Living With 2 Intact Males

When I got my second male Newfoundland, the thought never crossed my mind that there was a possibility that they wouldn’t get along. 

I don’t know why I was so naive. 

I had owned an intact male but never two in the same household. 

I think that I was over-influenced by the fact that Newfoundlands are considered to be one of the best well-mannered dog breeds. 

I put the Newfie up on a pedestal forgetting that they are dogs first and Newfoundlands second. 

It was my fault that I didn’t recognize that I had 2 male Newfies with two totally different personalities and they might not get along. 

Sherman came first and he was a typical, laid-back Newfoundland with a sweet disposition. 

Leroy came about a year and a half later and he was the typical goofy Newfie. 

He was very outgoing, full of energy, and sassy as could be. 

Everything was going fine until Leroy hit the teenage years, and then we began having some issues. 

I didn’t recognize the issues at first but looking back, they were as clear as day. 

Can 2 Male Un-neutered Males Live Together?

The short answer is yes, 2 intact male dogs can live together when they have a responsible owner.

However, depending on each of their personalities, they may or may not live in harmony together. 

It’s up to the owner of the dogs to really get to know their dogs and be ready to recognize any signs of tension between their dogs.

Dogs give signals but sometimes these signals are very hard to spot for owners.

Sherman and Leroy have since passed away and they lived together for their entire life, but not without a few minor altercations. 

Sometimes, dogs that can’t get along will need to be separated to ensure their safety.

Currently, I have 3 male dogs living under the same roof. 

2 of the males are intact and 1 is neutered. 

Will Intact Male Dogs Fight?

Maybe but dogs that are neutered might fight too.

Being intact is not the only factor that goes into dogs fighting with each other.

Other factors can be:

• Age
• Personality
• Health
• Breed
• Temperament
• Behavior issues

For instance, if you have a dog that tends to resource guard toys or food, you might have an increased risk of a fight happening between your dogs regardless if they are neutered or not. 

What To Do If Your 2 Intact Male Dogs Are Fighting

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If you are having issues with 2 intact males fighting you should first start by contacting a professional dog trainer. 

A dog trainer will be able to come to your home and assess the situation and give recommendations based on what they observe between your intact dogs. 

For our situation, a trainer recommended that we use the Nothing In Life Is Free training method. 

We started the training immediately and while it was a long process, it was well worth it because the fighting stopped. 

One thing that you should never do is try to physically break up a fight between 2 male dogs by pulling them off of each other. 

This can cause a dog to turn and bite you, instead try a distraction like a mini fog horn or the Pet Corrector. 

Be Part of the Solution

It can be scary when your dogs are fighting, I know it was for me!

I used to get super nervous if my dogs were in the same room together but after I took a step back, got some help from a trainer and really put some rules into place, everything was good. 

Dogs don’t fight for no reason.

There’s always a reason. 

Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes you have to really look to find it. 

For us, the reason for the fighting was resource guarding. 

Sherman used to resource guard me and I never would have known unless a professional pointed it out. 

The signs were SO small. 

Should You Neuter Your Male Dogs If They Are Fighting?

Since Sherman and Leroy were both show dogs, neutering them was a last resort. 

Of course, their safety came first but before taking the step of ending their show careers, we opted to try working with a dog trainer. 

For us, this investment worked out well but it doesn’t always work out for others. 

Neutering a dog will normally reduce or eliminate some of the hormones that cause aggression but it is not guaranteed to stop ALL the aggression.

In most cases, further training will be needed. 

 

One small breed( Cardigan Welsh Corgi) and the other is a Newfie. 

Both are doing well together so far but I always watch for any signs of a problem. 

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