QuestionWe have a male yorkie (about 1.5 yrs old, neutered). The breeder where we got him at has another male, (6 mos old)and we would neuter as well if we get him. I've read your reply to one of the other questions, that two yorkie males are not compatible. Part of me wants to see how they would interact and give it a chance. Would you be able to tell me what to look for? I know the breeder would probably know, but I would like to know for myself of any signs that indicate getting a 6 mos male is a bad idea. Thank you.
AnswerNatalie,
I have written on this subject many times so I am not sure which post you have read. Unfortunately there is no way to tell if there will be problems until after you have had the two together for a while. Of course if you brought the puppy home for a week to see how they got along that would give you some indication. However, that is not totally fool proof. If a female comes into heat nearby then the two of them may fight each other because of the female. You would not know that this was going to happen until the puppy has grown and fully matured.
I had a similar situation but in my case I had two females and then a male was introduced into my home (my sons male Yorkie). Both females were spayed and the male was neutered. One female was six years old and the other was ten months old. They had lived in harmony and slept in the same bed for ten months. When the male was introduced into the mix the younger female attacked the older female and almost killed her. So as you can see there is no way to tell ahead of time if this kind of problem will occur. What I try to get across to people is, why take chances.
The two males may get along and you may never have a problem. But by putting two males together you are taking the chance that something bad will occur. The safest thing for you to do is to get a female. Your chances of them getting along are much better than a male on male relationship. I am sure that there are people out there who have two males and have never had a problem. I consider what I do on this forum is to make people aware of all the possibilities so they can make an informed decision.
Compatibility is not the only issue you have to contend with when you have two males. There is also the issue of them marking their territory. Even if they are fixed they will constantly try to outdo the other. If one marks his territory then the other will follow behind and do the same. It is a never ending cycle and the only real solution is to confine them to a small space or keep diapers on them. Neither thing appeals to me. Ultimately the decision is up to you.
