Kim,

Actually, I DO live in Washington. When WE had the GSD and GSP, I lived in Vancouver. We also found a new home for our Shorthair.

I definitely wouldn't recommend it for most people, but I do have 4 adult GSDs in my home, 2 males (2 and 4) and 2 females(7 and approx 13), all altered except the old gal, no crates or confinement.

Most bitter fights I know of are 2 females together, altho any dog can get into it with another, regardless of gender.

I cannot bring males into my home for emergency foster, as my 2 year old would lose it, but he and the 4 year old male get along great, sleep together, rest together, play together. But I can bring in a female, as long as the old gal doesn't know.

Well, anything is possible. Laureen has had some good fortune, but are they not all rescued pets, rather than working dogs? I do believe there are differences, I expect working dogs to be pushier overall.j

I totally agree that once you get past 2 dogs you need to invest in good kennels, esp if you plan to work your dogs. They don't need to become overly bonded w/each other any more than they need to kill each other. There are exceptions of course. When my elderly, dysplastic, epileptic sheltie w/nerves of steel was alive, he kept the GSDs under control.

You would *think* 1 male, 1 bitch would work but dang if I didn't have the most horrendous fights that way, but . . . it was all fur grabbing, posturing and blowing smoke, they didn't bite each other.

One of the nastiest fights I have ever known about was a German Shorthair Pointer and a Golden (both intact females). Even after the pointer lost, the golden would still escape her kennel to attack the pointer. The owners had to find the golden a new home.

I have a Intact Male GSD, Rottie/pit female and a Black female intact GSD puppy, the first two are inseparatable they play and live together until its time to train. The Black GSD pup stays in her crate in the wash room, she lives inside the home. She runs free inside the house and at the park when I'm home.

They get along fine after I tell the Rottie bitch to stop the first time. Now she does not want the GSD bitch too close to the Male GSD for some reason she mostly will just get in between and always want to walk or be ahead of the puppy, but will almost back up if she passes the GSD when on leash walking.

I don't see how my pup will end up dead because, the experiment is to raise the pup without a dog alpha unless its just fall in place. The pup will never have to be physically submissize to either dog. Though right now she is fond of both, even though the Rott is always picking at her. I'm means if she picks up a rag, the tug of war is on, the pups is pretty tough. She won't give up even when air borne.

Have you ever seen this though the Male will sometimes break this up, he will grab the tug in the middle and the Rottie bitch will let go, the pups hangs on until I tell her to stop. Then he trouts off with it and lays on it. He thinks he's hot sh%^.

Don, it seems you are having better sucess then I am. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> My male GSD and female Akita get along fantastic. Been together for over 5 yrs.
The male GSD and my female GSD pup get along great.(pup 6 months)pup is rough on older GSD <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
The female Akita and the female GSD pup is another story. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I have ot keep the females apart, I'm sure the
GSD pup wants to play but so far it's KEEP THEM A PART!!!!!!! The Akita is submissive to ONLY the male GSD.

On leash she is no problem, off leash unattended she would cause alot of harm to the pup.

We aresocializing them slowly to make sure nothing happens. I would rather take longer and have better results then a Harmed pup, physically or mentally.

A *lot* depends on the ages of the dogs as well as individual variations in temperaments. 2 yo seems to be a magic # for a lot of dogs, as in * I don't understand! They always played so nicely together!* and then all heck breaks loose.

What they do as pups doesn't ensure that they won't brawl later.

Even in pet homes, having a way to secure the individual dogs safely, ie crate/kennels is a responsible thing to do.

Hey Don
Yeah I've seen a male alpha break up fights/keep peace. be careful my friend-they do this when the person in charge can't!
Lived on a farm several years where part of my "rent" included taking care of what I called the "savages"-assorted wayward dogs, hybrids, and straight up wolves kept in pens. very very scary. Dog pack fun is no fun for people! Dog pack fights are no where to be without a weapon.
One male alpha in this situation, thank god he liked me. Several young males who would have eaten my butt for breakfast but for this guy-he'd throw them around like he was bruce lee or something. there was a playful streak in these young dogs, they'd bite me in the tail when my back was turned, and be very apologetic when the old man nailed them, and run if I turned on them quick. they meant to eat me in the purest most honest spirit of good appetite and fun.
But the bitches-holy cow man. One bitch had a litter every year, none of the rest. Always this old dog bred her, no one else. Then the owner brings in this "poor" unwanted bitch, calls it a black shepherd, anyone with a brain can see it's a wolf like half of the damn things in there, and it proceeds to whup that other bitches a** regularly. She would have killed the first alpha bitch but for the old guy interceding. They both ended up with litters, (bad bad-I think in a pack only one bitch normally does this) and the older bitch had the most unpleasant open wounds on her tail/back end all the time. As the male dog got stiffer and older, the bitches fought more and more and like ...dogs? he'd lurch over and curl his lip and everyone would scatter, but I kept wondering how long he could do the job. All the dogs would come around and join in, picking on whoever went down, and I always prayed that I never slipped and fell in that damn pen.
Too many big fighting dogs in the same place give me the willies to this day, Don. Do not let them work it out. I am not letting it happen even with my one spayed bitch and little dog man, I don't care how much more time it takes it too take each one out alone or come in like the wrath of God into a quarrel. I have neat little white scars in my ass to remind me how bad a pack can get. (and these were their "friendly" hellos) I AM that old alpha dog now in my house.

Alex, that is quite an interesting story, it is quite troubling too.

What was the guy who owned these dogs thinking keeping a pen full of wild wolf hybrids??? That is just flat out strange in my book.

joe
he was an interesting and troubling dude. Old sf guy from Nam, worked for the post office and drove a harley. Do I need to say more?
One of those inherently good people who really want to help "god's creatures". Ended up with the cast-offs from the suburban nuts who buy hybrids thinking they're just noble gsd's in furrier clothes and find out after they've eaten the neighbor's cats and poodles, scaled eight foot of barb wire fence and run down miles of highway after possums, and often taken a piece out of their "master" that it ain't quite like that.
Weirdest thing of all-when that man went into the pens, those animals all laid down to him in adoration and submission. they hardly ever saw him, he rarely was their feeder, and never worked them in any way. he never understood my issues with them, because he didn't have them.