ellipumpkinpuff t1_iu9fhdu wrote on October 29, 2022 at 4:17 PM

I have adopted two dogs with unknown histories and they ended up doing well with our cats (one is more dog savvy than the other but the less savvy one is able to easily jump up and get away if needed). Neither of the dogs were “cat tested” the way that they do it at a place like RACC we were just told they seemed to do ok with smaller animals.

I would just say it’s true that you don’t ultimately know what you’ll get personality wise and have to decide when getting any pet if you’re willing to do some training. We just had to do some trial and error on things like dog parks and see how it went after getting to know the animal.

Shelters give the rule of 3s: https://www.rescuedogs101.com/bringing-new-dog-home-3-3-3-rule/ this has a nice info graphic.

Lastly I’ll just say we got shepherd mixes and they were true to the breed in terms of personality. It’s not always an exact match with breed and temperament but it can give an idea of what you’ll get and how easy training will be.

otterinprogress OP t1_iu9gzns wrote on October 29, 2022 at 4:28 PM

Thanks! Great insights here - I agree about breed specific traits being “a thing” for a reason.

ellipumpkinpuff t1_iu9hlqc wrote on October 29, 2022 at 4:32 PM

Absolutely. And it’s funny I would’ve had the same criteria you listed but our first dog ended up not being good with other dogs but he was my shadow and best friend.. sometimes you connect and then your criteria changes. We couldn’t bring him out to hang with friends but when I was home there was no better companion by my side! Hope you find a good fit for you and your family soon!

otterinprogress OP t1_iu9j5uh wrote on October 29, 2022 at 4:43 PM

Thanks! My husband brought his 6 year old pointer into our relationship, and I/we lived with that dog another 8 years. She was wonderful with people but could have zero interaction with other dogs - not even on walks.

I vowed to never knowingly get another dog-aggressive dog again. It’s a serious dealbreaker for me.

Now if my dog were to (god forbid) get attacked and become dog-aggressive over the course of our having them, it would be another story. Otherwise, I’m doing everything in my power with socialization, training, and medication to never experience years of somewhat lonely pet companionship ever again. It’s an oxymoron (“lonely companionship”), but it’s true.