What two gender dogs are best kept together?

No combination will do well if purchased together as pups. Google "sibling puppy syndrome" it is virtually impossible to raise two pups at the same time without the puppies:

(1) Reinforcing their bad puppy habits - house training, bite inhibition, forbidden items/rooms/furniture, the pups will learn at slightly different rates and the "fast" learner will copy the "slow" learner's bad behaviors, meaning that it will take months longer to train them basic manners if they ever learn them at all.

(2) Lack of bonding with humans. Humans are no fun to interact with compared to other puppies - why pay attention to a human when there is constantly another dog to play with? This makes future training a nightmare since the dog never learned to care about or pay attention to you.

(3) To much bonding with each other. I've known bonded pairs where the death or removal of one dog literally killed the other dog - either the dog just shut down or the dog became so uncontrollable in their anxiety that it had to be put down.

(4) Exaggeration of personalities. One of the pups will be more dominant/outgoing than the other, if they never have to cope with the world on their own, they will learn to let their partner compensate for their weaknesses instead of learning to deal with them themselves. The dominate one will become more and more overbearing because the submissive one is becoming more and more tolerant of it - the shy one will look to the bold one for protection, and this will only embolden the bold one further. I've known bonded pairs where one dog was almost dangerously aggressively dominant/protective of the almost pathologically shy/timid dog. It was a no-win situation and they fed off of eachother's attitudes so it always escalated.

If you insist on TWO dogs, then get one at a time. Wait until the first dog knows their basic manners, has a good start in training, and has no bad habits you wouldn't be OK with a second dog learning. Then get the second dog - who will observe and learn from the first dog how to behave instead of two untrained dogs teaching each other bad habits. Also, RUN AWAY from any breeder willing to sell you two same-aged pups at the same time. Good breeders CARE about the problems with raising two puppies together and won't put their dogs in that situation. Find good breeders here: http://www.akc.org/clubs/search/index.cfm by searching for "Shar Pei" clubs in your area.

All that said, in a properly managed household, most pairs of dogs will get along just fine, in the cases where dogs do not get along, it is generally same-gendered pairs. In certain dominant, assertive breeds same-gender aggression is more common than in others, but it is often certain individual dogs that are more reactive than others. Male dogs tend to have more conflicts overall, but their conflicts are often of the lots-of-noise/little-damage variety. Female dogs tend to have fewer conflicts, but are more likely to cause serious injury in those conflicts.

Let me reiterate: dogs properly socialized, introduced, trained and managed usually do fine in any combination of genders, but if there is going to be conflict, it is slightly more likely to occur in same-gendered pairs.

1. Don't buy two puppies at the same time. Good breeders know well enough the pitfalls with this, and won't normally sell two puppies to the same owner, especially if they are novices!!

2. Buy one first, a female. Wait until she's old enough to be spayed and then, when she's around 10 months to a year, think about buying your second puppy, a male. That will give her time to mend afterher spay surgery, and you time to get to grips with training one puppy, before having two around. Assuming all has gone well with the first puppy of course.

3. That way too, you won't be forced into getting the male castrated, at least not until he's a year..... that will give him time to mature a bit, and for you to decide whether castration is going to be needed, which believe me, it may not (local laws allowing).

Add Never EVER buy male litter mate. Once they reach puberty, chances are there will be an ongoing contest for the position of top dog. And Shar Pei can be aggressive under some circumstances too.

my experience... it is always easier to have one male & one female

otherwise two males

i have seen to many females get in really bad fights with female housemates.. even after spay

My neutered male is a Beta.. he had gotten along with every foster I have brought in

My mom has 3 male shelties (Alpha, Beta & Omega)... they all get along just fine

my sister had a mixed lab female (also Beta) who got along great with males.... and played well with other females.... however, she can only foster males because her female will fight other female housemates

Edit to add: JoJo is right about not having 2 same age pups... I will also add... especially if they are littermates --- and all of our dogs within my various family member households are spay/neutered

If they are both going to be fixed, any combination should be fine. Most of the time, same sex dogs only fight because of hormones. My male german shepherd and my roommate's male pit bull get along just fine together, so it's really your preference on that.

2 females before neutered; 2 males afterward.

Its never a good idea to get two pups of the same age and bring them up together; Read why....

http://www.doglistener.co.uk/choosing/siblings.sht...

But if you are adamant about this, read the answers on this question below.

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ah...

The tenderness of a loving couple; Even without sex, opposite have no competition and are more prone to be nice to each other. Guys are gentlemen and ladies are bossy LOL