# Male...female with my current crew??



## Crocky (Aug 16, 2013)

Hi I am new to the forum and glad to have found you guys! We just recently lost our girl the end of July to cancer. We loved her dearly and were blessed to have been a part of her life. There is a huge hole now in our pack.

We have talked briefly of getting another shepherd in the future. One issue though that I am torn with is whether to get a male or female.
This is my situation. Kesler our GS that recently passed and my female daschund both rivaled for alpha female. We got them both as pups and they were only a few months apart. Long story short, a few years back we were bending down playing with a ball and loving on them and in the blink of an eye, Kesler attacked Tots, Seven stitches and a drain tube later, in my daschunds neck we seriously had to rethink how we pay them attention. We could never get down on the ground and love them all, there was just too much of a risk.

So for the last few years we had quite a bit of tension in the pack, Kesler would often challenge Tots by standing over her just begging for her to snarl at her to give her the excuse to prove her position.

Anyway tots our female daschund, now 8 yrs old, never actively searched out to antagonize our shepherd but would definitely defend the "alpha" role if she was challenged. She does not love many folks but never seeks out trouble.
In the other hand our two boys, daschund and yorkie are two of the sweetest dogs ever, I don't think there is a mean gene in the body.

So we come to the cross roads of male or female. Either way we will have multiple dogs of the same sex.
I don't prefer males over females or vice versa so I am good with either sex GS but I am torn on which sex is "typically" less territorial of the title if challenged by a small dog or am I dreaming. Maybe just maybe neither sex of a GS would be worth the risk but I am a little gun shy after going through it with them so maybe I am making too much of it....maybe not.

Any thoughts or input is greatly appreciated.
By the way I thought I would share a pic of our beloved Kesler. We miss her terribly!


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I'm sorry for your loss, beautiful girl!

If I were you , I'd go with a male..I've had multiple males at times, (3 at once) and honestly never had issues, I definitely wouldn't go with a female since your doxie likes being queen of the household..

Good luck on your decision


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I would get a male because your female Dachshund is the leader. Once females fight they tend to not forgive and since your female Dachshund has fought a female before I feel your best bet is to get a male. Males fight too but they usually get over it.


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## Crocky (Aug 16, 2013)

Thank you for the quick responses. I kind of felt the same way but just needed some reassurance that would be the best decision.
I hate to think of not getting one at all although if that is what my gut said was best then that would be the spans wet but I honestly feel I could make it work with the right dog....a male it is. I was just worried that the male would not like the other males in the house and those two are just sweeties, I would hate for them to be bullied by a male 5 times their size. Just was not sure how the male dominance thing worked compared to the females.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

find a good breeder, explain your situation , what you want and don't want in a dog, the temperaments of the dogs in your household and they should be able to match you up with a puppy that will fit into your lifestyle


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## Crocky (Aug 16, 2013)

Thanks, just put my name down on a litter born on 8/7. Super excited! Bitter sweet!


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## Crocky (Aug 16, 2013)

Thanks for all the help, we ended up picking out our new guy this past weekend and will be picking him up end of September.

Here is a pic of him right now...well last week, I am sure he has grown since then . Just about 4 weeks old...now for a name. Been thinking about Sturgis. I hope to visit him most weekends until we can bring him home


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## FoxyMom (Feb 9, 2013)

LaRen616 said:


> I would get a male because your female Dachshund is the leader. Once females fight they tend to not forgive and since your female Dachshund has fought a female before I feel your best bet is to get a male. Males fight too but they usually get over it.


Kind of like life in the human world! 

Your new guy is adorable. 


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## Crocky (Aug 16, 2013)

Thanks! I am super excited and the next 4 weeks will creep by but anything worth having is worth waiting for


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## rhiannak (Aug 25, 2013)

I'm picking up my GS puppy at the end of September as well! I currently live with a 9 month old female American staffordshire and a 10 year old female Maltese, so it was definitely going to have to be a male, but I'm so happy with him! 
Good luck with your pup he looks gorgeous, these next 4 weeks will fly by  


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