Hi @delaineycat, Congrats on adopting, great to hear about dogs being rescued.

My advice is to introduce your dog to any possible newcomer on neutral territory - to evaluate the potential for success. We brought our 5 year old retriever to meet a number of possible dogs (in this case retired racing Greyhounds) and his reaction to the dogs (and theirs to him) were a very important part of our decision. We ended up adopting the dog that interacted with him well, with interest but not aggression. Too much action or a fight obviously not a good sign, and on the other end of the spectrum, no interest is not good either.

Typically a male will be an easier pal with a female, but that is just on average. It really depends on the two dogs. Often two females will be fine but I've seen potential issues between girl dogs who are 'female aggressive'. Males can very often live quite happily together - especially if neutered and if in an environment with good discipline and a good owner who is 'in charge'.

All this goes for 2 dogs or 3. If I were to pick a combination, I'd suggest two males and one female - and I'd suggest a younger male as the third so he would not be a 'threat' to the other male or female as they establish order.

Again, it does depend on the individual dogs, the socialization training they had in the past and what they can adapt to with some training from you or another trainer. If you've got the open mind to rescue a dog, you probably have the ability to work through some issues that can be overcome.

Go with a vet recommended diet - ingredients should be mostly protein like meat - food should not be packed with 'fillers' like corn. You can go all natural, frozen, but that's up to you. Provide lots of fresh water daily (not too much right after they exercise). One serving a day of hard crunchy kibble or some bones to chew to keep teeth clean is good as well.

Good luck with your rescues!

Oh, Chows with cats...don't have experience with this breed - but I'd suggest 'cat' testing your dog (ask a vet or trainer about this) if you have a Chow - some dogs don't have a high prey drive and are fine with little animals and cats at their feet. In addition, depending on your dog, you can train them to ignore and live with the cat - respect the cat. Unfortunately in other cases, some dogs and cats just cannot live safely in the same space.
Source(s):
Years of dog ownership, two rescued dogs, one adopted. Years of obedience and behavioral dog training experience.


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