Choosing a second dog: GSD female vs. Labrador male temperament?

Those breeds are calm, not aggressive and good with other dogs in general, two GSD is in most cases asking for troubles, when together they could get out of control and even become aggressive toward each other, strangers, other dogs or even family members.

If your german shepard is not well behaved or aggressive I would highly recommend getting him under control before bringing a new dog into the situation. If he is aggressive as in growling/biting at people he should see a veterinary behaviorist. If he is just wild/doesn't listen, he should go to a dog trainer (with you) to get under control. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation for a trainer because not all trainers are equal. Once your dog is under control you can consider adding another dog into the household IF your dog is not aggressive to other dogs. You may consider working with a dog rescue who can find a dog for you that gets along well with other large dogs and will allow you to test the dogs out together. Breed doesn't matter as much as personality of the individual dogs.

You are wise to consider holding off on another puppy until Bruno's behavior is under control. It is not necessarily true that the lunging will stop as he matures. it needs to be corrected now. You can ask your vet for a referral to a behavior specialist who can help you with this problem. And yes, female GSDs may lunge . . . as might a dog of any breed. It has more to do with the dog's temperament and training than with the breed, although a GSD would normally be more inclined to lunge than a Golden Retriever. Good luck with this!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! They are great dogs in general. Having said that, they do require training which really comes down to being consistent with them as to what is ok behavior and what is not. I have a lot of experience with this breed and I have found both males and females to be relatively similar in terms of behavior. I think the most important thing is letting them know what is acceptable and what is not as they can be strong-willed. Great dogs though. Have a good evening!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is a bit harder to predict how mixed breed dogs are going to turn out. However, generally both Shepherd type dogs and Labradors tend to be good dogs for large families. In terms of possible health issues, it is the same thing, it is hard to predict how a mixed breed dog is going to turn out. However, both Shepherd type dogs and Labradors tend to be more prone to issues like hip dysphasia, cancer, laryngeal paralysis, among some other conditions. Good luck and have a great day! Nothing like getting a dog!

With any two dogs, it's never possible to completely predict whether or not they will get along - they all have different personalities, just like people. But in my experience, I have not found GSDs to have any more problems with multiple dogs in a household than any other breed - indeed, I have several clients with multiple GSDs who all get along fine. I would recommend getting a female if you can, since male/female pairs are the least likely to have any aggression issues with each other. Best of luck with your new dog, if you decide to get one :)

Some dogs pull while walking but with proper training the dog can learn how to walk without pulling. Also, using a head collar, like a Gentle Leader, makes walking so much easier as the dog can not pull on the leash. It would be safe to adopt any of those breeds as long as the particular dogs get along. You would need to introduce them to see how their personalities mesh.