My German Shepherds hate cats. And they were raised from puppyhood with one. They've never hurt a cat, but they chase them relentlessly.

NOT huskies. The prey drive is too high.

Our Great Dane is great with our cat. But I agree that you need to look at the individual dog and how strong its prey drive is.

Bichon

PP just read original post-- advice withdrawn.

Sure you have to pick the right dog, but of your ten year old cat has never been around dogs she is probably not going to accept one.

My sister had a similar situation and her cat hid for the rest of her life and just came out to eat.

I'd have a friend bring a nice dog over to see how it goes first and then try some dog sitting. Some cats won't get over it.

If you have never had a dog before I recommend adopting a dog that's 2-3 yrs old and potty trained. You should get it from the shelter! Rescue dogs are the best. And you are right--you cat may be pissed off if you bring home a dog! We did that when my cat was 8--he hated the dog. The 1 yr old cat was fine with it, though.

Depends on the individual dog. We have had a border collie, and a greyhound that did fine with cats, although you wouldn't expect they would.

We have had a beagle and a sheltie who were indifferent to the cat. Our chihuahua hates him, chi jack russel plays with the cat constantly and our lab/pit mix is terrified of the cat because the cat hides and darts after the dog when the house is dark. He's a huge baby...

We have a beagle that is great with our cats, and also had a black Lab that had no problems with them. In both cases, the cats were there first--maybe that makes a difference too.

Op here: thanks for your ideas. We have never had a dog and I've always wanted one. It's a little scary bc of the responsibility-- my cat is low maintenance. But we have 2 boys and I just feel like it would be great for them to grow up with a dog. I just pray that when we decide to do so, that my cat doesn't start to pee on things etc. my cat is like 12 and may live til 21(I hope so!), but it would be a shame to not get my boys (6 and 9) a dog just because of our cat! We are moving and will have a huge yard too.

Also: puppy or young dog (1 years) or so? I know this is a big endeavor so we are taking our time to really think about it. We could go the breeder route or the shelter one.

Thanks! Love DCUM list serve! So helpful!

The cat will school him, OP. I don't think it is on you.