# Wanting to add male puppy to home- already have female GSD and male chiweenie



## LadyThirteen (Sep 5, 2015)

Hi, everyone!
My family and I are desperately wanting to add a male GSD puppy to our home. We currently have a 10 year old male chiweenie who keeps to himself. Two years ago we rescued a female GSD who is now 3 years old and is a huge love bug- she has gotten along exceptionally well with any and all dogs she's been around and also respects our chiweenie's space. Even though my chiweenie is very independent, the two dogs share a bed every night and have worked out a relationship that works well for them both.
My GSD is getting very heartbroken, however, over our chiweenie never wanting to play with her. Although he'll let her chase him occasionally, he prefers to keep to himself even despite her urging him to come and play.
For several months now we've been wanting to rescue another GSD, however we are really wanting a male puppy. Based on our current living situation, do you feel a male puppy will fit into the home with minimal issues? The upside is I work from home so I have all the time in the world to oversee the dogs and train them. I know by bringing any new dog into a home, there will be a transition and training period which I am more than happy to devote my time to. I just want to make sure that I won't be setting up either male dog (my chiweenie or the prospective new GSD puppy) to disaster by having two males in the home. As said earlier, my chiweenie keeps to himself and I am sure my female GSD will take all the attention she can get from the new puppy.
Any insight or advice is much appreciated! Our dogs are very, very special to us so I want to make sure we're making the right decision before moving forward. Thanks so much!


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## 1fastRN (Sep 28, 2015)

Any time I've introduced a second dog or cat to the family, it worked out fine as long as the new-comer is a baby. There's no telling what will happen, but in my experience it's the introduction of an older pet that can be problematic. Good luck!


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Well you're already doing what you need to do first "research" before adding dog number three! 

"Two dogs are a pair, three dogs are a pack!" I found that out the "hard way" ....not recommended! 

Pack structure in the beginning is extremely important! If you get some of that wrong ... it usually shows up in the 12 to 18 month range! Been there done that ...got the stitches! 

Leerburg goes over the top at times, but he has a lot of solid info available in one place!:

Leerburg | The Groundwork to Establishing Pack Structure with Adult Dogs
Leerburg | Socializing Puppies a Pushy Puppy
Leerburg | Your Puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months DVD

By and large if people follow at least most of his advice?? There would be fewer my dog changed threads??? 

Yeah ....I'm a "member" there also! 

And as always with things GSD ... "Temperament" is key!


Welcome aboard.


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## jschrest (Jun 16, 2015)

I have zero experience with small breeds, but I will say it's always better to add a male to a female GSD home. GSD's are known for bitch on bitch aggression, and you could be setting yourself up for disaster with 2 females. But, I have no idea how your little guy will react. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide. 

And pictures are always welcome, in fact, they are normally a must


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

The Chi is probably going to hate the pup. The pup is going to figure out that he can get away with everything with that little dog because he is much bigger and stronger from the time you take him in. I have done "the old little dog - GSD pup" myself. It requires a lot of management if you care about the sanity of the Chi. I know these little dogs live forever but I would wait until he has passed on if you want peace and harmony with less work. It all depends how much training and management you are willing to put in. The male pup with your female Shepherd should work as long as she is well trained. Example: can you put her on a down - stay if you were to work with the pup in her presence? That was the question I asked myself before I started planning for a pup. Now Deja can do that so I have plans for a new pup.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Three is a crowd. Sounds like a mellow male pup would be the wAy to go. Is your chiweenie neutered? I have a neutered male 6 year old chihuahua and a 11 month old male gsd. They don't play as much as they did because of size difference but do coexist peacefully.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I have a small-ish dog and a GSD male. They have been kept totally separate for 2 years now because the small dog hates my GSD. You have to be prepared for that. It isn't fair for the old dog to be harassed AT ALL by the puppy.


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## osito23 (Feb 17, 2014)

I have a 4 year old 8lb chiweenie and an almost 2 year old 80lb GSD. They get along well, but remember that temperment, training, and management are important.


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## maxtmill (Dec 28, 2010)

It is evident that you are giving this alot of thought. We have several elderly dogs, and we have decided that we will wait until they pass away before moving forward with another GSD. We have also decided to keep our number of dogs to two in the future. In the past we have had as many as 10, which included rescues waiting to be homed - very challenging! We plan to have perhaps one cat, a female Chinese Crested Dog, and a male GSD. As long as your older small dog is not pestered by a pup, your GSD may enjoy a playmate. But as several folks have said, two dogs is a pair, but three or more is a pack. I am in no way an expert at all! Just a pet lover. Share your experiences with the forum, so we can all learn!


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