# I have 3 yr male, Can I get 2nd male puppy?



## Diamond.S.Ranch (Jun 21, 2011)

I have been waiting for a certain litter for 10 months and during this time I initially wanted another male puppy to play with my big guy (who is 3 1/2 years old now and still intact, but I have planned on neutering him, just haven't had a need and time flies, haaa). (He is excellent tempered, gets along great with other dogs, and kittens, got his good citizenship award at 6 months). But when I read these forums most were saying I should get a female or when the male puppy was years older they could fight and I would have to keep them seperated when I left to go into town for a while or something. So decided on getting a girl, but the litter was just born and they are all boys. Does anyone have a lifetime experience to where they raised just 2 males and did anyone have a good experience or is the chances high I will regret it. I don't want to seperate them, I want to be able to leave them at home if I have to (which is usally more during the summer when it's too hot to leave them in the car). Right now my guy stays at home if he can't go with me and has his doggy door and can go in and out at he pleases. I live in the country on 300 acres, so lots of room for the dogs to play and swim in the ponds too. The only ones I've found that have 2 males also have a female or several other dogs and since that won't be my exact situation I can't judge that at all. I was hoping to hear from someone with just 2 males that had them their whole life. I get attached and they will be like my kids to me so I don't ever want to have to give one away or seperate them everyday. All your help and comments is so deeply appreciated!


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I have had two males since 2007. In '07, when Rocky (neutered) was 5 years old, I brought Cash home from the shelter. He was 1 year old and also neutered. Cash had a submissive, happy-go-lucky temperament and there was never a dominance issue between the two of them. Cash was killed in an accident in 2010 and in February 2011 I purchased Kopper, a male GSD puppy, from a breeder. From the time he was a baby Kopper has respected my older dog and still submits to him. Of course I don't know what tomorrow will bring but as of now having two boys, one neutered and one not, is working well. I hope to always have 2 males spread apart in age.


----------



## sashadog (Sep 2, 2011)

I really think that it depends on the temperament of the males in question. Like Emoore said, it can be done and can work it just great  Would you be willing to neuter one or both of them if it would help them get along?


----------



## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

I've always had at least two males, have never had a problem, it's the girls you have to watch, there not called bitches for nothing!!


----------



## Diamond.S.Ranch (Jun 21, 2011)

sashadog said:


> I really think that it depends on the temperament of the males in question. Like Emoore said, it can be done and can work it just great  Would you be willing to neuter one or both of them if it would help them get along?


 
yes, I don't really have a big problem with neutering if that helps. I know the new puppies breeder doesn't want you to neuter until 2 to get her "health" guarantee.


----------



## Diamond.S.Ranch (Jun 21, 2011)

Are you able to leave your guys at home (not crated or anything ) and never had to worry about fighting?


----------



## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

I can with my males, never do with my females, my females can be with the males alone, just not each other.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Diamond.S.Ranch said:


> Are you able to leave your guys at home (not crated or anything ) and never had to worry about fighting?


Yes. However I never leave food, bones, treats, or high-value toys lying around when I'm gone.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I have a 3.5 year old intact male and a 1.5 year old intact male (and a 5 year old neutered male).


----------



## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

Yes! I have had two males before and currently my male who will be 3 on Friday lives with a 24 month old male Borzoi.
I plan to get a male pup soon and expect no problems. Both our males are very tolerant of pups. I would be concerned about bringing in an adolescent or adult male but not a pup.

Even though our males and our adult sons spayed female Pit get along well they are always separated when we are gone.


----------



## Diamond.S.Ranch (Jun 21, 2011)

I forgot to ask, but also would they be good around kids too. My daughter is planning on having a baby next year, . My dog now adores kids.


----------



## sashadog (Sep 2, 2011)

LARHAGE said:


> I've always had at least two males, have never had a problem, it's the girls you have to watch, there not called bitches for nothing!!


Completely agree! And I don't think you can know whether your new puppy will be good around children until you have a breeder picked out and some idea of what their temperment might be like... Hopefully yes. If you go with a great breeder that has solid dogs and you tell them what you need in a puppy, they should be able to match you up well. However, there are never any guarentees.


----------



## Debbieg (Jun 7, 2009)

Diamond.S.Ranch said:


> I forgot to ask, but also would they be good around kids too. My daughter is planning on having a baby next year, . My dog now adores kids.



Babies and children always need to be watched very closely around dogs. Even dogs and puppies who love kids can unintentionally cause harm, with their sharp teeth. desire to play/chase etc


----------



## Falkosmom (Jul 27, 2011)

I usually have two unneutered males without any issues except for one time raising two male puppies that were very close in age. When they turned two, it became crate and rotate for them.

I never leave two males home alone. I always separate them.


----------



## mocamacho92 (Mar 18, 2012)

Diamond.S.Ranch said:


> Are you able to leave your guys at home (not crated or anything ) and never had to worry about fighting?


A friend of mine had two males and they are fine with each other. Obviously, you will need to supervise with the puppy because things can happen but once they get used to each other I don't think there will be problems. I have 4 females and have never had any problems. I leave 3 of them alone together when I'm not home and they just love each other. My GSD is still a pup so she always wants to play and doesn't let my other three girls rest so I separate her when I'm not home. A trainer once told me that when you have a pack of dogs, once they are used to each other, they rely on one another because they have that instinct that they need each other to survive so they won't "kill" each other. Seems to be true when it comes to my girls.


----------



## sashadog (Sep 2, 2011)

mocamacho92 said:


> A friend of mine had two males and they are fine with each other. Obviously, you will need to supervise with the puppy because things can happen but once they get used to each other I don't think there will be problems. I have 4 females and have never had any problems. I leave 3 of them alone together when I'm not home and they just love each other. My GSD is still a pup so she always wants to play and doesn't let my other three girls rest so I separate her when I'm not home. A trainer once told me that when you have a pack of dogs, once they are used to each other, they rely on one another because they have that instinct that they need each other to survive so they won't "kill" each other. Seems to be true when it comes to my girls.


I have to rspectfully disagree with your trainer. My girls need me to survive, not each other and two of them would gladly put an end to each other if given the chance. Dog packs within a home with a good leader don't have the same instincts that wolves do.


----------



## Diamond.S.Ranch (Jun 21, 2011)

sashadog said:


> I have to rspectfully disagree with your trainer. My girls need me to survive, not each other and two of them would gladly put an end to each other if given the chance. Dog packs within a home with a good leader don't have the same instincts that wolves do.


Oh gosh Brooke, I wouldn't be able to stand it if my dogs wanted to kill each other if they had the chance! That's exactly why I'm here to ask about 2 males getting along, or if I should wait again for a litter with a girl. I'm only going to get a male (or a female for that matter) with an excellent temperament like my dog now. Sometimes maybe just one dog is best? I thought I would enjoy 2 GSD dogs, friends have had best buddy dogs but they were not GSD.


----------



## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

I have 2 males. I worked closely with my breeder and relied on his advice. My oldest is 8, neutered, and a pretty laid back guy for the most parts. I DID enter this with the knowledge that if they didn't get along I might have to "crate and rotate". Kind of "prepare for the worst and hope for the best"

In the end, it is really going to depend a lot on the personalities of the dogs involved. How is your 3yr old with other dogs? Is he fairly submissive or more dominant? 2 submissive dogs (or 1 of each!) are more likely to get along than 2 very dominant dogs. That is where a good breeder is going to come in. A careful match of personalities is always going to be important.

You also have to consider, even if you get opposite sexes, there is always the slim chance that they won't get along. Like people, dogs are individuals and sometimes they just do NOT like each other. Slim chance, yes, but a chance none the less. So when I add another animal (dog, rabbit, even the parakeets) I go into it with the knowledge that I might have to keep them separated.


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

at one point I had 3 males / one unneutered and one female for years. All lived quite peacefully together.

I think it depends on the dog(s) .

I personally would rather have multiple males than multiple females, just my own experience.

You want temperaments that compliment each other. I never wanted 'pushy' puppies and always went for middle of the road temperaments.

With that, it sounds like your existing dog is ok with others , so I would rely on your breeder to help you make a decision on which would fit nicely with what you've got


----------



## Caitydid255 (Aug 28, 2010)

mocamacho92 said:


> A friend of mine had two males and they are fine with each other. Obviously, you will need to supervise with the puppy because things can happen but once they get used to each other I don't think there will be problems. I have 4 females and have never had any problems. I leave 3 of them alone together when I'm not home and they just love each other. My GSD is still a pup so she always wants to play and doesn't let my other three girls rest so I separate her when I'm not home. A trainer once told me that when you have a pack of dogs, once they are used to each other, they rely on one another because they have that instinct that they need each other to survive so they won't "kill" each other. Seems to be true when it comes to my girls.


I have to disagree. Growing up we had two male collies, one day they got in a fight and it turned into a bloodbath in seconds. We had to keep them separated for the next 6 years or else they would go after each other again, even though they had lived in harmony for 4 years prior. We even bought extra sections for the kennel so we could have two separate kennels. On account of this I will never own two dogs of the same gender. I've seen many people have no problem with having two of the same, but I'm terrified of repeating my experience. Once that fight happens things are never the same. With a male and female we can leave out high value toys, food, etc and they have no problem. Further, both our dogs are dominant personalities and try to dominate other dogs of the same gender, which can be quite embarrassing and dangerous, they work great together but I would never subject another dog to them. We will be watching my mom's collie this summer and they will be separated when we are not home.

OP: I can't answer your question because the answer is based solely on the attitude of your dog and your level of commitment if things do go wrong, which they most likely will not. If the breeder knows your dog they should best be able to match a puppy to your dog's temperament, thus reducing the liklihood of problems. This is how we got Freyja, our breeder knew Angus' lines and personality and matched Freyja to him. We've had a few squabbles but they are inseparable.


----------



## sashadog (Sep 2, 2011)

OP, I didn't say that to scare you, just to disagree with mocamachos's post. Some dogs just have issues with a particular other dog and pack's "needing each other" has nothing to do with it. 

And I would agree with Jakoda on the male/female thing... multiple females will never happen in our house again but I've never had an issue with multiple males and have heard over and over again that females are more prone to same sex aggression than males. My final advice, talk to your breeder and ask them to match you with dog that will mesh well with your household and your lifestyle. I have had multiple dogs for years, as have many other members on this forum, and have only had a problem with our most recent female addition.


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I agree, it depends on the dogs.

Even if you get a female, there is still no guarantee they will get along for life.

If you want a male puppy, get one. 

I've never hesitated adding a male puppy to my existing dogs. Females are a different matter if there is an existing female.


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

I've had multiple intact males and multiple most spayed/one intact females in the past.

I've had males do some minor squabbling but nothing serious and they stopped on their own. They have never tried hurt eachother. Lots of noise, and no blood. They squabble, then 2 minutes later are best buddies again.

Females often end up wanting to kill eachother, they tend to be much less forgiving than males.

I've NEVER had any squabbling AT ALL between a male and a female.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

My experience has been the same as Tracy's. My boys will snark and squabble, but it's always for a reason (like one was bold and tried to take the other's toy or food). They growl and bark and flash teeth but we've never had a fight where I've had to intervene to stop it. Since I allow my dogs quite a bit of freedom when I'm around, I also allow them to correct each other and communicate on their own terms. I don't want to have to micromanage them. Even if they get snarky over something, 10 minutes later they will be lying with their heads on each other, licking each others' faces.


----------



## jakes mom (Feb 29, 2012)

We had two males, both intact, with a 2 year age gap. We had no problems at all. The first dog lived to be 14 and the second 10. 

Bitches, however, never again. We had Mom and daughter - they would fight, but only if one was on heat. Had to keep them seperated at times. 

My daughter and her bitch lived with us for a year, with our neutered male and speyed bitch. Everything was great for 9 months and then they had a fight over food (my fault). Things settled but then for no reason as we were aware they had a major fight - not nice. My daughter moved out - and if her dog even set eyes on our bitch after that she would try and attack her. We couldn't have them any where near each other. 

Sue


----------



## LaneyB (Feb 5, 2012)

My male lab and female bulldog had a pretty horrible fight, so I have already decided when our new puppy is older I am going to keep them separated during the day if we aren't home. I will probably just keep the puppy upstairs and my lab downstairs. After the fight they went back to getting along, but it was really scary. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't been there, and they had never fought before so I wasn't expecting it. I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself, so I am a bit more nervous even if animals appear to get along great.


----------



## atravis (Sep 24, 2008)

I took great care when selecting Ridley that he would be compatible with Mulder. 

I talked to his breeder about it, was upfront about my expectations and if she felt it would work out. When selecting him, consideration was certainly given to his compatibility with other dogs (among other things, of course). 

Mulder is very easygoing with other dogs, I never expected any issues from him and he has yet to give me one. His biggest problem is that he WONT get assertive with Ridley, lets him get away with _too_ much. Ridley, on the other hand, is not overly confrontational with Mulder either. Just an annoying puppy. 

I feel bad that Mulder lets Ridley walk over him, but as far as compatibility goes, I have not had any issues. Mulder is neutered and Ridley is still young, but I do not worry for either of them.


----------



## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

The poll doesn't have an option for "It depends on the dogs", so I didn't mark one. Because it really does depend on the dogs involved. I think that bringing a pup in with an older (3+ years) dog is generally pretty easy to work with, and worst case scenario you'll have to crate and rotate if they absolutely can't get along. 

I've had varying groups of dogs up to five at a time around here, in various configurations, and it's an individual thing as to who is going to get along with who or not. I've had two females that got along perfectly and could be trusted together at all times. And two males, just the same. I've had males and females that would fight horribly. I've had same sex aggression issues. It all comes down to knowing the individual dogs, and being observant to know how they are getting along. 

Personally I'd say discuss this with your breeder, and see what they think. They can probably recommend which puppy will be most likely to work well with your dog.


----------



## mocamacho92 (Mar 18, 2012)

Hey people I'm just going based off my own personal experience. I have never had any issues with my pack of 4 and have also had other females while I pet sat them with no issues. Every person I know hasn't had a problem with their dogs of the same sex. I'm not saying that there will never be any problems, obviously because some of you have experienced some fights within your pack. It depends on the temperament of the dog. 

A friend of mine has three males and one female and they get along great as well.


----------



## sashadog (Sep 2, 2011)

mocamacho92 said:


> Hey people I'm just going based off my own personal experience. I have never had any issues with my pack of 4 and have also had other females while I pet sat them with no issues. Every person I know hasn't had a problem with their dogs of the same sex. I'm not saying that there will never be any problems, obviously because some of you have experienced some fights within your pack. It depends on the temperament of the dog.
> 
> A friend of mine has three males and one female and they get along great as well.


It was more the reasoning that I disagreed with not that same sex dogs can get along. I've had multiple dogs as well with no issues at all however it's not because they know they need the pack to survive.


----------



## mocamacho92 (Mar 18, 2012)

sashadog said:


> It was more the reasoning that I disagreed with not that same sex dogs can get along. I've had multiple dogs as well with no issues at all however it's not because they know they need the pack to survive.


I'm just saying what my trainer said. Idk how true it is but I'm just saying my girls haven't had issues.


----------



## LindaDwyer (Apr 9, 2012)

*getting along*

puppies are brutal with the older dogs, they just want to play, play, play. When the older dog has had enough he'll let the pup know. By the time the pup grows up they will have bonded and there should be no problem. Putting two adults together is another issue. In my own experiences I've found the males to be more tolerant of another dog coming in. I had an older female then took in a female rescue, it was hate at first sight, couldn't leave these two alone for a minute, had to crate one even to leave them to take shower. But once the older one realized the rescue was here to stay she eventually adjusted.


----------



## Diamond.S.Ranch (Jun 21, 2011)

*thank you so much everyone*

Thanks to you all for taking the time and giving me your experiences and opinions about getting another make puppy. I'm going to get a make pup and do my best to make sure he has a really good temperament and express how important that is to my breeder. Thanks again! For all your help.


----------

