I have one big dog and now two smaller dogs.
Ginger is about 90 pounds and a Golden Retriever.
Ta-Tudie is about 15 pounds and a Rat Terrier.
Ferg's is 11 pounds and a Yorkie (or Silky).
Ginger and Ta-Tudie have shared a crate since Tudie was a puppy (Ginger is about two years older). They get along great and have never had an issue.
Right now I let them play mostly unsupervised as it's been a couple of weeks. Tudie has come around in the last week with Ferg's presence while Ferg's and Ginger really started rolling with their playing this past weekend. Ferg's seems to be like most other Yorkies I read about on here...no fear an thinks she's as big as Ginger is. Although, when I say unsupervised what I mean is the dogs have free roam around the house while we are home although I do keep them crated while we are gone. I've gotten comfortable enough that they are getting along well to begin letting them go outside for potty breaks unsupervised, but just started that recently.
I think it boils down to your own comfort level in watching them interact. I've always said that while Ginger and Tudie share an extra large crate and have for years I have kept Ferg's separate just for safety sake since she came home. However, I know dogs are social creatures and want to be around the rest of their pack and in the last week when I put them to bed, she's gone into the other dogs crate and laid down where there was room for her. I don't let her stay but it shows me that (a) the other dogs make room for her and (b) she wants to be with the other dogs. At some point I will combine two large crates or get an x-pen (or something) to give all three dogs enough room for them to sprawl out together. My comfort level just isn't there quite yet. |