Bringing anoter dog into a home with a dominating female

[thepointingheeler]

Hello..

I've been considering adopting another dog as both a companion for me and my current dog. The issue arises in the sense that, my dog is a female Blue Heeler mix around two years old. She has dominating issues with other dogs, specifically other females.

She gets very excitable when she see's other dogs..she starts acting out, barking, whining and running towards the other dogs. She has met dogs she just sniffed and walked away from, others she got defensive, started barking and snarling, though not VICIOUS.

Now, I wouldn't want to bring another dog into my home if I felt it would cause some permanent amount of conflict, I don't think that would be fair to either dog. I do think she has the potential to "break in" with another dog; once she gets to know another dog she can adjust and possibly become friends. I come to this conclusion as she has become adjusted to my girlfriends two labradors (whom are both female) as well as my friends male greyhound/lab mix.

She does have a tendency to chase other dogs that run and nip at them, I believe this may be vestigial of her herding instincts.

My question is, have you been posed with the situation of wanting to bring a dog into a home with a potentially dominating dog? What was your experience? What was the experience of someone you know that did this? I figure that if I do decide to do this, the dog must be a male.

Any help or advice is appreciated. I don't intend on putting my dog into an unhealthy situation just because of my desire to have another dog, I very much want to do it with her interest in mind as well.

Thanks

 

[elegy]

first off, i'd find an adult dog, submissive, and male. a dog who isn't going to challenge her. it's really important that the dogs meet somewhere neutral so you can gauge their interactions before you make any decisions.

this link is geared toward pit bulls, but i think it may be of help to you. look especially at the bringing a new bully into the house link. it's got good information on introductions.

 

[Rosefern]

My question is, have you been posed with the situation of wanting to bring a dog into a home with a potentially dominating dog?

My female, Flicka, is very dominant with other dogs. She is the alpha in our household (consisting of her, four males, and one other female)...I regularly foster, and am constantly bringing new dogs into my house.

What was your experience?

Normally very positive. We introduce them on neutral ground always. And slowly...

I figure that if I do decide to do this, the dog must be a male.

Yes...that's definately a good starting point...I have a male and a female of my own, my boyfriend has two males, and I foster one male and one female. The female foster is fairly submissive, and that's the ONLY way that I can have two females in the house.

Now, Flicka isn't like this with dogs at the dogpark, or friends dogs...only dogs in our house...

-Rosefern