Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi you guys over the water, we have just received a 21 month old boxer bitch to go with our 18 month old dobe Max. Our idea was to get either a dobe bitch or a boxer for a playmate, he plays really well with these when we are out on walks.
The problem is the boxer, Phoebie is trying to boss him too much, if he goes to play with her she just snarls at him, she wants all the attention off us and snaps at max if he comes near. They also wont play together when we are out on walks, they just do there own thing, if max tries to play she snaps again.
I never really realised what an amazimg animal the doberman is, max is so gentle he lets her do her stuff, to a limit. We may have to give the boxer back to the people who gave her to us as they dont seem compatible, it is a shame but i dont want max to ever really react to her when she is being nasty, he is three times as big, he could really hurt her.
I think we should have stuck to geeting a dobe bitch, i think they would communicate better. After admiring the boxer breed they dont come anywhere near the dobe, i cant find words to explain how good max is, he loves us, he plays with us, he guards us, what more can he do, he is like a child to us magnificent breed.
Phoebie will be fine she needs one on one i think, she has to be center of attention and thats not fair on max. We will get her rehomed, it will be for the best.
Is there anyone out there with advise on having two dobes or would that not work.

you don't say how long you have had the Boxer, but it sounds like you just got her. If I were you, I'd give it a few weeks and let them get used to each other. Chances are, she is reacting to the fact that he is bigger than her and so she is going to go on the defensive around him. Bitches are often the dominant dog in a household - so even though she is smaller, she may end up as the Alpha dog.

Even if you went and got a female Doberman instead of the Boxer you might have the very same issues. This is one of those things where it just takes time. You cannot normally throw 2 adult dogs together and expect them to immediately like each other. If they are not actually fighting and drawing blood, I'd let it ride for a few weeks - you may be surprised to find that they will end up good buddies.

Sounds as if you have a great dog in Max! Hansome too!
We adopted a play mate for our Dobe, Beastie too. We got a Jack Russel Terrier mix. We saw many of the same issues that you mentioned. Our new JRT, Gunner, is tiny compared to Beastie, but he still tried to push him around. Now it has been a few months, and they just kinda worked it out for the most part. I still don't leave them unattended yet, but they are living in harmony except for the occasional scuff over a favorite toy. The little JRT still pushes Beastie around, and Beastie just ignores him, unless he's trying to sleep.
long story short, I agree with the first reply, as long as you love this new dog and want to keep her. Keep in mind though, no Boxer will ever live up to what a Dobe is. Have realistic expectations for your Boxer.
good luck.

Now I'm new to this stuff but wouldn't the best thing to do be to correct Phoebie?

I would keep Max from messing with her too much until they get used to each other but I don't think aggressive behaviour should be tolerated (ie. no snapping at each other). You are the alpha animal and you say what is acceptable and what is not.

They should feel comfortable with each other because as the alpha you are in control of the situation. I mean these are pack animals not humans. They need and like structure and rules.