# How long between Puppies?



## GSDGhost (Oct 14, 2013)

Hi there

Im new to this forum and after reading loads of threads i thought id ask... 

Firstly i have read "new house, new puppy" and "you want to buy a second puppy" and those helped me allot thus iv decided to wait longer and do some more research.

Here is my story. 

Myself and my girlfriend are in the process of building a house. It will only be completed in the next 6-9 months or so. 

She wants to get an Italian Greyhound (Small, prone to injuries, does not like rough puppy play, fragile :/) We will get the smaller greyhound first once we have settled into the new home and we have established a good routine so we both have time to raise the new puppy.

On the other hand i have been wanting a GSD my whole life. When i lived with my parents they had rottweilers from when i was 1 to 25. I have been around new puppies lots and have met lots of GSD owners. 

Once the greyhound is fully trained how long do you think i will have to wait before i can get a GSD Puppy? I know the reply would only be an estimate as it would differ in every different case but send me in the right direction 

Do you think the two breeds are compatible... We had smaller dogs like Yorkies growing up with our Rottweilers and they seemed to work well together. 

It would be my first time owning a GSD so thats why I am asking. 

One last thing, so many threads talk about show lines and working lines and mix i am wanting a companion, a dog to run and cycle and hike with, to come all over with me during the day, i want a dog that i can train and teach loads of new things to, a guard dog too. I probably wont be showing the dog or competing but would it be a bad idea going for a dog that comes from a working line? 

Sorry for the grammar and if this is not posted in the correct section. 

:help:


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I think you should get the GSD first and train it and wait until he is closer to 2 years old and then get an Italian Greyhound. The reason why I think you should get the GSD first is because GSD's play very rough and it might be too rough even for an adult IG. 

Both working line GSDs and showline GSDs can make great pets but working lines tend to have more energy. It also depends on what colors you like, black/tans and black/reds are usually showlines where blacks, sables and bicolors are usually working lines.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

I get worried anytime my boy is around a greyhound. He loves to play, and I know that if he comes down too hard on a greyhound, that might be it for the greyhound. It's not that its impossible to have both, I would just really worry and probably really limit their interactions...especially when it comes to play. I would also probably suggest having a GSD first in this situation as the GSD will be older, calmer, and easier to handle. If you get the GSD second, you'll probably have a good two years of crating as I wouldn't really want the two dogs playing together without supervision.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I love love love Italian Greyhounds. I've had 4 of them, and currently have a 14 year old one. That said, they are not an easy breed. Kind of dramatic (known for the "iggy death scream"), hard to housebreak (though once I got a dog door, they housebroke easily), they think they can fly. Very vertical, like a cat. You need a big sense of humor to have one. It's kind of like having a teeny tiny gazelle in the house, or a mountain goat. But very loving, very sweet.

Anyway, I had an adult Dobe when I started getting IGs. I had no trouble with the Dobe and the iggies at all, but she really was an exceptional dog. 

When I got the first GSD puppy, my IGs were all older adults. Carly was very good about not bothering them either, but I also never left them alone together. The IGs tolerated her, but never showed any interest in playing with her. The only IG that really was fascinated by the shepherd was Niles, the fawn iggy in my photos. I really had no issues having the iggies first and then adding a shepherd. You just have to be vigilant about watching them. 

So... you could get the GSD first and wait a few years so it's not a rowdy puppy, then get the IG. _Or_ get the IG, and when you feel you are ready for a GSD, then go for it. Honestly, you are going to need to do a lot of management with the two breeds no matter what.


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

those are just adorable pics


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## GSDGhost (Oct 14, 2013)

Most incredible pictures!!! Thanks so much for all the speedy replies! Makes it much easier making my decision. I know getting any breed is a lot of work and planning and by then I will be fully prepared. I think we will get the IG first and wait till she is fully trained. Once she is trained properly I will look into getting my male German Shepard ? cannot wait!!! Nice reading all the info on this forum, usually when googling questions you can find the craziest answers. I have had small and big dogs together all my life so i kind of know what to expect just get worried when the IG breeders warn us that they are very fragile for the first 1.5 years and then for the rest of their lives I suppose too. 

Anyways. If anyone has anything additional to add, things to read and so on feel free to post replies. The more info I get in the next year the better prepared I will be!


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

LOL, my member name "dogfaeries" came about because of the IGs. When I went to the IG specialty in Ft Worth to pick up the puppy I was adopting from the IGCA, I had to go to the lure coursing field to get her. A lady I met there told me that her husband said Italian Greyhounds weren't like real dogs, they were like dog fairies. I loved it. And he was right. They are pretty magical little creatures. 

I really miss that little fawn guy in the photos. He was quite the character! 




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## GSDGhost (Oct 14, 2013)

dogfaeries said:


> LOL, my member name "dogfaeries" came about because of the IGs. When I went to the IG specialty in Ft Worth to pick up the puppy I was adopting from the IGCA, I had to go to the lure coursing field to get her. A lady I met there told me that her husband said Italian Greyhounds weren't like real dogs, they were like dog fairies. I loved it. And he was right. They are pretty magical little creatures.
> 
> I really miss that little fawn guy in the photos. He was quite the character!
> 
> ...


I'm sure they are amazing, we have seen lots of them running about. Girlfriend and I met the new puppies a few weeks ago just to see what they were like! Very sweet. 

What methods to you use to train your gsd and are the italian greyhounds easy to train? Not that anything is overly hard or easy to train but I general. Soon as she is trained I can start looking at getting my gsd ?


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## pets4life (Feb 22, 2011)

i noticed gsd skin is very tough and thick but greyhound skin is very thin for a dog, you would have to match the 2 dogs of right personality I think. Like my dogs I would not bring a greyhound into my house shes too rough when she plays. But like people here have had them together so some gsd can go with them.


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## AngVi (Dec 22, 2012)

Congrats on the new house...you'll know when it's ok for a second pup. I have two GSD 
My girl was only 7 months old when I brought home an additional pup --- 8 week old boy.
They need to learn to eggs long if they live in the same house.
Yes it was a ton of work in the beginning but they are inseparable...
Let them grow up together, Why not. I Love having two of them!



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## GSDGhost (Oct 14, 2013)

AngVi said:


> Congrats on the new house...you'll know when it's ok for a second pup. I have two GSD
> My girl was only 7 months old when I brought home an additional pup --- 8 week old boy.
> They need to learn to eggs long if they live in the same house.
> Yes it was a ton of work in the beginning but they are inseparable...
> ...


Thanks very much! Lots of building to do but will enjoy it along the way! 

Thats great to hear, I wont rush it but I am on the other hand looking very forward to getting a GSD, bad enough having to wait 7 months or so  haha

I will make sure they are both well trained and always supervised so i think with time and care it will all work out well!


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## GSDGhost (Oct 14, 2013)

Thanks for the reply! 

Yeah i get what you mean.. Skin, bones and IG puppies in general are fragile i'm told.. Thats why im doing lots of research and trying to find the best advice.. Working out well so far! 

I think making sure both come from a trustworthy breeder and have good backgrounds and upbringing they hopefully will be fine together. 

Folks Rottweiler and Yorkshire Terrier are best of friends and the smaller dog is boss  Although a working GSD may be way more energetic (to say the least).


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## Bequavious (Mar 9, 2013)

It's not really the same, but we got our GSD when our lab was a year old. They definitely had to be supervised all the time while the GSD was little, because the lab was still basically a giant puppy and played rough. It wasn't bad though. The puppy needed to be supervised anyway for house training, and she found small spaces to hide under to even out the play fighting lol! I think it will just take an adjustment period where they learn how to be around each other, and then they will probably be fine without supervision.

As to working vs show lines, I'd recommend visiting a local club and seeing working lines in person. They have a _ton_ of energy and intensity! I know a couple at the club got their working line for health reasons, and they started doing SchH because the dog was going crazy before she had that outlet. Personally I love my show line  She has more than enough energy to do all the outdoor things I love, but can also handle a day or two in if I'm not feeling well or something.


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## GSDGhost (Oct 14, 2013)

Bequavious said:


> It's not really the same, but we got our GSD when our lab was a year old. They definitely had to be supervised all the time while the GSD was little, because the lab was still basically a giant puppy and played rough. It wasn't bad though. The puppy needed to be supervised anyway for house training, and she found small spaces to hide under to even out the play fighting lol! I think it will just take an adjustment period where they learn how to be around each other, and then they will probably be fine without supervision.
> 
> As to working vs show lines, I'd recommend visiting a local club and seeing working lines in person. They have a _ton_ of energy and intensity! I know a couple at the club got their working line for health reasons, and they started doing SchH because the dog was going crazy before she had that outlet. Personally I love my show line  She has more than enough energy to do all the outdoor things I love, but can also handle a day or two in if I'm not feeling well or something.
> 
> ...


Hectic. Well that's good news then. I will always supervise when they are small for the well being of both dogs so that I think will kind of be the same no matter how many I had. As you said for house training and all that. I have found a german guy here that trains all sorts of dogs but has a few gsd's himself so I'm going to meet with him sometime and check out his dogs. I will also try and find somewhere they train the working line ones and go meet/watch. I'm not too interested in schh or anything at the moment and I don't mind taking my dog on daily walks, training him, playing games and all that, but I do want a dog that can also on the other hand have a few hours a day of relaxing and not bouncing off the wall. 

I have heard if you train the working line correctly and practice calm time and training that involves waiting between actions that you can end up with a working line gsd that will be high energy but also will be able to relax a few times a day. (I speak under correction) as I have never owned one myself. 

I have my eye on a black sable looking GSD that comes from a working line but I'm still very much looking around.


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