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Cocker Specific Discussion => General Cocker Spaniel Discussion => Topic started by: mandyblur on March 04, 2012, 08:34:19 PM

Title: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: mandyblur on March 04, 2012, 08:34:19 PM
Hey everyone,

I was showing my neighbour some pictures of the puppy were getting in a few weeks, she noticed he was male and said that two males can't live together (we already have a 3 year old male working cocker and wanted a pal for him)

Now.............as far as i'm aware - no matter what genders you have together you will always get the odd disagreement?

I find it hard to believe that this myth is still going on..................or am i wrong and is getting another male a bad idea? I've had two males before and very rarely had any issues!

What's your thoughts?
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: padandmurph on March 04, 2012, 08:42:59 PM
Hi we have two males one who is 9, the other is 7. They are the best of friends, in fact if one is at the vets or groomers, the other gets quite upset. :luv:
I'm sure you will be fine having two boys x
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Ninasmum on March 04, 2012, 08:44:54 PM
Many years ago we had a male cocker & a male Golden Retriever.  Our Goldie was about 18 mths old when we got Sam, the cocker.  They always got along absolutely fine.  Our Goldie was pretty laid back with a wonderful temperament & accepted him immediately, even when as a pupster he had Sam hanging off his ear's.  :005:

Our current boy Alfie would def. accept another boy, as he also is very laid back with a fab temperament.  :luv: 
In fact he would probably prefer a boy to our girls.  :005:

I do think its a myth that a male can't live with another male & its more about their personality/temperament etc.  :shades:
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Judith on March 04, 2012, 08:54:12 PM
I agree, it's down to the dog not really the sex. Maybe harder if they were the same age as would be rivals but if one is older they should naturally fall into place. Keeping the heir archy in mind when feeding etc is the only thing really.  Good luck though
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: cangrejo on March 04, 2012, 08:58:53 PM
I have Charlie who is 2 and Dexter who is almost 9 months. They are the best of friends and just love each other. I get the rare handbags at dawn moment but it's all noise and over in 5 seconds.

I have always fed Charlie first as he was here first.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: dizzytrish on March 04, 2012, 09:32:17 PM
I have two male crossbreeds, and they get on fine.
but, my sister has two males, and although they are fine together on a walk etc, they will not share the house or garden together, and have to be seperated into their own areas.
I agree, it is down to the dog and their individual temperaments ph34r
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: michelle123 on March 04, 2012, 10:15:28 PM
Me too, we have two dogs about 6 months in age apart - one is entire, aside from the odd food issue, we have no probs at all
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: LurcherGirl on March 04, 2012, 10:50:06 PM
4 dogs here, in the past they were 4 males, now they are 3 males and 1 girl. Never have any problems here after an introduction period where they work things out... It's the individual character that counts more than the gender.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: BillysMum on March 04, 2012, 11:22:23 PM
i have 2 males a year apart. Billy is still entire and occasionally tells alfie off if he trys to push in for cuddles but alfie's such a woose he lets billy get away with anything and doesn't grumble back. I think like the others its down to the individual and how you train them, rather than their gender.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: seaangler on March 05, 2012, 05:48:10 AM
It will be all female not living together next...and i have three femails....And of course one more female if you include the wife ph34r

On another note i have loads of friends with all male dogs in there house holed...and all get on well together...What myths.. :lol2:
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: minimoo on March 05, 2012, 06:04:38 AM
 years ago i had 2 males a boxer and a dobie and they were fine together when we were there but couldnt be left when we were out, i now have a 6yr old girl and a boy of 18 months and a 9 month old boy, they wind each other up but thats because of their ages, but they love each other and Milo the youngest follows Bailey about and copies him, its like he really is his big brother  :luv:
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: DinkyDewi on March 05, 2012, 10:20:37 AM
I have two boys and there's only 6 months between them. Fergus was entire when Dewi arrived and this caused no issues either.

They are both now castrated.

I personally chose another male as Fergus would not then have 'his own' bitch. There's no competition with new dogs because Fergus doesn't have the urge to protect Dewi.

We've got a full on bromance going on here :D
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: elaine.e on March 05, 2012, 12:00:33 PM
I have 2 males. William is castrated (for medical reasons) and is 7 years old. Louis is entire and 2 and a half years old. They're certainly not best buddies and never cuddle up together or play together, but they tolerate each other well and I don't have any problems with them beyond the occasional bit of grumpy jealousness from Louis if he thinks William is getting too much of my attention. But that's mainly down to me being a one person household at the moment so the dogs have to share me.

I also had 2 entire male Cockers together before my current 2. They occasionally played together but never snuggled up together.

As others have said, I think it's down to the individual temperaments and characters of the dogs. The one thing I've always been warned against is having 2 litter siblings, either both male or both female, as that can cause problems when they reach adolescence and on into adulthood. I knew somebody who had 2 Doberman litter brothers, both nice boys, but one had to be rehomed at about 1 year old because they were fighting so much. I also knew somebody with Labrador litter sisters who were fine together, and someone with Border Collie sisters who fought silently and with purpose and one had to be rehomed.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: ladylola on March 05, 2012, 12:56:01 PM
I have three of each,any spitting the dummy out is always the girls. Never had a problem with the boys.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Nicola on March 05, 2012, 02:18:43 PM
I would also say it definitely depends on the dogs in question. I've had two males (Alfie and Rodaidh) who just didn't get on, they fought badly and I had to rehome Alfie in the end for both of their safety and my sanity. This was over 3 years ago now and they actually saw each other last week for the first time in about 18 months and the reaction was still exactly the same as it always was and we had to separate them quickly before it escalated, they just don't like each other :-\  

However, both of them have been and are ok with other male dogs; Rodaidh (who is entire) has stayed with Helen several times while I've been on holiday and other than a bit of grumbling he and Jarvis (also entire) are fine together. I also have friends at work with male dogs who we walk with every day and are over at our house all the time and I look after them sometimes if they're away and Ro is fine with them, once he gets to know them he's very tolerant. We currently have my friend's rather crotchety 10 year old male Collie staying with us until Wednesday and they're absolutely fine together. I don't know if I would have another male dog permanently at this stage but that's probably more a case of once bitten twice shy (and purely hypothetical as I don't actually want another male dog just now!).
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Becky and Wilson on March 05, 2012, 02:53:40 PM
I've got 2 of each and as ladylola said, it's the girls that are the ones that argue the most!  My boys love to play together....and one is a great dane!  :luv:

Pip on here has 4 boys and they get on fine together, she looked after 2 of mine (one girl one boy) when I was on holiday and they all got on fine!  The 2 entire males were like best buddies!
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: honeysmun on March 05, 2012, 03:23:35 PM
I had two males Taffy and Merlin and they were great pals,
Guess dogs are a bit like some people,
they just don't get on.
I have meet a few who I would not like to live with  :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Liz F on March 05, 2012, 08:45:14 PM
Im lucky in the fact that Diesel & Olli (one year between them) get on together, my dd brings her Shiba Inu (dog) to stay often and apart from the odd grumble all 3 males get on fine together.  Hope it all goes well for you  :luv:
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: deano on March 06, 2012, 06:12:18 PM
It may depend on the temperaments but we had Louis for a year before we brought in our second cocker who was from a rescue, for a couple of days Louis wasn't that happy but that soon changed and they became best mates, 2 years ago we homed another rescue and now they are get on really well together, Alfie and Frankie will often lie in the basket together huddled up and the other day i went into the lounge and all 3 were cosy on the sofa all in a row and close together. so my experience has been really good especially not knowing the backgrounds of the 2 rescues.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Lily Freya on March 06, 2012, 06:56:19 PM
I have two males (3 years old now).  I worried a bit after making the decision to get them, because of there being problems sometimes with dominant males................but, luckily for me, all has gone well and they are very content together.

I agree with what many say, and that is that you can never really be sure.

I do hope you will be lucky, and that your two will be good mates.

 :luv: :luv:
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: helshaw on March 06, 2012, 09:07:45 PM
2 males here, one 7 & the other 4. While the older one could probably live without the younger one as he was on his own for 3 years, Ollie the 4 year old hates being without his pal Buster. They have their moments just like children but its great to see them playing together & catching them curled up together.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: sarah phillips on March 06, 2012, 09:21:29 PM
2 males here - a 3 year old (nearly) and 13 months.

They get on okay together, will sleep together some of the time and seem to miss the other one if they aren't there. They also like a bit of individual time away from one another. Very like brothers really!

We have the odd grumble about toys but it's never much and I can trust them to sort themselves out generally.

I did look to get a less determined puppy second time around though so their characters would compliment each other and we would avoid setting up a battle of wills. Like other people have commented this seemed the more important thing to me than the fact they are both male.

It works for us - Good luck.

Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Maria on March 06, 2012, 09:59:34 PM
Boysie was rehomed because the younger male (apparently his son) in the house kept attacking him. We  (eventually!) successfully added a girl to our home.  But I know others who have boys together with no problems. So it definitely depends on the individual dog(s).
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: annG on March 14, 2012, 09:54:40 PM
Two here, get on ok.
                 Love to be the only one getting our attention....
Can't bare to be parted.... >:D
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Cockertime Blues on March 15, 2012, 12:26:33 AM
This was over 3 years ago now

lord time flies.

Actually I'd always heard the reverse of the OP - that 2 bitches can't get along.  It's all rubbish IMO - it just depends on the individual dogs.  I've had a dog and a bitch that didn't get along but the bitch had lived happily with another girl and the dog (Alfie) has lived with visiting dogs and got on great with them.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Sarah.H on March 15, 2012, 08:12:31 AM
As everyone else said I think it's down to the individual dogs, but is it less likely that a male and female won't get along than two of the same sex? Millie is certainly worse with bitches.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: wendyt on March 15, 2012, 10:09:19 AM
2 (entire) WCS boys here 2 and a half years old and 18 months old, and they get on really well. I've always had males together and have never had any problems, the odd grumble now and then.
 I've got a neighbour who had 2 black show cocker bitches who were litter mates, I saw her last week with just the one dog and asked if the other one was OK she then told me they'd had to have the other one rehomed due to their fighting and she pointed out the scars on her dogs face where she'd been bitten by the other bitch.  ph34r
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: Linda B on March 15, 2012, 04:49:28 PM
In the past I had a father and son living together with no problems and now I have two girls, they have the odd grumble but no real nastiness, they are a year apart in age and the younger one is defo the boss.
I did come across a lady who had litter sisters who did fight and she had to rehome the dominant one.
I agree that is all down to temperaments and possibly luck.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: PennyB on March 15, 2012, 09:56:33 PM
It can just depend on the dog really - Wilf generally is grumpy with the male fosters I've had here but he was fine with Inky the cocker that MaryP now has and Jimmy the oldie working cocker I had on foster.

I decided though that it would be better all round if I got another girl but a poopie one.
Title: Re: Two male dogs can't live together??????
Post by: 7733lily on April 12, 2012, 10:41:34 AM
I know I'm probably a little late coming into this discussion, but wanted to share my experience.

I have three entire males, 4yrs, 3yrs and 18months and they all get along fine.  They have the occasional grumble at each other, but they are together 24/7 so not surprising really.

I agree that its the personality of the dog rather than gender.