Two Female Dogs ?

[tdierikx]

One of my sparring bitches was a Rotti/Pitbull cross - and she got well beat up by the Labrador/Dingo cross. We had 4 fights in 2 years, and each escalated to worse than the last. After the 4th fight and a large vet bill, the decision was made to never let them run together again... smartest decision of my life, as the older girl lived to be nearly 16 - instead of the 9-10 she would have been if the Lab went her again.

T.

[The Spotted Devil]

I've got soft, sweet working Springers - 2 entire bitches, mother and daughter, 5 yo and 11 month old. They receive a LOT of exercise and training. My PhD is in dog behaviour. I train dogs and compete in 3 sports. I never leave them together when I go out. They get on really well but pup can be annoying and they are both due to come into season. I am risk averse at the best of times.

Edited March 23, 2016 by The Spotted Devil

[Simply Grand]

Plus TSD and Huski, both (all) of yours were carefully bred and raised with tempermanent in mind, the daughters have grown up with their mums and you've been able to monitor the relationship developing between them.

Very different to bringing in a bitch you haven't raised yourself, don't necessarily know the background behind her temperament and will be new to the older bitch. That bring even more unknowns!

[Ruffles]

An Amstaff is not a guard dog, nor a dog that's to be left outside all the time. Irrespective of sex, this is a recipe for disaster. Amstaffs are people dogs. They need to be with people.

[Steph M]

Also one little point. Guard as in alert bark or guard as in a dog you expect to actually act when intruders come in?

There's a vast difference and living with the latter, even as an outdoor dog would be a whole different ball game to the former.

[Pjrt]

If the dog you already have is a good watch dog, I'd get a few security cameras before I got another ' guard' dog.

if you get an Am Staff and expect it to be a follow through type of dog, rather than an alert watch dog, make sure you have good insurance and a heart of steel. Because if that dog should ever bite anyone it's almost certain you'll end up with big fines, impoundment fees, dangerous dog declarations or a dead dog.

The dog you already have plus Some well positioned Security cameras should be a good deterrent and if anyone is idiot enough to get caught doing something dodgy on film, then you can chase it up legally.

If you have your heart set on another dog, I'd definitely get a pedigree papered male for extra insurance against BSL, Desex your cross bred dog so you can be sure not to add to the oversupply of cross bred staffies looking for homes in every pound and shelter and rescue across the country.

[huski]

Plus TSD and Huski, both (all) of yours were carefully bred and raised with tempermanent in mind, the daughters have grown up with their mums and you've been able to monitor the relationship developing between them.

Very different to bringing in a bitch you haven't raised yourself, don't necessarily know the background behind her temperament and will be new to the older bitch. That bring even more unknowns!

Raised with the intention of having a socially dominant, extremely confident temperament with aggression on tap lol.

I would give the same advice to any person who is asking about adding multiple dogs to their house - yes it is doable but only with correct management. On that note, we see plenty of clients whose dogs fight, M/M, F/M, and F/F combinations. I would advise strict management regardless, especially with two bull breeds.

ETA: I tend to prefer to explain in what situations I would raise two entire females together, rather than just say 'no way'. I think it helps the OP make a more educated decision as to whether they are prepared for the work/time/effort/management involved in having a harmonious household.

Edited March 23, 2016 by huski

[persephone]

If the dog you already have is a good watch dog, I'd get a few security cameras before I got another ' guard' dog.

if you get an Am Staff and expect it to be a follow through type of dog, rather than an alert watch dog, make sure you have good insurance and a heart of steel. Because if that dog should ever bite anyone it's almost certain you'll end up with big fines, impoundment fees, dangerous dog declarations or a dead dog.

The dog you already have plus Some well positioned Security cameras should be a good deterrent and if anyone is idiot enough to get caught doing something dodgy on film, then you can chase it up legally.

If you have your heart set on another dog, I'd definitely get a pedigree papered male for extra insurance against BSL, Desex your cross bred dog so you can be sure not to add to the oversupply of cross bred staffies looking for homes in every pound and shelter and rescue across the country.

Great idea :)

[Salukifan]

For what its worth, no responsible Amstaff breeder is going to be thrilled with the word 'guard dog" being used by a potential puppy buyer.

It's not what the breed is or should be. Most decent Amstaffs are going to welcome visitors and show them the silverware. Any form of human aggression is a serious breed fault.

Responsible Amstaff breeders guard their dogs' reputation carefully. They will want a pup to be carefully socialised, carefully trained and part of the family

[Staffyluv]

They call them 'bitches' for a reason!!

I would run half a dozen male dogs before I would run two bitches together.

[dotdashdot]

on the two female question: I asked a similar question about 3 years ago. I knew the risks, and I still went ahead and got a second female (same breed) as I intended to show her and hopefully use her as my foundation bitch but in February this year she was sadly rehomed via her breeder due to rising aggression between the two girls.

We tried to manage it, but the risk to our baby son was growing, as they were viewing him as a resource worth fighting over. We could have divided the yard, but as half the time they loved each other, it was going to be too difficult for them.

I will never again have two females of that breed, or certain other breeds.

[sandgrubber]

on the two female question: I asked a similar question about 3 years ago. I knew the risks, and I still went ahead and got a second female (same breed) as I intended to show her and hopefully use her as my foundation bitch but in February this year she was sadly rehomed via her breeder due to rising aggression between the two girls.

We tried to manage it, but the risk to our baby son was growing, as they were viewing him as a resource worth fighting over. We could have divided the yard, but as half the time they loved each other, it was going to be too difficult for them.

I will never again have two females of that breed, or certain other breeds.

IMO two bull breed bitches is very high risk, but a bitch and a dog is still high risk. In my boarding kennel days, we found that bull breeds did not confine themselves to same sex violence . . . some will go any dog, particularly other bull breeds. As huski says, with proper training and management, it could be done, though I suspect there is some genetics involved, and a dog that is wired for dog aggression is pretty hard to get unwired. Why risk it? If you do go for two bull breed dogs, you might check with breeders and find a pup whose lines are deliberately selected to breed out dog aggression.

I have Labradors and have kept mostly females. Never had a problem . . . they get quite attached to one another. Bull breeds are a different story.

[OSoSwift]

Am Staffs are crap guard dogs as general rule. Entire bitches get hormonal and moodie and are far more likely to fight. Bitches in general are far more likely to fight. My smallest bitch is a bitch and has put holes in other dogs on occassion for many wide and varied apparent wrongs.

She is the fun olice and rules the roost. She is now desexed and more even nd biddable, but out of all of them she is the one who won't back down and she is left separately when I am out.

I have a large desexed crossebred bitch, I would never leave her with my otehr bitch if I was not there as the little one would nail the big one and then the big one would retaliate and yeh well.

The large bitch and the two Whippet boys go in together, or the working boy and the big bitch. I run two entire male whippets together and never had a cross word.

[OSoSwift]

Oh and my Big Red cross breed desexed bitch is a great "guard dog" ie she barks when people turn up with her hackles up, then when they get close happily accepts pats and being told how pretty she is. Its all I want, yep someone is here, thank you BRD :)

Edited March 23, 2016 by OSoSwift

[Christina]

I think that everyone who is posting here about their successes with multiple females in the household have had their dogs in very different context to the OP's. The OP is talking about having two bull breeds, who are outside only dogs, whose purpose is to guard the property.

Of course, wasn't thinking. My dogs are not outside, not guard dogs as in aggressive or scary although they are good little guarders, & are always well supervised or seperated into appropriate groups if I go out.

I do think it lowers risk of fights when dogs are desexed in general though in both sexes.

[mita]

I think that everyone who is posting here about their successes with multiple females in the household have had their dogs in very different context to the OP's. The OP is talking about having two bull breeds, who are outside only dogs, whose purpose is to guard the property.

That's a good point.

[dotdashdot]

on the two female question: I asked a similar question about 3 years ago. I knew the risks, and I still went ahead and got a second female (same breed) as I intended to show her and hopefully use her as my foundation bitch but in February this year she was sadly rehomed via her breeder due to rising aggression between the two girls.

We tried to manage it, but the risk to our baby son was growing, as they were viewing him as a resource worth fighting over. We could have divided the yard, but as half the time they loved each other, it was going to be too difficult for them.

I will never again have two females of that breed, or certain other breeds.

IMO two bull breed bitches is very high risk, but a bitch and a dog is still high risk. In my boarding kennel days, we found that bull breeds did not confine themselves to same sex violence . . . some will go any dog, particularly other bull breeds. As huski says, with proper training and management, it could be done, though I suspect there is some genetics involved, and a dog that is wired for dog aggression is pretty hard to get unwired. Why risk it? If you do go for two bull breed dogs, you might check with breeders and find a pup whose lines are deliberately selected to breed out dog aggression.

I have Labradors and have kept mostly females. Never had a problem . . . they get quite attached to one another. Bull breeds are a different story.

I have dalmatians, sorry, my statement was more I asked about 2 females in general, not a specific breed.

Most people have no problem in dallies, I was not so lucky.

[karen15]

My staffy was a great deterrent. Very scary bark. However as noted above he was more eager to give people a tour than to bail them up. I relied on him sounding and, to some people, looking scary to deter them from coming in. Anyone who came in got licked to death...... He used to give the postie cuddles for goodness sakes!

[persephone]

:) I'm lost without a watchdog or two

[whiskyshaver]

update.

I ended up getting a male amstaff, had him for just over a month now, he's 11 weeks old and gets along with the older bitch without a problem so far. The two of them wrestle and play until they get tired and lie in the sun. So far so good, the pupp is not shy at all and has responded well to obedience training, although he's a bit stubborn and likes to do his own thing.