Hi All

We have decided to get another puppy this year to join our family, we currently have Robbie a westie who will be 2 this year he has been castrated ideally i would have liked another boy but not sure whether this is advisable or not.
Never had more than 1 dog before and would appreciate any advice especially from people with westies as i know certain breeds are more acceptable than others, my friend has got golden retrievers and they are so dopey they don't care who comes into their house, but i know terriers are more fiesty so just wanted some advice before coming to a decision.

Thanks

There are all sorts of reasons why you should have one or the other and why you should neuter or not the second dog. All things being equal I would go for another male and keep intact but there is a strong likelihood that your castrated dog may well develop feminisation and they could cause problems with the intact dog. 

What if i had the 2nd dog castrated aswell as they would both be the same then wouldn't they?

I have a male Golden Retriever and a male terrier cross (Patterdale type). Both are neutered and so far so good with getting on with each other. My GR is very laid back whereas the terrier is quite feisty but the GR will hold his ground over some issues and the terrier backs off. My GR is 5 next month and the terrier is 3.

What if i had the 2nd dog castrated aswell as they would both be the same then wouldn't they?


Two castrated dogs could be fine but not necessarily so, it is always best with the same sex if you have one castrated and the other intact and that will work well providing the castrated dog has not and does not develop feminisation syndrome.

There is no way to be sure everything will go well, as a general rule two intact males will get along fine but there will always be the exception that you will hear about. How does the present dog get on with other dogs, do they pester him, is he happy to play, I assume he has not been castrated very long.

I live with seven dogs, all neutered - 3 bitches and four males. And we often have temporary fosters here, too - male or female, some neutered, some not. I have come to the conclusion that there's absolutely no rhyme nor reason to who gets on with whom based on gender or neutered status. I do tend to recommend as a default (with my rescue hat on) that if someone has a bitch then it would be better to add a male to the household, and vice versa. But I can point to any number of homes where two females or two males are the best of friends. It simply depends on the dogs.

Jemima

> I have come to the conclusion that there's absolutely no rhyme nor reason to who gets on with whom based on gender or neutered status.

I agree all the way on this one.  I have males, entire and castrated.  I have females, spayed and entire.  They are all house dogs, and I expect them to get on.

Sometimes, owners themselves can create a problem, simply by transferring their anxiety to the dogs.  If I didn't have a houseful, and could only keep 2 dogs, I guess I would choose two males, simply because I find them more affectionate.  My 3 entire boys (2 different toy breeds), are put together in a 4ft crate at night when I have girls in season.  I understand that is a total no, no, as they will fight.

Mine haven't read the book, and clean each others eyes, and eat out of the same large bowl.

We have a terrier type mongrel who was 4 years old and neutered when we added a male gundog, the gundog is now 3 and entire.

I've never had a moments bother with either of them.  I just exercised caution when the pup was young to make sure my older dog always had safe places he could take refuge from the wee shark, and to give the puppy rest time from mobbing his very placid new pal.  My older dog waited patiently for the pup to 'go home' but eventually realised he was staying.  I still get the odd long suffering look from my mongrel as the extremely well bred hooligan runs ever decreasing circles through the garden, strimming the flowers and toppling the pots.  If Finn could tut, and roll his eyeballs - he would

I suspect that he would have adjusted to anything though, except a rabbit, and the gundog is equally flexible.  I agree with the others that it's probably so much more about the individual dog, and the type of owner you are, as to whether you can make a multi dog household work.

Good luck with your choice.  A handy tip, if you are concerned, is to look at the type/colour/size of dog that Hamish already likes.  With that in mind I couldn't have chosen a black lab type to join us, as this is the one dog my mongrel has always been dubious about :)

It would seem that we all agree, there is no way of insuring harmony, two dogs will either get on of they will not, most of the time dogs do get on so your chances are good.

I too have a similar setup and have included foster dogs in the home.  I have never had a problem between any of the dogs/bitches whether entire or not, or a mixture of both.

I do know people who have had two or more bitches, some spayed, some not.  Some of whom never faught and some who had to be separated most of the time and certainly if and when one came into season.

I would agree, if you have just one dog and want to add another you are reducing the risk of them not getting along if you make the second dog the opposite sex to what you already have.