2 male dogs or a male and a female?

[Brokendreams490]

Hello, I am little bit new here. I was kind of wanting an opinion about getting another dog. Right now we have an 8 year old lab mix that loves other animals and now we feel it is time to get another dog from our local shelter. I was just wondering, do 2 males get along better or do a female and a male? My dog right now is fixed and the one we will be getting will also be fixed so no problem there. I was just wondering about your experience with this. He always gets along with dogs that he meets on walks and our neighbors dog, I just want him and the new dog to get along.

Any advice would be great

Thanks,

Sam

 

[DanL]

We have 2 males and 1 female. The 2 males get along great. One is fixed, the other isn't. I think with proper training you can have whatever combination of dogs you want.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Agree with Dan. With proper training you can have any two mixture. We have two males (both fixed) and they get along just fine. We have never had a problem.

 

[Julie]

For me personally..... I have had more problems with females.
But I think it depends alot on the particular dog and like the others said training.
In the past I have had two neutered males that only had an occasional spat.
They got along very well.
I now have One male and two females. I have to keep the females seperated because Shiloh attacks Rocket and they are severe fights.
And Rocket (female) is now starting to take the lead over Charlie, but they don't fight or anything. But I have caught him lying in the hall whining because Rocket was asleep in the bedroom doorway....and he wouldn't walk over her.

Best wishes......... Check for dog aggression in your new dog before you decide. Although that could really change in a younger pup.

 

[Char_06]

I've always had male & female...mainly through my mums decision though. When both fixed they have always got on fine. With 2 males still fixed they are usually fine its the females that ive seen problems with but with good training like most have said, all should be okay.

 

[Gempress]

I think that traditionally, you have less problems with a male/female combo. It's more common for dogs to have aggression with dogs of the same sex.

 

[elegy]

it really depends on the dogs and on the breeds. dobermans, for example, are notoriously problematic in male-male pairings. my own breed, pit bulls, are often a problem in female-female pairings. in breeds that are less, er, temperamental, sex often matters much less- i know tons of people who have two male labs and never ever have problems.

are you planning on getting a puppy?

 

[casablanca1]

From what I've observed, the best chance for a peaceful household comes if you look at the dog you've already got, and choose a second dog who is smaller, more submissive, and the opposite sex. The most important part of that is probably the temperament. If your current dog tends to want to run everything (gallops in to inspect every little move you make, rears up on you if he can, follows you from place to place, physically encourages you to move out of his way, stands like a stone if you try to nudge him out of the way, etc.) then get a second dog who isn't like that, or you'll have WWIII the first time they both try to get through a doorway.

If your first dog is very laidback and loves other animals, it's probably still worth getting a submissive dog. There's going to be a showdown over who runs the roost, and your heart is probably going to be with the original dog, so it'll be easier if he's not displaced by a more dominant newcomer.

 

[Brokendreams490]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Still a little undecided. What I do know is that the dog I will be getting will be smaller then the lab I have now. As for the age I was thinking something maybe 8 months - 2 or 3 years. Somewhere around there. I just hope that he and the new dog will get along well.

 

[mrose_s]

we have 2 males and 2 females. an adult and a puppy of each. the older male is fixed, none of the others are. we do expect that the 2 males will fight a bit when they get older but we are just going to deal with it when teh problem arises.

i would recomend a female and a male. your current dog may not have a problem with other dogs but the next pet may not be so understanding

 

[Debi]

I had Addie (my husky mix..spayed female) first. she is alot smaller than my shepherd (male...neutered), yet there was never a problem in their 'size'...she rules. she has always been that way, so it was most likely just 'normal' for him to obey. I did have him neutered at 6 mos. because he was starting to vie for position when those hormones kicked in. I agree with training, but I also know alot of people that have problems with 2 females..and that's spayed. Addie did love having a companion, tho! just introduce them slowly, and good luck on the new pup!!!

 

[mrose_s]

sophie is a weird dog. she's the alpha. always has been. buster is below her then harry and then mac. sophie gets on really well with most dogs. except a couple. the one next door that won't stop picking fights (eventhouh sophie is 3 times her size) has had to suffer the wrath of sophie on more than one occasion.

and once a friend bought his femaale red dog to our house. we seprated them, sophie in the backyard and teh red girl in the garage, glass door seperation and i have never seen sophie so agressive. we wouldn't have seperated them except the red dog was a notoriously agresisve girl

 

[smkie]

I have always felt more comfortable with a male and female combo. If i were to bring another male into this house even a smaller one i think Victor would suffer, a female smaller dog on the other hand would delight him to no end. How does your dog react to other dogs?

 

[Brokendreams490]

My dog Lucky reacts to other dogs with excitement. If he is in the yard and a dog walks by he immediately wants to smell the dog and run around and play. When we had friends bring over there male dog they never fought and played for a very long time.

 

[bubbatd]

I've had 4 of each sex with no problems . Luckily by getting a rescue dog you can introduce before you adopt and get a good match . Good luck and let us know !!

 

[oc_spirit]

I find male/female combos are the most likely to not have problems but then there are always exceptions. Without going into breed specifics in general I find that it is easier to have male/male than female/female. Males will fight for dominance so once it is established the fight is over. Females fight for breeding rights and those I find are much more lengthy and intense.