I did a bit of legwork on this one. There will be differences of opinion. I tried to find a consensus on the dog breeds that get along well with domestic cats. Having searched five different sources I found a consensus on 2 dog breeds: Labrador Retriever and the Beagle. There is also a considerable amount of overlap with the other breeds listed in the spreadsheet below. But only in the case of the two dog breeds named is there a complete consensus.
You will have to scroll the spreadsheet below left and right in order to see all of it. Below the spreadsheet is a link to a PDF file which opens in a new window. It presents the same spreadsheet in a different way. I’ve done this in case the spreadsheet stops working.
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2 dog breeds the experts agree will get along with cats
Although I am not an expert on dogs, common sense dictates that it’s unlikely that all dogs of one dog breed are going to get on well with cats. This is because there will be a variation in the degree of socialisation of individual dogs within a dog breed towards cats. Some individual dogs will have been raised with cats and they’ll be very good around cats. Some other dogs of the same cat breed may have suffered a bad experience with cats and therefore be less good.
Also, it goes without saying that the mongrel, the non-purebred dog, will also be great with cats if they’ve been raised with them and are therefore fully socialised to cats.
Perhaps the point of the article is that dog breeders through selective breeding, select foundation dogs that are predisposed to being of the right character to get along with cats. That’s why you could argue that a dog breed can be predisposed to being friendly towards domestic cats. But I still believe that a dog’s individual character is the most influential factor.
The Beagle
As an outsider to the dog world but with some knowledge about dogs, I can see why the Beagle is a chosen breed to get along with domestic cats. They are described as amiable, intelligent, even-tempered, gentle, excitable and determined. It’s a breed which is widely considered to be good with other pets and children. They are cheerful dogs and they like affection. They prefer company (don’t all dogs?). If left alone they may, however, be destructive (all dogs are potentially the same, aren’t they?). On the negative side it is said that they top the list for excessive barking and can be difficult to housebreak and to obedience train.
The Labrador Retriever
Google tells me that the Labrador Retriever is intelligent, outgoing, even-tempered, gentle, trusting and agile as well as kind. This is one of the most popular dog breeds in a number of countries. They have a world-wide reputation for being one of the most sweet-natured breeds and the reputation is well-deserved. They are outgoing and friendly. They say that the Labrador retriever is good for novice owners and that they adapt well to apartment living. They are affectionate and kid-friendly and friendly towards strangers. Once again, you can see that the general personality of this dog predisposes them to being more accepting of cats.
SOME MORE ON DOGS:
Tamara, these lists are not great 🙂 . They are bandied around the internet which is why I tried to find common ground. But as I said it comes down more to individual dogs and their personalities rather than all the dogs of one breed.
I’ve had chihuahuas and cats for 50 years and they always have gotten along. So I was surprised chihuahua’s weren’t on the list.