Is it difficult to bring a large dog breed into a cats home?

My husband and I are thinking about getting a great dane and we have a 3 year old cat now. The puppy will not be the same size as my cat for long and I am worried that the size of the dog will scare my cat. If I get the pup very small where she will be smaller than my cat upon first meeting, is that better? This is also going to happen during a move..is that even worse? Should the cat get adjusted to the new home before we get the dog?

Any dog can be bad with cats. As far as basic canine behavior goes a dog is a dog, whether it's a great dane or a chihuahua. If you teach your puppy proper boundaries around the cat then it will be perfectly fine. All dogs have a prey drive, though, so you usually have to train a dog not to act on in, to learn some impulse control, and dogs properly socialized with small animals and brought up in a home with cats generally get along just fine with them.

I have had the same situation, I had a 2 year old cat and i got an f1 labradoodle puppy (which is very big!!!). It obviously depends on the new great danes personality - if you are getting him from a previous owner you could always ask if he is a very energetic type that would like to chase a cat. It's definately best to introduce the great dane to the cat as soon as possible if your definately going to go through with it, as the cat and puppy can get used to eachother as time goes by. They will just have to learn to get along! Maybe it would be best to consider getting a new dog AFTER your cat has settled down in your new home, after the move. Things would be a lot eaiser if you did that instead Hope i have helped =)

It depends on your cat. I had a young cat when I got my Labrador and, he wasn't too interested in playing with the puppy, but wasn't jealous either and there were no fights. If you do, just remember not to focus too much attention on the puppy, as animals can become very jealous. Also, how does your cat react around dogs? That should give you some idea about how he will deal with the new arrival. Training the puppy will prevent any issues too, especially in a dog so big.

Not with proper training and socialization from the beginning. The puppy needs to be taught from the beginning the cat is not a toy, it is not to be chased, chewed, or otherwise harassed. Any attempt at this type of behavior should be corrected immediately from the first day. Depending on the cats personality the cat may take care of teaching the puppy who is in charge (the cat in case there was any question about that) on its own. Don't allow the cat to injure the puppy but a good swat (claws retracted) from the cat has taught many a puppy and dog to respect the cat with no harm done to either of them.

first of all yes you should wait till your cat is comfortable in the new home before getting the puppy. if you don't it will just make your cat more uncomfortable. the puppy will most likely not be smaller than the cat unless you have a huge cat....as long as the puppy learns to respect the cat then they will be fine together...don't force them on each other, let them meet and get to know each other.MOST IMPORTANTLY! give your cat a "safe space"....a space the dog cant get into

A Great Dane inside......raise the lamps; their tales can clear a room.dogs and cats can be best buds sometimes. I see one of our outdoor cats sitting at the pit bulls house waiting for her buddy to come over. All critters are territorial so maybe it would be easier to introduce them on neutral (new) territory. The cat will take some time to adjust to the new place, most likely. Perhaps introduce the cat first to the new place and then soon after introduce the giant-to-be. The pup will feel insecure at first and might link up with a cat as a fellow four-legged compatriot.A Great Dane needs lots of room and lots of exercise to stay mellow.

Well if you raise the puppy around your cat and make sure that you teach it it's boundaries it will be fine.

You should not get a puppy under 8 weeks old and even then a great dane puppy will most likely be larger. I have four cats, two 10 years old and don't like dogs and never been housed with them and two 1.5 year olds who are more confident. We recently got a 12 week old labrador (large for his breed) and the younger two are better but its taking time. The older two don't want to go near him. It depends on the puppy, find a dog that has been brought up with cats. Is your cat confident? If shes shy it will take alot of time. Let her get used to her new house and establish territory first. It takes time but you need to take it slow. A smaller dog might help her but not terriers I mean more pug type. Labradors seem ok though and german shepherds. Great danes can be ok as long as you bring it up with them. Just take it slow if you do get one.

not as long as you train and socializesupervise when together until you can trust themthen it depends a lot on cat

I breed Malakli, that are larger than the average Great Dane. It is the inherent PREY DRIVE that creates problems. The Malakli have a very low prey drive, and have never been a problem. 260# 40" dogs are safe with 5 week old kittens.I think Danes are good also. But remember pups like to play. But usually a good scratch on the nose cures that. Supervision to stop behaviors when they start is crucial. Good luck.

Size of the dog is rarely an issue. The cat will probably be just as scared and unsure at first if a tiny dog comes into the house. How you introduce the two and manage their interaction is more important than anything else, and the only caveat with a large puppy is making sure it doesn't hurt the cat by mistake while trying to play, merely by being a big friendly clumsy oaf who doesn't know his own strength. The cat will probably not want to play, not at first and probably never, but the puppy will. A smaller dog could even be harder to deal with, because many of them are very active and prey driven which your Dane is not likely to be. The average puppy coming into an adult cat's house will probably realize very quickly that the cat is not to be messed with, anyway. I'd want to see the new dog come into a stable household, not one that's in the middle of packing to leave or still sorting out where things go in the new house.