Need some advice. I have a 7 yr old female Border Collie, spayed. And a 1 1/2 yr old female "show" German Shepherd, spayed. I am getting a 8 week old working line German Shepherd to do bite training with and wondered if I should get a boy or a girl. Or dose it even matter? I will also be seeing a lot of my parents and they have a 4 yr old working line male GSD who is not fixed. Whether I get a boy or girl puppy it will be most likly be spayed or nutered. Are too many girls in one house a disaster waiting to happen? Are the males likly to fight? Thanks for the help.

Welcome to the forum Karen!

It's impossible to know what kind of chemistry will exist between your current dogs and a dog you don't have yet (and getting a puppy will make that all the more mysterious), but whatever the case, 3 dogs of any sex ARE a pack, and the potential for conflicts will be higher. Others may be able to offer some experience about same sex vs. mixed sex combinations, but at the end of the day every situation and every dog is unique.

Do you feel like a strong pack leader to your current 2 dogs? Do you plan on raising the new pup following the groundwork suggested on this site? Are you prepared to keep these dogs (any combination of the 4 you mentioned) separated for life if it turns out they can't coexist?

~Natalya

Thank you for the help. My pack leadership I think is good but can be better. I have got 3 of Leerburgs puppy dvds, "your puppy", "working puppy" and "bite training pups". And on my next pay check I plan to get the pack structure one . So I really want to do it right from the begining(of the pups life). And the other dogs will benifit from better pack leadership also. I have had problems in the past with a 3 1/2 yr old GSD (F) not getting along, but I think it had more to do with temprament than sex. I think it has just made me a little insecure. I have it narrowed down to 3 pups, 2 M and 1 F. The one male is more layed back in general but the female seems more submissive to the other dogs, plus a little quicker on the tug. I think I will go with the girl. You have been a lot of help. I think I will enjoy using this webboard more.

I don't have any personal experience of this (I have 2 males and a female), but I have heard that bitches are a higher risk of fighting, particularly if left alone (spayed or intact). ("Bitches equal stitches" ....secretly I want that on a t-shirt)

Which isn't to say 3 females couldn't work, but I would imagine they would need a strong leader, good supervision, and very strong structure. I think matching the pup you pick to be a good fit with your existing dogs personalities is a good idea as well.

 Quote: jennifer mullen

"Bitches equal stitches" ....secretly I want that on a t-shirt

I love the T-shirt idea;-)

I have had/worked with MANY more DA females than males, so my advice is to choose carefully, socialize properly and not allow any opportunities for pack issues/disputes.

The DA males that I have had have generally been male/male aggressive. Their intent was more to drive away other males by any means necessary. With the exception of one, I haven't had a male that didn't defer to all but the most submissive of the females. The females have had more deadly intentions and I have little doubt that a scrap between some of these girls would result in the death of one of them had they been allowed physical contact. Some of these dogs have been rescue dogs with questionable histories, but not all of them.


I personally would choose a male in this situation, but it sounds like the decision has been made and that things are being undertaken wisely and in the right spirit.

 Quote: kristel smart

 Quote: jennifer mullen

"Bitches equal stitches" ....secretly I want that on a t-shirt

I love the T-shirt idea;-)

Totally off-topic but I think it'd make a great t-shirt for the women on the forum


Your experience of bitches is pretty much what I've heard.

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

Totally off-topic but I think it'd make a great t-shirt for the women on the forum

I don't consider myself a very confrontational female, but I would still wear one of these!

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

Your experience of bitches is pretty much what I've heard.

Ditto. I never feel good using examples that aren't mine personally (at home or witnessed), but what I've HEARD about this subject from others is summed up nicely in Kristel's post. My inclination would probably be to go for a male as well, given the 2 female house dogs - though this may create conflict with the OP's parent's dog (intact male)... The living environment of this pup should be considered first and foremost, but the OP is wise to be aware of all the potential situations and relationships this pup will regularly be subjected to, and be prepared for things to not work out perfectly...

~Natalya

Karen,

What type of bite training? For sport? Are you going to be participating in SchH with a local club? Is the training (lets say SchH) more important, or that all of your dogs be able to coexist relatively well more important?

I ask because the decision should be based on what is more important. Often (not always)dogs bred for working ability/bite sports are less suitable to coexist in a pack within a home.

Regardless of gender or whether a dog is bred for work or show it is never good to assume a pup will grow up to fit into a current group, or that your current pair will agree with having another member added.

Temperament tests as pups can show a lot but nothing is ever certain, dogs can become dog aggressive as a fear or defensive measure after bad experiences, or just generally develop "bad habits" and may coexist well with their own pack but seem to have social/communication issues with strange dogs. Your current dogs will influence your pup's behavior and the way it communicates and interacts with all other dogs. This is why I keep my pups separate from other dogs until they have matured. When I have adults in the household and I add a pup, I slowly introduce them when appropriate after 8-9 months of age and my first course of action is to begin neutralizing the pup to the presence of strange dogs.

Also, have you discussed your needs with the breeder?

A shirt with something like this?

Where did you get that? I've been looking for pictures to make my own jpeg for cafepress!!!!! I searched 'bitches mean stiches' on cafepress. I'd prefer bigger 'BITCHES MEAN STITCHES' but that's awesome!