IF Ginger had a friend..

[Sirrahsim]

*IF* we were to get another dog sometime in the future it would be a rescue... *IF* we were to do that, would it make a difference to the harmony in the home if we got a male or female? Would it make a difference if it was a smaller breed that Ginger would tower over in a year's time? *IF* we got an older adult dog, would we have more potential problems than if we got a young dog of around 2 or 3?

A whole lot of ifs but I am just curious

[Jessika]

Females tend to be more dominant than males, so households with all males and one female, or all males tend to get along better than having multiple females. HOWEVER, some may beg to differ. I am in a household with four females and one male. Ones a chi and she pretty much keeps to herself but is VERY, VERY food aggressive. The second youngest is a female ACD who is VERY aggressive towards other dogs but overly submissive to people. Then there are Charlie and Jamie, who are pretty mellow and don't cause any conflict whatsoever. At the top of the chain is dear old Hannah, she's like the wise old lady who looks over the flock and keeps things under control.

So in experiences with my situation, the lower end females tend to be more aggressive with the other dogs. This could also be because Angel (the ACD) was never properly socialized, and Chiquita (the chi) is pretty much a lap dog with no training other than being housebroken. The three trained dogs get along beautifully though.

[Kfamr]

It all depends on the specific dog. You will learn over time (if you bring Ginger to dog parks/around other dogs) what she gets along with best.

I have 2 males, 2 females - weights ranging from 45-70 pounds ages 1, 3, 5, and 10.

[chocolatepuppy]

I agree with Kay, it depends on the dog. I've had two females, Lacey and RB Mandy, now Lacey and Layla. Basically, they got/get along fine. Then there came Jake, our little boy. That brings me to size. Lacey's about 80 lbs,Layla 70lbs. Jake is about 20lbs and I don't think he'll get a lot bigger. They all play together fine. Sorry, can't help you out with adopting a dog/older dog versus puppy, mine were all puppies.

[AdoreMyDogs]

I have always heard that generally you should get the opposite gender. It does depend on the dog of course, but generally speaking, it's best to get a male next since you have a female. It all boils down to the natural hierarchy and social structure of a dog.

I need to get out to see Ginger soon. Maybe this weekend?

[Sirrahsim]

I'm about to PM you Leslie

[lute]

A lot of people say to get the oposite sex of the dog you already have. Female dogs are called bitches for a reason. Although I am a firm believer that you can bring either sex into the household. It's the individual dog. I've had a ton of rescues of both sexes and haven't had an issue with either. I have a feeling you are asking these "IF" questions for a reason and I can't wait to see what happends.

[WELOVESPUPPIES]

I think taking Ginger to the park for socialization and seeing who she likes best is a great idea. I agree that it comes down to individual dogs. I have 2 males and 1 female, Duke and Champ(f), and Chopper. Duke is almost 8, Champ is almost 6 and Chopper is almost 1. We definitely have a large difference in size here from 58-60 pounds to 3.5 pounds. Our dogs all get along great. But I know my dogs and I knew when getting the third one it really did not matter the sex as my other two had already established their order in the household and in the natural order of things the puppy would learn his. But neither of my large dogs are aggressively dominate in any way so I did not have to concern myself with females fighting or males going at each other or well lets say one of the big ones eating the small one. Duke, however, does not get along with my MILs dog at all. She is an aggressive dominate even though she lives in an only dog household. She loves Champ and she loves to play with Chopper but her and Duke just clash as they are both the dominate dog but they are opposite sexes. I say start getting her around other dogs and you will see her true personality whether she is submissive or the asserter and that will help you when looking to add another to your household.

[gemini9961]

I have 2 females and 1 male. Sadie is 6, Maggie will be 5 in June and Grant is 4. Weight ranging 7-8 pounds to 50 pounds. Sadie has made it clear she is the alpha although Maggie likes to challenge her. Grant just chills out, he allows the girls to wrestle all over him and chew on him. I can take the girls with me when I visit family but not Grant. My aunt has a male cocker and my parents have a male mixed breed and the 3 of them together is a nightmare. Heck even 2 of them together is bad. Grant seems to be okay with them but if they give Grant any crap he will fight back. So my experience is that I have had more trouble integrating the males vs the females. Each situation is going to be different.

[pitc9]

Growing up we had 2 females and they would rip each other to pieces once a summer. It was horrible... and just because of that I have 1 of each.

If another female comes in my yard Sierra will attack them, but she'll let a male in the yard no problem (tramp!! ) But I can take her to the dog park and she loves everyone!

As it's been said, females tend to be dominant and ...well... bitches!
But I have to agree that every dog is different and taking her to the dog park and seeing who she gets along with would be the best thing in the world!!!

Assuming since you were looking in your local news paper for puppies (the thread you posted yesterday) it might be easier to check out local shelters where you'd be able to have the new dog and Ginger meet first before bringing them home.

[bckrazy]

What matters most is your individual situation, as everyone has said. : )

Does the gender of the dog make a difference to Ginger? Does the size make a difference to her? What about you... what do you want in a dog? What size do you prefer, and what size do you feel you could best handle? What personality? What energy level? Make a list of what you want, and what you need in a dog.

Personally, I have not adopted a dog over 2-3 years old... but, the great thing about adopting an adult dog, particularly one in a foster home, is that you can accurately judge their temperament. I don't see any reason for a dog that is 5-6 or older to have any more issues than if they were 2-3.

IMHO, if what you want in a dog is mostly regarding their individual temperament, the best place to look is in rescue. You can literally find the perfect dog, for your situation, without much searching at all. I did, within a few days. Not to mention, you will be giving a home to a dog in need of one, which feels really good. The best advice I can give you is to research, plan ahead, take your time, be realistic about what you can handle in a dog, and make sure you are FULLY prepared to handle another dog; personally, I feel that 2 dogs is at least 3x the work, but totally worth it for me.

[Sirrahsim]

Thanks everyone. I actually stumbled on that newspaper ad by accident. I am most definately not looking for another puppy and not looking to purchase another purebred dog. Ginger gets along with all of the puppies at her puppy class though her best dog friend is a female Husky who she LOVES to romp around with after class. Would I be allowed to bring Ginger with me to the humane society?? She has never shown aggression towards any other dog and she has met quite a few in her short little life. The only dog that she has behaved differently with is the neighbor's bulldog. They love to romp around but from time to time Ginger will roll to her back and tuck her tail for a few seconds before getting up to play again.

There is an adoption event at Petsmart this weekend with dogs from all of the local shelters. We'll be there anyway for Ginger's class so I will have to stop by to see if she clashes/meshes with anyone in particular. I am not planning on adding to our family for a while though unless someone pulls at my heartstrings AND gets along fabulously with Ginger AND I go temporarily insane.

[pitc9]

They love to romp around but from time to time Ginger will roll to her back and tuck her tail for a few seconds before getting up to play again.

That's not a bad thing at all! Smart doggies know when to be or act submissive to certian dogs in order to avoid a conflict.

[Husky_mom]

unless someone pulls at my heartstrings AND gets along fabulously with Ginger AND I go temporarily insane.

please do!!...

sometimes you can´t plan things.... you might have them considered but they just happen out of the blue......

Ginger is very young nad having a toddler might be a challenge right now IF you went insane ... but who am I to tell you that.... I would go insane and stay like that.... (doggy eyes just get to me)

If you go insane, please let us know, and go with what´s best for you, Ginger and your household...

now my input: having mainly females is an issue here.... so I´ve always had a male adn thing were just his way.. he was the boss.... but now he´s gone... It´s madness... I have to keep my girls separated or else....else meaning bloodfights... they get along with people, kids and other dogs, but I guess the main thing is they try to get THEIR territory... more Ninja than China, hence China always gets the worst part....well...got until I separated them long time ago....

besides Ginger being young it might be more easy for her to adapt to the new addition...

[Moesha]

I wonder how the kitty will get along IF there were another doggy around. Please don't forget that it isn't just how the dog gets along with Ginger.