I am planning on keeping a puppy from my next litter but dont know whether to keep a dog or a bitch. I already have 3 bitches and would get the dog castrated if i kept one.

Is it true bitches fight together more than two dogs would.

Hi KaneFizz,

From my experience providing you got a male pup nuetered when old enough then a male would fit in to your current pack..too many females can potentially be problematic on occasions.  I have always found a mixture of dogs and bitches works really well. 

A lot depends on what breed they are and individuals within a breed can vary a lot as well.With some breeds fighting is virtually unknown,with others you might have problems.Do your current 3 bitches all get on?

My friend keeps intact dogs and bitches without problems.

Although I think there are some very good theories about how/when to mix sexes it sometimes comes down to the personalities of your dogs and your household management skills!  I think I remember reading that you already have a male dog (used at stud).  This may have a bearing on what you decide to keep next time, although some people on here do have more than one entire male dog with bitches but it clearly requires very good management skills even if only until they are of an age to be castrated.  How do you think your existing boy will react to another male in the house? 

Presumably you don't show your dogs - ir you wouldn't be considering castration - so perhaps it just comes down to the mix of sexes and the age range in your home.  When you've added younger dogs in the past how have your lot reacted? 

**I have an entire boy who at the moment is struggling to accept our new puppy as he's frightened of it, so we are taking it slowly and giving the older dog lots of escape routes :)

In my experience (7 bitches, up to 5 at a time) bitches are less likely to fight, but if they do it is more serious.

There are of course breeds who do not tolerate their own sex well.

I have never kept males at all full time, as I do nto ahve adequate seperation facilities for keeping both sexes.

I agree its really down to how your pack is at the moment, we have kept back a male from our last litter already having 1 boy and girl but we have kept several bitches together before and it not really work out, they were the best of friends 99% of the time but when they went they really went.

So now with 2 boys one had to be castrated, the only reason we kept a boy is the boy we already had, had a great disposition towards other males and the puppy we kept was very laid back so the mix worked in-fact you always see one with the other but that was down to the down to the two boys personalities, and the bitch.

Reading through replies, I would agree that every household will be different.  Breed certainly comes into it.  I have Pastoral breeds and Toys, and it is a great choice for me personally.

As someone has pointed out, it will also depend on management skills.  I have a houseful of dogs - many spayed pets, but also have entire dogs and bitches.  I certainly couldn't have this many dogs living in the house with fights going on.  But then, if I am in the kitchen, and hear any grumble coming from the living room, I call out very sternly "any growling to be done, and I'll do it!"  They know I mean it!

I tend to go with Barbara, in as much as boys will grumble more often than girls.  But when a bitch does get stroppy, it is far more serious.  I think you need to decide if you are dominant enough to handle problems, what temperaments you already have etc.

My dog loves both sexes, when we are out walking. Yet it is only ever the bitches if any that snap at him when he just says hello, There was 1 black lab the other day, Duke went over sniffing nose to nose like and the owner said she is in season, and kept telling her dog to sit on it, luckily her dog was a softy and there was no nastyness from her, but he had to be dragged away from her.

Another bloke I met had a bitch white GSD with him just coming out of season, again she was ok with Duke, but he said the week before a dog went up to her and she tore into him. It can be unfair on dogs sometimes.

I should imagine in any household with more than 1 dog you have the odd fight over something, whatever the sex. Dogs will be dogs, and anything could trigger a reaction I think, snarling over food, over excitement when playing, jealousy of owner etc.

I suppose the odd fight is ok (although could be harmful). But the thought of 2 dogs constantly at each other would be a nightmare, for the dogs and the owner to live with, there have been some sad stories on here recently were rehome was necessary.

Once a male enters a house with bitches in would this cause friction between the bitches baying for the males affection?

the thought of 2 dogs constantly at each other would be a nightmare

I met someone who had taken this to an extreme with her two (castrated male) terriers; she wasn't willing to part with either, so either dog was confined to a floor of the house and was always kept at least one closed door/room away when taken out. When I met her the younger dog was almost 12 and this had been going on since he arrived. I didn't realise she even had two dogs till I was round for a visit and could hear one upstairs...talk about Mrs. Rochester! Very sad.

That is sad, what a way to live for both dog and owner, I can understand it in 1 way though if you love both dogs so much, to part with 1 must be horrendous.

Like a lot have said, much depends on the breed, I think terriers are very feisty at the best of times.

I had 3 males- Junior who was intack and Dozer who I fixed at 5 months (wish I waited), Taz who was also fixed, but anyhow Dozer every now and then would try his luck with Junior and the fight was on- Junior I knew would not give in he was top dog so he would not let up any more then Dozer. I stepped in, cause well just not acceptable. Junior I treated as top dog cause that seemed to be his status and Dozer soon realized he was under the whole pack- had 2 bitches and a hybred at the time. All dogs bostons except Taz. What Junior wanted he got among the males unless it was Tiva she was the whole boss among them all lol Now T-Bone I have noticed she is becoming top dog and Junior is backing down- not sure if its because she is female or just a lil younger- but when I put down fresh water she always takes 1st and the other 2 wait... When I treat I start with Tiva, Junior then T-Bone- now down to just the 3.

I remember one time Taz would have a bone (size diffence here Taz 158-162 pounds and Junior a wopping 24 pounds maybe soaking wet lol) well Junior would just walk up to Taz and he would give the bone up, what Junior wanted Junior got- well one day hubby thought it was wrong that this lil dog is taking things away from him when he was enjoying a chew- I said leave it but No he stopped Junior told him no, well after doing that a couple times Taz decided one time not to let it up and gave a growl and Junior went in Taz turned around and caught his tooth on Junior eye and 500 hundred later we have a one eyed boston. After that it was alot of time and patience to put the order back lol but I had to muzzle Taz and pick up all toys- toys were only allowed when we were home but that only lasted a month and they were back to normal Junior in charge. I still picked up toys when we were not home just to be safe- it was cute to see all 4 bostons and Taz having a cuddle, think he was their heating blanket lol....

I think to it has alot to do with how you raise them- each dog has a place in the family and humans being the alpha so to speak.

The first owner was highly irresponsible and inconsiderate, as was the other if his bitch was in season. 

Of course the bitches will tell a dog off if they are not on their receptive days.

An in season has no place going where dogs are allowed off lead.

Owners of males would have no way of knowing there was an in season bitch around, and their males may well have gone running off to find her, ignoring commands,  or even getting into fights about her.