New brother or sis??

[chrishnar]

Hi-This is my first post on this site. I have a 3 year old male chihuahua (Brody) and he is the typical possessive chi. I have only had him around other dogs twice and he was very skeptical and aggressive at first then got used to them over a five day stay. The other time was only for an hour and he never quite warmed up to the dog. I really want to get him a brother or sister so he will have a play partner when I'm at work (which he is happy now) but I don't know if he would ever warm up to another dog. If I were to get another dog would it be better to get a puppy or full grown dog and does anyone have any tips of how to help him warm up a little bit? Thanks!

[PitBullie09]

Well if you dont think he will warm up to a new pup..then maybe you dont need to get one. You shouldnt get one just for him to have a playmate. you should get one because you want one for a companion or show dog..etc. But I also have a chi like that and she got use to my new dogs after a while. I have had adults,pups,big, small, stay at my house and she has warmed up too them all. But do YOU think your dog will accept a new puppy/dog? Because only YOU know your dog really well! Erin

[Pugdawg1]

My mother has had chihuahuas for.. oh.. at LEAST 45 years. Seems that they usually get along rather well, but there is the inevitable Chi Squabble that happens.. usually over who gets first dibs on a lap. LOL Makes ya glad they are tiny and not.. say an 80 pounder. LOL

[Ritz459]

Also, adding on to SoutherenGirl's post, if you got another dog so your dog could have a playmate, would your dog enjoy it? And you couldn't just leave them together as soon as you get one. Exspecialy since your dog seems to be dog aggresive. (Or possesive or whatever, lol)

[IceyBlueSibes]

You said you only had him around other dogs twice, so he wasn't socialized well.. Have you had him since he was a pup or young? Socialization is actually the key to having a friendly dog at whatever age. That would probably explain his aggression/snappiness towards other dogs.. but there are times when some dogs just don't like other dogs.

If you DO get a dog OR a puppy, be sure to bring the dogs in on neutral territory (ie. the park, down the street) anywhere AWAY from the house. This way your chi won't become protective or possesive over his territory. Try to have a friend come with you to help you with both dogs. If you have them on a leash, don't hold the leashes tight because dogs can sense tension and will think something is wrong if you tighten the leash.

There may be occasional spats, but this is because they're going to need to work out who's boss in the rank of dogs. Is your male altered? If not, I would suggest doing so. This can help somewhat with his aggression. I would suggest a rescue or shelter so the dog is already spayed or neutered. IMO I would get a female dog. Sometimes same sex aggression is a lot stronger in dogs (Male-male, female-female) and can cause some pretty hefty issues. I'm not saying your male WON'T be snippy with a female dog, but it may help to LESSEN the possibility of him being aggressive so much.

Don't allow them to eat out of the same bowls of course. Some dogs are extremely protective over food, and with him being aggressive already, it wouldn't be a good thing to do. Try to feed them seperately, because I would assume if he is snippy already, then he'll probably be snippy with food. Just a tip...

Let them work out who's higher than the other. These things happen and are natural for dogs to do, but don't let it get out of hand. If they get into a fight, let them know that YOU are still the boss and YOU don't allow that behavior. You may notice humping, which is a sign of dominance to the other dog. This is nothing to worry about, and they're just communicating through this. It's not a pleasent thing to see, but as long as they don't do it in front of company it's okay LOL

Those are just my .02 and if I have stated anything wrong, please let me know
I'm sure there will be more people to give you advice.. good luck!

PS. I agree with southerngirl. Only YOU know your dog. If you think he will be okay after a while with another dog, then that's your decision to make. Don't get another just because YOU want a play mate for him. Sometimes dogs just don't like the company of other dogs and much rather prefer the company of humans. They can be just as happy....

But we aren't all experts (besides flyndog, I beleive she's a trainer.. so she can help you) so be sure to include YOUR own opinion/gut feeling on the situation before getting another dog And think about your dog you have already. Try to decide whether or not you think that HE would like another dog around.