Q: We have a 5-year-old German shepherd who is very gentle and sweet with the family but very protective of us when new people come to the house. He is well-trained and controlled, and once introduced, he is good with new people. The question I have actually has nothing to do with his people skills but what you think of introducing a small dog to the family. My daughter would like a small dog that can sleep on her bed and follow her around. Do you think our big dog can be trained to get along with a small dog?

A: This is an impossible question to answer for your particular situation since I have not met your dog and seen him in action around other dogs. How he behaves with people can be totally different than how he will behave with a small animal. So, I will answer this question with generalities, and you will have to do a little testing and homework before you will know the true answer for your situation.

Big dogs can live with smaller animals. My big dogs (a St. Bernard and a German shepherd) live with two smaller dogs and six cats. The problem in introducing a small animal into a household is the prey instinct of the other animals. When a small animal runs, the prey instinct may kick in for another animal and tell that animal to chase. What happens if they catch the animal totally depends on the individual dog doing the chasing.
So how do you know if your animal has this high prey drive, and whether it can be controlled? Watch your animal around other animals when you are walking. Does every squirrel and cat in the neighborhood catch your dog’s attention? What does he do? Does he go crazy and pull at the end of the leash or are you able to tell the dog to “leave it” and quietly walk on? If you cannot control your dog while walking around small animals, you may want to work on this skill first before introducing one to your household.

Now, just because you may be able to control your dog while on a leash does not mean you have the same control off leash. You need to work on long leashes and see if you can control the dog when you are a distance away from him. You may want to consider enrolling in a dog training class to view your dog around other animals and learn skills to control him. If your animal is reacting aggressively in public around animals, it’s time to hire a trainer for a private lesson. Class is not a place to overcome aggression issues without first getting some important skills for both you and your dog.

If you do find that your dog is able to live with a small dog you want to be sure not to leave them alone together. This rule should be in place long after you think it’s safe to leave them alone together. I still do not trust my St. Bernard alone with my yorkie. The yorkie can have her snarky moments, which the St. Bernard does not appreciate. Her reprimands can be stronger than planned and could cause damage to the yorkie just by the nature of the size of her paws and jaws. Know your animal’s strengths and weaknesses and take preemptive measures to protect all involved. The yorkie stays in a crate when I’m not around, or I put her in a separate room to keep her safe. The German shepherd has actually proven himself very trustworthy around the small animals in our house and knows how to be very gentle and get down on the ground to play with the smaller ones. However, I’m still cautious as we are dealing with animals who have instincts that can take over with the slightest change in play. One wrong growl or snap can turn into a fight, unfortunately sometimes to the death. I always prefer to err on the side of caution even with the most apparently gentle animals. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “But they were best of friends before the fight.” Animals don’t have the conscious thought patterns of humans who can think through their actions and realize consequences before reacting. They react to circumstances in an instant. (Unfortunately, so do some people.)

Speaking of thinking through a situation, make sure you think through the whole concept of another dog in the house. Your daughter may want one, but we all know who ends up taking on the responsibility of a dog. Are YOU prepared for twice the poop, twice the training time, twice the expense? That is truly the question!