Advice needed about getting a second dog

[WonderIfThingsWillChange]

Hi, I have a male dog (18 month) and would really like a second dog. My dog gets on with boys and girls but seems more comfortable around female dogs. Does anyone have any experience of 2 males or a male and female and the pros and cons of each please?

I don't normally generalise by breed but the reality is it does make a difference. What breed is your dog?

In a two dog household, unless there was a specific reason to have same sex, I would always go for one of each to minimise the risk of fighting. However you do then need to consider your plans re neutering and separating to avoid an accidental mating.

Thanks spicy pear, my dog is a lurcher (possible greyhound/whippet/saluki) and is already neutered. I have fostered a male lurcher before and it was ok too but my dog has not taken to the new foster at all and I wonder if he would be happier sharing his space with a female? Or maybe I should keep him as an only dog. It's so hard to know what to do for the best! My heart goes out to the rescue dogs needing homes and I need to be mindful of the needs of my existing dog at the same time

I have one of each. Things were tough the first 6weeks, but ddog 1 hadn't had any doggy visitors before. Things soon got better.
They are a male puppy and a spayed 3yo bitch. Collie x and Cavalier x.

I have a 4yo whippet boy and adopted an 18mo whippet x saluki girl three weeks ago. They are mostly amazing together, she is more bossy than my existing dog and sometimes a bit too boisterous for his liking, occasionally he makes pleading eyes at me as she steals his chew for the thousandth time, or tries to make him play by gnawing on his legs, and I swear he is asking when is she going home

But they are beautiful to watch running together, they sleep curled up on one another, share toys and chews without even a hit of a growl and I feel now that my original dog has been missing out on quite a lot while he was a singleton. Though obviously this wouldn't be true of every dog.

Oooh I love lurchers. I'd be most concerned about same sex bull breeds (and I have a staffie so that's not based on prejudice, just a large amount of anecdotal evidence through rescue work), but still think one of each is minimising risk for any breed.

As your dog is already demonstrably more comfortable with females and there are many many lurchers to choose from in rescue, it seems a bit of a no brainer to go with female if you do decide to go for number two.

A reputable rescue will do their best to ensure the match with your boy and be there to take them back if it just doesn't work. I'm not advocating returning a dog lightly, but at least you know they have somewhere safe to go back to. It sounds as if he can happily co-exist with another dog as you have seen with your previous foster.

Mine are not the sort of joined at the hip, sleeping together pair that some people have, but they get along well and when the older bitch deigns to have her once daily play with the younger dog then I really enjoy watching them. If I go out with one the other will usually greet and sniff the other before they bother with me, so I think they are fond of each other in their own way!