Third dog advice male or female?

[Hammy599]

I know this topic has been done to death, but I was just looking for some opinions and advice rather than a definite answer. I have 2 males, A very dominant 3 year old chihuahua who’s been neutered and a 2 year old Anxious/submissive Pomchi who hasn’t been neutered. The chihuahua is clearly the pack leader and is fairly reserved with other dogs, however the Pomchi is very playful and energetic but also very submissive and anxious, hence why I’ve avoided getting him neutered as the vet and others suggested getting him neutered Could do more harm than good due to his personality. I’m getting a third dog who’ll be a puppy, in the coming weeks. Initially my preference to the breeder was for a male however I’ve noticed that the Chihuahua, who’s usually quite reluctant to befriend other dogs has taken a liking to other female dogs on walks etc. But he will never do that with other male dogs. He even plays with my friends female Staff but he doesn’t even really play with my other male Pomchi. The Pomchi isn’t too fussed as he’ll get along with anyone, even though he isn’t neutered he doesn’t really even try to mount female dogs for example my friends female staff. Pablo probably tries more than he does even though Pablos neutered. So I’m begging think, do they actually prefer female dogs and would they get along better with a female puppy? As the Chihuahua took quite a few weeks to adjust to the Pomchi at first and even now he’s not exactly playful with him, just very bossy, yet with the females he’s a lot more friendly? The third puppy will be a Pomsky. Thanks !

 

[splashgirl45]

i would think a female would be a better fit for the dominant one but remember she will come into season and you have an entire male who at the moment doesnt hump but may get the idea.... if you are keeping the sensitive one entire it would be easier to have a male..... oops havent really helped have i.........also please remember we will need cute puppy pics when you get him/her

 

[Bellasophia]

In another life I had two chihuahuas..they are described as being “clannish “and like their own kind.So it’s good that you will be getting another small dog..
If you get a male pup I’d ask the breeder for a middle,of the road character,not the assertive pup,whichever sex you choose.The two you’ve got will hopefully accept the pup and things should go smoothly .Remember to keep the two dogs in first place so they don’t become jealous and the pup should adapt well to your routine.
..... If you add a female,small breed,your pack dynamic will change more dramatically when she approaches her first season...my schnauzer came into season at six months ,which is common in the small breeds,so watch out and have a plan for separation during the season.She was spayed three months later ,so bear that expense in mind if you get the female.
Some males,,even neutered ,will regress in their house training whilst an in season girl is in their locale..chi’s can be ruthless tiddlers and marking can be a difficult habit to break once established.
in summary..do youhave a preference? if not I’d add a male.
Regarding neutering, when you have two males,who start challenging each other,I’ve read that the less dominant male is usually neutered and then the existing dominant is less assertive ,as he doesn’t get challenged by the lower status ,neutered dog.

 

[L&M]

We have 2 dogs and have just added a bitch to the 'pack' in preference over another dog (just in case they ended up fighting).

One dog is castrated, the other is entire, so now have the dilemma of whether to castrate the entire or spay the bitch.

We have left the entire as he is quite nervous of character and our vet advised us not to castrate as without testosterone, he may become even more timid. He has never shown any sexual urges but only being 2 yrs old still a good age to castrate if needed.

The bitch is still a pup and a shooting dog for my partner - if she turns out to be any good we would like to have a litter out of her a few years down the line, so equally reluctant to spay.

We are going to see what happens at her first season, we have kennels and easy to keep the entire and the bitch separated, but if it creates too much of an issue, will be forced to make a decision.

My gut feeling is more than 2 male dogs could cause an issue if there is any dominant behaviours, so better to mix things up a bit......however personality can also play a part regardless of sex, so something to maybe consider too.

 

[splashgirl45]

i added a third to my pack. already have an old female collie cross (spayed) and a young male terrier cross,(neutered) so thought i would get a female terrier cross as i thought another boy would bully my existing pansy boy. WRONG !! my lovely 7month old female bullies him and she is still a bit smaller than him. he is such a good natured wimp of a terrier who is friendly to all people and dogs so i feel a bit sorry for him and have to step in and stop her bullying him...most of the time they get on great and play for hours ...it doesnt matter how much we try and do the right thing it just depends on the temperaments of the dogs concerned.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

@Hammy599 I currently have 3 bitches, and before these, I've owned 4 other bitches, most of the time 2 or 3 together. Whenever I add a new one, I don't expect them to play together with the one/ones I already have. I mean, it's great if they want to, but if they want to ignore each other, that's also okay by me.
After all it's not for their sake I add a new one, I add a new one for my own sake. And I get a new bitch because that's what I want, and what suits me.

Your current 2 dogs have shown they can live together with another male dog, so what do you want? Before you started thinking about that your Chihuahua maybe would prefer that the next addition to the family is female, have you ever felt that you wanted to own a bitch?

 

[FinnishLapphund]

@L&M Have you asked your veterinarian about chemical castration? I've heard there's a choice between 6 and 12 months, that way if he does react too negatively to it, you simply don't need to renew it. Supposedly, once the effect wears off, he should start to get back to how he was before, although there is no guarantee that he will regain his fertility.

 

[L&M]

@L&M Have you asked your veterinarian about chemical castration? I've heard there's a choice between 6 and 12 months, that way if he does react too negatively to it, you simply don't need to renew it. Supposedly, once the effect wears off, he should start to get back to how he was before, although there is no guarantee that he will regain his fertility.

Yes she did talk to me about it......and certainly an option. Thank you.

 

[BaronSamedi]

The vets that say not to neuter timid dogs really need a smack upside the head and to be taught to recommend what is best for each individual dog. Our timid boy was done and has come on leaps and bounds since being done and would not have if left entire

 

[Moobli]

In your situation I think I would opt for a female. You can get a chemical castration implant (Suprelorin) for the dog that isn't neutered and it can last 6 or 12 months to give your bitch a chance to mature before you spay (if that is your intention) and it is also a good indicator of whether surgical neutering would actually change your anxious dog's temperament or not.

 

[Bellasophia]

Re chemical castration...
Another option to the implant..

Two years ago we found found ( eco graph) a small cyst in my dogs prostate..the options were to castrate or try chemical castration.
I opted for the latter as he is a very sensitive boy and has no negative problem behaviors that merited castration..
We did not go the implant route,but instead used a seven day pill option..

I’ve just dug out the packet cover which I kept..
Virbac....YPOSANE 7 pills,one a day.
It is a seven day course,cost only 39 euros ,and after the second pill my dog was significantly changed..not constantly licking his privates( which the cyst had caused him to do) and after seven days we were told the full effects would kick in within 2 weeks,as if he had been castrated.The effects last 6 months.
The pills,resolved the cysts and we have an annual eco graph to see they haven’t returned and his prostate is normal.
just popped this in as another,cheaper option.My dog returned to normal in no time and we have not had to repeat the treatments.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

The vets that say not to neuter timid dogs really need a smack upside the head and to be taught to recommend what is best for each individual dog. Our timid boy was done and has come on leaps and bounds since being done and would not have if left entire

Only because the worst case scenario doesn't always happen, it doesn't mean that veterinarians shouldn't inform dog owners about it. Besides, as I understand it, statistically it is more likely that neutering leads to an increase in fearful behaviour, than react the way your dog did.

"In a study by Deborah Duffy (University of Pennsylvania) 3.600 dogs were included. The research by Farhoody (Hunter College in New York) even included 11.000 dogs. The results summarized: aggressive behaviour did not decrease, rather the opposite. The dogs were significantly more anxious. Only marking decreased significantly."

 

[BaronSamedi]

My brothers rescue dog Tito was highly fear aggressive pre neutering, he now is not at all like it, so in some cases it does help.

 

[Hammy599]

In another life I had two chihuahuas..they are described as being “clannish “and like their own kind.So it’s good that you will be getting another small dog..
If you get a male pup I’d ask the breeder for a middle,of the road character,not the assertive pup,whichever sex you choose.The two you’ve got will hopefully accept the pup and things should go smoothly .Remember to keep the two dogs in first place so they don’t become jealous and the pup should adapt well to your routine.
..... If you add a female,small breed,your pack dynamic will change more dramatically when she approaches her first season...my schnauzer came into season at six months ,which is common in the small breeds,so watch out and have a plan for separation during the season.She was spayed three months later ,so bear that expense in mind if you get the female.
Some males,,even neutered ,will regress in their house training whilst an in season girl is in their locale..chi’s can be ruthless tiddlers and marking can be a difficult habit to break once established.
in summary..do youhave a preference? if not I’d add a male.
Regarding neutering, when you have two males,who start challenging each other,I’ve read that the less dominant male is usually neutered and then the existing dominant is less assertive ,as he doesn’t get challenged by the lower status ,neutered dog.

Thanks for the advice! I wasn't aware that even neutered males could get funny around the house during a girl being in season, it already took me so long to properly stop the neutered Chihuahua from marking as it is! and he still does sometimes... Until I read yours and some of the answers on here I didn't realise that neutering could also have its benefits for the more timid dogs I think I'll certainly have to reconsider that now as maybe that is why he is so timid. I Guess my preference would also be another male so male would probably be the more logical, and if I got a female maybe the dominant one would start ignoring the female as well after a few weeks and then all that dynamic change to suit him would be needless!

 

[Hammy599]

@Hammy599 I currently have 3 bitches, and before these, I've owned 4 other bitches, most of the time 2 or 3 together. Whenever I add a new one, I don't expect them to play together with the one/ones I already have. I mean, it's great if they want to, but if they want to ignore each other, that's also okay by me.
After all it's not for their sake I add a new one, I add a new one for my own sake. And I get a new bitch because that's what I want, and what suits me.

Your current 2 dogs have shown they can live together with another male dog, so what do you want? Before you started thinking about that your Chihuahua maybe would prefer that the next addition to the family is female, have you ever felt that you wanted to own a bitch?

I didn't actually think of it like that but you're right! If I know the males can live together and that the dynamic suits my routines I should probably keep to that... Knowing what the Chi's like he'd probably get bored of the bitch eventually anyway so I guess tried and tested sticking with another male, which was initially always my preference, would be the right decision

 

[Hammy599]

In your situation I think I would opt for a female. You can get a chemical castration implant (Suprelorin) for the dog that isn't neutered and it can last 6 or 12 months to give your bitch a chance to mature before you spay (if that is your intention) and it is also a good indicator of whether surgical neutering would actually change your anxious dog's temperament or not.

Thats a good idea, I wasn't aware of that! It would be too risky to just get him neutered with the risk that he could become more fearful but this way maybe we could see beforehand if it would actually make a difference. I'm taking him for his boosters this month so I'll definitely discuss it with the vet, thanks!

 

[Hammy599]

i would think a female would be a better fit for the dominant one but remember she will come into season and you have an entire male who at the moment doesnt hump but may get the idea.... if you are keeping the sensitive one entire it would be easier to have a male..... oops havent really helped have i.........also please remember we will need cute puppy pics when you get him/her

Sure will do ! until then you can see these two...yes the black one is the extreme alpha...hahah

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Sure will do ! until then you can see these two...yes the black one is the extreme alpha...hahah

They're both very cute!

 

[splashgirl45]

how cute are they,