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Breeds That Run Together


MsKatie
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After reading a comment about dog breeds that are more likely to get along in multi dog situations - egs - beagles, gundogs - this has sparked my curiosity because I have never considered it in this way.

So - wondering - are there breeds that are more suited for residing in multidog households? I know there are going to be examples and that each dog is an individual and that breeding and upbringing etc playa a part but - purely from a breed perspective I would love to hear peoples thoughts :)

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Most of the hound group do well in packs / groups

Most terriers are a little too much in a group though some breeds can and do get along well together JRT are one breed developed too work in a pack

herding dogs not so much so or though 2 or three will work together the work and the handler are more interesting

If you have a look through the breed history and what it was breed for it will give you an indication of how it will behave in a group

foxhounds do well in a group they are breed for it

so are sighthounds

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My two borders are dog snobs but I know when we went interstate and stayed with TerraNik and her lappie (and the lappie she was babysitting) Kenz had an absolute blast and they would run and play non stop :) .

Ness and Jedi on the other hand just sat and watched the antics of the others.

Edited by ness
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I have 3 Samoyeds and a Sibe (all entire, 3 bitches, 1 dog, I show)

If a Sibe didn't get along with it's team mates it would be cut loose and left to starve to death, hence only those that were team members would be bred from.

Back to my dogs, they all get along 99.999% of the time.

One gets grumpy a week before she comes into season, don't blame her so do I, one can only be feed by herself, all are usually fed separately, but this one must be so, one I would never leave unsupervised with the pup, she isn't agressive at all just very full on and a little rough and I aren't prepared to risk an accident.

So with good management I don't have any issues, fingers crossed :rofl:

just had a giggle, the one that gets grumpy before she comes into season, has to be fed separately and is a little rough is the same dog :):) she must be the black sheep of the family :)

Edited by SnoPaws
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I think Hound/ Gundogs tend to go well together :)

Working dogs tend to group well together with other working dogs or in smaller pack sizes (were bred to work with 2-3 other dogs)... not so good in larger packs or perhaps breeds that don't appreciate stalking :). generalisations here

I notice more the difference in how the respond to each other - eg: I notice BC's and Sibes are BIG ones for when they sleep they like space between each other. Whereas Aussies, Goldens etc literally love sleeping ontop of each other :).

Again... generalisations :rofl:

ETA - observation only - I find that 'working' dogs tend to love their 'pack' or well known dogs, but perhaps are a little more of a 'snob' to unknown dogs or random dogs in the park :mad

Edited by leopuppy04
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I have two goldens who adore each other.

One only has 2 overly happy brain cells and it just wouldn't occur to her to be upset about anything. The other is so mellow, fighting or snarking would be too much effort for him.

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Guest belgian.blue

I have a Belgian Shepherd and English Pointer .. they couldn't live together any better.

They compliment each other very well .. they both love to have a quick crazy moment then sleep :)

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Rhodesian Ridgebacks were originally bred for hunting lions which is in a pack of about 3-5 I believe, where they have to work together to herd the lion.

My personal experiences show males get along fine with the females and vise versa but same sexes have difficulties (as most dogs do) they do get along great with all dogs tho and have great personalities.

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As already mentioned, you need to look at the original purpose of the breed to get an idea of why it might be more suitable in a multi dog household, remembering like you've said, that all dogs are individuals and not every single dog of a breed will be the same. Hounds, escpecially the scent hounds, are/were bred to live and work in packs. It can only stands to reason that if they didn't get along, they wouldn't last long in the pack and therefore the breeding pool. Gundogs are not bred to work as packs, but rather in braces or with a couple of other dogs. They are also bred to work under the control of their owners, so it also stands to reason that Gundogs should be able to get along with other dogs and be highly trainable. The exception in the Gundog world might be the Chesapeake and the Curly Coated Retriever, that were also bred to be guard dogs. These breeds are known to have a sharper temperament and are less likely to be friendly to unknown dogs.

My knowledge of herding breeds is minimal, but I often see on TV on the sheep/cattle stations a couple or more dogs working stock and the properties I've seen the dogs on have had several of them. Therefore you would think that these dogs must be able to live in multi dog households? Same with the sledding breeds?

I do believe that dogs like their own 'type' quite often as they have similar traits and manners. My Vizslas and GSP boys get along fantastic and play hard and often. My Whippet and gundogs get along fantastic too, but they don't play very often as the games are very different. My old Vizsla does have a thing for Wolfhounds though, after one of his very early best friends was a Wolfie :)

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I would expect a very high level of tolerance from dogs that both live and work in a pack and that would put the scent hounds like Foxhounds, Beagles and Basset Hounds top of the list.

Dogs that are expected to tolerate the presence of other dogs in their daily lives would be animals like sight hounds, sledding breeds, gundogs and toys that are either worked or kept in the presence of other dogs.

I'd expect lower levels of tolerance from the majority of terriers, working dogs and guarding breeds. Livestock guardians and dogs of fighting ancestry would be bottom of the list.

There are, of course always exceptions to every rule and the further a dog moves from its original function, the less they might apply.

Personally I think far too many people are either ignorant of the original function of their chosen breed or choose to ignore it and experience difficulties as a result. Of course combining dogs of very different function into crossbreds creates a whole new level of potential behavioural challenges.

I always advise potential breed owners to study the original function of their dog and to be sure they actually want to live with a dog that has those traits.

We developed breeds with varying levels of bite threshold, bite inhibition, people focus, independence AND tolerance of other animals. Its dogs that suffer when people ignore those characteristics in the dog they choose.

Edited by poodlefan
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I have the ultimate odd couple!

My pugs and pointers run together great :)

Oh :mad My pugs just don't like to run fullstop :)

Your pugs are lazy sluggies thou :)

I think my pugs are broken, especially Goat she has muscles on top of her muscles :rofl: She so ripped and its simpley from all the running and tumbling she does with the pointers!

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:) correct login :)

I find BC's & kelpies seem to run well together as a large pack & both seem less tolerant of other herding breeds than they are of each other. I would be reluctant to run mine with lots of other breeds.

I have a friend whose BC bitch I would never run with mine...they just don't get along. I find it interesting a couple of years ago that we sent them around the same large mob of sheep. Not only did they tolerate each others presence & proximity, but they were clearly working as a team.

Edited by Vickie
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