WE HAVE A 18MONTH G.S.D. AND MY DAUGTHER REALLY WANTS A KITTEN.
BUT THE BIG QUESTION IS CAN CATS AND DOGS GET ON.

Hi Loulou
You are the family having the big problems with the out of control gsd ? I believe...
Cats and dogs do get on when introduced properly...however some do and some don't..I think the gsd problem needs to be addressed first and foremost before you start introducing a kitten.
You may find that your dog attacks it, you may find that he doesn't, you may find he's ok with it while your'e there and attacks it when your'e not.
The dog came first so I suggest you put the work in and get the children to help you..with the idea that if your gsd calms down they may be able to have a kitten.
But to be honest I think you'd be mad to have a kitten at the moment..for all sorts of reasons.
Tracey

I would say personally its easier to introduce a puppy to a cat rather than a dog to a kitten.
Only you know the nature of your dog ?
Has he/she been in contact with cats before and if so how did he/she react . Each dog and each cat is different is all I can say .
My mum tried to introduce a kitten to a mature jack russell and they hated each other on sight - so much so that she could not keep the kitten .
We have a puppy which we introduced to a cat and they tolerate each other - puppy always wants to play with the cat although shes not very impressed at times but they do live together .
If there is any doubt in your mind dont buy a kitten - at the end of the day its not a toy just to please your little girl
Lel

I have had dogs and cats all of my life and have introduced kittens to older dogs and puppies to older cats without too much trouble ( I tended to find it was the older cats who were standoffish and intolerant for a few weeks when a new pup or kitten introduced) As animals are territorial it is only nature that they will get their back up when another animal is introduced into their home , but with patience and time and lots of TLC for the already resident animal , they can all learn to live and respect each other.
If you are already having a few problems with your dog I personally would hold back until they were resolved prior to bringing in a possible new problem.
Karyn

Sorry I meant to include this in the above. It is easier to introduce a new pet into the family where the resident is a dog mainly due to the fact it is a lot easier to control a dog by voice or hand command to let them know they are not behaving correctly than it is to try to control a cat without having to physically pick it up if it goes for the new animal. I think this adds to my view that you would be better of waiting till your dog was more settled and you could be 100% reliant on it obeying your commands for it to leave.