tracey you have made a very good post and I am certainly thinking about what you just said.

Brent,

You will have dogs that are only two years apart, and I don't think age makes a lot of difference. An older dog can get on with a puppy initially but not tolerate well the adolescent.

My mutts occupy the same space but that is a product of not tolerating any attitude. The one allowed to have attitude is me.

If you have experience with multiple dogs, you probably have an appreciation of the issues others have noted. I make the assumption that your dog and the puppy you are looking at are from good lines, and if that is the case, you might have two dogs who are predisposed to want to be in charge, and that is a problem in the making.

Eyes wide open. Good training and leadership skills. Firm and consistent approach to the interaction of the dogs. And things can work out.

I always expect the worst and hope for the best. And two dogs that don't get along is the worst.

In the long run, the age thing won't make much difference. Overly simplistic comment but if one dog is four and one two, the issues can be interesting.

Control. Patience. Consistency. Etc.

Not a dig but the fact that you need to ask that question tells me your probably not ready.
Understanding dog behavior is just one part of it but you also have to know your individual dogs like the back of your hand and most important you have to understand YOUR abilities and limitations.

Thanks Mike & Bob
I am doing some serious thinking about two dogs now.
Am I prepared to see if I can handle this situation ,I ask myself? Two worst scenario dogs are kept apart or one rehomed.
Don't rarely like those scenarios to be perfectly honest.

IME two male dogs are much better than two female dogs.

Does your present dog like any other dogs? Does he have any "friends" with whom he can play without you constantly worrying about a fight? Or do all his interactions end in you separating him from the other dog before "something happens"?

If your older dog is a calm and confident gentleman he may be fine. If he is a bossy "bulldog" minded Rott you better get a female or forget it.

Chances of a male & female getting along is alot better then 2 of the same sex....,but still no guarantee that it will be harmonious. It took 2 1/2 years for my female to 'tollerate' the male that I have now. I have owned both from 8 weeks old. I still have to be somewhat vigilant.

She got along wonderfully with another male that I had & totally hated another one that I had. SO you never know.

Trust me rotating 3 dogs was a super PITA & stressful. One mistake & you have WAR!

Thanks Anne & Betty .

I brought a 1 year old intact male mal home to my 3 year old male ACD.....


My ACD was at the point where he general dog social, he would be known to play with some dogs, he didn't really have any issues with dogs. The mal just didn't seem to have much exposure to other dogs but did seem to like them.


They were formally introduced for about 2 minutes on a street corner, then stuck in a car in separate crates side by side for 14 hours....when I got home and let them out they were best buds and still are a little over a year later.....


when I was young my family brought an 8 week old female puppy home to our dog neutral but dominant in nature 6 year old female.....the puppy grew up with our older dog. The older dog always had "escape" from the puppies, we did everything right in the whole introduction process and took it slow. They "got along" in the sense that they could be out in the house together while we were home and we never had a dog fight. However they never really "got along"...we always had to watch them.

My two males now, I've left them alone together for short periods (something I NEVER thought I'd be okay doing with dogs again)....worst I come back to is the pair of them snuggled up in the same crate. They'll share toys and even food if I let them.

It really depends on the temperment of your current dog (and to some degree the puppy...but puppies are puppies, and are moldable) but I'd trust two males together WAY more than two females. It always seems if males have a disagreement they bark at each other and it's over, females hold grudges and get revenge...

I would make sure the adult dog has a puppy free haven, each dog has their own space, to not let "ranks" emerge (no one should bully anyone else, you are leader) and above all do not at any point let them "sort it out on their own" if there has been any testing going on.

 Quote: Jamie Craig

I brought a 1 year old intact male mal home to my 3 year old male ACD.....
They were formally introduced for about 2 minutes on a street corner, then stuck in a car in separate crates side by side for 14 hours....when I got home and let them out they were best buds and still are a little over a year later.....

I've often thought about this intro protocol and how it worked for those two guys. I wonder if the 28-hour round-trip would be a deal-breaker for some folks?





But I don't want to derail these great points:

 Quote: Jamie Craig

.... when I was young my family brought an 8 week old female puppy home to our dog neutral but dominant in nature 6 year old female.....the puppy grew up with our older dog. The older dog always had "escape" from the puppies, we did everything right in the whole introduction process and took it slow. They "got along" in the sense that they could be out in the house together while we were home and we never had a dog fight. However they never really "got along"...we always had to watch them.

My two males now, I've left them alone together for short periods (something I NEVER thought I'd be okay doing with dogs again)....worst I come back to is the pair of them snuggled up in the same crate. They'll share toys and even food if I let them.

It really depends on the temperment of your current dog (and to some degree the puppy...but puppies are puppies, and are moldable) but I'd trust two males together WAY more than two females. It always seems if males have a disagreement they bark at each other and it's over, females hold grudges and get revenge...

I would make sure the adult dog has a puppy free haven, each dog has their own space, to not let "ranks" emerge (no one should bully anyone else, you are leader) and above all do not at any point let them "sort it out on their own" if there has been any testing going on.

What role if any do folks think castration has in this?