Looking for new addition advise

[emmasmamma]

I think I have my husband finally convinced that Emma needs a playmate. (At least he doesn't argue when I show him potential candidates on petfinder.com) Any suggestions on how to know if a dog is the right one and getting the two adjusted to each other. We are looking at one that is about the same age as Emma, probalbly a rescue. Does gender matter? (I've heard that different gender from different litters work best) Any way to tell if, even though they may be skittish together at first that they will eventually get along. Emma gets along great with my mom's chihuahua and begs to play with him. (even though he wants nothing to do with her) However when I have taken her to the local pet supply store (they allow you to bring your dog in) she seems fearful of other dogs even when they are obviously friendly with her. (In fact she seems more interested in the more timid ones she meets) Any and all advise would be appreciated in this important decision.

 

[CollieMan]

I know that our trainer/behaviourist has advised us to look for a dog, as Ellie is a bitch. (Yes, we've now begun the search for our second dog.) She believes that will make for a more harmonious relationship. How true that is, I'm not sure.

 

[tx_cowgirl]

If you're looking for a rescue, I would suggest a male. Some adult rescued females can be very dominant, and if Emma is a dominant female then this can cause problems. (Simply because a lot of rescues didn't come from homes where they were socialized.) However, if you find a relatively submissive female, then see what happens. I don't know about shelters in your area, but here they are happy to let you bring your dog in to see how he/she interacts with the dog you are interested in. Many if not all of them have a play area for them. Really I'd be open-minded to anything. If you are adopting, then simply find out as much about the dog as you can from the shelter, then request to bring in your dog to see how they react. Let them visit a few times before making your decision so you all know for sure what you want to do. =)
If Emma's a dominant female, I would make sure that she can get along well with other females and dominant males. Mud's a dominant female, and if she is around other females I have to make sure that the other female is well-socialized before not being concerned. I adopted Mud as a three-year-old, and originally she was a bit aggressive towards all females. We've been working on it though, and really now she gets along with just about anybody, provided they do not show aggression towards her. =)

 

[lilyr]

That is so exciting that you are getting another dog!!!

Having the dogs meet would probably be safest way to go.
I have three dogs myself (all females) and eventhough they are all well socialized and all love to play with other dogs, there is always that one dog that they don't like.

I'm sure the shelter won't have a problem with you bringing your dog, infact they would probably encourage you to do so to make sure they get along fine.

Maybe you should also have a friend bring over a dog to your house to see how Emma reacts to another dog in the house.


Good luck with the search!

 

[emmasmamma]

I'm not sure what to label Emma. As a pup, her puppy training classmates were a female boxer and a female great dane! She loved to play with them even though they werefive or more times her size. As far as training her, she was very strong willed as a pup. (now she just has selective hearing or memory loss) When I took her out last Sunday to an adoptathon, she was frightened of all but the most submissive dogs, and then she was very cautious. As i said, she wants to play so bad with my mom's chihuahua, but he just ignores her(maybe that's the attraction) I definately plan on the two dogs meeting prior to adopting any. I don't think it would be fair to either dog to just throw them together.

 

[leema]

He's beautiful! I hope all works out for the best for you and Pepper!

 

[heidib860]

He's adorable.

 

[emmasmamma]

I just read an email from the foster mom that said he is getting more playful by the day ( probably didn't know too much about playin, spending his life locked up in a puppy mill cage). Yesterday, he was prancing around her feet wanting her to pick him up and when she did, he covered her in kisses! I can hardly wait to meet him. Hope Emma will feel the same way!:dogtongue2:

 

[tx_cowgirl]

Congrats!!! Good luck to you and the dogs.

 

[drivingtenacity]

I hope it works out between Emma and pepper, but if it doesn't, here's my 2 cents.
You say that Emma is afraid of all but the most submissive dogs. I'm going to assume that she doesn't display fear aggression as much as simple fear and anxiety. Why not consider a younger or submissive dog? You don't want Emma to be scared, and if she doesn't have it in her to be a bully, there's no harm in her being the dominant dog in the household.