Just wondering

I was just wondering how many people have multi dog household with either all females or all males. I'm asking b/c I have heard before that if you have more then one female together that they are more prone to fighting, etc... same with males. How true is this?I myself have 3 female dogs, Winnieis 2 years old, Syd is 8 months, and Lana is 10 months. They are all best friends, they play together, share everything, and even sleep on top of eachother all the time. There has not been a fight or even a disagreement. They are like the 3 stooges. Anyone else have problems or have heard of this being a potential problem? Just curious, thanks.

 

Hi winnie I used to have 2 females and 1 male My Rottie Nala and Jasmine and Sebastain are Yorkies nala got along great with them but it seemed to me she liked sebastain more then jasmine but now i only have sebastain and jasmine

 

I have also heard that multiple females can be trouble. That being said, I have two females in my house that get along fine!

One thing you do have to watch for is that a puppy is not a dog (sort of). What I am trying to say is that a pup's behavior will change when it reaches maturity. I have noticed Nala changing in small ways, like now she will actually tell off another dog if it's bothering her too much, whereas up until now (16 months) she used to just put up with whatever came her way.

I have heard too many stories of people's dogs getting along great for a year or two and then suddenly having trouble as the youngest dog reaches the age of around 2 years old. It's a worry that sits in the back of my mind all the time. I just watch my dogs for any signs of impending trouble, and if it ever happens I guess I will find a way to deal with it!

 

I use to have 5 dogs, 4 females, one male. The females were always scrapping with one another. They didn't seem to mind the male, and the male didn't pay any attention to their fighting.

So I'm just wondering if there's less of a problem with two same sex dogs, but if you throw a third dog in the mix of either sex, that's when the problems start. Maybe that's when the "dog pack" instincts start to come out.

 

I never have but I have a friend who kept 2 sisters from a litter her 2 dogs had...those 2 dogs didn't see each other for EIGHT YEARS cause when they saw each other they would rip into one another. She got her thumb sewn back on from breaking up a fight and then kept them separated. One stayed in the extra bedroom during one day and the next day the other would be put in there - only being taken out to go potty.

 

I currently have 2 male dogs, and they are the best of buddies!!! Growing up, my family also had two male dogs, and the same can be said of them, they got along beautifully!

So, in my current experience, and that of when I was growing up, having two males proposed/proposes no problems! :y_the_best:

I've always heard that it's usually more of a problem with two (or more) females rather than two (or more) males! And from what I see in the shelter, most of the males get along very well the other males, it's females with females that we really are careful with b/c they don't seem to get along nearly as well!

That's not to say that two (or more) females in one home wouldn't get along, for I do know a couple of people with that situation and their dogs get along pretty well.

 

I have two female shih-poos and they are littermates.

I, too, had heard & read about the potential problems that would occur if you have two males or two females in the same household. I also heard that it's usually worse with females, but, my husband and I went with our gut and got two females because that's what we really wanted.

Molly and Emma are the best of friends. They play with eachother, groom each other and snuggle up together when it's time to sleep :mrgreen:

 

I personally think it all depends on the dog. I have four females all living together Bluebelle, Pinky and Fancy all get along great with each other and the male fosters Kiko and Bruiser. But Punkin is another story after she turned a year old she hit "doggie puberty" and decided she did not like the other dogs in the house even though she grew up with them. She actually tolerates the two male fosters more than she does the other females. So we do a lot of rotation and Punkin sadly does not get as much free roam of the house or play time outdoors with the other dogs because she simply can't get along with them.

 

I have 3 in my crew, mom, dad and daughter. The interesting thing was that when we were at the shelter for the hurricane we had 6 dogs total...my crew, another of their pups, a 5-6 yr. old Pit (spayed bitch) and a 6 yr. old spayed Aussie bitch. Angel and Beau let the pit, Pup-Pup stay with them in the play yard without any qualms, but Angel would NOT let Sydney, the Aussie anywhere near her or Beau or the pups.

The interesting part is that Sydney, Pup-Pup and Casper (the male pup from our litter) all live in the same house!

Go figure, all 3 of the adult females were spayed, those who are not mine are both mature, at least 3 yrs. older than Angel, but she would have NOTHING to do with the Aussie!

 

i think it depends on the two dogs (and the breed) some, too. and the ages, and whether they have been spayed or neutered.
i have two spayed females, one 5 and one 3, and they are just fine. i also have a neutered male, 1 1/2 years. all are great together.
i think that two dogs same sex close to the same age are more likely to not get along. esp. if both want to be dominant.

 

Thanks everyone. I was just curious cause two of my females are puppies about a month apart in age. Luckily though one seems way more submissive then the other. No problems yet, I guess I will just keep an eye on them to make sure nothing ever happens. Thanks agian.

Oh yeah I wanted to ask something else....my 2 year old Lab Winnie seems to be turning aggressive toward dogs she doesnt know. Dogs she knows at the park or that my friends have she still loves and plays with. However I'm not sure if it is aggressiveness or if she is playing like my pup Sydney. Sydney makes very loud growling noises when she plays and jumps on dogs, but this is normal play for Syd. I'm wondering if Winnie has started to play like Syd or if it is agressive behavior. I have taken her to the dog park everyday since I got her over a year ago and never a problem until about a month ago. Poor Winnie, I feel so bad when I take the pups to the park but have to leave her at home.

 

Look for other body language when trying to evaluate whether she is just being noisy or actually being aggressive. Look at tail, ears, mouth, leg stance, hackles, etc. Also, playing dogs will pause for a moment every now and then and just relax, and then jump back in. If the pauses are full of stiff-legged, stalking, circling dogs and bared teeth and hard stares, it's a fight!