I would LOVE to have a dog, and my husband may be softening to the idea - slightly. In particular a Miniature Schnauzer.

I'd like some opinions from you pet lovers out there on our situation.

Where is the best place to research the breed?

Where is the best place to find good, reputable breeders?

We do both work full time, however it is my husbands company and we could take the dog to work with us, therefor it wouldn't have to be left for a long time on it's own.

We have a cat, which we love dearly. We'd hate for her to be upset by a new addition. She's a house cat too. Would it be better to get a puppy to ease the situation or maybe an ex breeding bitch or rescue dog, ie an older dog? What have other people done in the past. Would you crate train the dog for when you do go out, so that the cat can still wander about without feeling frightened.

We also have two bunnies, they live in a hutch in the garden, however would a Schnauzer want to attack them, or try and get into the hutch as a terrier might? I would hate for them to be upset too. We have a secure garden so the dog would be allowed out in the garden although would always be supervised.

Oh so many questions! But I want to make sure I research this as much as possible before making a decision, so any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hi.

Unfortunately you arent going to know how your cat will react until you get the dog. But what I will say is I think you may find either they become best friends or your cat will simply ignore the dog. We got a puppy when our cat was 2 years old and after a couple of weeks they became best friends. However one of my cats prefers to just stay out of the dogs way.
They goo thing about getting a puppy is it quickily get used to whatever situation you put him in.
I cant give any advice on what rabbits and dogs are like but im assuming if the rabbits are in a cage and only let near the dog when you are there then I think everything will work out fine.

In regards to finding out more about the breed I would perhaps look on the kennel club website and look on there for breeders aswel.

I hope everything works out ok for you.

:)

Thanks TattyBear, just want to make an informed decision.

Out of my 3 cats, it has taken 6 months for 2 of them to get used to Molly and be fine being in the same room with her (the third has yet to try being near her but is happy to come and go into the garden when we tell her that it's all OK) but then again, 2 of my cats are very elderly and the one who has yet to accept Molly has always been very shy and quiet- and of course I introduced a fully grown German Shepherd, rather than a dinky little dog like a miniature schauzer.

You have no way of knowing without trying it unfortunately- there's just no way to predict it. Some cats can take a very very long time to accept changes in their circumstances (thankfully I expected this with my lot and planned for the cats to have their own bedroom to escape the dog whilst they got their heads round her being there).

Whatever you choose to do, please don't give up after a week and convince yourself that it won't work- it will take at least a month for the pecking order to be worked out and all of the grumbling to stop, probably more.

The bunnies and Spangle occasionally get to have a run about together, if I bring the buns in for a run about. The Buns are completely uninterested in Spangle and act as if she's not even in the room. At first Spangle was curious of the bunnies, but now she acts not really that bothered, she likes to sit high up and just keep an eye on them. I think she thinks she is superior cos she can jump higher than them. So I guess if that's anything to go on she may do the same with a puppy. Be curious at first and then probably sit giving it disgusting looks!!!! I think generally speaking, from what I heard from other people, the cat usually takes charge and makes sure the bog knows his place. ie 2nd!

Hi we have a mini schnauzer we researched from the internet and also from anyone we met who owned one. unfortunately we do not have any other pets so could not advise how it would react only to say that I`m sure as others have said they will either get along or tend to ignore each other. our dog does chase cats and squirrels I`m sure he would rabbits as well if given the chance so we always have to be vigilant when cats and other animals are about. we found the breeder off the internet through petplan find a puppy. when we went to see the puppy we met it`s mother and some other snauzers first I think this was to see how we responded what I had forgot to tell the breeder though was that both my children were absolutely terrified of dogs and that this was one of the reasons we wanted a dog and also chose a mini schnauzer, as you can imagine my chldren went wild screaming and climbing the walls when these dogs came towards us. we spent about an hour with the pup we wanted and I left the choice to my children on wether they really did want to have one. the breeder did say that if I hadn`t have given them the choice she would not have let me have one. she also said that if it didn`t work out she would take the puppy back and this must be what any reputable breeder should do. It worked a treat helping my daughters to get over their fear and we wouldn`t be without him now. feel free to ask any questions or if you would like to meet him to give you an idea of what they are like he will be 3 in May but he`s still like a puppy (MAD)

Thanks for that Benji, thats very helpful. I'll be in touch re the meeting that would be great, got a lot more work to do on persuading my hubby yet! But any info at this stage is very useful. Thanks.

Crufts is on soon, why not take a look around the show on a day when a 'type' you like is on? If you're waiting a while, pop to Discover Dogs when it's next on (think it's November??) and then you can meet loads of different breeds and get an honest look at what they're like typically.

We got a pup so that our cats would settle with her but one never took to her, the other just about calmed down and then we got the rescue dog (much better with cats than the pup) and the cat went mad again.

Now we have a nice upstairs/downstairs understanding but it's not as good as them getting on well together.

I'd strongly recommend discover dogs though - you get to meet the dogs and speak to owners and breed club representatives. They only have the dogs best interest at heart so won't try to talk you into a breed that's not suitable for you!

Crufts is on soon, why not take a look around the show on a day when a 'type' you like is on? If you're waiting a while, pop to Discover Dogs when it's next on (think it's November??) and then you can meet loads of different breeds and get an honest look at what they're like typically.



I'd strongly recommend discover dogs though - you get to meet the dogs and speak to owners and breed club representatives. They only have the dogs best interest at heart so won't try to talk you into a breed that's not suitable for you!

Discover dogs stalls are at crufts every year with every breed of dog , this year Crufts is 6th 7th 8th 9th March see www.kennel-club.org.uk and click on crufts link. I think Utility is on Thursday 6th there will be more Schnauzers than you could imagine on that day.

Do bear in mind the grooming needs for a Schnauzer and with any longhaired breed, they will get filthy, need regular baths and professional grooming every 6-8weeks. A shorthaired breed will be easier to manage in this department, particularly if you are busy working.

Personally I am not a fan of puppies and cats together as I had a bad experience when a pup wanted to play and would not back down from the cats scratches and warnings, the pup thought it was a fantastic game. Have you tried any rescue centres who may well have dogs in that have lived with cats?

Do bear in mind the grooming needs for a Schnauzer and with any longhaired breed, they will get filthy, need regular baths and professional grooming every 6-8weeks. A shorthaired breed will be easier to manage in this department, particularly if you are busy working.


I think this can be looked at 2 ways yes schnauzers do need grooming probably more often than short haired but 5-10 minutes each day is not a lot even if you are busy working. as with getting dirty this goes for any dog depending on where you take them for walks and the weather one good thing about schnauzers to short haired dogs is they don`t shed hairs,they do need cutting / stripping though like you say every 6-8 weeks.

I have no personal experience with cats, but as for bunnies, Amber my GSD and Stewie our lopeared rabbit are best buddies. They run round the house together every night. When they`ve finished playing, Amber will go and lay in front of the fire and stewie cuddles in or climbs onto her back and goes to sleep. They look a right odd pair. As long as you keep an eye on them, dogs(no matter what their size) and bunnies can get on!

Thanks gemima, I forgot it was at Crufts too!

I'm not going to get into grooming because I have two dalmatians that nearly break my back the amount of grooming they need!! No they don't need cutting/stripping etc. but if you don't want hair absolutely everywhere, they need a good half an hour brush (at least) a day!

Our dallies live downstairs - we have a stairgate that they're not allowed past but the carpets are still covered in white hairs upstairs!! :lol:

Thanks lyndix, thats good to know. They'd always be supervised. Thanks to everyone else too for the good advice. If we do make the decision I'm sure I'll be back on with loads of questions!

Good luck in persuading him :D

(Tip - don't get a dally ;) Your marriage may not survive it!)

We found it much easier to get our cats to accept a pup than we would have done with an older dog. Def get to Crufts and speak to other owners and breeders, you 'll make some good contacts and hopefully find your perfect pup

Personally I think it sounds like in your situation that an older, laid back dog would be best.

You could find a dog that has already lived with cats - that would probably freak the cats out less than a hyper puppy that wants to investigate & play with them!

We work full time and got a 5yr old rescue dog called Gadget a couple of years ago - and we all couldn't be happier!

Getting an older dog doesn't mean some old grumpy thing thats on its' last legs - Gadget loves to play and is full of personality & love (but then sleeps all day! :hihi:) but I don't think we would have coped with the extra pressure of bringing up a puppy because they need so much more attention.

Good luck in persuading him :D

(Tip - don't get a dally ;) Your marriage may not survive it!)

Thanks, it's going to take some doing!!

you could try Miniature Schnauzer rescue they may have the dog for you
try this link http://www.dogpages.org.uk/breedl.htm

I did wonder whether there was a rescue, thanks for that Teeny.

you don't have to hike all the way to Birmingham (Crufts) to see breeders or good eamples of the breed

email the kennel club and as when there are dog shows in this area, then phone the show secretaries to find out if they've had many schnauzer entries

I know there are breeders local to this area (I've seen pups at training classes with their breeders)

I know where there is a fantastic miniature shnauzer looking for a home.
It is the breeder - and I believe this little girl is about 5 yrs old.
Saw her today - she is absolutely gorgeous - i could have kept her myself.
what a credit to the breed
pm me for info if you are interested, cos she will go quickly
i don't know if she is for sale or for free - you would need to talk to her about it.

I know she does have some puppies that are going too

I've PM'd you Rainrescue

oh don't keep us in suspense!!

do you have a new dog now? :)

I have also heard that there is a 10 yr old male in Leeds area thats at a vets - and this one does get on with cats. Maybe you don't want one that old tho

Hi it's Jarvis here, using my hubbies login details...... well we've been to see the gorgeous Evie today and it was love at first sight!!! We are still giving the final decision a lot of thought, I am letting the lady know tomorrow or Monday whether we definitely want her.

One thing I'm worried about is the introduction to our cat. Does anyone have any experience of introducing a dog into a cats household. We do only have one cat, she is however a house cat, and has been very much spoilt!!

Any advice welcome..... I might be meeting you all for dog walks very soon :)

To Rainrescue - thanks so much for thinking of us, Evie is lovely, you were right! I would rather have a younger dog than 10 years, I'd just be heartbroken if I'd only had him for a short time and something happened to him.

I know, isn't she a darling - i loved her, so happy and friendly - as are most of the dogs Karen has there.

There will probably be loads of people giving u good advise on here about this, what i would say is that my friend can turn racing greyhounds from the trackk, to living with her cat in about 3 days. (will still get every other cat around mind, but not the ones it lives with).

So, it can usually be done.

The tips i remember are:-

use a crate - keep the dog in the crate, with an item of the cats bedding, and let the cat wander round

then - put the cat in the crate with an item of the dogs bedding, and let the dog wander round (not if its going mental), but it can be close by so the dog will see and accept it.

Give them time - don't expect miracles but don't put either of them at risk. Just make sure puss cat can always get out of the way and take good advise. I once rehomed a little jr to a house hold where the jack russel hadn't been in there for 5 minutes before it flew over the kitchen table and onto the work top - with the cat flying up stairs. I told her it would never work, let me take him back and find her something calmer. The lady said - its ok, I will make it work, and she did.

1 week later i got a pic of them both on the floor together,
2 wks later both sleeping in same room
next xmas, cat and dog fast asleep on daddys' chest

the right attitude is 90% of the work.
good luck and don't loose her - these dogs don't come up very often.

I've introduced Molly (http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c54/mewsletter/?action=view&current=Molly21309.07001.jpg) into a household of 3 cats (2 of which are elderly and the other is a hand reared feral monster) and it's taken 6 months for them to come to terms with it all, but we're cooking with gas now. The cats aren't really friends with the dog but they're sufficiently confident to come and sit in the same room as her for a cuddle with us, even though she's huge compared to them and can on occasions be very loud and boing up and down with excitement.

All it takes is for you to make sure that the cat has space that the dog can't get to, and give the cat lots of time to work it all out in her own head as to how things work now and plenty of love and snuggles during that time. It is really rare for a cat to never come round to having a dog in the house, but it's likely to take months rather than weeks even if you get it all right.

Thanks Rainrescue, I'm sure it can be done too with a bit of time and patience. Evie will be at work with us in the daytime, so at least Spangle will be able to get her usual peace and quiet for most of the day.

I love your story of the jack russell and the cat!!

Thanks Medusa I'm prepared to give it the time it takes cos I really want Evie and I love Spangle. Just knowing that people have managed it successfully gives me the confidence to go for it. I know you'll all be on hand at the drop of a post if need be!

Am VERY Excited! My husbands said yes! I've phoned the lady this morning to tell her we definitely want her. We go away for a week next week so we are due to pick her up on 1st March! Gives us time to get prepared and for Evie to have her booster injections.

Whooooohoooooo!!!!!

Can't wait.

I'll post a piccy tomorrow when i get back to work.

That's great news!
Look forward to pics

Thats fantastic news - i am so pleased she is going to a lovely home.

Pics always needed -
great news