Are they compatible ?

sean.carolan100

*First off I'm new to this part of boards and don't really know were to post so mod's feel free to move/remove if needed.

We have a female shih tzu living in the house and we are looking to adopt a Labrador ( hopefully pup). I want to gather so info on which sex I should get , Will they fight etc. Any help is much appreciated .

Sean

Bluefrog

While I know that plenty of people have more than one female and have no problems, I'd say go for a male. I have noticed that my older dog who is female attracts more agression from females than males - neutered or not. I got a male pup and they get on like a house on fire. Despite her being neutered she is still pretty maternal with him, engaging him in play and even cleaning his eyes in the mornings.

sean.carolan100

But right now , Katie ( the shih tzu) , Ishead of the house hold and is let run free. Im thinking if I bring a male dog in will there be a clash of domininse (Sp) or will the male lab simply overpower katie?

Bluefrog

Well, dominance isn't based on gender or even size necessarily. It could end up going either way with either of them being more assertive - its more a matter of personality. How is your existing dog with other dogs? It can also vary in intensity. As long as you are clear with them that at the end of the day, YOU outrank them both, you shouldn't have any issues.

The only thing I think you should consider is that for some people, it can be difficult to deal with (from their own viewpoint), if the elder dog winds up last in the pecking order but this is really a matter for the dogs to work out themselves. You can't manipulate the roles they take. A more submissive dog will not be happy if forced into a more dominant role for instance.

In my case, any dominance isn't really obvious between the two of them so far apart from the pup often waiting to take his cue from his big sister - that's probably more an age and confidence thing.

Finally, I have to say what I always say to people who tell me they are thinkng about getting a dog - please consider a rescue animal - so many beautiful dogs out there needing homes.

sean.carolan100

I see. Well she thinks she is the boss - and I can't really say thats not true. But she gets on very well with dogs and loves Labradors. We are really getting this dog for her because she is on her own from about 12:00 to 4:00 on weekdays and we feel she is very lonely in this time. And who can resist a Labrador:D Thank you for all your help.

Bluefrog

It doesn't always work to ease problems for a dog with seperation anxiety but in my case it did help a lot as Holly got very upset too (though not destructively) when I wasn't there. I should add that since getting the pup, I have made a concious decision with Holly to pull back a good deal in my relationship with her to direct her more towards the pup and encourage bonding.

I have to give Holly at least 50% of the credit for rearing the pup at this point - she's been like his nanny and helps manage his abundant (to say the least) energy.

sean.carolan100

Well not exactly separation anxiety , We just want someone for her to play with when were away. Katie has some very bad habits tho- as in she refuses to eat dog food etc but hopefully this wont rub off on the Lab.

Now to source one. We want to try and get one from an animal rescue kennel but she really does want to get a pup, And an animal rescue shelter probably won't have one.

Bluefrog

Have a look on the dspca site and animals.ie. I'm sure some of the regulars in the forum can point you to one pretty quickly. I know a couple of people involved in rescue too so I can put the word out for you that you're looking if you want.

One major advantage of going through a rescue would be that you could foster the pup for a while to see how they get on before making a permanent commitment.