Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests Attn German Shepard Owners, question...

I have a question for anybody with a German Shepard specifically, or any dog in general.
I have a GS, nearly two years old, and am thinking of getting a Black Lab pup. I was wondering if the Shepard has a high chance of being aggressive towards the pup, enough to hurt it? My GS is pretty friendly, but doesn't like being pestered too much, especially by people he doesn't know. On the other hand, he normally gets along with "visitor" dogs, and likes all the action and playing.
Any help appreciated,
thanks

Uh oh more animals.

jeez. what's the chances that you'd have something to say? You love those little SOB's running around the house. Anyway, those damm cats are moving the F out...

I have a pure bred GS. Her only friend is a choco lab that she grew up with. Unfortuantely the lab came first then the GS.

My dog hates anything that resembles another animal.

If your GS is friendly with other dogs, I wouldn't worry about it. Every dog is different, but my experience with GS is that they are friendly with other dogs. A close friend of the family had a GS, and they used to take in all kinds of stray dogs. The GS never had a problem. The GS was so gentle that it even got along with the stray cats. Just because your dog doesn't like to be bothered by people it doesn't know, doesn't mean it won't get along with another dog.

is your GS male or female because in my experience males are less likely to accept new dogs.

My full-bred shep (big dog - 105 lbs.) does pretty well with others , but then again , I spent loads & loads of time with him as a pup to make his that way . He even does really well with little kids . Break into my house & that'll be another story .

I've never owned a GS, but we have 3 labs and IMO one of the best things you can do for a dog is get him/her a playmate. Our first lab (male choc.) was a terror until we rescued a Great Dane. We eventually had to find her another home, but that's another story. Having another dog to play with really helped the lab settle down, because he was able to burn off all that puppy energy. After the Dane left and we got a 2nd lab puppy (female yellow). Having the adult dog already there made training the puppy way easier. Of course that could just be the difference between males and females.

Anyhow, if the GS gets along with "visitor" dogs like you say, I think you should have no problems introducing a puppy into the family.

The only thing you might have to worry about is feeding time. Is the GS very protective of it's food? You might need to feed them separately at least until they get used to each other.

Dogs are remarkable at sorting out politics. We had a Shepherd, named Fritz, who was great with other dogs. Part of his demeanor stems from the fact that we got him while living in England. We brought him home at 6 weeks of age and took him to the park often. In the UK, there are few leash laws, dogs a free to run in most parks and socialize. Fritz was 105# as well, and slept on my daughters bed for the first five years of her life. He played equally well with Yorkshire Terriers as he did with larger Shepherds.

After two years, you should have a pretty good feel for your dogs temperment. I would be inclined to add a second dog. Close supervision is key though. they will quickly sort out heirarchy and establish a relationship. If you can spend significant time with both dogs in a fun environment, together, the new-comer will be associated with positive reinforcement. If not, you run the risk of an adversarial relationship where your Shepherd feels threatend and will instinctively try to enforce his 'Alpha' position. You didn't mention sex. Males are typically more territorial, they will protect thier turf if they feel threatend. Females tend to pay more attention to the pack. Consider your family as a part of the pack in this situation.

Good luck.

EDIT - I see you refered to your dog as a he. I think the introduction into the home will be key. Perhaps establish a space that is his own, and a space that will be that of the new dog.