Over the years I’ve come to accept the quiet feud going on between dog lovers and cat lovers, an almost ideological disparity that borders on the political (please let’s not start that again).  Dog lovers point to the canine’s loyalty, adaptability, trainability, and willingness to please, while cat lovers insist that the feline’s love of independence, it’s autonomy, its wild mystery– these are traits to truly admire.  Dog loyalists ask how many cats have taken down a bad guy, or found lost children in the woods, while cat people ask how many dogs can make a vertical jump of eight times their height, fall off a ten-story building and live, or keep themselves cleaner than their owners.  It’s an argument that will go on forever, and frankly, it’s harmless, and kind of amusing, like fans forever loyal to their teams. 

Personally, I’m ambidextrous on this issue.  They’re different species, so comparing them objectively makes little sense.  Though they came from a similar ancestor (the miacids, I believe), it’s been millions of years since they had much in common besides a love for hunting.  The fact that a dog can’t fly doesn’t make it inferior to a parrot, true?  Cats hate to swim, but that doesn’t mean I’d prefer koi, right?  I appreciate both animals for what they are, and how they have both been able to fit into the human experience so well. 

I had a conversation the about “dog cats” the other day– those curiously affable, interactive cats who come when called, fetch ping pong balls, love to be petted, follow you around the home or yard.  They have that “doggish” sense about them that’s endearing, particularly to dog lovers.  I’m not sure how conventional cat lovers feel about them, but I can’t imagine they’d think them disloyal in any way– just a little over the top, maybe.

Which brings me to my point (finally).  Are there “cat dogs?”  Canines that act demure and stand-offish, with a real sense of autonomy, and not much desire to please, at least in a subordinate sense?

I think so.  Apart from an individual dog displaying the occasional, “cattish” temperament, there are two breed-types of dogs that can often consistently reflect feline behavioral patterns.  These include the arctic breeds, and the sighthounds.

Arctic breeds, represented by dogs such as the Siberian Husky, Akita, Shiba Inu, Samoyed, and Chow Chow, often tend to be reserved animals with an independent streak (some trainers will say “stubborn”).  Bred to pull sleds, herd, or assist in the capture of prey in harsh climates, these dogs, because of the independent nature of their jobs, developed differently than did breeds more accustomed to working more closely with people.  Like cats, they have a somewhat high prey drive, and, also like cats, seem to keep themselves cleaner than other dogs (though the Chow Chow, with all that hair, can sometimes have a hard time with that).  They’re opinionated, hate to come when called, and don’t have the best record at excelling at obedience (with many individual exceptions of course).  And, they sometimes don’t like other dogs all that much, mimicking a cat’s dubious social skills.  But they tend to be unique, precocious characters that amuse their owners to no end. All in all, quite catlike.

Sighthounds, though different in design than arctic breeds, have similar personalities.  Bred to range out on their own to run down prey in mostly flat, arid climates, they developed an independent, self-sufficient mindset, as did arctic dogs, and cats.  Greyhounds, Salukis, Basenjis, Ibizan Hounds, Borzois and others maintain a reserved, almost demure attitude, and, like cats, have a very high prey drive.  And, also like cats, they love to lounge around like couch potatoes much of the day– odd, considering they can run as fast as a thoroughbred race horse. 

As a trainer, I have usually preferred working with dogs that want to perform.  These include most hunting breeds of course, but also certain herding breeds (German Shepherds being at the top of my list), as well as certain terriers, and random breeds such as the Rottweiler, Doberman, and Papillon.  They just fit my training “eye” for some reason; we get along. 

But lately, I have been appreciating more and more the eclectic, independent nature of “cat dogs.”  Though usually harder to train (both with respect to speed of train and reliability), I just appreciate the challenge.  And, I’m finding the laidback, sovereign nature of some of these breeds to be a refreshing change from the always-eager, “I’ll do whatever you want right now” attitude of many easily trainable dogs.  Though I love Labs, retrievers and spaniels, sometimes they can be just a wee bit draining in their enthusiasm. 

That said, I’m not going to be teaching any dogs to jump up onto the refrigerator, or poop in a litter box (though I have done so in the past, for houseboat owners).  I want my dogs to come when called, and to accept being bathed without declaring war for a year.  Maybe the best scenario would be to have a doggish cat and a cattish dog in the same home– have them learn from each other, maybe even become indistinguishable. 

Or maybe not.