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New rescued Lab owner with a few questions!...
Hi everyone! A few days ago adopted a 94lb Lab mix. His name is Hudson. He is very much a gentle guy and is a goofball when he's energetic!
I have a few questions for all you experienced Lab owners.
1. Do you have any idea what he could be mixed with? He is brindle and his ears look shorter than most labs I've seen. I want to be able to know what breed(s) he is so that we can train him properly since most breeds are different.
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2. He seems to get along with our 25lb dog (her name is Maggie, and she is the size of a taller jack russell). He licks her face and seems to be totally fine with her being around. From what I have read, face licking is a good sign. The volunteers at the shelter do not believe he will ever be an alpha. I agree with them on that note because he tends to be laid back and not authoritative in anyway so far. But, when it comes to our cat, he seems to be VERY interested. The shelter said he is fine with dog savvy cats, which is exactly what our cat is. He's a siamese mix and gets along just fine with Maggie; he actually enjoys cleaning her ears! We have not let Hudson see our cat unsupervised. Hudson is always tethered or at least has a collar we can grab. For the first two days, they did not see each other. We walked Hudson around the house and he sniffed the litter box. He has sniffed around where the cat once was sleeping on or wandering around, so he knows a cat lives here. I have had dogs growing up and understand the first signs of aggression. Hudson doesn't growl or show his teeth, but he does tend to stare at the cat. Our cat is super nice and is the reason I am now a cat person. Our cat has never hissed or swiped at us or Maggie. He is just a laid back guy who keeps to himself. Yesterday, our cat hissed at Hudson. This was so shocking to me and made my heart sink. Our cat has NEVER acted this way. Like I said, he's pretty much the nicest cat I have ever met. I have been treating Hudson when he behaves when the cat is around. We feed the cat on our kitchen table, so he is up and away from Hudson. While our cat is up on the table, Hudson likes to stare and walk around the table. His tail wags, but in a different manner than when he is playful or being pet. It's a slower wag, which I understand to not be the greatest sign. He seems to also be puffing his cheeks out a little after looking/staring at the cat for a few minutes. After a lot of searches and article reading, these signs aren't exactly the most comforting. I just want to see if this is a normal Lab reaction. Do your labs get along with your cats? If so, did it happen right away? We love our cat so much and we want all of our pets to be safe. Our cat's previous owner declawed him (we would NEVER get a cat declawed and we are completely against this procedure). Because of his, our cat doesn't have his normal defenses. He is faster than Hudson, which is a little helpful incase something were to happen. I am just so worried that the initial meetings aren't going how I hoped.
3. What exactly does it mean when he is puffing his cheeks out while he is breathing? This is a video of him after his encounter with the cat on the table: Dog Chuffing - vidme (sorry about not being able to directly attach it!) If you watch his cheeks closely, you can see them puffing up. From some articles I have read, it's a precursor to aggression. When I first read about 'chuffing' (cheek puffing- I believe is what they call it), I started tearing up. He is such a gentle guy, but he is also huge. I have never had a dog this big before and his size is significantly larger than our two other pets. It scared me and now I watch him like a hawk. It's hard for me to believe it's a precursor to a bite or aggression. Is this true? Do I know need to worry about the safety of my other pets? He also has chuffed a few times while I have pet him. I didn't realize what he was doing at first, but noticed it happened again. I finally read up on it and have gotten mixed messages. Most say it's not a good sign, and others have said it's just something some dogs do when they are relaxed or comfortable. He was a stray the shelter found and so there is no history for him. His overall demeanor is very nice and friendly. After reading about 'chuffing', I was so stunned and have become very worried. :apologetic:
We have only had him since Saturday. It's only been a few days, but it's clear he is stressed. A new home is always stressful for newly adopted animals and I know to give him love and patience. He has had no accidents in the house yet, so that is a good sign at least. We love him and our other pets. We want as much harmony in the house as possible. With the reactions he has had to the cat, I just worry.
Any tips, experience, or advice would be awesome. Thank you guys!! :image023: