Pet classifieds - Pet Forums

Many of us who have dogs eventually bring home a second dog. Maybe we couldn’t resist that adorable mutt at the pound that looked up at us with pleading eyes. Or perhaps our friend asked us to adopt a dog that needs a home. In any case, we reason, our dog would benefit from a companion.

That’s all fine and dandy—until, in some cases, we introduce the new dog to the dog we have at home and the two don’t get along. Despite our high hopes for a peaceable co-existence, it’s not unusual for two dogs to start snarling the second they meet.

How are we to know if two dogs will or will not get along? And is there anything we can do to prevent dog-on-dog conflict?

There are steps dog owners can take before they place potentially incompatible dogs under the same roof. Most involve doing a little research—and exercising a little restraint in the selection process—before picking out your current dog’s new room mate.

Mix the Sexes

Most good matches occur between one female and one male. There are some breeds which will actually pick fights with dogs of the same sex and of the same breed. This has to do with each dog wanting to establish himself or herself as “top dog “.

“But I’ve seen two male or two female dogs get along,” you might say. Well, this may be true, but there will always be some sot of pecking or “pack” order when there are two dogs of the same sex.

If dogs of the same sex do get along, chances are that this is because one dog has become the dominant one and the other the submissive one in the relationship

However, keep in mind that the personalities of both dogs will be altered. One will become more dominant than it would normally have been and the other will become more submissive than it normally would have been. This can only be detrimental to either dog’s development and level of dog-to-dog and dog-to-human interaction.

When you’ve got one male and one female dog, on the other hand, each gets to be the dominant; the male dog is the top male dog and the female dog is the top female dog. The only time you might have to separate them is during feeding time, when they will probably become protective about their food.

Dogs That Grew Up Together

Just because dogs have grown up together doesn’t mean they will always get along. After dogs mature, their instincts take over; the fact that they romped together as puppies will not override their gut reaction in the case of stress or injury at the hands of a “sibling”. Also, socializing with other dogs alters whatever pack behavior is learned early on in a dog’s life.

Monitor Your Dogs

Finally, do not leave your two dogs alone together when you first introduce them. Even dogs who will end up great companions will not necessarily be nice to each other as of the first meeting—especially if the meeting is not on neutral ground.

Your pets need your supervision while they are getting to know each other as playmates, first and as housemates, second. Note: don’t keep your dogs on a tight leash. That will only spur the dogs on to fight.

If you find that your dogs react viciously towards one another, crate them one at a time. While one is crated, let the other one run loose. Keep this up until both dogs are completely calm. Then try re-introducing them. Just remember that it’s also wise to keep the sizes of your dogs similar, as very large dogs can cause injury—sometimes unintentionally—to extremely little dogs.

Spaying: Just Do It!

If your dogs are of two sexes, both dogs, of course, should be spayed and or neutered before they are placed together under one roof. If either dog is intact, the owner will have to have access to an extra room or a yard so that the dogs can be separated when the female is in heat.

If you do decide to allow your dogs to mate, keep in mind that dog breeding requires numerous expenses, special facilities and a lot of hard work. As any breeder will tell you, it should not be undertaken lightly.

As you can see, with a little advance planning, you and your two dogs can live a peaceable and companionable existence!

When kittens play, they are training for becoming the hunters that cats are by nature. Rabbit kicking (holding on with the forelimbs and striking out with the hind) and biting are normal extensions of this training. When your kitten plays with you, she will become excited and the play will often become rough. She may begin to bite or kick harder than you would like.

Play with her up to the point that she becomes too rough, and stop. Tell her firmly, “No.” With repetition, this action should put an end to the rough behavior. Your kitten will begin to associate roughness with the end of playtime.

Think your dog sits at the window with your shoe in his mouth anxiously awaiting your return while you're out? Think again. Early studies done with spy-cams often showed dogs engaged in a single activity for most of the time that their owners were away. New studies, that include cameras in all rooms of the house, have come up with some disturbing, in-your-face evidence about the truth of dogs left alone. The reason that it has taken us so long to figure out the rest of the puzzle is simple. We are in denial. We know that our dogs are mad and confused when we leave the pack, but we don't want to think that our trusted friends are going to such lengths to get their payback. You may want to have a seat while you read about what your beloved companion has really been doing all this time.

1. The Processed Cheese Single Lick-Off: Believe it or not, but as soon as you leave, your dog is going to your refrigerator, opening the meat and cheese drawer, resisting all the deli meat, meticulously unwrapping each individually wrapped American cheese slice, and giving each one a big, slimy dog lick. Then, just as meticulously, they are folding back the plastic wrappers and placing them back in the drawer. Why they're doing it, we haven't figured out just yet, but be assured, none of your cheese slices are sacred.

2. Butt Skidding on the Carpet. Don't be so naive to think that your dog only does this in front of you to make you insane. Pretty much as soon as you leave the house and they're done with the cheese slices, they're doing a whole bunch of this.

3. Talking. Just as we always imagined, our dogs are having highly intellectual discussions, either with themselves, or with your other pets. Some of their favorite topics include, "The Nature of Quality," "The Limerick Versus the Sonnet," "Why Einstein is Wrong about the Theory of Relativity," and "Ethical Dilemmas: Consequences of Revealing Speaking Abilities to Your Owner/Master." If you thought about leaving a tape recorder on while you're gone, then you're out of luck, because your dog is also telepathic.

4. Napping. Ok, this one isn't so surprising, but isn't that what you would do after you just used your jaws and nothing else to open a 24-pack of American cheese slices, rubbed your butt along the carpet for four hours and had a two-hour debate with a parrot?

5. Eating Socks. Many dogs have already been caught in the act on this one. What we didn't realize before is that they are actually stealing them from out of the dryer. This is sure to be a big blow to fans of the notorious, naughty house-elf theory.

Centers have been set up across the country to help owners deal with these shocking truths. Many believe that the classic image of the loyal, best friend has been seriously shaken and will take years to repair. Others, like brokenhearted lovers, have admitted that they had their suspicions all along.

Bringing your dog to the beach has all the makings of a great day. Not only can the Frisbee playing, ball fetching and splashing around result in an afternoon's worth of healthful exercise for both dog and dog owner, it can be a terrific way to bond with your best friend. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when you and your pet hit the surf and sand.

First of all, sand is not necessarily a benign element. Many a hound has picked up some unwanted hitchhikers from a day at the beach, otherwise known as sand fleas. These tiny annoyances can cause irritations much the way typical fleabites can. An owner's best bet is to flea-proof your pooch before a trip to the beach with products like Front Line or any recommended by the dog's veterinarian.

Similarly, water can be dangerous for a dog to drink. Naturally, salt water lapping should be avoided, but even the water from fresh water sources could spell a bout with dangerous micro-organisms. Ideally, you should bring some water in a cooler and a dish for your pet to drink from throughout your time on the beach.

Finally, if your dog has recently been shaved for the warm weather, this could spell trouble with the sun. Sunburn in a dog is just as uncomfortable for canines as humans. If your dog's has just been shorn, it may be worthwhile to put that trip to the beach off for a week.

Finally, consider your dog's obedience and temperament carefully before allowing it to run free amongst other beach goers. Even if your dog poses little risk to people, consider how it reacts to other dogs who may also be visiting the beach. Be sure to have your leash with you in case any negative issues arise.

Through the years, anyone who had a cat for a pet knows that they can keep you in stitches with the antics they perform. Here are a few amusing anecdotes I have collected.

Mushi lived in Germany during World War II and even though she was well loved, food was hard to come by. Table scraps, sausage casings and an occasional fish head was all she got. One Christmas season, after the tree was decorated, the lady of the house came down hard on her two children, ages four and six.