Can 2 male dogs coincide together in the same home without fighting ?

Question

I have a 5 lb male papillon that is 2 yrs old and I have been given the opportunity to adopt a 5 month old male golden retriever puppy also. I am wondering if this will work out for I do NOT want to take this dog and then have to rehome him again nor do I want to put my first dog in danger either .

Answer 1

I have two males and they get along. Sure, they fight, kind of play fighting. I know several people that have two males. Both should be neutered.

If you have a male and a female the female will always try to be the alpha dog. That is what girls are about, isn't it? The thing you have against you is the size difference. I would not have two dogs that much different in size. The smaller one is going to get hurt. And you are also working with a large age difference. The pup is going to want to play 24/7 and the little guy is not going to and there the trouble starts.............

My boys are the same breed and only 7 months difference and I have a problem.. I would never leave them alone.

If I were and you want another dog I would get the same size dog if not the same breed and closer in age.

Answer 2

let them meet before you adopt the puppy. make sure they meet at a public place so no territorial issues will be involved the first time. first let them meet while another person holds one while you hold the other on a leash just in case something does happen you will have the leashes on them to pull them apart. you could even let them off the leash with muzzles on for the first meeting if they sniff each other and seem to be alright. you could think about taking off the leashes or muzzles. if they lay down or roll over this is extremely good and they are already "friends"!!! you would never know how this relationship would work out though. i have a small bony beagle mix and a gigantic 100+ lb lab, and the 20 pound beagle is the bully. hes always pushing the lab around. so you never know. but expect the worst so you will be prepared the first time meeting. after they meet then take them on leashes/muzzle to your house or where ever they would be staying if you adopted him. see how your dog reacts to the other being on his terf. if all goes well i think youve got yourself another dog. good luck!!!
BTW i would recommend if not done already, get them both fixed so there would be no competition if a girl dog came around.
once again good luck.

Answer 3

Two males can get along quite fine; but the question here is really a question of safety.

Goldens are very busy and playful dogs; they are also significantly larger that paps. If the two get along- and gender is not necessarily a deciding factor- there is a chance of serious injury to your papillion. Not that the golden would intentionally harm him, but a simple swipe of the paw could badly injury you little dog.

In this case, you need to decide the level of diligence you are willing to do. The pair should NEVER be left alone together; the possibility of unintentionally harm is too high. I have 2 older chihuahuas and 1 9 month old GSD puppy; the chihuahuas essentially ignore the GSD, but I would never leave them alone together (not even for a minute)

Answer 4

it's good that the dog that will be larger is the newcomer, since the little dog will not be able to hurt him if he gets territorial. especially if you have them both neutered, you should be fine. make sure you do a slow, careful introduction. I would try to go visit the puppy a few times first and if you can, bring home things that smell like him and keep them around the house. then keep the dogs separated but where they can hear and smell each other for a day or so, then introduce them to each other on leashes, and take it from there. Your really shouldn't have much of a problem.

Answer 5

Yes, since the first dog will sense the other one is a puppy, he'll become like a father to him. Just make sure that when you introduce them together one must be petting the big dog and the other one holding the puppy, don't do this in a territory marked by the dog, where he usually likes to be or spent most of the time.

Answer 6

your male dog that is two years old is the alpha and since the one you are getting is a puppy that first male will let the puppy know that right from the start so there is really no problem with the two males. and being a puppy growing up with the other one it will be buddies. l had a puppy come into the house and years later all is fine. l wish you good luck and start training it right, they are a great breed

Answer 7

Certainly they can.

I have two male Scotties and then adopted a Rotty male. All of the dogs were grown and got along fine after a couple of spats.

Introduce them on neutral territory, then invite the new guy to come home with you. Your Papi will think it was his idea.

Make sure the new guy has his own bed and own toys and not just jammed right together too soon. All will be fine.

Answer 8

We have two peek-a-poos both are males, we got our second male a 6 weeks old (Shadow) and our other male (Bear) was 13 months old. They get along fine now but there was a while that they fought quite often. There is a big difference between the weight of the two dogs, I wouldn't leave them alone. I think if I were you I would think long and hard about it. If you are not sure ask your vet. We have neutered both of them. Good luck and I am glad to see that you are thinking about it.

Answer 9

I'm dog sitting a friend's toy poodle boy, he is five pounds and she has him scheduled to be fixed but he is always trying to push the other little boy around who he grew up with but is fixed. I had to resort to diapering him the way he wants to mark, at least its a tiny bit in the wash cloth I change several times a day. We love working with rescue dogs but at times they can suddenly turn on each other recently. She is so upset for they got along great in the beginning. When she is back from her trip and if fixing him doesn't help its going to break her heart but we agreed both dogs need the home that is best for them. I never let them alone a second and keep one on either side of me if I'm working with them but then do interactive play to help them bond but not in each other's face.

Answer 10

There is a risk, but the retriever is going to be so much bigger than the papillon before he reaches maturity that my guess would be the fight for alpha-hood will be pretty brief and probably bloodless.