will they Get Along?

Question
hi my name is marissa and,and my dad is buying a german shepard mix and its 5 weeks old,but i aready have a minature poddle and hes 7 years old. will the 2 of them get along my poddle is very gentle,but they are differnt breeds and im wondering about them 2 getting along cuz the shepard will get big. pls help with my question.

Answer
Marissa,

Breed has little to do with whether or not two dogs will get along. I have a Labrador and a German Shepherd who are the best of friends. Sex can have a little bit more to do with it - males and females tend to get along better than males and males, so that may be something to think about. However, if your Poodle doesn't have problems with any other dogs, and you go about this the right way, everything should go fine. I wouldn't worry too much about the dog being a German Shepherd. Since it will be such a young puppy, it will grow up around your Poodle and will be able to see it as a member of its pack. Likewise, the Poodle is less likely to feel threatened by or aggressive towards a baby. It is sometimes much easier to introduce a puppy to a dog than it is to bring home a new adult.

All of that being said, there are precautions you should always take when introducing new dogs. Below, I linked you to some articles that will be helpful. Don't let them overwhelm you - they probably give you more instruction than you actually need in this case, because as I said, the age of the Shepherd should make this much easier. They will give you some good guidelines and starting places though. And as always - the Shepherd will need to go to puppy obedience classes and receive the proper training to make sure your family is able to maintain a peaceful household.

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_she...

http://www.phsspca.org/training/puppy_intro_to_adult_dog.htm

Good luck and let me know if you need anything else.

Ashley