I know that a lot of poster's on this site are quite knowledgeable re different breeds.so would you have different breeds /different size dogs together as pets .ie ;large breed with toy etc. rather than all the same size ?

Well I do (it's not so obvious in my avatar, but the big one in the photo weighs 24 kgs and the little one 3 kgs -and my biggest dog weighs 37 kg, my smallest adult just 2) and have done since before I was showing and breeding and only had pets. However, it's not as easy as having all the same size, you do need to take a lot more care. I never leave little and large unattended together. I never walk them offlead together unless it is only one larger dog to several smaller ones, and the larger one is fully mature or older and I know it's sensible.  I don't even let my little dogs out for a wee with the big ones any longer and since I got my latest large pup who now is 8 months, I feed separately as well. It happens so easily that a big paw can injure a much smaller dog even by sheer accident. They DO tend to be very careful. I have toy pups at the moment, 6 weeks old, not much bigger than my palm, and they love meeting the bigger dogs and the big ones do take such care, lay down to greet them etc. But all it takes is a bit of unexpected excitement so that the big dogs start running around and accidents can happen as the small ones get stepped on very easily.

I have kept both for many years.  Not everyone feels that they can do it, as it sounds too much trouble to take extra precautions.

And I do remember, when I first joined CD, a member who brought home a little Chihuahua pup, and was delighted that their Great Dane was so friendly toward the tiny thing.  He accidentally broke the pups neck, and the owner was heartbroken.  This isn't an unusual situation, my vet says that broken necks are one of the usual problems with two different sizes kept together.

I used my elderly Bearded Collie for socialisation with my Chi litters, and she was fantastic - and it certainly works.  But I was very much aware that she could turn over and lie on them.  So supervision is definitely called for.

Being able to only keep (in dog breeding terms) a small number of dogs (have 6 at present), all living within an ordinary size home, then no I don't think you could do justice to more than one breed.

I do find having all one breed an advantage with inter-dog relationships.

They will have similar levels of reactivity tolerance and just get each other more.  Imagine a feisty small breed, with bigger dogs, you'd inevitably have to step in to protect the smaller dogs if any disagreements occur.

I know lots of pet homes with one or two small and large dogs and that works well, but if you have any number you really do have to separate when not strictly supervised, purely to avoid accidental damage.

I have only kept the one breed at a time but knew someone who had Rotties, Italian Greyhounds and horses all in the same paddock together and he seemed to have little problems.

the breeder I got my first 2 dachsie girls from used to also have rotties which I thought was strange at the time but worked for them for a few decades.

As is pretty obvious from my username, I have had Golden Retrievers and Scottish Terriers together for the last 7 years. Granted I've never had more than four dogs (2 Goldens, 2 Scotties) in my house together at any given time. We are very careful and start separating dogs when we have any more than that, but I'm happy to say that we've had very few issues over the years. Actually know a fair few people who have terrier and retriever combinations, it seems to work quite well.

We have terriers x 2, boxers x 3 and until recently a GSD all one big happy family - oh also a c. spaniel.

I would say to exercise much caution as I know of a number of incidents where if the dogs had been similar size all would have ended differently :-(

I think we may have a similar situation looming. My son and his wife have recently bought a Chi. Whenever they come round with her, I'm terrified of stepping on her as she tends to follow your feet rather then you. We are planning on getting a Golden puppy in the summer who will probably be bigger then the Chi when we bring her home at seven weeks. It will be interesting in our house when the kids come to visit.

I ahve done and I would do :-)  I briefly had a min pin with my guys (who range from 16kg to 34kg), had he been in better health he'd still be here living among them.  And I have a jrt/whippet here almost daily on daycare.  She's as tough as the big ones lol!

> Whenever they come round with her, I'm terrified of stepping on her as she tends to follow your feet rather then you.

I suppose I am used to kittens and cats underfoot, but with practice and care it's doable, you learn to slide your feet carefully and think about where you step. Not much different to knowing where your own dogs are, so you don't tread on a paw or tail.
My elderly mother is always saying "careful, don't step back..." when my dogs are lying nearby, but I have my own radar, plus decent peripheral vision!

I have poor vision and expect my lor to get out of my way, or get trodden on, so a dog below knee height is not for me. 

When I have puppies I have to be uber careful.