Two Male Dogs

Officer Giggles

Hey all, My friends neighbour has a 5 month old full male German Shepherd Dog which has grown to big for him to keep , I am so tempted to take him in but I have a 10 month old full male Newfoudland, now if i did take in the GSD i would get him neutered, i havnt gotten my fella done as im still pondering with the idea of showing him, now my question is are there any particular reasons as to why two male dogs wouldnt get on with each other or is there no difference between having two males or a male and a female.

Thanks

ppink

I am not sure there is anything set in stone as to 2 males getting along or not.
In my experience we have had male dogs that have been the absolute best pals.....even to the point of one jumping into the river after the other when he got into difficulty.

however we have also had dogs that woudl tear each other apart!

Maybe you could introduce them on neutral ground and see how they get on? I think the neutral ground thing is important as that was how we got our dog agressive girl to accept her new buddy:)

Officer Giggles

yea i was going to do the neutral ground thing alright, just wasnt sure whether there was say common problems between two males being introduced

are you serious

Its all down to the dogs and their temperment... Both of them are still very young so there is a good chance they will turn out just fine. I know a guy who had 2 full male Rotties 2 yrs apart in age, no problems between them at all, the older one died just there at the start of they year and now they guy has got himself another male pup and still no problems

Maybe suggest to your friends neighbour you are thinking of taking his dog and ask could you take him for a night to see how they get on...

Best of luck anyway..

Officer Giggles

i never even thought of taking him for a night and seeing how they suited cheers

lorebringer

They are both young enough for it to be very successful, as long as you approach the situation correctly. Definitely introduce them on neutral ground (perhaps a park or another open space) - walk them around together, let them interact on their own terms but in a controlled situation (don't force them on each other, if they ignore the other dog that's up to them!). If they seem to be getting on, perhaps arrange a play date or walk them back to your house together and see how they go once they enter a more enclosed space (and one of the dogs homes). IF (big if) they seem ok in the garden, on leads, let them off to see if they are put out by each other or just fine together - they may even want to play (both still being pups!). If all goes well, a few play dates followed by a longer period of time together (like, as garkane suggested, a sleep over or an entire day together) should really help them get used to each other without being crowded out.

There are a lot of "if"s when it comes to this kind of thing - but if one step goes well, it's very easy to move onto the next. There will be a bit of initial growling or whatever over minor things, and this is totally normal when it comes to a new dog entering the house, but if you let them sort out the minor stuff between themselves they won't end up exploding at each other. Neutering one dog will help when it comes to boys being boys and pushing the boundaries, it all really depends on the dogs and how well they get on. Some dogs are fantastic together from the get go while others need a bit of time, so just go by how they are interacting and how well they seem to like (or dislike) each other. Both are still very young (5 and 10 months are still only floppy-around-the-place kids!) so you have a good chance of everything going really well.

Good luck!

TooManyDogs

If you took the second dog would you consider neutering them both?

My friend had 2 entire males and it too all her energy to manage the situation, swore she never would do it again. Like the others said it will depend on their personalities but the general rule is it's not a good idea to have 2 entire males. Like I said it's a general rule, plenty of people have successfully done it and plenty of people have had their hearts broken.

Slowly introducing them on play dates is a great idea too. Have it at the back of your mind that they might get on great now because they're so young but they might not mature for another year and it's then that problems could start, it's that damned testosterone!! Dogs that have been best friends can suddenly turn on each other when there's triggers like a bitch in heat in the area, food, toys etc. If you see anything like that getting in a behaviourist or getting a few good books to learn how to deal with them will make a big difference.

A tip I heard was when you see their personalities develop you'll see one be more the boss than the other, if you neuter the more submissive one it'll create a big difference between the two dogs so the chances of fighting will be far reduced. , the more donimant dog not considering the neutered male a threat. I've never done it myself, I neuter all my animals but I've heard it can make a big difference.

Good luck with it, I think a GSD would be a great companion for a newfie

Chris_Heilong

TooManyDogs wrote: »

If you took the second dog would you consider neutering them both?

My friend had 2 entire males and it too all her energy to manage the situation, swore she never would do it again. Like the others said it will depend on their personalities but the general rule is it's not a good idea to have 2 entire males. Like I said it's a general rule, plenty of people have successfully done it and plenty of people have had their hearts broken.

Slowly introducing them on play dates is a great idea too. Have it at the back of your mind that they might get on great now because they're so young but they might not mature for another year and it's then that problems could start, it's that damned testosterone!! Dogs that have been best friends can suddenly turn on each other when there's triggers like a bitch in heat in the area, food, toys etc. If you see anything like that getting in a behaviourist or getting a few good books to learn how to deal with them will make a big difference.

A tip I heard was when you see their personalities develop you'll see one be more the boss than the other, if you neuter the more submissive one it'll create a big difference between the two dogs so the chances of fighting will be far reduced. , the more donimant dog not considering the neutered male a threat. I've never done it myself, I neuter all my animals but I've heard it can make a big difference.

Good luck with it, I think a GSD would be a great companion for a newfie

They said they didnt plan to Neuter the Newfoundland as they where thinking of showing. I think both dogs would be fine but there would be a period of setteling into pack order and maybe some brawling if both guys think they are top dog.

Cherry Blossom

Am I wrong in thinking you also have another dog? From the situation you describe it sounds like it may allow for gradually integrating the GSD into your house. Like others have said play dates and taking them both out for walks together while he still lives at his old house would be a great idea. Ideally they would already be firm friends by the time he moved in and you'd hopefully have no problems at all.

Little_Focker

Id prefer 2 males than 2 females to be honest. We have 2 males and they get on great the older one was nuetered though before we got the 2nd guy but the older dog used to mix with our friends males dogs before he was nuetered and never any problems.

Our female even though she's spayed will still try and pick a fight with any strange dog!

silkenfla

Always had 2 male dogs and they got on well once the pack position was decided (involved no fighting either). I suppose it depends on the nature of the dog. Have had a GSD and he had a great temperment and was good natured. I hope it works out with the 2 boys