Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all, I have a question about GSD. I live in a house with a roommate and back in Feb I bought a Rat Terrier(a smaller version of a Jack Russelle) this dog gets along with everyone and everything(not an aggressive bone in his body). My question is how well do GSD get along with other breeds of dogs? expessially ones smaller than them. I am hoping that since both will still be puppies they will become good friends as they will be growing up and living together. My roommate is planning on obedience classes, I haven't taken my dog as he is completely home trained by me, but am thinking of joining my roommate in these classes..more trainning never hurt right? Thanks in advance!

Hi

You guys should be fine.

I have an adult GS and Belgian Malinois. They've been pretty good with little dogs (sometimes my GS gets annoyed with the hyperness or jumping). Your dogs should adjust quite well because they are being raised together and are still pups.
Mine were rescues and had never been around smaller dogs or cats.
They both are fantastic with my neighbors weiner dog and cats. They'be been around other small dogs and no probs. The little dogs will let them know the boundries if they start playing too rough (for me).

I HIGHLY suggest going to a dog park at least 1x a week when your dog is about 4months old for socialization.

Regards
teresa

>>Hello all, I have a question about GSD. I live in a house with a roommate and back in Feb I bought a Rat Terrier(a smaller version of a Jack Russelle) this dog gets along with everyone and everything(not an aggressive bone in his body). My question is how well do GSD get along with other breeds of dogs? expessially ones smaller than them. I am hoping that since both will still be puppies they will become good friends as they will be growing up and living together. My roommate is planning on obedience classes, I haven't taken my dog as he is completely home trained by me, but am thinking of joining my roommate in these classes..more trainning never hurt right? Thanks in advance!

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Terrier experts recommend not keeping a terrier with another dog of the same sex. This would be good advice with such a big size difference between the breeds especially--a fight can end very badly for the little one. I would expect it to be okay with a female GSD, but not a good idea to get a male. A dog's reactions to dogs out in public are very different to how it works with other dogs in the family.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47