Male or female to go with current dog?

[Treorp55]

We have a 2 yr old female GSD and are looking to get another (gsd or other) and were just curious whether we should get another female or does it not matter too much? Would like to get a male, but not sure whether it would affect the female in a negative way.

Also, we have a toddler and a baby in the house, and not sure if a male (if GSD) would be as good with the kids as our female is.

[Emoore]

Male, absolutely. Strong chance of aggression between two females. Much less chance of aggression between a male/female. Obviously one or both would need to be fixed.

[kiya]

Male without a doubt.

[Treorp55]

Female is fixed already, so that wouldnt be a problem

[LukasGSD]

Male. They can be just as good with children as a female.

[Kittilicious]

Male, hands down. Doesn't matter if the female is fixed or not - females just tend to not get along. Even my fixed female golden retriever hates other females dogs. She's fine with males, but don't bring another female around - she's out for blood.

[AgileGSD]

Female without a doubt. GSDs are very prone to same sex aggression, especially towards dogs in the same household. Spaying doesn't prevent it and in some cases, although not common can actually make it worse. While not all GSDs are SSA, there is no way to know if your GSD will be until they share a household with another mature female. Females close in age are at a higher risk for SSA than females who have a 4 or more years between them. Sometimes it can work to have multiple girls but when it doesn't, it is a major problem - dogs having violent fights with each other and having to separate them in the household for life or decide to rehome one. So a male is a much safer option

[BlackGSD]

I agree with everyone else. MALE.

Keep in mind that as was said, the problems are generally between 2 ADULT females. So things can be great for 2 plus YEARS, (if the new one is a puppy when you get it.) then all heck can break loose.

Also, having a dog that is great with friends or relatives dogs of the same sex, is also NOT a guarantee that that same dog would be good with another of the same sex living in the same household.

[BlackGSD]

Originally Posted by AgileGSD

Female without a doubt. GSDs are very prone to same sex aggression, especially towards dogs in the same household. )

I think this is a typo. (Since the OPs current dog is a female.)

[law1558]

Quoted from a different dog board:

Same-Sex Agression: sometimes two females or two males will vie for dominance in the household. As above, effective obedience training can help, but the pair should not be unsupervised. Sometimes a pair of dogs will get along, but the introduction of a third dog can upset the "balance." While same-sex aggression usually resolves itself through effective obedience training and proper management of the dogs, there are rare instances in which the dogs cannot be made to co-exist peacefully.