Hi there. I know this comes up loads but I was hoping to ask for advice on whether to get a dog. I'd love to get one now that I have a courtyard, but my 8 year old cats are very attached to me as it's been just the 3 of us for a long time. They're very vocal and can be demanding of my attention (wonderful natures though and no behavioral issues). So I'm very nervous that this could be a disaster. I've been researching and reading lots of articles and then realised I should be asking the people who might know best - other bengal owners!
So, seeking advice on: Do I even attempt this? And if so, am I better off trying to find a dog a couple years old that's been around cats before? Or is a younger dog better? I'm meeting a 5 month old pomeranian shihtzu cross in a few days so potentially this could happen very soon. (I'll only get a small dog as my yard is quite small)
Thank you for your time!

Welcome to our forum. You have asked a difficult question. We have posts where there have been issues when adding a puppy to the mix. Usually, it's the poor dog that gets attacked because puppies tend to be overly playful. Then, you can see pictures online of dogs and bengals sleeping together. It depends on the personality of the dog and the personalities of your cats. It's always a gamble. You need to go into this thinking the worst and hoping for the best. Only you know the personality of your cats. Cats can show jealousy as can pups. Each pet needs to have their own space and three will require some space.

The problem will not be with a dog accepting your cats. It will the cats accepting the dog, who has now entered their private territory and may appear to be a threat. You do not want behavioral issues to start in the cats (spraying, not using the litter box, getting stressed out). If you have any friends with a dog, why not have them bring the dog over and see how your cats react. Many breeders have dogs and socialize their kittens to be around dogs. My bengal does not like dogs and we met several on our daily walks. Raiden has actually attacked some that got a little too close for comfort and his previous owner stated he did not like their dog.

The thing is .... you could have three loving pets who get along. They may not in the beginning, but they would probably learn to co-exist. You would have to use time and patience as your friend.

Aww, tamberav, what a gorgeous trio!