I have a minature australian shepherd that is going to be 1 in march. he is a herding dog so he always takes control of the family. I came up with the idea to get him a dog. my parents like it but arent satisfied. they keep saying 1 more yr. what should i do?
2007-01-27 00:39:21 · 11 answers · asked by Crazy Cas 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
he just needs apup to play with. he is very social and does behave with other dogs.
2007-01-27 01:08:30 · update #1
I think that you should get another dog.
2007-01-27 01:11:10 · answer #1 · answered by sarah 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As a few people have said, getting another dog will not fix the problem. Australian Shepherds are high energy dogs and not made for every household. The reason he's taking control of the family is likely twofold: 1. you and your family members have not assered yourselves as the leaders of the pack. 2. He's bored and needs something to do.
First and foremost, you and your family need to get control of the house. It needs to be established that you are the dominant, not him.
Secondly, you need to give him more exercise and something mentally stimulating to do. Be it taking a obedience class and then an agility class or finding somewhere to learn herding. This will get him exercise, but also give him something to do. If you are interested in this, try looking for your local dog 4-H club; this will let you do obedience and other dog events will little or no cost.
Until you deal with those problems, getting a secondv dog would not be recommended.
2007-01-27 13:13:13 · answer #2 · answered by Lauren P 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Another dog isn't going to solve the problem. If the dog is taking control of the family, it is because the dog is not properly trained. Getting another dog will compound the problem. Since your dog is still young, I suggest you go take your dog to obedience training. Not only will you learn to resolve problems, but the process helps you to bond much more closely with your dog. I adopted a dog and didn't have a clue what to do. I took her to training and it made all the difference. I hope you have a good experience with it, too.
2007-01-27 08:50:41 · answer #3 · answered by la buena bruja 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Getting a second dog isn't going to solve any behavioural problems with a first -if anything it'll make them worse.
Your dog might be bored -does he get a lot of mental AND physical exercise? Sign up for an obedience class, if you've done one, then do a more advanced one. These dogs need something to do or they get bored and do things you don't necessarily want them to do.
A second dog might be nice companionship for your current dog, but like i said, won't solve any behavioural issues.
If you really do want a second dog, how about looking for a rescue - or at shelters. . . you can get an older dog that is already house trained, so you won't have to go through all that again. It IS a lot of work. :o)
Good luck
2007-01-27 08:53:30 · answer #4 · answered by First L 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Maybe you could experiment with a friend or neighbors dog or ask a rescue place to bring a dog in you like to see how he reacts to another dog in the house. I would think when you find out how he reacts then you can all base your decision on that.
Best wishes.
2007-01-27 08:52:16 · answer #5 · answered by winslow 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it would be best in my opinion to socailize the dog you have now with as many other dogs as possible and that way when you add another dog to your family your dog will make friends with it easier, and it wont matter when you add another dog. if you dont plan on socializing your dog then it would be best to get the new dog now since your dog already takes control of the family.
2007-01-27 08:49:42 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well if you get another dog, the dog you have now will, like it is now, take control of the other dog.And that won be good because if the new puppy wont like it and will start a fight.If you have young children see if the dog wont control them.Then if the dog doesnt control them, you can get another dog.
2007-01-27 08:47:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
due to the type of dog u have,before u get another,take him to the pet stores and have him socialize because u need to findout if he is going to find another dog as a threat to his duties to yourfamily i.e herding and protecting,the more you socialize him to other dogs the less chance you will have of him becoming aggressive
2007-01-27 08:50:02 · answer #8 · answered by marfanman00000 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you can get a second dog, but that will not stop that behavior, they will just team up. to stop him controlling the family, you have to control him, be the leader.
2007-01-27 08:49:47 · answer #9 · answered by sweetie 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Listen to your parents.
2007-01-27 08:45:57 · answer #10 · answered by ubiquitous_mr_lovegrove 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋