I already have a 5 month old Female Chihuahua puppy. Has all her shots and will be spayed next month. I'm considering adopting a Male dog soon. He is a 6-7 month old Pit Bull/Chow Chow mix. Would I have to worry about him coming in and marking his territory inside my apartment?
Adopting Male Dog
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My first concern is are they going to get along, I know Pit bulls and chows can make great dogs so i'm not discriminating against either breed. I just want to know if the male actually gets along with other dogs. I would have the two of them meet first to make sure they are going to like each other. When I say this I mean in a controlled room where if anything happens it can be stopped immediately. Some dogs just don't like other dogs for whatever reason. After you learn that they like each other, after a few meetings (I wouldn't just do it once) then you can worry about marking. Also neutering "CAN" (not always) help marking. And it could be your chihuahua that doesn't like the big dog, it's not always going to be the big dog not liking the small dog.
I completely agree. I will definitely have them meet first. I know that APBTs and Chow Chows can both be very dog aggressive. I've kept both in the past. My last chow chow mix only got along with female dogs.
Now I appreciate your concern about the dogs but I'm looking for answers from people who may have had experience in a situation like this. You gave me one line in relation to my question and it's actually something I already know.
But thanks again for your response
Now I appreciate your concern about the dogs but I'm looking for answers from people who may have had experience in a situation like this. You gave me one line in relation to my question and it's actually something I already know.
But thanks again for your response
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I agree with kcomstoc's advice. Have them meet first.
As far as marking is concerned, many male dogs don't start marking until they reach adulthood (this is not absolute). If he hasn't started marking yet, and you bring him into a house where there is no other marking male, he may not learn the behavior. But, again, for some dogs it's just innate. It will help if your other dog isn't having accidents in the house that would encourage the male dog to mark his territory.
As far as marking is concerned, many male dogs don't start marking until they reach adulthood (this is not absolute). If he hasn't started marking yet, and you bring him into a house where there is no other marking male, he may not learn the behavior. But, again, for some dogs it's just innate. It will help if your other dog isn't having accidents in the house that would encourage the male dog to mark his territory.
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House training is house training IMO. Clean up any pee spots with an enzyme cleaner or a white vinegar/water 50-50 mix so he doesn't think so much about peeing inside.
My concerns would be
1) that they are very close in age and it can be very tough to raise two puppies or train to teenage dogs at the same time. Especially if the 6-7 month old male doesn't already have some decent training because he's probably getting large enough to be a hassle on a leash, jumping around, being a puppy butthead and be an issue at 30 or 35 lbs and growing. Rushing one out to potty, finding individual training time for each, constantly supervising both...etc etc
2) In pit bulls as in other breeds with a tendency towards dog aggression, it is often the case that they don't become dog aggressive until about 2 or 2.5 years; basically it can come on with maturity. I am in no way saying all pitties are DA or will become DA, just that having a puppy meeting another puppy and being friendly doesn't mean a whole lot for looking to the future. My opinion is that if someone is looking to adopt a pit type, either adopt one over the age of 2.5 years who has proven to be good with dogs OR be prepared for the possibility of a lifetime of crate and rotate. Note that I said possibility, because one simply has no way of knowing.
The big size difference between the two means that any slip or mistake should there be an aggression issue could be serious or deadly for the Chi. For example, I had a foster a few dogs back with some selective (leash/barrier) aggression. We were doing a meet and greet with her (~50 lbs) and a slightly larger (~60 lbs) pit bull. They walked fine together, sniffed fine together and then in about 2 seconds some dogs in another yard came barreling at the fence and my foster redirect her barrier aggression onto the other pit bull. In the maybe 5-6 seconds it took us to separate them, the larger pit had puncture wounds on her neck requiring vet care.
The flip side of all that is that I do know a number of pit bulls living happily with toy poodles, smaller "dingo dogs", other pit bulls, cats and even rabbits (under careful supervision). If you want the dog and are prepared for amount of effort to raise two pups and have the space or the ability to separate them in the future it needed, then go for it.
My concerns would be
1) that they are very close in age and it can be very tough to raise two puppies or train to teenage dogs at the same time. Especially if the 6-7 month old male doesn't already have some decent training because he's probably getting large enough to be a hassle on a leash, jumping around, being a puppy butthead and be an issue at 30 or 35 lbs and growing. Rushing one out to potty, finding individual training time for each, constantly supervising both...etc etc
2) In pit bulls as in other breeds with a tendency towards dog aggression, it is often the case that they don't become dog aggressive until about 2 or 2.5 years; basically it can come on with maturity. I am in no way saying all pitties are DA or will become DA, just that having a puppy meeting another puppy and being friendly doesn't mean a whole lot for looking to the future. My opinion is that if someone is looking to adopt a pit type, either adopt one over the age of 2.5 years who has proven to be good with dogs OR be prepared for the possibility of a lifetime of crate and rotate. Note that I said possibility, because one simply has no way of knowing.
The big size difference between the two means that any slip or mistake should there be an aggression issue could be serious or deadly for the Chi. For example, I had a foster a few dogs back with some selective (leash/barrier) aggression. We were doing a meet and greet with her (~50 lbs) and a slightly larger (~60 lbs) pit bull. They walked fine together, sniffed fine together and then in about 2 seconds some dogs in another yard came barreling at the fence and my foster redirect her barrier aggression onto the other pit bull. In the maybe 5-6 seconds it took us to separate them, the larger pit had puncture wounds on her neck requiring vet care.
The flip side of all that is that I do know a number of pit bulls living happily with toy poodles, smaller "dingo dogs", other pit bulls, cats and even rabbits (under careful supervision). If you want the dog and are prepared for amount of effort to raise two pups and have the space or the ability to separate them in the future it needed, then go for it.
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I have to echo what Shell said about raising two puppies. My two are pretty close in age (about a year apart--1 and 2 years old), and it's still tough because they still act like annoying teenagers. I never intended to get two that young at the same time, but Lucky (my boy) is a rescue and he kind of just fell into my life after my Dad picked him up off of a busy major road.
Realize it's still tough even though they're now both housetrained and trustworthy in a dog-proof family room/kitchen area. In the evening (during the witching hour) they can get very, very rowdy and I've gotten more than my fair share of inadvertent body slams while they rough house with each other. And my dogs are only 12 pounds each. They bait each other, get sassy with each other, yell at each other over time with me, tag team chew the quilt on my bed when I'm in the shower, and engage in synchronized high-pitched, ear drum-bursting barking. Not for the weak of soul.
Realize it's still tough even though they're now both housetrained and trustworthy in a dog-proof family room/kitchen area. In the evening (during the witching hour) they can get very, very rowdy and I've gotten more than my fair share of inadvertent body slams while they rough house with each other. And my dogs are only 12 pounds each. They bait each other, get sassy with each other, yell at each other over time with me, tag team chew the quilt on my bed when I'm in the shower, and engage in synchronized high-pitched, ear drum-bursting barking. Not for the weak of soul.
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You will also have to watch the male dog, b/c he WILL pester the female - think normal adolescent boys! Your female will either be scared or will snark at him when he gets too pushy. If she stands up for herself, they should get alone OK as puppies. As Shell said, as they mature, things could change.
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Looking at the other threads, it seems like the Chis were young and had accidents in the house. You do need to clean with something enzymatic, like Nature's Miracle, to remove the scent, but what concerns me more is why did you "have to" get rid of at least one Chi and in what way is a bully or chow chow mix going to fare better?
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