10 Dog Breeds That Get Along Well With Cats

“I’m like cat and dog” is the typical phrase used to describe the insurmountable differences between two people. Yet the relationships between cats and dogs are not always one of hostility. There are many cases in which these animals can have fabulous relationships. Furthermore, the problems that arise from coexistence between pets can be avoided and controlled through socialization, education and above all with a lot of love.

Dogs and cats are both predators, and their instincts can lead them to hunt other animal species. This tendency, which seems to be normal in the wild state of life, can however be corrected in the daily life of the house, in an environment where food is guaranteed and where humans set rules.

Small guide on dogs that tend to be good around cats

Although any dog ​​could learn to adapt to living with a cat, there are breeds with incredible strength in the jaw (catch or hunting dogs), which is best not to let them come into contact with felines, as a simple quarrel. it could end badly. However, there are some dog breeds that seem to get along well with domestic cats. Among them we find:

• Labrador Retriever . Even if some specimens can be hostile towards felines, in most cases there are no drawbacks, always in the face of appropriate training. Although they are a breed with a strong hunting instinct, their strong point is not hunting, but rather sniffing and retrieving.

• Bichon à poil frisé . These specimens are characterized by being intelligent, affectionate and sociable dogs. Because they don’t like being alone, they find sincere and lasting companions in cats.
• Golden Retriever . Thanks to their quiet, affectionate and good natures, it is very easy for them to get used to living with other pets, and they are even ideal for being with small children.
• Bichon havanais . These funny stuffed animals like to play. Also being the same size as most cats, they get along very well with other pets in the house, and are neither aggressive nor possessive.
• Pomeranian dog or German dwarf Spitz . They are excellent companions for cats, possibly due to their feline-like arrogance. They are very intelligent dogs, so you can easily get them used to the presence of a cat and develop a relationship based on tolerance.

• Shih Tzu . Even if they are disciplined animals, living with a cat can lead them to bring out their jealous soul, coming to attract more attention. If this need is satisfied, in relations with felines they will not present further drawbacks.
• Chihuahua . While they enjoy a bad reputation due to their temper – they are able to challenge dogs as big as four times their size – they can at the same time be great friends of cats, especially if they are raised together from puppies.
• Maltese . They could be considered as the maximum expression of companion dogs. Sophisticated, sweet and tender, they will guarantee a good coexistence with the other guests of the house.
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel . These dogs love most of the smaller dogs. In general, they do not seek fights and prefer to get along well with other pets, even trying to please them, just as they do towards their owners.

• Mestizos . Many of the non-purebred dogs we adopt are so happy and grateful for having found a home that they usually do not present any inconvenience with the other pets in the house. However, it is not a bad idea to monitor their behavior.

Friends through thick and thin

There is another saying that goes “every person is unique”, which could also be applied to animals. For this reason, theorising on these issues or relying on observations to catalog the character of animals is not always a good solution: when it comes to identifying which breed of dog can best live with a cat, nothing can be given for sure.

Every now and then we are surprised by news or videos on Youtube where great friendships are portrayed between giant dogs and tiny cats. Without having to investigate too deeply, some time ago there was news of a Pitbull (catch dog) who came out to defend the house cat from the coyote attack in Tampa, in the southern United States.

Domestication is undoubtedly helping to change some rules of coexistence between dogs and cats, favoring the birth of bonds of friendship between two species that did not seem to have anything in common.