Introducing a new pup to a 6yo Weimaraner??

milano77

Hi guys! I'm new here, but have a bit of a dilemma and need your opinions.

We have a 6yo hyperactive Weimaraner at home, he is a lovely family dog and our kids get on well with him. However, my hubs is 50 this year and me and the kids were thinking of making his dreams about a Westie come true.

1. Do you think it's possible for a Weimaraner male to get on with a Westie female pup?
2. What's the best way to introduce them to each other?
3. Any advice? Suggestions?

Thank you

milano77

Forgot to mention, we always dreamed of having 2 dogs, so it's not that we want to replace our good old friend as one may think.

Cherry Blossom

How does your dog interact with other dogs? Is he well socialised and is he neutered?

milano77

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

How does your dog interact with other dogs? Is he well socialised and is he neutered?

Hi adrenalinjunkie,

(cool nickname btw , He is HYPER with any other dog, very playful, not very careful, persistent and curious. He is not neutered though. Do we consider doing it? Im sorry if its a silly question, this is our first dog, so we are pretty puzzled.

milano77

Also, I feel its important to mention, that he lives outside in the garden in his super deluxe heated dogs box, so the other question is - wont he be overjealous of another dog, who will be in the house?

Cherry Blossom

You would have to monitor their play very carefully until he learned to be calmer around the pup. There is quite a big size difference. You could also potentially have two very hyper dogs which is more than double the work.

Some people can successfully keep two intact dogs of opposite sex without an accident happening. I would not attempt it myself. Your boy could get very distressed by the female being in heat. It is not recommended to spay before 6 months and there is a possibility the female could come in heat before that.

Here's what I did re: introductions.
I took a towel to the breeders two weeks before I brought my pup home. Rubbed the pup all over with it and gave it to my existing dog for her bed.
When I collected him I brought my other dog with me (two separate crates) and stopped at a friend's house who doesn't have dogs. I let them meet there and get to know each other for a few hours before going on home.

At times you are not there to supervise in the early weeks and months use baby gates to keep the dogs separated until you are sure there will be no issues.

Cherry Blossom

Why will one be in and one out? A dog is a dog, small dogs don't act any differently in the house than big dogs.

milano77

That was the idea, our boy is an outside dog and doesn't know any different, he's been in the house for the first few months, and then moved to his own place in the garden. He is keeping our house safe at all times, and we don't have to worry anyone could break in, as he is an amazing guard dog too. I was wondering if it's even possible that he stays out and the pup stays with us? or it could potentially cause issues because of jealousy? Maybe it's not a good idea to get a puppy in our circumstances?

Re: your previous message.

That was very well thought through. How long did it take for the dogs to get used to each other? When could you let them stay together on their own? What breeds do you have?

Cherry Blossom

Existing dog was a Westie, New dog was a Sheltie. A little westie wouldn't do much damage to a pup and they got on great very quickly. Someone is here at home all the time so they were always supervised. I got a little panel made up by an engineering company to split my dog run and seperated them out there for 4 or 5 months.

My brother has a 3 yr old German shepherd though who sleeps in my house and can easily clear my garden wall and he has never been left unsupervised with the small dogs as he is much too rough. I could for see the same problems with yours if they are basically living seperate lives. I dont think dogs do jealousy but they do resource guard. It's a possibility the terrier may see the house as a valuable resource to be protected from the outside dog.

milano77

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Existing dog was a Westie, New dog was a Sheltie. A little westie wouldn't do much damage to a pup and they got on great very quickly. Someone is here at home all the time so they were always supervised. I got a little panel made up by an engineering company to split my dog run and seperated them out there for 4 or 5 months.

My brother has a 3 yr old German shepherd though who sleeps in my house and can easily clear my garden wall and he has never been left unsupervised with the small dogs as he is much too rough. I could for see the same problems with yours if they are basically living seperate lives. I dont think dogs do jealousy but they do resource guard. It's a possibility the terrier may see the house as a valuable resource to be protected from the outside dog.

Thank you very much for all the information. Lots to think about before I even go and meet the pup.

VonVix

Compatibility is very important to consider when choosing a second dog to bring into your home, I have three males and if I were to add a fourth dog I know for sure it would most likely be a female who is in between sizes of my boys, I wouldn't get a very large breed or a small breed because it wouldn't suit them, similarly I wouldn't get a chilled out/thin skinned breed like a Lurcher even though size wise they would essentially fit perfectly, but temperamentally it wouldn't be a good fit.

Now, if I was in your position with a 6 year old unneutered Weim who was quite exuberant in his play style I would be looking at a similarly sized (maybe even a slightly larger) spayed adult female.

Personally I think it would be very unfair to have one as an inside dog and one as an outside dog. I know of someone who did that (outside dog was a giant breed and the inside dog was a toy breed!) and it didn't work very well, the outside dog ended up with a number of issues (that weren't really his fault) after they introduced the second dog. into their home.

milano77

Hi, thank you very much for your message. I agree, it would've been much better if my hubs dreamed of a bigger dog „. I'm just after speaking with the owner of westies who has pups for sale, she said that dogs of this breed don't get on with kids, because of their temperament... I have two - 2,5yo and 6mo, so I think we will have to drop it for the time being and get back to it when both kids go to school

VonVix wrote: »

Compatibility is very important to consider when choosing a second dog to bring into your home, I have three males and if I were to add a fourth dog I know for sure it would most likely be a female who is in between sizes of my boys, I wouldn't get a very large breed or a small breed because it wouldn't suit them, similarly I wouldn't get a chilled out/thin skinned breed like a Lurcher even though size wise they would essentially fit perfectly, but temperamentally it wouldn't be a good fit.

Now, if I was in your position with a 6 year old unneutered Weim who was quite exuberant in his play style I would be looking at a similarly sized (maybe even a slightly larger) spayed adult female.

Personally I think it would be very unfair to have one as an inside dog and one as an outside dog. I know of someone who did that (outside dog was a giant breed and the inside dog was a toy breed!) and it didn't work very well, the outside dog ended up with a number of issues (that weren't really his fault) after they introduced the second dog. into their home.

Cherry Blossom

10 years old is the minimum recommended age of kids for people considering a Westie (or most terrier breeds).

milano77

well then... 9,5 years to go Thank you, people, now i feel my questions have been answered!

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

You would have to monitor their play very carefully until he learned to be calmer around the pup. There is quite a big size difference. You could also potentially have two very hyper dogs which is more than double the work.

Some people can successfully keep two intact dogs of opposite sex without an accident happening. I would not attempt it myself. Your boy could get very distressed by the female being in heat. It is not recommended to spay before 6 months and there is a possibility the female could come in heat before that.

Here's what I did re: introductions.
I took a towel to the breeders two weeks before I brought my pup home. Rubbed the pup all over with it and gave it to my existing dog for her bed.
When I collected him I brought my other dog with me (two separate crates) and stopped at a friend's house who doesn't have dogs. I let them meet there and get to know each other for a few hours before going on home.

At times you are not there to supervise in the early weeks and months use baby gates to keep the dogs separated until you are sure there will be no issues.

DBB

milano77 wrote: »

Hi, thank you very much for your message. I agree, it would've been much better if my hubs dreamed of a bigger dog „. I'm just after speaking with the owner of westies who has pups for sale, she said that dogs of this breed don't get on with kids, because of their temperament... I have two - 2,5yo and 6mo, so I think we will have to drop it for the time being and get back to it when both kids go to school

Hi OP,
I am very pleased to hear that there are some Westie breeders in Ireland who are being truthful with potential customers! Wayyy too many breeders market them as "great family pets"... which for most Westies is way off the mark.
They're a breed I am particularly familiar with, and the combination of Westie with a child under 10 can be risky.
With a toddler and an infant who'll be mobile before the end of the summer? Not a chance would I recommend the breed to you under any circumstances. They often love kids, but only in short doses, and only if they're not too hands-on. They are not known for having a great deal of patience, and when they lose their temper, they're likely to snap and bite. They often HATE toddlers. I would say that at the very minimum, half of them that end up in rescue are there because there's been an issue with a child. I wouldn't be inclined to consider a Westie suitable for a family with children under 10-12 years of age. They're just a bit (often a lot) too sharp for younger kids.

It is also exceptionally difficult to get a healthy Westie in the south of Ireland... and I really mean exceptionally difficult. If it's not a behavioural problem, it's a medical issue, and boy oh boy do they have their share of breed-related illnesses.... hip deformities, digestive problems, fatal lung problems (so endemic to the breed it's called "Westie Lung"!), kidney and liver problems, and the most familiar of them all, affecting a large chunk of the Westie population at some point of their lives... skin problems with associated ear and eye problems. A simply horrible and incurable condition.
I am not exagerrating when I say that very close to 100% of Westies bred in the south of Ireland WILL succumb to at least one of the above at some point in their lives. As a breed, they're far shorter-lived than they used to be due to reckless breeding. Quite frankly, they've become a bit of a disaster, and anyone thinking of buying one needs to tread with serious care. I simply would not buy one in the south of Ireland. There are some excellent breeders in the north, but you have to be prepared to pay for them!

As for mixing a big, exuberant Weim with a little breed, adult Westies are good at holding their own, and female westies in particular tend to be good at wearing the trousers , but I have a very steady, calm, gentle German Shepherd who, despite being very respectful to him, on quite a number of occasions sent my assertive, stocky, strongly-built male Westie flying many times. I think having a big size disparity is potentially risky, particularly when the smallie is still a pup and unable to retaliate... and very vulnerable physically.

milano77

Hi,

I really appreciate you took time to respond! I'd love to be able to get back to this subject in a few y time, is there any chance in the world i could get your email/add you on facebook? You seem very knowledgeable in this area, and maybe could advice a good westie breeder when we are ready for it?


Thanks again.

DBB wrote: »

Hi OP,
I am very pleased to hear that there are some Westie breeders in Ireland who are being truthful with potential customers! Wayyy too many breeders market them as "great family pets"... which for most Westies is way off the mark.
They're a breed I am particularly familiar with, and the combination of Westie with a child under 10 can be risky.
With a toddler and an infant who'll be mobile before the end of the summer? Not a chance would I recommend the breed to you under any circumstances. They often love kids, but only in short doses, and only if they're not too hands-on. They are not known for having a great deal of patience, and when they lose their temper, they're likely to snap and bite. They often HATE toddlers. I would say that at the very minimum, half of them that end up in rescue are there because there's been an issue with a child. I wouldn't be inclined to consider a Westie suitable for a family with children under 10-12 years of age. They're just a bit (often a lot) too sharp for younger kids.

It is also exceptionally difficult to get a healthy Westie in the south of Ireland... and I really mean exceptionally difficult. If it's not a behavioural problem, it's a medical issue, and boy oh boy do they have their share of breed-related illnesses.... hip deformities, digestive problems, fatal lung problems (so endemic to the breed it's called "Westie Lung"!), kidney and liver problems, and the most familiar of them all, affecting a large chunk of the Westie population at some point of their lives... skin problems with associated ear and eye problems. A simply horrible and incurable condition.
I am not exagerrating when I say that very close to 100% of Westies bred in the south of Ireland WILL succumb to at least one of the above at some point in their lives. As a breed, they're far shorter-lived than they used to be due to reckless breeding. Quite frankly, they've become a bit of a disaster, and anyone thinking of buying one needs to tread with serious care. I simply would not buy one in the south of Ireland. There are some excellent breeders in the north, but you have to be prepared to pay for them!

As for mixing a big, exuberant Weim with a little breed, adult Westies are good at holding their own, and female westies in particular tend to be good at wearing the trousers , but I have a very steady, calm, gentle German Shepherd who, despite being very respectful to him, on quite a number of occasions sent my assertive, stocky, strongly-built male Westie flying many times. I think having a big size disparity is potentially risky, particularly when the smallie is still a pup and unable to retaliate... and very vulnerable physically.

Latatian

Agree with all of the above.

My westie has no skin problems, but has lung problems which showed up at age 10 or so. She's a lovely dog but she is a terrier, and I wouldn't put her in a house with children. She adores children. We passed a Smith's and she tried to persuade me to go in purely because there were lots of kids inside. Her tail starts wagging every time she sees a small person. But I wouldn't put her in a house with kids. I put a lot of work into keeping her good with children, and if (a) the child in the house gave the dog a bad experience or (b) the dog's temperament turned out to be different from hers, it could all go wrong. Even a perfect dog can get a fright, and pups are always a gamble.

DBB

Latatian wrote: »

She adores children. We passed a Smith's and she tried to persuade me to go in purely because there were lots of kids inside. Her tail starts wagging every time she sees a small person. But I wouldn't put her in a house with kids.

My Westie was the same, it was almost embarrassing how much he loved children when out and about, all smiles and wags. But I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him to live with them full-time, or if they pushed him too far. He never showed overt aggression towards any children, but he would get up and walk away with that stiff westie-walk when disturbed by them around the house.

Knine

I have an Italian Spinone with Border Terriers. A bigger size difference then what you are considering. They get on great, fantastic in fact. However I have to be very careful. It is quite common to keep these breeds together. However one of my friends was not so lucky & an adult Border collided with a Spinone & died instantly. I have to supervise any rough play. Borders are extremely fast so I regularly have to intervene if there is high speed chasing.

I agree with DBB about Westies with children. I think yiu need to thread carefully.

Most of my dogs are intact & I just separate when in heat. Small Terriers can come into heat as early as 5 mths.