Conference misery::feline_v1

    Bernese Mountain dogs, Newfoundlands, Great Pyrenees and Golden
    Retrievers come immediately to mind as probably acceptable.  I 
    would tend to stay away from terriers and guard types (Dobermans, 
    Shepherds, etc.).  Spaniels might, as a group, also be OK.
    
    I would consult a vet first to be sure (or someone else knowledgeable
    of the breeds).

    Gary

    
    I definitely agree with the choice of a Golden Retriever - they
    are the sweetest, gentlest dogs I've ever come across - and a puppy
    brought up with your furfaces would probably come to think of them
    as mothers :^}  One drawback to the Goldens though, is that they
    have nice, long fur.  A Black or Golden Lab with shorter hair would
    be just as sweet, and be easier to keep clean.  They're all good
    choices for guard dogs, too.
    
    Have fun whatever you choose.
    
    Sandy
    

    In reading the CANINE notes file I picked up some things to look
    for when picking a breeder for a dog.  One thing is that the breeder
    should ask you as many questions or more than you ask him/her. 
    The breeder should know his/her breed and not be afraid to refuse
    to sell the dog to you if s/he feels its a bad match.
      I would therefore, ask whatever breeder you select about how this
    breed would do in a house with declawed cats.  If the breeder doesn't
    know that much about his/her breed s/he may not be a good choice.
      Good luck.
       Nancy DC
    

    We always had Saint Bernards and declawed cats. The saint were gentle
    with the cats and they really became good buddies. Good watch dogs
    because of their size, but never had one bite anyone. Have you ever
    heard a Saint Bark?
    
    I'm sure that what ever large breed of dog you pick would be about
    the same.
    
    Barbara

    As to whether it has to be a puppy...  Not necessarily.  Many adult
    dogs are available that are used to cats, and may actually be better
    with them than a puppy.  We have two *LARGE* dogs -- Borzois, which
    used to be called Russian Wolfhounds.  The first one we got as a
    puppy and we had to be very careful for awhile that she didn't play
    too rough with the cats.  The second one we got at about 5 years
    of age, but she was used to cats.  She has been a breeze.  We haven't
    had any problems at all with the cats.  
    
    Just make sure that they are introduced in a way that is non
    threatening to the cats.  Tristan has my brother's Golden Retriever
    terrified to come into the house because the dog scared Tristan
    once and Tristan now stalks him unmercifully when he comes over.
    
    If you'd like more hints on introducing a dog, or anything else
    about dogs and cats living together, let me know.  I'm full of cat
    and dog stories.
    
    Good luck,
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing (and Aisha and Zowie)

    I used to have a Saint Bernard and a Newfoundland.  They used to
    play with all the neighborhood cats and would never think of hurting
    them.  
    
    Please don't generalize all large dogs as being good with cats.
    Some are not.  I would also suggest getting a puppy rather than
    an older dog.  They seem to adapt to your ways better from puppy
    hood.  The cats will probably feel less threatened by a pup than
    a grown dog also.
    
    Jeanne
    
    P.S. definitely get an agreement with the breeder to take the dog
    back if it doesn't work out with your cats.
    
     

    Re all...
    
      It's best not to generalize. The .2 response said--and I agree in
    principal--that Labs and Goldens are good candidates. We have a Yellow
    Lab,(B.T.W.----the CORRECT name is a GOLDEN Retriever and a YELLOW
    Labrador Retriever)and she's got a tendency to be hyperactive and has
    at times had a little "mean" streak. I've known Labs that were
    downright VICIOUS, but that's usually the responsibility of the owner.
    
      On the otherhand, I've got a 75lb German SHepherd/Doberman/Greyhound
    mix female that is a real lady! My two Dachshunds found a newborn
    kitten that was abandoned at birth by it's mother. They were both
    licking it and it's little brother that didn't make it when my wife
    found them. Neither of the Dachshunds were trying to hurt these two
    kittens---instead, they both seemed genuinely concerned about them. We
    bottle fed the kitten that lived, and she's about two now. My mixed 
    SHepherd/Dobey/greyhound then proceeded to take on the role of
    "surrogate" mother. I don't know how much you know about baby kittens 
    and their hygiene, but suffice to say that they CANNOT go to the
    bathroom for the first few weeks without external assistance. My mutt 
    took over THAT responsibility as well... I have pictures of the kitten
    when it was three days old, laying stretched out on the palm of my
    hand, and 1/10th of an inch from her nose is my mutts nose....and this
    dog's tongue is almost covering the kitten's head. And if you look at
    the dog's eyes, there's nothing but absolute adoration for that kitten
    in this big dog's eyes...
      We also have two other mutts that were neglected and kept in a pen 
    about the size of a standard Digital office for about a year. They were
    fed and given water and that's about all. When we got them, they were
    literally 14 month old newborns. They didn't know there names, they
    were very timid, and were generally unsure of themselves. They were
    also SUPER CURIOUS aout our cats. They's follow them around the house
    with the most puzzled looks on their faces, ears perked up, but they
    never ONCE made any agressive move toward the cats. The cats, being
    used to dogs, simply ignored them....as if to say "Hmph!! Two MORE of
    those big, ugly creatures to contend with!! Sure hope they stay away
    from my food dish!!" Lately though, they've been sleeping together on
    the couch!!
      
      It's usually an easier thing to acclimate a puppy to cats and kittens
    to dogs than it is to bring two adults together. However, on the
    negative side with puppies is the "exuberance" factor. Puppies can be
    somewhat "pains" with their boundless energy, and that could make
    things harder since the cat may not be too receptive to the boisterous
    attitude.
    
      If you do decide to get an adult dog, may I suggest the local
    dogpound. In many cases it's possible to locate the owner of a dog in a
    pound to get some info on it's history. It might be wise to find out
    any possible problems ahead of time....
    
      All-in-all though, there's a SUPER possibility that you'll have an
    easy time of it.
    JM

     I brought into my house an Akita when my kitty was over a year
    old (totally declawed).  My cat thought it was great to have company,
    but the dog had other ideas at first.  Now that the dog knows his
    place he doesn't bother with the cat at all.  I'd  say any dog large
    or small would fit right in.  The only problem I have now is that
    when the cat doesn't finish all his food the dog sneaks in and cleans
    the bowl for him...

       Re .8
    
      We had the same problem....dogs LOVE catfood.....
    
      Sooo we feed the cats up on the countertop beside the sink now....
    Even THAT didn't help completely...I came into the kitchen about a
    month ago just in time to see my Dolly-dog finishing off the last of
    the catfood...and then she calmly jumped down from the counter...
    JM
    

    One way to combat that problem is to feed your cats in a box where
    the entrance holes for the cats are too small for the dogs to fit
    in. Once the cat gets used to feeding in the box, it will like the
    solitude and ability to relax when eating. The box should be heavy
    enough so that it can't be tipped over by the dog, and there's no
    guarantee that kitty will like it. The older the cat gets, the more
    resistant to change they get; kinda like people.
    
    The doctah

OR, you can teach your dogs that the table where the cat food sits (actually
a nice desk I recovered from a garage sale) is OFF-LIMITS - I used the
trust squirt gun in conjunction with a loud air horn noise and baited the
food tray with some really fragrant beef so I'd get the dogs' attentions.
Once they had a couple of treatments, the cat's desk became NOT DOG
TERRITORY and I've had no problem.  I never leave moist food down for
health reasons - but the kibble is not bothered.  the dogs were reprimanded
with a rolled up paper for pestering the cats so they gave up on that
really quickly, too.  The trick was to make sure the dogs were never
near the cats unless I was there to reprimand - therefore I could practice
behavior modification...unlike trying to keep an indoor-only cat out
of the dog food dish, which has been impossible for me - I work and the
cat knows I can't get to him when I'm not there....even though there
is no food in the dish, as long as Nick knows he can go to the dish
without reprimand, he will be willing to try for the goodies...sigh.