12 Best Dogs for Homes with Cats — our top picks
Shih Tzu
Shih Tzu: very low prey drive, very high friendliness and very high adaptability — a low enough prey drive to share a home with a cat. Flowing-coated toy breed bred to be a companion. Friendly and outgoing with all people. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Shih Tzu needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Newfoundland
Newfoundland: very low prey drive, very high friendliness and medium adaptability — a low enough prey drive to share a home with a cat. Canadian water rescue dog with sweet temperament. Gentle, patient, and excellent swimmer. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Newfoundland needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Pug
Pug: very low prey drive, very high friendliness and very high adaptability — a low enough prey drive to share a home with a cat. Charming flat-faced toy breed with wrinkled face and cheerful personality. "Multum in parvo" - much in little. Worth knowing before you commit: the Pug sheds heavily enough that cleaning becomes a daily routine.
French Bulldog
French Bulldog: very low prey drive, very high friendliness and very high adaptability. Muscular flat-faced breed with bat ears and adaptable personality. Excellent apartment companion.
Saint Bernard
Saint Bernard: very low prey drive and very high friendliness. Swiss rescue dog with gentle giant temperament. Patient, friendly, and excellent with children. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Saint Bernard needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Saint Berdoodle
Saint Berdoodle: very low prey drive, very high friendliness and medium adaptability. Saint Bernard and Poodle cross creating gentle giant with reduced shedding. Calm and patient family dog. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Saint Berdoodle needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Newfypoo
Newfypoo: very low prey drive, very high friendliness and medium adaptability. Newfoundland and Poodle cross creating gentle giant with reduced shedding. Calm and patient family dog. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Newfypoo needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Golden Retriever
Golden Retriever: low prey drive, very high friendliness and very high adaptability. Beautiful, gentle retriever with flowing coat. Outstanding family companion with high intelligence and eagerness to please. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Golden Retriever needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: low prey drive, very high friendliness and very high adaptability. Gentle toy spaniel with silky coat and sweet expression. Perfect family companion with sporting dog heritage. Worth knowing before you commit: the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel does badly left alone all day.
Great Dane
Great Dane: low prey drive, very high friendliness and medium adaptability. German gentle giant known for size and calm temperament. Friendly, patient, and excellent family companion. Worth knowing before you commit: the Great Dane does badly left alone all day.
Havanese
Havanese: low prey drive, very high friendliness and very high adaptability. Cuban toy breed with silky coat and cheerful disposition. Adaptable and social companion dog. Worth knowing before you commit: the coat is real work — the Havanese needs frequent brushing and regular professional trims.
Bloodhound
Bloodhound: low prey drive, very high friendliness and medium adaptability. Supreme scent hound with unmatched tracking ability. Gentle, determined, and devoted to following scent trails. Worth knowing before you commit: the Bloodhound is vocal, which matters if you share walls.
How this ranking works: each of DoggyQ's 321 breeds is scored on the traits that decide this particular question — the same trait ratings shown on each breed's own guide page, so you can check the reasoning rather than take a ranking on faith. Read more about our methodology, or take the free quiz for a ranking based on your own answers.
Popular breeds that are a poor fit for households with cats
Belgian Malinois
The Belgian Malinois is a popular choice, but high prey drive put it at odds with households with cats. On top of that, the Belgian Malinois needs serious daily exercise, and gets destructive without it.
Shiba Inu
The Shiba Inu is a popular choice, but high prey drive and low friendliness put it at odds with households with cats. On top of that, the Shiba Inu sheds heavily enough that cleaning becomes a daily routine.
German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthaired Pointer is a popular choice, but very high prey drive put it at odds with households with cats. On top of that, the German Shorthaired Pointer needs serious daily exercise, and gets destructive without it.
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Find your perfect matchFrequently asked questions
- Which dog breeds are best with cats?
- Based on temperament and care needs, the Shih Tzu ranks as the top choice for households with cats, followed by the Newfoundland and Pug.
- How was this list of dogs for households with cats chosen?
- Each breed is scored on the traits that matter most for households with cats — such as energy, size, grooming and temperament — using DoggyQ's breed database. For a recommendation tailored to your exact situation, take the free quiz.
- Which popular breeds are a poor fit for households with cats?
- The Belgian Malinois, The Shiba Inu, The German Shorthaired Pointer all rank near the bottom for households with cats despite being widely chosen — usually because the traits that make them appealing elsewhere work against them here.