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  1. #1
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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.
    Attachment 2859

    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.

    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!!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails -img_6541-jpg  

  2. #2
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    Hello and welcome.

    When I first saw Hudson's picture, I thought about how much he resembled my friend's poorly-bred, but pure, Rhodesian Ridgeback (head/ears/size).

    And that RR "chuffs" when he's scoping out something he wants to bark at, like the deer in the park. I always took it for "prey arousal" but that's just an "off the cuff" assessment of mine. That's the only time it happens according to my friend.

    Any dog of mine who has stared at another animal like that has had bad intentions. Most of my dogs all got along with my cats and those didn't stare...but prey outside was another matter. Including outside cats. I did have two dogs whom I didn't fully trust but neither did the cats and they left them alone.

    My thought is that Hudson knows "house kitties" are off-limits but isn't totally sure that the new kitties are house kitties yet. Sorry, but I wouldn't trust him off-leash around them, at least for a while.

    Hope it all works out for you...he's a handsome boy.

    (my observations for my own animals include Labs, Akitas, and the two mutts in my sig pic)

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  4. #3
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    Thank you for your input! He will not be off leash for a while until we feel like we have trained him to at least tolerate the cat. It would be amazing if it sorts it self out and he realizes the cat is not a problem. I would have never guessed he could possibly be mixed with RR. Hopefully after a few weeks we can get him tested to see what breeds he is. Thank you again!

  5. #4
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Welcome!

    He looks like a shepherd mix to me. It's hard to tell if he is truly brindle from the photo. At least for me. If he is, you've got a few other options as he had to get that coat color somewhere.

    I'd also keep a leash on him around the cat. But, I would try hard to not be nervous as that will pass onto the dog and could cause a cat-friendly dog to act otherwise, seeing your concern over the situation. Dogs can be highly sensitive that way. Distractions are best versus any type of punishment. If he's sniffing the cat or doing the huffing around the table, I'd probably distract him and throw treats the opposite way, call him, throw a treat another way, etc. Get him away from the cat and focused on you instead of fighting with him over the cat which will just escalate your problem. If you're consistent, you can create a whole new behavior.

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  7. #5
    Senior Dog CraftHer's Avatar
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    When it comes to your cat, or anything you don't want Hudson to have, teach "Leave it". I know that sounds like a simple statement. We have a cat and Mocha just want to play, but we've taught him "Leave it" when it comes to her food table. When she takes off running, that's a different story. The chase it on! She'll hiss at him but not always swipe. And when she swipes, it's not always with her claws out. So, I would watch them until you can learn their body language with each other.

    I've seen Mocha do the "chuffing". He'll just be sitting here or staring. Not agressive or anything. It looks weird. If he needs air, why doesn't he just open his mouth? But he does look like Hudson in the video. Just his cheeks puffing out.

    Since you've had him only a few days, I would imagine you are all getting to know each other. Good Luck!

  8. #6
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    Thank you guys! I love hearing some advice more than reading articles. I feel like hearing it from people who have experienced what's happening is much more eye opening and comforting. He now seems to be nervous around the cat and is actually acting intimidated by the cat. He won't make eye contact with him anymore. He is definitely not an alpha! Hopefully with him being so nervous around the cat, hopefully we can get him to realize the cat is actually quite harmless so long as you don't get up in his bubble!

  9. #7
    Senior Dog Doreen Davis's Avatar
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    Hi, first off thanks for rescuing. A rescue takes a while to settle and exhibit 'true' behaviors. The vigilance you're employing is spot on. I don't think you'll know everyone's true intentions for awhile. I'd provide a routine so that everyone knows what to expect. And the comment about you being calm and in control is important as you don't want to share your nerves. I've got a dog savvy cat but I have 'wait' and 'leave it' commands to call two young labs off.

  10. #8
    Senior Dog Jollymolly's Avatar
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    Welcome and thanks for rescuing.

  11. #9
    Senior Dog 4Thelove's Avatar
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    Nothing to add but hello and welcome. Thanks for rescuing

 



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