Second dog as a companion

[MaggieJoh]

Hello everyone,
I am really new here so hopefully I get this right. We have a roughly 8-9yr old Shih Tzu who was a rescue (hence not knowing the specific age) she wasn't expected to live as she was starving to death and had been abused etc. That was 6yrs ago now she's acting like a puppy, as I've heard Shih Tzu's are known to do. We have two older cats who generally get along with the dog but they don't like how Julia wants to play. My family and I try to play with Julia as much as possible but apparently we just don't fit the bill because it doesn't last long. We've been offered a five year old Jack Russell, and I am wondering if you guys think it would be a good mix. Julia seems to be able to hold her own even with much larger dogs and she is very friendly with small dogs and as I said she's much more hyper then I had expected which is why I am even considering a Jack Russell. What do you think? My husband has experance with purebred show dogs and with obedience trained dogs so he should do well at retraining the Jack if nessesary. Any feedback is much appreciated.

[melody]

Although there are no specific rules on what breed gets along perfectly with another breed, I think a Shih Tzu and a JR is a good combination because they are both the active types. But if you want to make sure, maybe try if the two of them will get along for a short time before you decide to take the JR permanently, inside and outside of your house. It's also a very good thing that you have a partner that's good in training dogs. If you want to have better ideas on specific dog breeds, I suggest you take some time to check on Dog Breeds, it's actually one of DOA's page about several dog breeds and their distinctions from each other.

[MaggieJoh]

Thank you melody, we got more information about the dog today and she does sound like a pretty good match. We're setting up a playdate with the other dog and if that goes well we'll move on to indoor with the cats. Apparently the dog has been around other dogs and she got along well. Fingers crossed this will work out. Thank you again.

[Lyka_01]

Originally Posted by melody

Although there are no specific rules on what breed gets along perfectly with another breed, I think a Shih Tzu and a JR is a good combination because they are both the active types. But if you want to make sure, maybe try if the two of them will get along for a short time before you decide to take the JR permanently, inside and outside of your house. It's also a very good thing that you have a partner that's good in training dogs. If you want to have better ideas on specific dog breeds, I suggest you take some time to check on Dog Breeds, it's actually one of DOA's page about several dog breeds and their distinctions from each other.

Very good idea...
JR and Shih Tzu combination is not that bad...
But I much prefer pure breed...

[MaggieJoh]

Well we met with the JR yesterday and it was not a good fit at all. My Shih Tzu has no interest in playing fetch for hours LOL. Mila was a great dog but was truly too much for us to take on and it wouldn't be fair to take her on an expect her to change her nature to live here. So the owners are looking into obediance training for Mila and are going to try to keep her. I couldn't be happier. We're looking at a Lhasa-Poo, while he's not a pure bred nor a shih tzu from all my readig on both Lhasa's and Poodles I think this might be a better fit not only for our Shih Tzu but also for our family. My in laws own a kennel and even they will admit that pure breds are not all they're cracked up to be unless you're interested in showing them or for confirmation.

[frieda]

Hi,

I am fostering a great spayed female cattle dog mix ,Frieda, we hoped would be a good companion for our neutered male Aussie/BC mix, Babboo. They play together well for a while, and then she wants al the attention, snaps at him sometimes, and he hides under the bed. She is clearly dominant; he is much mellower.

It's been 6 weeks, up and down. Any suggestions for good relations? If they play ball, she gets hers and hen pushed him over to get his too.

[glaiza]

I think getting a second dog as companion for your current pet is a good idea. You have to keep in mind though that it is going to be more work for you. So, think twice before you go get a second dog.

[uberglamorous]

Kudos to you for wanting to have another pet. However, never forget that it entails great responsibility. The more dogs you have, the more food you need, the more stuff to clean (if you know what I mean).