but I’m pretty sure my dog would like a pet. 
My dog Tucker, a big dumb yellow Lab mix, used to have a pet cat/best friend named Buckley. They hung out together and Buckley would curl up beside him to nap in the afternoons. About a year ago, Buckley moved on–I suspect to a house down on the corner–and now Tucker only has the other dogs, who are not nearly so snuggly and lovey to him.
I’m pretty sure this doesn’t have anything to do with ME wanting another cat. It’s not that I’ve noticed I seem to be one cat short or anything. It’s just that…well, Tucker looks a little lonely napping there in the sunshine on the floor all by himself. I’m sure you understand, right? I’d hate for him to suffer from being all cat-free, poor guy.
Are you going to be near NYC anytime soon?
I wish I was…that’s the thread that really made me realize that…my dog…is lonely and would like another cat.
The only dog/cat combo I ever had coexisted only in uneasy detente. Occasionally there were open hostilities, snarling and barking and some open-claw action, but mostly they ignored one another until one couldn’t take it any more. My question: how do you foster co-species snuggling in the first place?
I’m not sure. We treated our dogs pretty much the same way regarding the cat, and dog 1 gets along very well with him, while dog 2 only refrains from chasing him because she knows she’s not allowed. Of course, dog 1 is much less dominant and gets along with other dogs better, too. He’s also much smarter, so that might be it.
Don’t be fooled, in 2 months he won’t think it’s “cute” anymore, and you’ll be the one stuck cleaning the litter box.
IME the problem is stopping the dogs from clearing the litterbox.
:: insert barfing smiley here ::
This is the main problem. Buckley initiated the friendship between the two, I think. Tucker liked him, but Buckley was one of those rub-up-against-the-dog’s-head guys even if the dog didn’t come on to him first. Also, Tuck was a puppy when Buckley was already grown.
I think I need a cat that already loves dogs and wants a dog friend. Then they could live happily ever after.
Re: the litterbox…my dogs love to clean the litterbox. It’s a chore but it’s also a treat! (yeah, we do need a barfy)
You might want to borrow another cat to see if this dog likes cats or just that particular cat. My dog and cat I had when I was a kid, were totally indifferent to each other. The cat was indifferent to everyone. In fact I was 25 years old before I realized cats can be fun. I was basing cats on my cat who ignored everyone and was happy to be left alone. That is until one day I met a cat that liked people. Until that day, I never saw the point of having a cat, unless you have mice
Obviously, your dog will need a kitten. Not because they’re so cute and fuzzy and cuddly and fun and awesome, no! Because a kitten is much more likely to adapt to the dog and become BFFs with him than a grown cat would.
What Alice said. This is a job for a rescue kitten. (Cue theme song.)
If you go to a reputable rescue, they will make you bring in your current pet to make sure they’re compatible with the new one. So just take your dogs along and see which kitty your dog bolts for and tries to cuddle through the bars (hehe, cute mental picture)