Posted by finelinebob on January 29, 2002, at 18:25:48
In reply to KK - Drugs and Dogs, posted by Gracie2 on January 29, 2002, at 9:07:00
Sorry, but I've got to butt in about Shepherds ;^)
> But I'm worried about bringing home a Shepard. If it's a female puppy, I don't want Chief to be all over her. And he's so docile and submissive now, I'm afraid that if he we had him neutered, he would run in terror from the cat and never come from behind the sofa. Still, if we get an older Shepard, male or female, I'm afraid he might hurt the retriever. Doesn't one of them have to establish himself as the "alpha" dog?
Neutering a male dog isn't going to turn him into a wimp ... a lot of dominance behavior is learned, not regulated by hormones.
Have you seen Chief interact with puppies recently? It may wind up that the puppy would be "all over" him since puppies can just be so much more active and playful. But even if you don't neuter him, you should probably spay a female pup prior to her first heat. I don't know how KK feels about this, but the opinion of the three breeders and two vets I've worked with is that there is no need to let a female have her first heat before spaying her, and that preventing that first rush of hormones might even provide an extra percentage point or so of reduced risk for female-related cancers.
Also, don't interpret all "mounting" behavior as sexual in nature -- it's more a dominance thing in my experience. [Here in NYC with our dog runs (parks), that is perhaps the biggest misunderstanding people have about what their dogs are doing with one another, particularly when one dog mounts another dog of the same gender ... gahd!! The comments that draws!]
If you get an older dog, it's a good idea to have Chief meet the potential new sibling on "neutral" ground so that they can get to know each other without worrying about defending their home turf. If things go well, even scheduling a few "play dates" on neutral ground, if possible, can be helpful before bringing the new dog home. There still is going to be some jockeying for position--the new dog is going to have to figure out it's position with respect to the humans in the house as much as with Chief--but this doesn't mean that if (a) the new dog takes the lead among the dogs in the "pack" and (b) Chief is fine with that, that (c) the other dog is going to keep beating up Chief. If they both accept their place compared to one another, there shouldn't be a problem.
And if there is, from all that I have read, it'll be important to let the new dog know that YOU are the boss and don't approve of the fighting. If you and your husband provide enough leadership, any reasonably sound dog should follow it.
I've mentioned my new pup ... what I didn't say is that she (Leyna) has an older brother -- a 4.5 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi (Zach). The day I brought her home, she was half an inch shorter than him. He grew up with my old Shepherd (Tasha) as an older sister by about a year. He learned to play pretty rough with Tasha because she let him, but she'd put him in his place if he went too far. Still -- like any Corgi -- he thinks he's the biggest dog on the block! Anyway, day one with Leyna, he pushed her around quite a bit and got a little vicious at first, but we let Zach know that was NOT allowed. He learned his limits quickly about how rough he could be, and he stuck to them unless Leyna got too rough. As for Leyna, she was cowwed for about that first day. Three months later -- she's pretty much the boss. Of course, Zach can walk underneath her belly now, too. He's not that happy all the time that she pushes her dominance, but he acknowledges it all the same.
> One more question: would you suggest another breed? I'm afaid of rotweillers and pit bulls.
If you're looking for a loud, fierce-sounding dog -- consider a Corgi. If you've got young kids, you have to be a bit careful in finding the right breeder and the right dog, but I've known a few Corgis who were extremely good with kids (Zach isn't ... tho he can come to tolerate them if they have treats). Otherwise, you have this short, squat, clown of a dog who will do just about anything for a laugh, but still act as if he or she is the biggest dog around. Since the breed was developed to herd cattle, they have to be loud and about as fierce as a badger. Zach has the loudest bark I have ever heard from a dog.
Between the two of them as to who is the better guard dog: Leyna, once she's grown, will LOOK more threatening given what people think of Shepherds. When it comes to being heard as opposed to seen, Zach has always been the better guard -- better than Tasha was and than Leyna will be. He won't bark all that much when were not home at people out in the lobby of our building (first floor apartment!), but if we're home and he hears even the slightest suspect noise, he is at the door barking like nuts.
cheers,
flb
poster:finelinebob
thread:16896
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20020125/msgs/17498.html