My female dog needs a friend. Should I get a male or female dog?

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.

I'm so sorry to hear that Gum lost his partner. That certainly can be difficult for a dog. Adding another dog to the house may certainly be good for him. In general, we recommend that a male and female dog will tend to get along the best if you have your option of genders. Depending on how long it will take you to add another dog to the house, another thing you could consider if needed would be adding a Bach Flower Essence like Rescue Remedy ( http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ ) which can be added to the water and help with emotional problems. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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!

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!

I'm so sorry you recently lost two dogs. Please accept my condolences for your loss. I would look into getting a dog around a year old for Maya, or possibly two to three years of age. This way, the dog would be fully vaccinated and house trained. It also wouldn't be as active as a puppy, but could still play with her. The dog should also be spayed or neutered. You can have either a male or female, I personally like having an even ratio of male to female, so I'd recommend a male dog. Breed, you could do something like a lab or Golden Retriever. Those are great dogs who get along with other dogs really well. I hope this helps.

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!

If she gets along with other dogs then I think an adult dog would be fine. But if she is a threatened by bigger dogs she may do better starting with a puppy. I would allow them to sniff esch other through a barrier like a crate or a baby gate. I would only allow them to be with each other under supervision for awhile until you know that they will be okay together. I would not feed them, give them any bones, or any any toys that she may be territorial over! Most dogs do great! Good luck!