Help - Adding Third Dog to House - Page 3

Today was a little better. I had both the boys in muzzles most of the time. They ignored each other and just layed down. I'm thinking about trying this for a couple of weeks to get them used to being in the same room out of crates. Has anybody tried this?

Have you  considered what will happen once the muzzles come off?,Will they immediately try to kill each other?You have been given good advice by people alot more experianced than me and i would suggest you take it REAL SLOW whatever you decide to do.Good luck with your boys

It's always a tough situation bringing a new adult dog into the mix.   Lots of good advice here.  Take it slow and probably the most important thing IMHO, is that they know that you and your wife are in charge. 

I've got three here.  11 year old spayed female, 6 year old intact male, and 3 year old intact female.  The youngest female was brought in as a pup. Things are generally good, but I do keep an eye on things between the two females.  The older one is the fun police and likes to be a beeatch at times.  Twice they've gotten into it, both times similiar, older one playing the fun police bit the younger one on the flank and hence younger one got pissed.  :)  Apparently I handled it correctly, because it was a year between the two incidents and the second one was very very mild compared to the first.  The difference here is, these dogs truly like each other.  Lick each others faces and sleep in bed with us.  So, it's never a spacial issue.  Basically just a bitch issue!  However, I do think that if they were closer in age it would not be so good. 

Cowboy, I think you s/d accept the fact that deciding to have 2 dogs of the same gender may involve rotation for the rest of their lives. I have rotated dogs for years and it's become a lifestyle. It's not really so bad once you get used to it and of course having space in your property for good kennels and runs makes all the difference in the world. At some point, as I start to get older and more forgetful, LOL, I'm going to have to stick to having just 2 dogs, of opposite genders, as it's easy to forget and leave a gate or door open.

Although, you may end up resigning to the fact that they will never get along no matter how hard you try.  Some dogs just plain old don't like each other, the same is true for people too I guess. LOL

Thanks to all. I am going slow although it's driving me nuts. I just keep wondering how Cesear Milan does it with all those "Red Zone" dogs loose in one area. He's got Rots, Shepherds and Pit Bulls living together.

Its gotta be that "calm,submissive state" he puts them in and the, "TTTSSSS"

I'm sure that he's choked a dog out or two as well.  :)  Plus he's pretty quick in reading when things are going to start to go wrong.  However, my jury is still out on "some" of his methods.  But, it's definitely good for some of these crazy pet people who have no clue.