How do bring in another male, when my dog has always been the top dog? My dog is 7 years old.?

hi, i have 2 male dogs a boxer and a bull terrier.

i had my old dog 6/7 years alone before i got the other so i kinda understand where your at but ......... i did have the bull terrier when he was 5 weeks old so obviously there was never going to be a stand off and the older dog was always destined to be top dog, as in all packs there can only be one! although i must stress he is number 2, i am number 1.what i say goes i wear the trousers and i don't get any confrontations or fights, they are both pretty big dogs too so i guess it may just be luck?

if your thinking of getting an older established dog then yep i see possible difficulties but dogs do form packs and can quickly ajust to others.

i introduced the pup as you do any dog that is to become your pack, by allowing the older dog total freedom to sniff him out, it was total alert mode for the first 2 hours he would not leave him alone, i dont mean nasty i mean he licked him till he was dripping wet, he acctually mothered him and nurchured him like it was his own, and from that day the bond has been that great that they howl after each other, and when the big boy isnt home the little guy wont settle,he looks everywhere for him!

i know this may sound a bit mushy and yes there is an element of "what ifs" but i guess the choice is yours and you know your dog better than anyone.

i know that if or when my old boy goes i will be looking for a pup for my bull terrier so i will worry then as the bull terrier is not so obliging of other dogs at all so i guess ill have to give you a shout and hope you will help me out lol. hope you succeed with this and that it gave a little help to you :)

Good Lord - you will have a lot on your hands, that's for sure. If your dog doesn't like other male dogs already, bringing one onto his territory is almost sure to start a fight. And you will never, EVER want to get in the middle of a fight with two dogs if they're little Shih Tzus, let alone two large male dogs.

I'm not sure what situation you're in and if you can avoid fostering this Mastiff, I would, simply to avoid such a probable danger.

If you have NO OTHER CHOICE, there are several ways to do this and several websites that may help you more than we can. Keep in mind that one dog on a leash will most likely feel very confined and threatened if the other dog is not. My dog is very aggressive if she is on a leash and cannot "get away" from an approaching dog, but if she isn't, she's a lot more curious. Still not super friendly, but doesn't sound and act like she will murder that other dog if she gets the chance.

Is there any way to take them to a neutral territory and do introductions there? Your big guy may feel less territorial and this other one may feel less intimidated. And how you do it depends on this Mastiff. Is he an alpha male as well, or a submissive one? If he is Alpha, I would really recommend you not do this at all. Two large, strong Alpha males are very difficult to put together. Here are a few websites to check out: I didn't read through them entirely, but they seem like they could be useful to you.

http://www.leerburg.com/introducingdogs.htm

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_lif...

Good luck with this...and go SLOWLY!

It depends on the temperament of the other dog. If the other dog is naturally more submissive towards other dogs, particularly males, then you can try introducing them slowly. What I would do regardless of whether the other dog is submissive or not is introduce the two dogs on a territory that could be considered "neutral" by your older dog, such as someone else's property, a park, in front of a store the older dog doesn't normally go to, really anywhere the older dog doesn't normally go and therefore doesn't have in his mind is "his" property.

That should allow him to perceive the newer, younger dog as less of a threat than he might if he met this new dog in his territory. However, I'd keep any meetings between the two you had short and controlled, and above all else enjoyable. Always leave on a high note and introduce the two several times before you ever actually have them together off leash or in a less controlled situation. Make it so that going to meet the other dog is happy and fun, and if he does a good job and is polite to the other dog praise him and give him treats or whatever makes him happy. Likewise, if the other dog is nice and polite praise him as well.

In general, encourage good behavior. Honestly, if they ever actually fight each other I, personally, would never leave them alone together again. This is just a general rule for me, though. I had a male that was aggressive towards other males so I simply never left him unattended with another male, particularly one that wasn't neutered because he, as a show champion and show dog, was not neutered himself.

However, saying that, I'd definitely recommend neutering the dogs if they aren't already neutered. My male always had a much nicer time with neutered males than unneutered males and he wasn't neutered himself.

You know, Cesar Millan just dealt with this issue on one of his recent shows. He had a client who brought in a male dog from Italy, his girl-friend had another male dog, they both came to the office together and Cesar discoverd that both dogs had never been neutered! Bad combination he said because when their biological clocks tick twice a year, they will both attack whether there's a female in the midst or not. So, #1, better get them both neutered and #2, Yes, I'd definitely train them both with Alpha in mind. Because if your Rottie has survived a Mountain Lion attack, you can bet your bottom dollar that he WILL survive any "aggression" of territorial standoff by the Mastiff coming in. I'd definitely think three or four times before letting these two get together! Me personally, NEVER! Way too dangerous and you're just asking for disaster!

Isn't there somewhere else the Mastiff can be placed? Anywhere? Try not to let that animal into your Rottie's domain area, it will kill it!

It sounds to me like you should try to find another solution for the second dog. Having fighting animals in the household is extremely stresssful and everyone will suffer. I strongly recommend that you try to avoid this.

If you cannot, castration of both should probably be the first step.

Then I would suggest that you think of some way to make the new guy's arrival a real feast for your older dog. When I introduce new dogs in our house, I make sure there is plenty of food, goodies, new toys, attention and fun for everyone; so that the new dog sees that this is not a pack where they need to compete for anything, and so that the old dogs see that the new arrival does not mean that they will have to forego anything.

Good luck!!!

No you cant have these two dogs together.

The only thing you can do is get a dog trainer to help you establish alpha over both dogs, but even then you will never be able to leave the dogs alone together.

I think this would make a very dangerous situation for you and the dogs, If you really want another dog i would sudgest getting a submissive female......... definately not another male.

The first step is to introduce them to each other in neutral territory. Someplace that neither dog is familiar with. This will eliminate any territorial aggression. If they act like the want to fight in that setting, you may never be able to have them together. You may have to separate them with a fence or something. Maybe keep the new dog confined and out of reach of the alpha dog.

... so why do you have to bring in the new male? It sounds like it could, indeed, get VERY ugly. I would say avoid putting them together at all costs, but if for whatever reason it is a desperate situation where you have no choice, you should start by taking them for walks together, one on either side of you. They may want to eat each other so it might be hard given their sizes, but if you can get them to ignore each other on a walk together, they may just be okay later off their leashes... especially if one is submissive.

add: read someone's answer below me, and yeah, DON'T introduce them at either of their current homes. Definitely do it on turf that is unfamiliar for both of them.

I'm not sure thats such a great idea, introducing a new dog. It could also be upsetting for your other dog. Sorry, but I hve no ideas of how to could do that, because your first dog will feel that the new dog is invading his territory.

2take both dogs to a enclosed space that none of them have been to like a new park. let them meethave a sniff etc.

if they fight straight away seperate them for 5 mines and then let them remeet.

if they carry on fighting them you can eighter not have the other dog or pay really expensive training bills.