Two males?

[Wingman]

Hi all -

My friend already has one Dane - he's three and a half and he's been fixed. She wants to get a male dane puppy, and had the exact dog picked out.

Problem is, today the person who helped her train her first dog (who is a professional dog trainer) told her that if she has two males living together, eventually she's gonna come home one day and find one of them seriously hurt because they'll be fighting.

Is there any merit in what this guy is saying? I'm not a dog expert, but to me, I could picture it if there were two males and they were both intact, but with one or both of them fixed, would it really be a problem?

I'm urgently hoping for answers to this one cause she needs to let the breeder know if she wants the puppy or not, so I'd really appreciate some quick responses.

Thanks!

[Eileen]

Wow. I've always heard you are more likely to have fighting between two females, not two males. Also thought two males, if they DO fight, will not fight as agressively as two females. I've never had two male dogs though.

[Ellen]

There was another thread on this recently. Click on conferences then click on general breed information and if you scroll down the page you will see one that says two male danes. Hope this helps.:) :)

[Zoeys Mom]

Just tell her to keep them seperated when she won't be home. I have to keep my male and female seperated while I'm gone because they play too roughly and would end up hurting each other without supervision. Of course my male is still a puppy and crated while I'm gone anyway. I don't plan to ever let them be alone together unless they calm down in the next few years!

Best thing for her to do is to see how her male gets along with other males (and puppies). The puppy should have no problem adjusting to her current male.

[jensdanes]

Never personally had a problem with two Dane males, one was full grown when puppy came so it was obvious who was "boss", but English Mastiff male and Dane male was horrible only because Mastiffs are dog agressive, Danes most often are not.

Good Luck!
jen

[sarae]

It can happen and they can get along fine. I have 2 male dogs and 2 female dogs. Everyone know I'm the boss and what I'll tolerate. They have their place in the pack and that's all there is to it.

That being said, how is the 3 1/2 year old with other dogs? Usually brining a puppy in, the pecking order is established immediately. If the older dog has problems with other dogs, she might be better off getting one that's the opposite sex. If it doesn't have problems with other dogs, she should be able to get whatever she wants. Just remember that the main thing is training that YOU are the boss regardless of anything else. It's going to be something that needs to be looked at individually and a blanket statement really can't be made. Maybe the trainer knows something about this dog that hasn't been brought up and that's why he's recommending it?

Tell your friend good luck and I hope things work out for her.

[alicat613]

I think it depends more on the individual dogs.
My Dane is very submissive and very laid back. When we get another, it will be a male as well, hopefully as laid back and sweet as our first!
The breeder should be able to help your friend decide which sex and which pup would be the best fit for their home and lifestyle.

[Elaine_]

I don't know. Doing rescue I always have a variety of sexes, sizes, ages, etc.

I can honestly say I've not had as many problems with males as I have with females. But then too I have Paige-the tiny tyrant, LOL!

Seriously though, all the danes in my house know that I don't tolerate any shenanigans, and all the danes in my house are crated when no one is home. With the exception of Paige who has earned her position as princess(I am Queen!).

I think if one or both males are nuetered there is less likely to be a problem, but it will also depend on the dominance level of the original male. If he is a very dominant dane, and the new dane is very dominant, even if one is nuetered, it could be a problem. If one or both are submissive males, then less likely the problems....

I think your friend has to take a good look at the existing dane, and be very honest with themselves as to how dominant that dane is, and then decide if that dane will tolerate another male dane in the house.

Just a side note, for the most part rescue will not adopt a same sex dane into a home-if the home has a female then rescue will only place a male, and vice versa....however that is not a hard and fast rule either.

Hope this is helpful!
Elaine Lemley & Crew