bringing home yorkie

Question
QUESTION: hi, i am going to get a yorkie but i have a med size mix female dog at home now.when she stands her back reaches my knees(i was told she's 1/2 lab & 1/2 husky but i got my doubts as both are big dogs and she's not) she gets along with other dogs(i have dog sit a female maltese overnite on a few occasions, and she has also been around 2 male poodles quite a bit,not to mention just meeting a female shizu and getting along great with her). shes pretty obedient when it comes to me(she listens to me 95% of the time and she can do all sorts of tricks) she was pretty easy to train. but i am a bit worried. i want a female yorkie (do you think that is the right choice in sex? or do you think i would be better off getting a male?)i don't want my dog Sandy getting jealous or feel left out.i want to introduce them the right way so neither feels scared or that one is more important than the other. i am going to get sandy used to only having her food dish down at certain times(not all day)and my new puppy will be trained the same so they won't compete for food. the same for toys and such. i don't intend leaving them alone together.are there any other pionters you can give me to make this go as smoothly as possible? any info would be great, thanks,
Alice

ANSWER: Hi Alice
Sounds like you're doing all the right things. First of all, sex isn't important if you have your dogs spayed/neutered , at  that point, they are just dogs, or puppies.
Be sure that when you bring baby home, you give your older girl enough attention as well. Without baby in the room. While what you're doing will help with the competition for food and toys it won't end the struggle. Dogs are just like children, even if they have all identical toys they will still want what the other one has :) Just works that way. In order to keep peace you must establish pack order in your home. Alot of people think that if they do not have an aggressive breed of dog t his isn't necessary but it is regardless of breed. Pack instinct and behavior are motivators behind almost ALL problems with all breeds of dogs. Please spend a lot of time on this website http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm.
Introduce your dog to the new puppy slowly and on non territorial ground. Take them to the park together to meet for the first time etc. Let them get used to each other on neutral territory and then bring them  home. Make sure you have baby's crate in her own space, away from your older dog and think about how you would feel if your spouse/significant other suddenly brought home another YOU :). That's how your older dog will feel. The young pup will have it's own set of problems, having never been away from mom, home and littermates, he/she will have no CLUE what's going on or why. They don't speak English and most forget that, so making him/her feel safe and secure is the most important thing for baby. This should be done with keeping things on time and on schedule so baby knows what to expect.
Good luck and have fun!! Nothing like puppy breath :)
Diane

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi Diane, the website address you gave me doesn't work. i forgot to mention that Sandy is only 3 and she is done and when my puppy is old enough i plan to get her done as well.sandy still acts like a puppy and sometimes her play is a bit rough so i know i will have to watch that as well.right now im in the process of feeding sandy her meals at certain times and she's doing great with it.i think sandy knows i'm pact leader because im the one she listens to and most times when she's doing something i dont want her to all i have to do is give her a look and snap my fingers and she comes and sits by my side.also i read that when you first introduce them have the puppy on the floor so she isn't higher than the other dog that way the puppy won't think she is higher than the other dog.as i said before i am a bit nervous about them being together for the first time and was thinking of putting one in a cage kennel and then vis versa so they can get to see each others reactions but still be protected from each other. do you think thats a good idea?

Answer
Hi,
Just type in Alpha dog bootcamp in your browser if the addy doesn't work. I'll include it again at the end of this post. It's a great idea,. I would put them both in a crate with the gates facing each other, or one on either side of a baby gate. Also introducing them in a neutral place with both held on leashes by someone other than you, is a really good idea.
I think you're going to be just fine. Sounds like you are a wonderful job with your baby
Diane
http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm