My GSD puppy bothers my older pug. Will he hurt him as he grows?

This is a great question! Adding a new dog into a household will certainly change the dynamic of things. I would be hesitant bringing any large breed adult dog into a house with a small breed dog without having the dogs meet first. However, since you are considering adopting a puppy, I would have no major hesitation. Each individual dog has a different temperament and reacts to animals, people, and lifestyle changes differently. There is never a guarantee that any housemate dogs will get along as time goes on. Since the puppy would only be able to remember his life with Wilfred, unprovoked attacks seem unlikely. If you go forward with bringing a puppy into your house, make sure Wilfred's lifestyle is relatively uninterrupted. Make sure he has a safe, comfortable space away from the puppy. Be sure to feed them separately - even in a separate room if one is possessive of food. Continue showing Wilfred plenty of love and make sure he has alone time with you.

I'm so glad you and Bruno have a strong bond! I don't think it's a definite that he and another dog will fight when the puppy grows up. However, I would recommend that you introduce them carefully and slowly, and always monitor their interactions until you are certain that Bruno isn't going to play too rough with the puppy. In addition, I would consider having Bruno neutered, as testosterone increases aggressive tendencies and can certainly contribute to dog-on-dog aggression in some cases.

Hello. With any dog type you have the risk of them fighting. Spitz are more likely to fight. Labs less likely, however another GSD will be fine. The best way to make them not fight is to get them both neutered or spayed. The earlier you get Bruno neutered the less likely he will be to fight with a new puppy. Good luck with them!

Bruno won't be fully mature physically and emotionally until he is at least 18 months to two years of age. That's because large breed dogs mature slower than the smaller breeds of dogs. But that doesn't mean you can't get a puppy now, and I would recommend having Bruno neutered before getting another dog. Unneutered dogs can and do become very territorial and aggressive when intact dogs enter their home, and that can cause a lot of problems for you to deal with daily. In addition, if you get a female, this can lead to unwanted puppies when she goes into heat. GSDs are a very active breed, and if you have the time and energy to give both dogs all the exercise, attention, and training they need, there is no reason why you can't get another GSD.

You may need to teach her a different command. My favorite is place. Have a small rug in the house (they can see and feel the edges as boundaries) and teach her the “place” command. She can sit, stand, lay on the rug but she cannot leave it. It takes repitition but it works. When she is bugging the puppy put her in “place”. This works great for meal times, parties, etc. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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!

Yes, if you are careful and keep them separated and monitor his behavior closely. Most dogs will adjust with training. Marco could become aggressive to the puppy if you are giving it too much attention and ignoring him. I also recommend neutering all of the dogs to prevent aggression. Aggression is particularly common when they reach sexual maturity as Marco has. It would be best if the puppy bonds to another household member and not you to prevent jealousy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dogs.