Are dogs more likely to pick up 'good' or 'bad' behaviours from each other?

[Red30563]

I have often wondered this hypothetical question:

Say for example, you have one dog in your home (let's call him dog A) who is completely chilled, gets on with others dogs and is happy to be left alone from time to time. Then one introduces another dog into the house (dog B), who has some issues - separation anxiety perhaps or is a bit picky when it comes to getting on with other dogs (although is fine with dog A.)

Putting aside any human intervention to help dog B's problems, would it be more likely that the chilled dog A will start picking up the anxious dog B's traits, or would the chilled dog actually help the new dog to be relaxed?

Hope I have made that clear. I wonder if anyone has any experience of this (getting a rescue pooch with issues as a 2nd dog for example). I guess it depends on the individual dogs and owners. (Perhaps I'm answering my own question there! I'm also aware that 'good' and 'bad' are subjective human terms for dog behaviours and reactions.)

 

[CorvusCorax]

It depends on the dogs involved IMO, their personalities and sensitivities.

My young dog is a terror for copying other dogs. Digging and scooting metal bowls around the floor, he picked up from other dogs.
My older dog and his sister, were like chalk and cheese, she was very 'high', reacted to stress and pressure very-badly, fence ran, squealed, luckily he has picked up none of those habits, I think she stressed him out TBH.

 

[blackcob]

My girl dog has major separation anxiety issues but from day one of introducing boy dog, who we knew to be 100% fine about being left alone, she was absolutely fine to be left in his company. Boy dog never went on to develop any anxieties of his own in this regard.

The other thing she's learnt from him is how to cock her leg to pee.

Conversely boy dog has some issues with nervous aggression/leash reaction to other dogs. Girl dog does not but her behaviour does not seem to have influenced him at all. In fact she often appears to get frustrated with him when he's acting up around other dogs and will have a pop at him as if to say 'shut up, fool'.

 

[lexiedhb]

Dex has a mate that tells him to "shut up fool" by means of a poke with his nose generally when he is being a pleb- Dex actually listens and does shut up, whilst giving Sammy the "why didz you poke mez with your fat noses" face.

Am convinced he learnt to wallow like a blumming Hippo in any available water whatever the weather from another kennel dog we used to walk with.

 

[Red30563]

My girl dog has major separation anxiety issues but from day one of introducing boy dog, who we knew to be 100% fine about being left alone, she was absolutely fine to be left in his company. Boy dog never went on to develop any anxieties of his own in this regard.

This is interesting, Blackcob. My own dog does have a bit of sep anx. (He was a rescue 4 years ago. He is massively improved but not 100%). I have often wondered if adding another dog to the household would help him in this regard.