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In reply to the discussion: It Looks Like I Slept In A Raspberry Patch... An Update on the Little Deaf Kitty. [View all]Hekate
(90,202 posts)Kore was smart as a whip and a chubby 5 pound Alpha dog. She would literally run up and over my son's 90 pound dog, who thought she was cute. The cat was more than twice her size and they coexisted just fine. I loved her to bits.
Bounce though. Jeez. Grown daughter was walking with Kore on the beach one gray day, and on the return two homeless guys started a conversation. One had a little dog in his jacket, trying to keep it warm, and they said that "Precious Jewel" was the reason their landlord had evicted them. They said they could tell she was really good with dogs, and would she please take Precious Jewel and give her a home?
I watched that critter bounce around my kitchen and shook my head. Oh boy. I was actually doing fine with all the dogs at that point, so while my daughter was at work I worked on that dog. She chewed the edge of the couch, twice, and widdled on it at least once. Instead of barking, she had this scream that drilled right through the eardrums. Terrorized Betsy. Caused the half-crazy 90 pound Dobie/Lab mix to growl at her, and she was too stupid to recognize that she was next thing to being a snack if she kept that up. The cat ignored her. Kore was fine for play but otherwise not overly impressed.
I look back on those days fondly. I am not up to multiples of pets any more, but that was kind of fun while it lasted. Anyhow, I got Bounce fairly well under control, and I got her to stop screaming by clamping her jaws shut and firmly saying No! every time she tried it.
The office manager where my daughter worked allowed them to bring a dog to work, so after bringing in Kore a number of times she started bringing in Bounce. The office manager loved Bounce, and my daughter decided to give her the dog. Some time later I asked how that worked out, and my daughter said it was fine except that her new owner thought the scream was cute and kind of encouraged it. Ew.
In general I like terriers for short visits. Their energy, alertness, and sparkle are charming. But the downside is they can be relentless and exhausting. A friend who is a cocker spaniel fan calls terriers "terrierists." Best of luck with yours!