I am thinking of adopting an 8 month old labrador retriever from a rescue centre.  I have a family and work full time - my husband is around during the day, so he wouldn't be left alone much.  He seems a very bright dog and I hope to be able to do some basic training with him.  I am wondering if he will be ok with my four cats and how long it's likely to take for him to become calmer and respond to training.  Any advise - I need to make a decision soon as I'm sure he will find a home quickly - he is a lovely dog!

e mail  karen: karen_burton_70@hotmail.com

That would depend on your cats, how much contact have they had with dogs. An eight month old lab is very curious and will want to play, you will have to be very firm as cats will lash out and aim for the eyes, I have three labs and introduced the two older ones to a cat, as long as the cat has somewhere to jump to out of dogs reach and you are able to control lab not to jump after cats. Do this by holding him in a sitting position on the floor in the form of a firm cuddle, as the lab pulls say NO very firmly, as he pulls back praise him and rub his chest, He will respond more to the praise. Do this for very short periods but ofte.They may never be best friends but they will eventually settle, but be prepared for the long haul this could take a few months. Ignore the cats when they are in the same room, and only let them in for short periods of time, after a while leave the door open, the cats will know when its safe to come in. Good luck and good for you. Labs are people dogs and just want to be wherever you are. Oh, and never leave the cats food anywhere that the lab can get to it.
Kay

And where exactly is it that labs can't get to cat food ??? :D  Well, any food infact!!!!

I'd love to know.  It would save me a fortune in extra cat scoff :)

Yeh, Julia, labs are canine garbage cans, how silly of me, not to mention this,

Hi Karen

Last summer I got myself a little lab girl. And I have two cats - at the time only one. Oliver (the cat) is now starting to come out from the kitchen, where he has spend most of his time. It has come gradually, and now he walks on the floor, still a bit alert and always knows where Luna (the dog) is, whenever he is on the floor.

Oliver is 8 years old, so it has taken some time. So have patience, and it'll work out.

Oh by the way, my cats don't go outside - I live on the third floor, and I'm convinced, that if he had had the chance in the beginning, Oliver might have left home for good.

But things are looking good. It has taken 10 months but we are getting there.

My cats are fed morning and evening, and are getting their food on a table. They are fed at the same time as Luna, but I wouldn't feed them on the floor, because I don't really think they would have time to eat the food before Luna had eaten it - after all, it is a labrador we're talking about :-)

Good luck. I do hope this it not a complete unreadable mess, but I'm from Denmark and its sometimes hard to explain yourself in another language than your own - especially in writing!

Jeanette, Luna, Oliver and Oskar