My dog is antisocial and aggressive. Can he live with another dog?

The most important thing is that, if you get another dog, you introduce the two on neutral territory. Just waltzing a strange dog into Cody's house is begging for trouble. You could try a trial meeting to see how Cody is with the other dog. I would recommend a bitch, as two dogs of opposite genders are the least likely to fight. Remember that Cody was there first, and be sure he gets the lion's share of attention. Sometimes, the novelty of a new dog, and the requisites of trainng, mean that the old dog gets left out a bit. The new dog will not know you, and will therefore have no expectations as far as interacting with you. But Cody will want what he's always gotten. I don't know if Cody is aggressive due to basic temperament, or if it's a learned behavior. You can ask your vet for a referral to a canine behaviorist (different from a trainer) to help with this. Good luck!

Before bringing in another dog to your home, I would recommend getting a trainer to come to your home and work with Jack. We cannot predict if Jack will attack another dog when they come into your home, but you can try to work with Jack and see if you can correct the problem. The trainer will be the best person to discuss if bringing another dog in would be ok. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

I personally would not recommend getting another dog for the house just yet. I'm quite concerned that Crosby is aggressive at the dog park and when you went to see a puppy. I would be very worried that he would attack a new puppy, causing it serious harm. The best thing to do is get him into a professional behavioral expert to work on his aggression. I never recommend owners try to deal with aggressive dogs on their own due to safety risks, it's best left to a professional. The professional can work with him and you on his aggression issues, and they can give their opinion as to whether or not another puppy would be safe in your home. Unfortunately some dogs are meant to be only dogs due to these issues, but certainly work with a trainer first before coming to that conclusion. You can ask your vet for a recommendation to one. I hope this helps!

As a dog gets older, it will be harder to train out undesirable behaviors, but Bubby is still young and I don't think it's too late to socialize him. I would speak to your vet about seeing a professional behavioral expert. I'm not sure what undesirable behaviors he is showing, but if it does include aggression, that should be dealt with by a professional. A behavioral expert can work with you and Bubby on training, and can introduce him to controlled and safe situations to work on his socialization.

If your dog does not get along with other dogs it was probably a very bad idea (and a very stressful one) to bring a new puppy into the house. A new puppy can also be hard around a newborn as they aren't yet sure how to interact with each other. You can try to continue to get the two to get along by starting with limited introductions that are supervised, however if a fight breaks out the interaction should be stopped immediately and started again later. Never leave the two unsupervised together as even a good play sessions can cause accidental injury. You can also use baby gates as a way for the two to "meet" each other without being able to physically be together. If fights are continually breaking out, talking to a trainer or behaviorist that can observe within the home is best.

Hi There. It sounds like Bobby is trying to establish his dominance over the new puppy. This is quite normal and provided there are no fights, may resolve with time. There are some great resources on Dr. Sophia Yins website (draophiatin.com) that discuss dominance aggression. You may also want to consider working with a certified trainer or a veterinary behaviorist. You can find one in your area on www.acvb.org.