# 2 females, 2 males or male & female



## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

Curious what everyone thinks is better to have, 2 females, 2 males or a male and female in one household. Who gets along better together, or doesn't it matter. We certainly aren't ready yet, but are considering a second dog down the road. I think she might enjoy the company of another dog, not that Abbey is left alone because we are usually home. Then other times I wonder if she might be happier as "an only child" lol.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

it's all down to temperament to me, though I have always had females I would consider a male if the fit was right with the rest of the bunch.


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## Naira (Jan 9, 2015)

*2 females, 2 males or male &amp; female*

I prefer female dogs and if I add another it will be female. I've heard male and female is best but I think any combination can be made to work. Naira would probably be around 3 years old and definitely spayed before I added another one. 

I worry about the whether she would be better as an only dog too. I'm wary of adding a puppy because Naira is a really gentle player with other dogs and I know a puppy will inevitably irritate her. And then...I don't think it's possible for me to give her my undivided attention and love that I give her now with two dogs. It would have to be split. I think the perfect adult rehome would have to come up for me to have two. I'll probably have children in the next 5 years as well which is another thing to consider.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

I have normally had 2 at a time and one time 4, I find they do better with having a playmate. Bella was 7 when I got Cayenne and by herself Bella just laid around now she plays


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## Sweetearlgrey (Mar 3, 2015)

I have a preference for females but I think what it really comes down to is the type of personality you are introducing. I can't remember exactly, but our lab breeder described dogs as feeding off of one anothers energy, so if your dog is mellow and you want her to stay mellow, you would look for a mellow dog. We had a very timid, submissive dog, so we got a confident, yet not very dominant dog to go with her and it was a perfect match.I think that it really comes down to finding the dog that will support your pups weaknesses and bring out her best parts.  Talking with your breeder will help you find the correct dog in the litter for you and your first dog. While I think that dogs enjoy the only-child thing, I really do think that their pack mentality will bring them to love having a play mate.  I personally would want to have my puppies raised before bringing children into the house, how ever that can also go bad if they don't adjust well, my dad had a cocker that would poop on my mom and brothers clothing because she hated them, having a playmate I think would eliminate some of that.


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## princesspenny (Feb 16, 2015)

I dont think it matters that much, temperament is the most important thing, if they are good tempered than sex wont matter one bit. That being said I always have female dogs because I find that they are more "serious" and "low-key" and that fits MY temperament better. Boys tend to be a little more silly and goofy in my experience and that doesn't suit ME as well but I would consider a male if it had the right temperament to fit my house.


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

I've read that two females are more problematic than two males or one of each. Unfortunately, I didn't read that until after we got a second Cardigan Welsh Corgi pup, a female, to go with the female we already had. The older dog was very submissive, the most biddable dog I've ever known, but when the pup matured, the two girls started fighting, and not the growling, snarling, over-in-a-minute dispute about a toy. These were bloody, tissue damaging, I-mean-to-kill-you type fights that required my husband and me each to grab a dog by the hind legs and walk them backward until we could grab a collar to keep them separated. We finally rehomed the younger dog, because we were afraid they'd maim or kill each other. The older dog was with us for 15 years and never again so much as curled a lip at another dog. That's why we have a male and a female now. I'll never have two females again. (I told this story to Blue's breeder when she asked if I'd be willing to take a female. She laughed and said, "That's why they call them bitches.")


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

JudyD said:


> I've read that two females are more problematic than two males or one of each. Unfortunately, I didn't read that until after we got a second Cardigan Welsh Corgi pup, a female, to go with the female we already had. The older dog was very submissive, the most biddable dog I've ever known, but when the pup matured, the two girls started fighting, and not the growling, snarling, over-in-a-minute dispute about a toy. These were bloody, tissue damaging, I-mean-to-kill-you type fights that required my husband and me each to grab a dog by the hind legs and walk them backward until we could grab a collar to keep them separated. We finally rehomed the younger dog, because we were afraid they'd maim or kill each other. The older dog was with us for 15 years and never again so much as curled a lip at another dog. That's why we have a male and a female now. I'll never have two females again. (I told this story to Blue's breeder when she asked if I'd be willing to take a female. She laughed and said, "That's why they call them bitches.")



Interesting, because my breeder said the same exact thing about bitches, yet I have always had a house full of carefully chosen girls with no problems. And at the dog park I have noticed that the fights are always between boys (making me feel safer taking Timi there). 
I think that you are correct that opposite sex is your safest bet, but still I have to think that the main cause of the difficulties that you had had to have been a bad temperament match, when I have had 2-3 girls peacefully co-existing for about 20 years now...
Were you girls both spayed? Timi will be the first one of my girls to have a heat, and I am crossing my fingers that it does not change the dynamic between her and Teaka....


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## JudyD (Feb 3, 2013)

Well, there was definitely something amiss between the two of them. Sally was spayed, but I don't believe the pup was until she went to her new home. Neither one was at all human aggressive. As I said, the older dog never showed dog aggression under any other circumstances, and as far as I know, the younger dog didn't either. In fact, the friend who took her sent me a picture of her "nursing" a litter of kittens. This was nearly forty years ago, so some of the details are fuzzy, but the fights remain crystal clear.


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

As I stated I have always had females since my very first poodle for 2 to 4 at a time, and never had any problem and there were age gaps with some and with some much closer to the same age. Normally there is a jealously, but this time I do not have that, except for evening they both want up in the recliner with me. My male was wonderful, but I wanted to be able to dress them up, that is why I went to females.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

i had a male and female. the male adored the female, but she thought he was unworthy of being in the same household. seriously. on the other hand, she loved to go for car rides and got to be the real queen then, as the male disliked the car. when i think about it, i was also very fortunate that my male was not a leg lifter. down the road, it will probably be all females - with better matched temperaments, i hope.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I think temperament matching is important, but to do that you have to be very honest in evaluating the temperament of the dog that you already have. For us at this time any new dogs will be males. Lily definitely fits that "alpha bitch" mold. She has good interactions with girls who are smaller than she is, but often does not like girls who are close to her size. There is a spoo bitch who we see at trials sometimes. The owner is wonderful, her dog is wonderful, but Lily and this spoo girl "have words" every time they get anywhere close to each other. Since we will always have spoos and/or GSDs, while Lily is alive she will be the queen of the house.


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## Naira (Jan 9, 2015)

I had a white male mini poodle that peed on his front legs his entire life. He started lifting his leg at the age of 3 months (no kidding) and marking trees as a pup. There was never an opportunity to neuter before he developed the habit of leg lifting and he started lifting well before he ever saw a dog lift. 

I love males but if I can avoid that happening again I will. I had to wash his front legs every single time he pottied :afraid:

I went to the dog park today again (I always go when its nearly empty), and it further cemented my belief that whichever dog I add to my family has got to be very mellow. Haha. She likes the dogs and will run alongside them and greet them nicely, but rough playing is not her style. She's definitely more of a people person...there were two families she almost walked home with haha. I was happy when I called her back when she was trying to follow them and she came running at high speed to me <3


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## Ladyscarletthawk (Dec 6, 2011)

I prefer bitches, due to the leg lifting, front leg peeing fear lol. But otherwise, this little male I bred does none of the above, thank you god! Is very sweet and goofy! He has started to be annoying the girls with his advances tho. Otherwise the dogs don't fight. They all know that there is to be no fighting. Now if a dog is being rude my mini matriarch will put them in their place, altho she's very tolerant.. I try to stay on top of things as i feel this my pack, I'm not part of theirs.


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## Bizzeemamanj (Apr 14, 2014)

In another year, when we are ready to double our household's poodle population, I will add a female. Cooper gets along with all other dogs, but has a special affinity for females. He just loves the ladies. I can immediately tell by the way he approaches another dog if the dog is male or female. It's cute. He fawns over the ladies - bowing, laying flat on his belly, making moon eyes and is generally much more submissive. Which is funny given his big, confident, outgoing personality. With other males, he's more direct and much less submissive.


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## Caddy (Nov 23, 2014)

All very interesting, I lean towards females, wouldn't completely discount a male but if the females got along that would be my preference. All this is in the future of course, but fun to think about it.


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## Coco86 (Oct 23, 2014)

We have two females and two males. Everyone gets along really well for the most part. But it's understood between all that Rosie, the smallest (8 lbs) and oldest at almost six years old, is the top of their Pack. She tells the others what to do just by looking at them.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

I have 3 females and a male. One of the females is quite feisty, but the others are all mellow. I like LadyScarletthawk's comment, they are MY pack so I make the rules. Things started going a lot better once I started using my horsetraining voice, lol


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

Oh yes that voice will stop any problems, I do the same thing, I am the boss in this household, but my little one Cayenne will push the issue. I just prefer females as you can dress them so cute.


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## Poodle Lover (Mar 24, 2008)

I usually have two at a time and it was always boys. This time around with Romeo being the supreme alpha, I knew it had to be a female for my #2. The third one came later and it just happened to be another male. I just gravitate towards males.


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## spoospirit (Mar 10, 2009)

_I find it is all about the personality of each dog rather than which sexes are put together. 

I've read about people who found two or more bitches together are an issues. I can see that happening when you have two that are not spayed but don't think this is an absolute for all bitches. I have three in the house who are not spayed. One is alpha. Everyone knows that and there is rarely any issues. If she is asserting more authority than she should, I speak up and it immediately ends. Otherwise, they are best of friends. One is very attached to me, one is somewhat independent and the other is a mix. She likes to be near me but she likes her 'me' time too.

I've also read about people who swear that two males are the only way to go. They say they are very attached to their people; more so than the bitches. I have my one male, my sister had a male. They got along just fine. However, my male is more independent and would rather do his own thing whereas my sister's was very lovey and attached. 

I always say that it depends on the nature of each puppy. As far as I'm concerned, if you have the right temperament in each puppy, any of those combinations will work. 
_


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## frecklesdmk (Mar 27, 2013)

I had two females for years. The only time there was trouble was right before I had one spayed. The vet said she was very close to going into heat and felt that's why the older one got testy with her. 

That was the only time I had trouble. Our first was a single girl for 2 years and our last one, Lexi has always been a single girl. She's 2 now and my husband makes noise now and then in getting her a companion. I would love for her to have a companion but can't afford the cost of a new puppy (immunizations, spay, etc).


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