German Shephards and Shih Tzus?

[BlondeTenshi]

Hey just a few questions... I got a 1 and a bit year old GSD and he is not interacting well with my 8 year old Shih Tzu... She is usually very friendly but whenever he tries to play with her ( he's very gentle and his previous owner said that he played with cats nicely so a small dog wouldn't be a problem ) she freaks out and yelps and barks and bares her teeth. Sarge just thinks it's a game but I think Cassy is serious! She always going up to him and enticing him so he thinks it's a game. I don't know what to do really. Is it true that when you spay or neuter a dog that their temperment goes down? We're getting Cassy fixed when her next heat rolls around which is extremely soon. The vet told us that it would be cheaper and easier if we got her fixed during her heat. Thank you for answering my questions.

[Chaos]

I don't know what kinda of vet you have, but that info is completely WRONG. A dog being spayed during heat is always more expensive, and much more dangerous. The dog can actually hemorrage to death when in heat and being spayed. Also, spaying a female before her first heat will drastically reduce the chances of her getting mammary cancers, and completely eliminate ovarian or uterine cancers. Each heat cycle a bitch goes through increases her chances of developing these cancers. Is the male fixed? The female could think he's trying to mate with her when she's not in heat, which is why she could be acting aggressively. If neither are fixed, do it SOON, since a male GSD impregnating a Shih-Tzu WILL be disastrous, most likely killing the mother and at the very least causing extreme complications during the birth, because of the size difference, as well as the female's age.

I think you really need a new vet, and get your female spayed before her next heat.

[Tazwell]

Give them some time. As long as there's not true aggression, like she's lunging at him and biting the heck out of him and he's attacking right back, I think she'll get used to him. Did you introduce them on neutral ground? She's probably just guarding her territory.

But yes, she does need to be spayed, NOT during a heat. Please find a different vet... If they're both not fixed, they need to be.

If you keep having problems, you can find a good trainer in your area to give you a 1 hour training session :) Even 1 hour does wonders, trust me!

Good Luck!

[MzKittieCat]

I was thinking it was a pack thing. She is treating him like he is on her level or beneather her. I would watch that very closely.

[BlondeTenshi]

Thank you all for your answers... and we heard it from a walk in clinic when we were taking her for a check up so we don't have an 'official' vet. so yeah but thanks for everything!:D

[DaDezBombzzz]

I have a gsd and he gets along fine with my bunny, and used to get along with my sisters beagle until she moved. I don't know if maybe your gsd doesnt want to be bothered, but some dogs don't always get along and click...hmm.