Adding another dog: What breed or sex suits my dog's temperament?

Male and female combinations may get along better BUT many households have single sex pets and absolutely no problems. The biggest factor is individual personality. I recommend to have your first dog meet any potential housemates to make sure they seem to like each other. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

As a generality, male-female pairings of dogs are typically more likely to get along than same-sex pairings. However, this rule does not hold true for every pair of dogs and the pairing of two dogs is based largely on the individual temperament of each. It tends to work best if both dogs are fixed (as I see that Allie has been spayed) because there are fewer hormonal-associated dominance issues. If you prefer adding a female dog, go for it! Just make sure that Allie first meets her new friend on relatively neutral ground (such as at a park) to try to avoid any territorial problems that may initially arise, even though it sounds as though Allie is quite passive and submissive. For at least the first few weeks of having a new dog in your home, be sure that all interactions between the dogs are supervised and do not leave them alone together while you are gone. I hope this helps you to make your decision! :-)

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I find that females have more issues with each other than opposite sexes. I would expose Molly to other small dogs first as a trial to see if she will tolerate a new house mate. Maybe try a foster situation or offer to pet sit a friends small breed dog. I think either breed would compliment a Yorkie but you can't predict personality conflicts! I wish you the best!

I am not sure what species of pet you are referring to, but I don't see why the sex of a pet matters whether they will get along or not. The personality of the pets is the most determining factor as to if they will get along or not.

This can be a difficult question to answer because it will vary from dog to dog. The dog's personality will determine whether or not they adjust well to a new housemate. It does not necessarily matter whether the dog is older or younger. Some things you can do in the home when introducing new dogs are keeping the interactions very limited and making sure the dogs are under supervision the whole time they are getting to know each other. Also avoid feeding the dogs or giving them treats while they are together as this can sometimes cause aggressive behavior. Just be patient and work with the dogs individually and together and they should be able to get along fine. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Cute picture! Wonder if thats a boy or girl.... ;) There's no hard and fast rules about temperament when it comes to gender in dogs. An intact female and an intact male will both be more likely to show aggression than one who has been neutered or spayed, so regardless of which you choose, please have him/her neutered/spayed. You can find all kinds of things online that say that females are easier to train, or that males tend to be more loyal or attached to you... after practicing veterinary medicine for 14 years --interacting with literally thousands of dogs and their people --and having a number of dogs of my own, both male and female, I can just reiterate what I said initially--there is no hard and fast rule. I don't even really think its fair to make generalizations because I just don't think they hold true often enough. Male dogs are more likely to mark. Once they are neutered this is less of an issue but they will still seem to carry a "reserve" for each tree along your walking route. From a health standpoint, theres not a huge difference either (especially if spayed or neutered)-- one isn't inherently "healthier" than the other. The biggest thing is to meet the dog individually and see what you're looking for in a personality rather than automatically ruling out one or the other based on whether they are girl or boy. Good luck in your search!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I personally prefer Labrador Retrievers though German Shepherds can make great pets for the right owner. Since you already have a German Shepherd and know how to work well with them then getting another German Shepherd would make sense. German Shepherds in general can be quite strong willed just like you described lunging at people and yes a female could do it as well. Labradors are easier to train. Good luck!