[Angeheade]

so i was just wondering i do plan on eventually gettin an APBT puppy and how well do they live with cats? and how well would a APBT get along with a english mastiff? i know with pits they are/can be DA, but didnt know if specifically any problems with those 2 breeds being together... i know totally random, but i know for sure we will be eventually gettin an english mastiff, but i absolutely love abpt's and will have one too! and if we have both, would it be better to get one breed before the other?

[MiniBoy]

I know that ABPT can have a very strong prey drive and can be dangerous around cats.

[neictscek]

Living with cats depends on the individual dog's prey drive. You may have to do some work with a pup to get them not to chase the cats and the cats will learn how to be around a driven pup as well.

DA is common is both breeds. It just comes with the territory of owning bully breeds. If you want to have both of them and one/both of them turns out to be DA you can prepare yourself how to deal with it (crate and rotate).

[tearidrusydet]

I have a Bull Mastiff 8 y/o and I recently ended up with a APBT 1.5 y/o. It was not a good combination for us. We have to do the crate n rotate method because we had a couple altercations where staples had to be used even though we were observing them. I am not saying this will occur with yours but be very cautious and vigiliant with introductions.

[Angeheade]

well. i am still workin on doin research on english mastiff, and may rethink the whole idea... who knows, i still keep learning as much as i can about APBTs, but does anyone know of any good sites for english mastiffs or chat forums like this one? i still have plenty of time before we get a dog... i just want to be as prepared as i can before we get there!!

[fudelholf]

http://www.mastiff-forum.com/

[r7rGOhvd]

Honestly, it can vary from dog to dog. Do you know what the parents are like?
I've known APBTs that had no prey drive, and ones that tried to hunt everything that moved.
I've known some that showed no sign of DA their whole life, though most I have known were Dog Agressive or at least selective.


Bransen is awesome with cats as well as other dogs.
However, he has shown signs of selective DA.
Never once has he shown any kind of agression or drive towards cats, but birds he's right on.

All dogs are different, really.

[Angeheade]

nope, i havent found a breeder yet or anythin so i dont know parents... well we may have a english mastiff breeder, but it will be a wile before she has another litter, and i will definately be meetin the parents and annoyin her with a million questions about her dogs before i decide if she the right breeder for us. i dont know her personally but my boyfiend knows the lady who has them, and for a APBT breeder, nope, still lookin for someone who when the time is right to go to... although right now im not in any particular hurry, im tryin to learn all i can, see if its the right thing for us to do, then start lookin, because i know if i start looking now i will want the 1st cute puppy i see, so i want to hold back on the puppy lookin, and work on the puppy learnin!!

[neictscek]

I see that you are in IN. Is the breeder that you are thinking about checking out in IN as well? If they are do you know who or where they are located?

[Angeheade]

i wish i knew more about the lady, i assuming shes from my area, and she told my boyfriend she doesnt breed very often, just generally when she has people on a waiting list for one, so to me that didnt just sound like a BYB, i dont know too many of those that get a waiting list or plan when they are going to have puppies.... the last litter i think he said she only had 2 left over that she didnt have a person on a waitin list for, but she didnt have trouble sellin them and had sold the last one the day before he talked to her or we would have been goin to look at it

---------- Post added at 12:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:33 AM ----------

but if she does have some i will def be askin hundreds of questions and if that checks out and i find a pup i like ill be wantin vet papers sayin it checked out or request to take it to the vet myself to have checked out before buying

[nd90t3sf]

I don't know, Lucy's great with the cats, and the ferrets. But she was also raised with them, which means the ferrets have been beating her up since day 1. And I have a cat that stands her ground and gives the dogs a piece of her mind if they bother her too much (which is why I let her keep her claws).

My Rottie used to get too rough with the cat for my liking. So I made a habit of picking the cat up when he was watching her, holding her petting her, and talking to her. I also said "my kitty" a lot, because he knows what "my" and "kitty" mean. And I'd smack him on the butt if he got too rough with her, and stepped up the obedience training. They do pretty well together now.

[Assunkkensatt]

It really does depend on the individual dog(s). And don't forget as far as DA goes dogs may be fine together for years before they turn on.

Puck is fine with the cats though he'd love to chase them all over because we started training leave it early as well as training that if he wants to play with a cat (there's only one who instigates play with him) he has to lay down and be calm first.

When it gets too rough I put him away and he's never unsupervised with them. I don't let dogs have run of the house until 2 years, if I'm not here they are in crates.

[SinyugiN]

My dog goes absolutely insane around cats, I can't tell if she just wants to chase them, play with them, or kill them. I think it depends on each dogs, but APBT's do have a high prey drive.

[irrehoobe]

My APBT is fine around the cat. She is curious and has tried to play but the cat wants no part of it and hides. She is not a very driven dog, though. When my brothers APBT comes to visit we have to put the cat in a bedroom and close the door as his dog will kill a cat in a heartbeat. He is a highly energetic and driven dog.

My American Bulldog took a bit of work, but he is ok with the cat now. They pretty much ignore each other.

Some people with multpile dogs have to crate and rotate, some have packs of mixed sexes that get along and some have just a couple dogs of opposite sexes that get along. It really depends on the dogs. You never know until you know!

If I were getting a Mastiff and an APBT, I would get the APBT first and get the Mastiff later so that the APBT would be older and bigger before the large Mastiff pup came home. I would also get opposite sexes, have them spayed/neutered, take them to obedience classes and never ever ever leave them loose and unattended. Ever. Too many people thought they had dogs that were fine and then came home from errands or work to a tragedy. Get them seperate crates and put them in the crates when you can't be watching.