage they may be a bit mischievous, but they soon grow out of it, especially once they've had a few taps off of boss cat.

Cat and dog photos to spam you and show happy co-existence. I always wanted them to cuddle up closer but our cat wasn't quite willing to go that far. She had an "I'm in charge here" persona to maintain 😅

My cat used to come on a walk with us ( miniature poodle) in the woods behind my house. Dog off lead.

I have owned the same low prey drive breed for many years. Based on this experience, a lot is down to the individual dog. I have had some that are not bothered buy things moving in the undergrowth, some chasing squirrels up a tree (because that's were they belong) and others that will run after a moving dot on the horizon.

But all have always been fine with other animals in the home. So as long as your cat is ok, get a puppy and teach early that the cat is part of the family not to be chased away.

I work with dogs, and pretty much every Cavalier King Charles has been cool with dogs and other small animals that they've grown up with, but if you go down that route, make sure you get all the relevant health tests, as they are prone to some issues.

Well, I was going to say I think it’s less about the breed and more about the individual, but I think you’ve worked that out. I used to have a greyhound who adored cats and often got her chops busted by them asserting their dominance. But she’d been raised with cats before I had her. On balance I would probably go for a rescue with a proven cat proof background (not just cat tested). Might not be easy to find though.
As for a guppy, I have a friend who has always had many various chickens, cats, birds and reptiles and has successfully raised poodles, GSDs and even a Doberman, from puppies to be part of a big happy animal family. So even there may be some element of the individual rather than breed involved (she is clearly very good at training dogs though so that helps).

This is a daft question - almost any dog could live with a cat. You need to train your dog as soon as they come to live with you and whatever the breed.
You do realise how unbelievably stressful this will be for your cat though…

I have a toy poodle and 5 cats - 3 of the cats love him and play with him all the time. The other 2 ignore him as much as possible 😸
I have a stair gate so the puppy can’t get upstairs and the cats have lots of high places downstairs to escape if he gets over excited.
I can’t recommend toy poodles highly enough- he’s such a great boy and has been easy to train. He’s very clever and loves doing puzzles and learning new tricks.

Those saying no terriers or hounds , I have a cocker spaniel and a Yorkshire terrier, both are ok with cat. It’s really just the individual dog and the environment you create.