spiritdogs
Posted : 3/12/2006 9:48:37 PM
I guess my first question would be if you don't know canine behavior well enough to assess this yourself, then why are you courting trouble by getting yet another dog?
If you are set on doing it, you should know that while most adult dogs tolerate puppies, the pups run out of "puppy license" at about 5-6 months of age. That usually involves the adult dogs "telling them off", and there's seldom any bloodshed, just not as much rough play.
But, when pup is about a year and half old, he will be trying to figure out where he fits in the pack. That can lead to more serious tiffs sometimes, and with dogs that are very similar in status, it can get ugly, or at least remain a constant pain in the a$$.
Dogs of different gender and widely differing ages tend to get on better with one another, but that isn't written in stone either.
Bitch fights are the worst - the males (like humans) are mostly just bluster, and rarely do serious damage to one another.
Introductions should take place on neutral territory (friend or relative's house perhaps, or a local training center - somewhere your dogs don't regard as theirs).
Hopefully, you are buying from a reputable breeder or adopting from rescue so that you can return the pup to a safe situation if things don't work out.
Grab a copy of "Feeling Outnumbered? How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-Dog Household" by Patricia McConnell. That may help.