Having German Shepherd and a Yorkshire Terrier

Question
I have a 6 months old German Shepherd. My wife and I are so attached to her. Sometimes we feel she needs a friend? So, we thought of getting another pup. This time a small breed probably a Yorkshire Terrier / Lhasa Apso Hybrid. Would like get some advise as follows.
1. Will this be a good match?
2. The Yorkshire Terrier / Lhasa Apso is about 6 weeks old male and the German Shepherd is 6 months old female. Will the size be a issue?
3. Can they have puppies?
4. Is it difficult to bring up Yorkshire Terrier / Lhasa Apso Hybrid?

Thank you and regards,  

Answer
Hi Janak,

The very first question that needs to be asked is does your dog enjoy the company of other dogs? If she doesn't, then no dog is going to be welcomed or accepted in your home. Many dogs prefer the company of their humans to other dogs, and lead perfectly satisfied lives with limited contact to other dogs.

At 6 weeks old, the Yorkie/Lhasa puppy is too young to be taken from it's mother and litter mates. If you wait until the puppy is at least 8 weeks old, he or she will easier to train and socialize. Size won't be an issue, but such a small puppy (even at 8 weeks old)will need to be protected, or it might get hurt by accident. Having to protect the new puppy may well make your current dog jealous, which can cause behavioral issues, such as viciousness toward the new puppy. Or your current dog might be just fine, I've never met her after all!

Almost always in my experience, the correct match for a female dog (whether or not she's been spayed) is a male dog. I've known so many households with two female dogs that fight constantly, to the point of having to give one of the dogs away. Do yourself a favor, and get a male dog that's submissive to other dogs. Of course, having your female spayed offers her the most health benefits, and at 6 months of age, now is the time to do it, before the onset of her first heat cycle.

Breed or size doesn't matter, at least not to your current dog. What matters to other dogs is the new dog's temperament. That's why I suggested finding a submissive male dog. When you have one of each sex, the chances of them being aggressive towards one another drop dramatically.

Any breed of dog can breed with any other breed of dog! That's how you get mixed breed dogs!

All dogs are individuals, within any breed there are low-key couch potatoes, and outgoing clowns. The same is true of a Yorkie/Lhasa mix breed dog. By the way, a Yorkshire Terrier Lhasa Apso isn't a hybrid. A hybrid is the offspring resulting from cross-breeding of different plants or animals, such as a plum and apricot yield a "Pluot", zebra and a horse can make a " Zorse", or a lion and a tiger make a "Liger". Both of your potential puppy's parent's were dogs, so what you're considering buying is a mixed breed dog.

An awful lot has to do with how any puppy socialized, which is why pet store puppies are harder to train, and often have behavioral issues. You should be aware that many small breed dogs can be more difficult to house break than larger dogs. If you give a new puppy the time it requires, and train it as it should be trained, then whatever kind of dog it is, will be a good pet.

Like the saying goes, "you only get a single chance to make a good first impression". There are correct ways of introducing a resident dog to a new dog or puppy. Doing it right will make things go a lot smoother, though you can expect a period of adjustment for both dogs, that can last at least a month, and which may involve house training issues. You can read about that process here:

http://home.att.net/~pvee/newcomer.html
http://leerburg.com/introducingdogs.htm

You might find this article helpful while you decide whether or not to get a second dog:
http://www.petbehaviourcentre.com/us/us_articles/us_second.htm

You do have another option, assuming your current dog gets along well with other dogs. You could adopt an adult dog. There are so many needing a good home. Many have already spayed or neutered, trained, and have been evaluated for temperament, so you'd have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the new dog.
If you're in the US or Canada, you can search for adoptable dogs here:
http://www.petfinder.com/

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti