# Anyone having problems with two (or more) Hav males living together?



## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

Last few months I've been suffering from some really bad MHS . So as you all know it, the only cure would be to get one :biggrin1:. 
I did my research long ago, and I personally know the most breeders and their dogs (one of the advantage's when living in a small country:wink. 
So one of the breeders I like really much, has put me on her waiting list. If everything goes well, she will have puppies born somewhere around early November. 
Most people say that I should get a female puppie, because I already have one male hav in house.
And here comes it...I have nothing against females, but I do prefer males. I know there are many people here on the forum who have two or more hav males and no problems at all. Are there any people who're having issues owning two male hav's? Any fightings, or other things going on? 

Luckily I've enough time to think about this, but I thought it would be the best to ask you all for some help deciding what to do. 
Fedja is totally mellow, a little insecure, and is not having any problems with other males once he knows them (strange and especially BIG males are not his thing). So I don't think he will be the problem anyway. But if I go for a second male, what kind of personality do I have to look for? 
I read a lot of different things...go for a mellow dog (in my experience mellow dogs often tend to be insecure, and since Fedja is already insecure wouldn't that only make their insecurity worse?). Choose stronger, more dominant personality so they will not challenge each other... Experiences from the past learned me that Fedja tends to shut down with a more dominant dogs around him. 
So many things to think about....pffff...
Or maybe it would still be better choice to go for a female? If that would be the best for Fedja? I really need some help here :ear:. Thnx!


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

I've had 2 males and they were great together. I have a male and female now. They are great together!
Talk to the breeder and let them know the personality of your hav. Trust them they can help you. I would choose by the personality!


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

What she said...

Tell the breeder all about your Fedja. They will help you choose. 

I am partial to males, too. Currently, we have a male Hav, female Aussie, male Siberian cat and female pound cat. The female furries are driving me nuts. They are the cause of all conflicts. I think I need to be the only female in the house. I like my male harem.

Work with the breeder and go with your heart.


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

morriscsps said:


> ...the only female in the house.


LOL, that's my situation, right now I'm the only female in house here...We have Fedja and 2 red (ex) tomcats.



morriscsps said:


> Work with the breeder and go with your heart.


My heart absolutely wants a male, but if I would know that it would be better for Fedja to pick a girl I would do it, no question about it!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Opposite sex marriages tend to be easier generally. The biggest factor is whether he gets along with other males. If not , I would be leary of another male. And it's not always possible when introducing your adult male to a male pup to determine whether they will get along down the road. An adult might give puppy liscence initially but not take to him when he reaches adolescence. But if he is good with other dogs in general, find the best pup in the litter, male or female. It's still a crap shoot to a degree. The main thing is whether he tollerates dogs in general ,if not I wouldn't get any dog.


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## JeanMarie (Mar 2, 2008)

LOVE my boys and they definately love each other!

I wouldn't worry about gender. I think personality is key...as others have said. However, if indeed your preference is for a male-I wouldn't worry about them getting along. They will be best of friends.


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## Tessa's Mommy (May 20, 2011)

When we decided to adopt another pup, we decided to get Cooper, our male, a little sister to play with. Cooper does not usually like other dogs, but he does love his littermate, Solie, who is a female and was adopted my sister at the same time we got Cooper. I knew that if Cooper would adjust to a new pup, it would have to be a female and it has worked out great. They play together and when Cooper is tired, he just growls at her to tell her to leave him alone. 

I will admit that when we went to look at the pups we specifically requested a female. Fortunately, when we met the breeder's puppies, we knew that Tessa was the perfect pup for us and for Cooper because she was more shy and passive than the others.

Good luck in your search. I hope it works out as well for you as it has for us. We are having a great time watching Tessa grow and Cooper adapt to her. 

Here are a couple of pictures of our fur babies playing. The first is Tessa hiding under the chair so Cooper can't reach her and the second is Tessa attacking Cooper at the beach.

PS: We also have one male and one female cat. The female cat is the princess of this house and is the boss of all of the others, including my husband and I.


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## klf0110 (Jun 30, 2009)

I have 2 males. At first I wanted my second dog to be a female but I am so happy with my little boy. My older Hav is two and he has some anxiety but is non dominant. My second is still a puppy. He is very mellow and compliments the other beautifully. I agree let the breeder know all about the dog you have and help you decide on the puppy with the best personality match.


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> Opposite sex marriages tend to be easier generally. The biggest factor is whether he gets along with other males...The main thing is whether he tollerates dogs in general ,if not I wouldn't get any dog.


Some of his best friend are male dogs, some neutered some not. BUT he has to know them really well, before he involves into the play with them. Speaking in general he doesn't like strange dogs, big or small (especially BIG males, even big females are not his thing), and is not interested in them. The dogs that he likes are the dogs who often come to our house. 
He is non dominant, rather insecure, and I read that females are more dominant in our breed. That's one of the reasons I'm hesitating to get us a female. I don't want a bossy dog who will push him around, 'cause he just passively lets them get away with it. 
I know individual personality is the most important here...Perhaps I should rephrase my question....What kind of dog would you choose personality wise if you had a passive, insecure, mellow, non dominant male?


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## Tessa's Mommy (May 20, 2011)

Your description of your dog describes our Cooper to a T. Before we got Tessa, the only dog he would play with was his littermate, Solie, who is owned by my sister and they see each other a lot.

Because Cooper is so passive, we tried to find a female puppy that had basically the same personality. Tessa was passive, timid and shy when we picked her up and she still is around people she doesn't know or even people she sees infrequently. With Cooper though, she isn't shy or timid at all. She is usually the aggressor during play time. Cooper does tend to give in to her with toys, treats, etc., but I'm not sure if that's him just being a good big brother or whether it's just his passive nature.

I guess the upshot of all of this is that if you think a more social puppy would help your shy dog, that's what you should try to find. We didn't want Cooper to feel upstaged, so that's why we tried to get matching personalities and I do think it's worked out for the best for both of the dogs.

Good luck in your search.


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

Tessa's Mommy said:


> We didn't want Cooper to feel upstaged, so that's why we tried to get matching personalities and I do think it's worked out for the best for both of the dogs.


Thank you so much for your reaction! Really helpful, especially since Fedja reminds you so much of your Cooper! I will absolutely ask the breeder to help me choose a puppy with similar personality (mellow, laid back), no matter what gender. I do believe that this would work the best in our case. Thnx again :kiss:.


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

BTW, your Cooper and Tessa are absolutely adorable :hug:!


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

There must be something wrong with me. I never gave it a thought. I believed any puppy I added to the mix would be accepted by the troops, just as children would have to adapt to a younger sibling. Every one of mine has, after the first few days, not only accepted the new family member, but continues to have a loving relationship with them and me.

Having both boy and boy and boys and girl, none of it has been an issue.


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## Tessa's Mommy (May 20, 2011)

Thanks, I think they are too, but then I think all Havs are adorable.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Dexter and Jack are getting along. They are not the best friends. They do not sleep together. It was rough in the beginning with Dexter trying to put Jack in his place. 

Dexter is easy going and forgives a lot of stuff that Jack does, like stealing bones or eating from Dexter's bowl. Dexter will just go to the other bowl or the other bone. 

Jack does not like to share and will growl to keep what is his. If I give the boys a bone treat, Jack wants both of them and will hound Dexter until Dexter drops it and then he will eat that one and Dexter will just find the other one. 

Dexter is an instigator for trouble. He will tease Jack to play. Dexter is on high alert all the time and he is very anxious during storms.

As for two boys....I love them both! Different personalities with different needs. They do play together inside and out. Dexter is still the boss. I find boys more loving, more under my feet and in my face sort of dog.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

El Bueno Habanero said:


> Last few months I've been suffering from some really bad MHS . So as you all know it, the only cure would be to get one :biggrin1:.
> I did my research long ago, and I personally know the most breeders and their dogs (one of the advantage's when living in a small country:wink.
> So one of the breeders I like really much, has put me on her waiting list. If everything goes well, she will have puppies born somewhere around early November.
> Most people say that I should get a female puppie, because I already have one male hav in house.
> ...


How old is your boy? I think I had luck because with Sir Winston I did not bring in a puppy...I am not sure he would have liked all the attention a puppy needs..or like my attention to the puppy...with the older "other" dog/female..he was okay after a few days. 
A lot depends on the disposition of the puppy... and your expectations, I think!!! Good luck.


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

Flynn Gentry-Taylor said:


> How old is your boy?


He just turned 4 10 days ago.


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## Flynn Gentry-Taylor (Jan 17, 2008)

El Bueno Habanero said:


> He just turned 4 10 days ago.


Sir Winston was about 5 when I got Lady Mia in May. She was about the same age and it worked beautifully. I was worried about him being older but I don't know his background, he has been with me about a year and a half...so I worried he would not accept another dog...Mia had been with other dogs during her 4 years of life..and so that may be a factor. I am NOW happy I did not get a puppy as they are so good together..But whatever you choose, good luck to you!!!!


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## jcarol (Mar 20, 2010)

So far my males, Kody and Sailor are getting along fine. Since Sailor is still a young puppy I do have to monitor their play. Kody doesn't realize he's 11 lbs heavier than Sailor. We've only had male dogs for the last 18 years and no problems.


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

Years ago we had 3 Tibetan Terriers,and they were all males,we never had any problems with them they were all great friends.Now we have Dizzie and Nellie.Nellie being the only female we have ever had,and she is great, such a loving funny little character.The breeder where Dizzie and Nellie came from said it was more down to their personalities getting along,than what gender they are.


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I have more boys than girls. Unless one of the girls is in season, my boys all get along great, cuddle and play with each other. My youngest who are just over a year never get into the mix if the older ones get into it with each other (it's never bad, just annoying). Some of my older dogs just ignored the 2 youngest until they grew up some. My older girl, SOX is the only one who grumps, she grumps if she's trying to sleep and one of the boys bothers her and if one gets in her face. She can't stand dogs in her face. She's definitely the alpha, so we don't have problems as they know not to argue with her.
Like you, I prefer male dogs.


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

Becky Chittenden said:


> My older girl, SOX....she grumps if she's trying to sleep and one of the boys bothers her and if one gets in her face. She can't stand dogs in her face.


Sox...what a cute name! 
It's funny you saying that, because Fedja also doesn't tolerate dogs in his face! 
When a strange dog comes his way as long as they sniffle each others butts everything seems ok, but the moment the same dog gets in Fedja's face he usually snaps at him! He is not trying to bite him, it's more like saying 'get out my face'. And he is definitely not an alfa dog, more of a follower. I find this very annoying behavior. I don't want him to get into fight, and he don't want to fight himself either, but some dogs interpret this as a fight sign. Can be dangerous, but everything I tried so far to stop this behavior isn't working .


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

El Bueno Habanero said:


> Some of his best friend are male dogs, some neutered some not. BUT he has to know them really well, before he involves into the play with them. Speaking in general he doesn't like strange dogs, big or small (especially BIG males, even big females are not his thing), and is not interested in them. The dogs that he likes are the dogs who often come to our house.
> He is non dominant, rather insecure, and I read that females are more dominant in our breed. That's one of the reasons I'm hesitating to get us a female. I don't want a bossy dog who will push him around, 'cause he just passively lets them get away with it.
> I know individual personality is the most important here...Perhaps I should rephrase my question....What kind of dog would you choose personality wise if you had a passive, insecure, mellow, non dominant male?


 Sena, don't worry about the dominance thing. It's a non issue when bringing home a new puppy. Simple pick out the best pup. 
Here's an article http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/give-puppy-first-chance


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

Thnx for the link Dave. 
The free e-books from that website 'BEFORE You Get Your Puppy' and 'AFTER You Get Your Puppy' are a great read! Have learned a lot again . Hopefully we will get a new baby in house before the end of this year. Until then I will read this books few more times :biggrin1:.


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

El Bueno Habanero said:


> So one of the breeders I like really much, has me on her waiting list. If everything goes well, she will have puppies born somewhere around early November.


Update: in the end I didn't get a puppy from that November litter. BUT there is another one born this December, and the babies are two weeks old now and I have finally decided to go for a female. 


davetgabby said:


> Opposite sex marriages tend to be easier generally.


There are 5 females in this latest litter, and the breeder has reserved one for us! I sooo hope that everything will workout, you never know,and in that case we will welcome one sweet little girl in our home next February. 
You can imagine how excited I feel at this moment. Can't wait for the little ones to grow up!!! Just got some new pictures where they have their eyes open and are trying to make their first steps :biggrin1:. (I won't be putting these here right now, just to keep bad luck away, stupid superstition I know lol). But I promise, you will get to see her pics as soon as I know for sure which one will be ours! So please pray with us that everything will work out, because I so badly want Fedja to get his sweet sister. :whoo:


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## clare (Feb 6, 2010)

How exciting, hope everything works really well for you.What sort of colour are the new puppies?I really enjoy having a boy and a girl.Our little girl is far more possessive over her toys,and will give Dizzie a warning growl if he dares to come to close to her when she has one of them.She is also more feisty than Dizzie when we are at home,but a coward when we are out and he protects her,she follows his lead when we are out.Dizzie is very calm and loving,totally loyal to me,he doesn't like to go for a walk with just my husband.They are both wonderful!I am sure you are in for some great fun times!


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## El Bueno Habanero (Oct 20, 2009)

clare said:


> How exciting, hope everything works really well for you.What sort of colour are the new puppies?


Thank you! It's one colorful litter...honey, chocolate, black and one black&tan (she is my favorite at this point, who said I'm predictable? lol).


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

El Bueno Habanero said:


> Update: in the end I didn't get a puppy from that November litter. BUT there is another one born this December, and the babies are two weeks old now and I have finally decided to go for a female.
> 
> There are 5 females in this latest litter, and the breeder has reserved one for us! I sooo hope that everything will workout, you never know,and in that case we will welcome one sweet little girl in our home next February.
> You can imagine how excited I feel at this moment. Can't wait for the little ones to grow up!!! Just got some new pictures where they have their eyes open and are trying to make their first steps :biggrin1:. (I won't be putting these here right now, just to keep bad luck away, stupid superstition I know lol). But I promise, you will get to see her pics as soon as I know for sure which one will be ours! So please pray with us that everything will work out, because I so badly want Fedja to get his sweet sister. :whoo:


:whoo::whoo::whoo:


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