I've read it's best to bring in dog #2 as the opposite sex...true? (we have a female, so should we get a male?) Bailey has been raised with all female dogs in her life.
Do you have the same breeds? We have a Rottweiler but we now want a smaller dog (2 big dogs is TOO much!)
Should dog #2 be YOUNGER than the existing dog? Bailey is 3, we are thinking of adopting an adult dog, but not older than Bailey.
coxmandi
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Re: Multiple Dog owners....some questions
I don't think there is a standard for which dogs will get along. If you take your current dog to a rescue or some shelters they will supervise an introduction with potential new dogs for you. That way you'll know how they both will likely react. We took our dog with us when we got a kitten, so we could ensure a likely match.
cocoa
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Re: Multiple Dog owners....some questions
i don't think it really matters. we had a male and female and introduced a male puppy. when the male (older) died, we got a female pup. it is just important that the dogs are cool with each other.
lolita4life
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Re: Multiple Dog owners....some questions
i have always heard to bring in the opposite sex to what you have noe...... but in MY experiance, i will ONLY get a female dog from now on!!!!!! good luck!
ssdbk
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Re: Multiple Dog owners....some questions
my little dog LOVES big dogs!!!
exotica776
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Re: Multiple Dog owners....some questions
when FH and I got our bailey i lived at home and my parents had coco, a rottie boxer mix. coco was about 7 at the time but never really around other dogs too much. it took a while for coco to warm up to bailey. they are both female, we found out after the fact that that is the WORST combo.
for the most part they get along fine, but there have been some fights its very scary and sad. coco is always the aggressor, bailey always the victim. coco is bigger by about 20 lbs, and has given bailey some sutures and vet visits. i think it takes longer for us to get over it than for the dogs. you never know when it will happen. we literally dive into the fight to seperate them because all it takes is a split second. boy have i cried after a fight. bailey is 4 now and they have had about 15 fights.
here is some advice i have for you. we have learned the hard way, but better safe than sorry!!
be careful with food. you never know when a fight can happen. we feed them in different rooms, with the door closed. in addition to food, that includes treats, crumbs you might drop etc.
be careful with toys. the older female gets very territorial, they have fought over a tennis ball before (both went running for it and bumped into each other).
for us, we keep them seperated when we are not home. we ALWAYS put bailey in the bedroom and shut the door. she is happier than ever cause she has our huge bed, and coco has the entire house to herself. we dont have to worry when we are out.
I know you already got your adorable puggle (?) but i just wanted to respond to this with some advice. any questions, just ask!
