Dog Community

Two males.....

Posted : 8/26/2006 3:33:01 PM

OK, I know I may be thinking WAY too far in the future, but bare with me[

]. Does anyone have experience having two males in a house together? After we get a house the plan (I know, I know--man plans God laughs) is to get a male ridgie pup. This pup will be fixed, though I plan on competing with him. If I then feel like I would want to take things farther, I may get a second male ridgie with the hopes of showing in confo.

I discussed this possibility with a ridgie breeder and she said that she believed males could get along, especially if one comes in as a pup (she has 3 in the house at once). I wouldn't want another female in the house do to Sally being a bully mix--plus some of the "bitch fight" stories I've heard on here have made me think twice about having two females of any breed.

Although I'm getting ahead of myself here, I was just wondering about the experiences of those with more than one male.....

ron2

Posted : 8/26/2006 3:51:36 PM

I have a slightly ot, rhetorical question. Why would two female dogs in the same house fight, assuming it's not just an "argument"?

ColleenC

Posted : 8/26/2006 3:54:54 PM

Females can fight just like males. At my breeder's house, we have more problems(still not many) between two females than two males. Everyone gets along except Misty and Eclipse (two bitches) and they absolutely despise each other. I think the main thing to remember is that any dogs can fight, but as long as you introduce them properly and avoid situations like feeding them from the same bowl, it should be ok. There are just some dogs that don't get along, but I think as long as you reinforce the rules and avoid certain things, it would be ok.

Stef w

Posted : 8/26/2006 4:54:06 PM

I have two boys. I was warned about having two males but I also heard stories about two females being far worse than two males.

I spent a long time doing introductions and making sure that they were crated when there was no one to watch. I also made them wear lines in the house and outside for weeks after we brought Tux home. Westley was 1 when we brought Tux home. Tux was 7 months.

My two are best friends. They wrestle and play like puppies all the time. (I find males are more puppy-ish than females.) Wes will clean Tux's face and ears.

I'm not sure where the "pack hierarchy" lies in my house. My dobe can take any toy away from Wes but if Wes decides that he wants Tux to move or leave him alone Tux won't push.

See... I haven't had luck with female animals - dogs, cats, horses, etc. I'll only have boys. [

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georgie4682

Posted : 8/26/2006 5:08:41 PM

I too have two boys. Max was five when Buster and I moved in with my fiance and Max. Buster was 10 and Max was five when they became "brothers". So I don't know if the difference in age has something to do with it or their temperaments or what, but they have never fought. They get along wonderfully. I guess it depends on the individual dog. Good Luck though.[

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glenmar

Posted : 8/26/2006 5:17:03 PM

My experience has been that males will fight and posture more than anything else. My boys can be called off with THAT WILL DO. The girls, on the other hand, and I don't know why, are brutal in their fights.

ron2

Posted : 8/26/2006 5:58:03 PM

You almost answered the question. But no one has specifically answered the question. Why would two dogs of the same gender fight? I should probably start a different thread.

ColleenC

Posted : 8/26/2006 6:03:49 PM

Just saw your other post, so I'll answer there!

agilebasenji

Posted : 8/26/2006 8:10:45 PM

I have two intact male basenjis (not advisible). There have been some fights, but the boyz usually get along okay. They do not play with each other and are kept separated when no one is home. I'd ask this question of RR owners as the questions of same sex dogs getting along can be breed specific. (For example, I'd expect some issues with terriers and almost none with Foxhounds.)

corvus

Posted : 8/27/2006 2:23:13 AM

ORIGINAL: ron2

You almost answered the question. But no one has specifically answered the question. Why would two dogs of the same gender fight? I should probably start a different thread.

I couldn't find your different thread, but I can more or less answer your question. As far as I know, there's a male hierarchy and a female hierarchy within the pack. The alpha of the males gets to mate with the alpha of the females and anyone else who breeds is in serious trouble. So dogs of the same gender fight because it's in their best interests to dominate every other dog of that sex, whereas dogs of different sexes don't fight nearly as much because there isn't the same pressure on them to compete for the top position.

I guess same-sex aggression in domestic dogs has been dimmed by selective breeding in some cases, but is still pretty unchanged in others. Ultimately dogs of the same sex really have to learn to get along as well, and that's why most aggression is ritualistic in dogs.

jeano

Posted : 8/27/2006 5:40:24 AM

I had two males and they were best friends. Two large, neutered dogs. Stevie grieved when Hunter died, to the point where we started looking for another dog to be his friend.

RoyallyYours

Posted : 8/27/2006 6:16:38 AM

2 males and 2 females in this house. While we hardly ever have problems, looking at the few fights we have had in the past, I would much rather break up a fight between two males. They don't seem as... intent on killing each other. **

**Disclaimer: Based on my experience only, not anything else.

ron2

Posted : 8/27/2006 7:02:02 AM

The thread is in Behavior, everything else.

Terri

Posted : 8/28/2006 12:42:23 PM

I have two males. We adopted Odin when Loki was 1 year old. Both dogs are about the same age. When they met, they got along instantly. We've had a couple of fights as they established their place in the house. But now they are great friends. They eat next to each other, play with toys together, wrestle, chase each other, sleep next to each other, etc.

meilani

Posted : 8/28/2006 1:38:23 PM

I have 2 males. Shiloh my Rottweiler is 9 and Souffle my Boston Terrier is 6. They are both neutered and I haven't had a problem with them fighting. The only thing is Souffle likes to boss him around. Then again, Souffle likes to boss everyone around.