good idea or not?

Question

we currently have a 3 year old male staff bull terrier, he must be the most placid and playfull dog on the planet, (he cries to play with the next door neighbours cat!)we are thinking of getting another pup staff but dont want to upset or change his attitude.A friend did this and he said it totally changed his dog into an aggresive and very dominating dog.we have a small child so would it be to risky? on the other hand would it be company and a play mate for own dog? any advice

Answer 1

I have had multiple dogs for years. My advice would be to get a female Staffie. Males and females tend to get along better than two males.

It is possible to have no problem whatsoever with two males dogs but there is always the chance that one of them decides he must be in charge of the other one and then you get a power struggle unless the other one is quite happy to be the underdog.

It could be the male puppy who decides he wants to be boss as he begins to mature so everything may be alright until the pup starts to grow up.

A female could still decide to be top dog but you are less likely to get any bother from the male. It is rare to get a serious dispute between male and female dogs.

If your dog has not been castrated then I suggest that if you get a female you have her spayed as soon as your Vet advises. This is obviously to prevent problems with your dog when she comes into season but it will also prevent him seeing off every dog in sight that he thinks might be interested in her.

Lots of people have more than one dog and have no trouble. I have a male and two females - they all get on really well and enjoy each others company.

Getting another puppy is bound to change the family dynamics to some extent - even the age of your child will make a difference. Your child might be more interested in your new puppy than he/she was when your dog was at the puppy stage and might need much closer supervision.

Check out the parents of your pup for temperament and with a bit of luck you might get another one with the same good nature - which is exactly how a Staffie should be.

Answer 2

This question is frequently asked, in your case the probability is that if your dog is a gent towards your child then he'll be as well behaved towards a pup. If you can get a friend to come round with a pup you'll have a chance to see what he might be like. It's no guarantee that he won't have his nose put out of joint. And remember his loyalty will be towards your son, not the pup. He might not tolerate the pup playing roughly with your lad and may turn into a disciplinarian!
People will say that your chances of a successful introduction will be better if you pick a pup of the opposite sex; BUT remember to have your female spayed or they will form a mated pair. The attitude of a mated pair is far more territorial and less friendly. They only have one thing on their mind and its not necessarily going to be your child's best interests.
My advice would be to get a low ranking male pup, one that is more submissive than your dog and get him neutered at an early age so that there is never any possibility of any trouble later on.
Make it clear to both of them that your dog is top dog, the pup will learn from your dog and all should be well. You've raised one well behaved big softy so there's a greater chance you can do it again.
Remember also that the new pup must bond with you as well as your dog, he'll need some time every day with you while your dog is out of the way. Plus your dog will also need time with you.

Answer 3

If you have friends with other dogs, try bringing them around yours, if he seems fine with that, try seeing if they'll allow the dog to stay over your house and see how your dog does with that, if he does well, than you could try getting another pet, but please try to introduce any new pet SLOWLY into the home. Get them together before you bring it home, and once you do, have the new puppy in a small secure area like a cage, so that your dog could see and sniff it, but not really get to it, then if that goes well, you can allow them to spend more time together, just please supervise for a while. Just cause your friends dog became vicious, doesn't mean yours will.. OH.. Tip.. if yours is a male, you might want to have him fixed (if he's not already) or get a female dog, other wise there may be some terrirtory issues. Good luck.

Answer 4

I will tell you from experience that if he is a very playful dog then it would be a good idea to get a puppy or a cat puppy would be better. Just be sure you dont give him any less attention then normal maybe just a little more to show him hes not being replaced. It should be safe as I have raised many Pitt Bulls and successfully done this. And for the record for all you people never had a Pitt so much as growl at me growing up and mine have never so much as growled at my kids. Thats because I know what I'm doing. Been training dogs for 20 years. Damn I'm good.

Answer 5

It sounds like he's really friendly, so it probably would be okay, but you never know when they'll all of the sudden get territorial. Does he play ok with other dogs in your house? Try that first to see how he responds to other dogs in "his area" (get friends with dogs to experiment). If that works well then find a breeder/shelter/etc where you think you might want to buy a dog from, and take your dog to see them. See if you could even bring one home for the night as a trial run. Most shelters require you to get the dogs socialized if you're going to adopt, they have you bring your dog in to have them play. Wherever you buy one should understand that you want to make sure the dogs will get along before you commit. Good luck!

Answer 6

Staffordshire Bull Terriers are famous for being fab with humans but not so great with other dogs. The key is socialisation. Is your dog well socialised? What is he like with other dogs outside the home? What about other dogs inside the home? You could try fostering a few dogs from the rescue centre to see how they got on, or perhaps taking a few of the dogs for walks with your own dog. It is a real quandry; getting another dog might affect you current dog's behaviour, but would it have to be for the worst? He might love it! But you would have to think long and hard, and experiment to see if it would work. Also, I would recommend getting a b*tch if you did decide to get another dog, as this is the best combination for a 2 dog household; from best to worst, Dog-B*tch, Dog-Dog, B*tch-B*tch.

Answer 7

if your dog enjoys the company of other dogs, it should be no problem. Just cos one person said getting another one made theirs psycho doesn't mean yours will. All dogs are different, just like people. Just remember when you get a pup not to lavish it with affection all the time and forget the other boy, this WILL cause problems. Ensure your old dog gets the same if not more attention when the pup arrives so as he is secure in his role of dominant dog in the house.

Answer 8

I don't have any added advice but I wanted to say that I absolutely agree with Sarah C. Her advice and suggestions are "right on" and the best way to make a two-pet home work. Definately consider a smaller sized dog, even if you don't think yours now is an alpha. Even if your dog plays well with the cat next door, I personally wouldn't suggest getting yours a cat of "his own".

Answer 9

Best thing to do is take the dog with you to a shelter and have the attendants there help your doggie pick his own playmate.
Call ahead and see if the shelter has "family rooms" where you and your dog can meet and greet puppies. There will be a lot of them this time of year. Your vet will have the number for a Staffordshire Terrier rescue if you are sure that's what you want.
When you adopt a shelter dog you are saving a life and you get lots of "extras" for one low price.

Answer 10

dogs are a pack animal therefore it is more natural for them to live with other dogs than the enforced solitary life that most dogs have. My dalamatian loves meeting my brothers dog & they play for hours at a time, they are both sweet natured child friendly animals. There is no reason at all why another dog should make your dog aggressive, more likely make him happier still. Just make sure you select the new dog carefully & choose one which should fit in with the family equally well