two dogs or one?

Question

i have a 7 month old dogue de bordeaux, i want to get another dog, which dog would be best to get??

My Boy is a big softy, he wouldnt hurt a fly he has never been aggressive towards another dog we socialized him from when he was 9 weeks old he has always been around other dogs. i know i would have to get another big dog because he is huge and sooo dopey he probly would end up sitting on the poor little thing. he is completely house trained would it be best to get a male or female??

Answer 1

Don't get another male! Do some research and ask alot of questions on different dog forums, your vet, rescue groups, anyone you can.

Answer 2

I have both a male and a female dog 1 bloodhound (male) and 1 black lab (female). The labe was first and she seemed quite content with her life. When we adopted the second we took the opportunity to let them meet and see how they would react around one another. There is not certain breed to match or certain sex, although I would be sure to spay and neuter them if you go the route I did. When choosing your 2nd dog find a good fit for your family remembering dopey (which is a great name) is your family too. let him go meet the new member and know that there will be some nerves from both dogs but short of a lash out they will adjust and most likely become buds, I know now that I have 2 if any thing ever happens to 1 I will have to get another as they would just get so depressed and lonely so plan on 2 dogs for a loooong while. The only things I would say to think about is 1 plan on being the primary care giver of 2 animals, are you ready for that? And 2 you would think 2 dogs would only make double the mess WRONG! mine seem to make 5x them mess 1 dog did.

Answer 3

Congratulations! I have a one year old dogue de bordeaux, and a shihtzu, and a weimeramer. They all get along very well together, but the mastiff is the youngest of the three. Personally, I would recommend waiting a while as this puppy has a lot of growing yet to do, obedience classes are highly recommended- as big as he or she will be, you certainly want to make sure your pup is well trained. If you really want a second dog now, personally I don't think the breed is that important, but if it is something very small, you need to closely supervise as the giant breeds sometimes don't seem to realize just how big they are, and can obviously seriously hurt a small pup without meaning to. Good luck with your pup, they are great dogs, this is our second one. If you have any breed specific questions, feel free to contact me.

Answer 4

My husband and I got an APBT and then when we decided that we wanted a second dog we went with the same breed. Now we have three APBTs! lol! As far as your dog being a dog aggressive breed, I'm not sure if that's true or not, but that really doesn't matter (that's just shows how little some people know about dogs). APBTs were originally bred to be amazing family pets and fight dogs, so they are extremely human friendly and dog aggressive, but all three of our APBTs love people and animals, even cats! lol! It all depends on how the dog was bred, raised, trained and socialized. The only thing is if it is a breed that is known to be dog aggressive, I would suggest that you don't leave your dogs unattended together. Even if they get along wonderfully, you never know what can happen and you don't want something to happen when you aren't home to take care of it. Our dogs get along great! They have never been in a fight, but if we go somewhere we put them in their crates, just to be safe.

Good luck! : )

Answer 5

I also added another dog to my family when my female mini dachshund was about 7 months old, and I decided to just go with another dachshund. I wanted them to have similar traits, be around the same size, strength, and speed so they could play together without one overpowering the other, and have similar amounts of energy (of course, they are both different dogs with uniques personalities, almost opposites in fact). Plus, I was already familiar with dachshunds and their pros and cons, and because of this, I knew I wouldn't be getting many surprises.

So, personally, I recommend going with the same breed. However, I don't know much about your breed, and I don't know if they get along well with other dogs. Dachshunds are usually very social little dogs who just love canine company (although it took a solid month before mine started really getting along), but I'm not sure it's the same story with dogue de bordeauxs. Definitely look into that. Getting a dog of the opposite sex can help with such problems (although mine are both female), but some dogs will never be happy with another dog in the house no matter what steps you take. Your dog also probably has a territorial side that will come out when you get this second dog. I thought my Maddie was just a gentle little sweetheart until we added Gracie. Things are fine now, but for that first month, there was a lot of growling in this house. I mostly let them take care of it themselves, only stepping in if I thought it was going too far. Dogs need to work out their standing in the pack by themselves. Things couldn't be better now, but please be prepared for a rocky start, even if you think your guy is a big softy!

I was convinced I had ruined all of our lives at first! Maddie went into a depression and refused to play and didn't want to have anything to do with Gracie. She seemed very hurt. This lasted for a month. Now, they just love each other. Maddie finally has a chance to play "dog games" that people just can't play! And let's face it, we'd all love to play with our dogs 24/7, but it's just not possible. Now she has a constant playmate and companion. They are never apart and we three are very happy, well-adjusted little pack!

Definitely have them meet before you decide on the dog, regardless of the breed you choose. If there is immediate aggression from either one, don't chance what could be a lifetime of it. Keep looking. Also, introduce them somewhere OTHER than your house or yard to eliminate a territory dispute right off the bat. Take them somewhere like a park and have them spend a few minutes together there before you head home. When you get to your house, there will still most likely be territory issues, so keep them closely supervised for the first few weeks to a month at the very least. If you have to leave them, please separate them.

EDIT - I have to disagree with knowitallssuckiamone. If anything, Maddie and I have grown even closer since Gracie became a part of our family. Our bond was not disturbed in the least - it was strengthened. And, although Gracie loves Maddie very much, she and I are easily as bonded as Maddie and I were when she was Gracie’s age. They haven’t “shut me out” at all, and it‘s clear they don‘t see themselves as their own pack, but include me in it as well, and as the leader too.

The joy I get out of seeing my girls have fun together is worth all the extra trouble of having two, and I feel like I've done something that has really enriched my life, and Maddie's as well. If you are confident that he knows you’re the pack leader, and you don’t think you have ANY training of any kind that needs to be done, and you are completely prepared for what could be a difficult start, then go for it.

Answer 6

What beautiful animals the French Mastiff are. But you must go through a ton of dog food and a ton of towels, as they are drool monsters!

However, this is a watch & guard dog and the breed does not get along well with other dogs. They can be very aggressive. Males, especially, will not tolerate other males!

Answer 7

I would go to the animal shelter and find the best one, even if its not the same breed. I rescued a 4 month old dog, and my 7 year old dog loves her as a sister.

Answer 8

take you dog down a shelter and see which ones get on the best, at the end of the day, the choice is your dogs not yours. no point in getting a dog that you like and your current dog doesnt as it will cause alot of problems.

if you plan on getting opposite sex then you need to make sure whether you are breeding them? if not get them both done so you dont have any mishaps.

Answer 9

I would wait another few months before getting the second dog. You need to be quite certain that your first dog is properly trained and that you are the pack leader. If you have not done this, you are setting yourself up for loads of problems. It does't matter what your second dog is, just as long as it understands its position in the pack (i.e. below you)

Answer 10

Aren't these considered a dog-aggressive breed? I am not sure, but you should check just to make sure they do well with others. If they do well in packs rather than alone, then get an alternate gender. Dogs do best in pairs.

Answer 11

I agree, go to the shelter and find a dog that needs rescuing. Bring your Dogue and make sure they get along. There's so much variation within breeds that it's hard to say that one breed will definitely or will definitely not get along with your Dogue.

Good luck!