i just want too know what the norm is for having a small dog but wanting a bigger one. i have a chihuahua and a English bulldog but i am thinking of getting a Doberman puppy, will they clash as it gets older and bigger?
☆ Memphis Belle ☆
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It can work but you would have to be aware that the Dobermann is a lean muscular medium size & fine boned Chihuahua may be accidentally injured in the high energy rambunctious play that the is typical for the breed & cannot always easily place a small dog as it moves around - my male Dobermann plays with JTS but keeps losing sight of the dog when it zips underneath him!
The Dobermann is a versatile guardian breed, created with a functional purpose to do some type of real work in its everyday life & have a task to engage its highly intelligent mind. If you can cope with the innate characteristics of the breed which at adolescence will begin to shape the way the dog thinks & behaves, then the Dobermann & you have the lifestyle that suits the breed, then it may be a good match with what the breed needs from a home.
However, if there is already a male dog in residence I would strongly advise against purchasing a male Dobermann, as few adult male Dobermanns will tolerate the presence of another male dog in the household without serious dog bite incidents. Male to male dog aggression is a dominant characteristic of a mentally stable adult Dobermann, & you cannot remove what nature gave the dog with castration or training.
?
There is always going to be a certain risk of injury when you have 2 or more dogs especially of vastly different sizes. Regardless of how well they get along accidents do happen (had a family member whose small dog lost sight in one eye due to an accident during play with their larger dog.) For example a big clumsy Doberman Puppy could easily step on an injure a Chihuahua. Many people keep large and small dogs with no problem. Most large dogs if properly socialized won't intentionally injure a smaller housemate, however fights can and do occur even with dogs that have lived together peacefully for years and when you have a vastly different size like this it is more likely to end with sever injuries (or death) than it would with more equally matched dogs. Not a matter of breed hear just a matter of vastly different sized. My suggestion is if you want the Doberman and it fits into your lifestyle then get the Doberman but it should not be left unattended with the Chihuahua.
Faustina
Probably not if you get a puppy. Since it will be a puppy, it will have grown up around the smaller dogs and won't have a problem with them. And your Chihuahua and bulldog will soon learn that even if they don't like the Doberman, it's much bigger then them. I don't think you will have a problem.
?
It is a possibility but if you raise your dogs to respect each other and everyone else, they should get along just fine. Anyway, most of the time it's the little dogs being mean to the bigger dogs.
Pj Homey
They might, but it's more likely that they would become friends with each other after learning to live with one another. Just be sure to break it up if it does happen and I'm sure the dog will get the point after a while.