[Mshver12]

Originally Posted by Mercgirl

When we first got Wookie we were sure we would never be able to walk her off lead, because of the fear that she would be hurt/frightened by bigger dogs.

We've just got home from her morning walk with her 'Pack', which includes a Springer Spaniel, A Golden Lab, A Dogue de Dordeaux, three Border Collies, a Rottie and two German Shepherds. She is totally happy and relaxed with all of them, and even vies with Virgil, the Springer, to chase a ball.

We started letting Wookie walk off lead when she was 4 months old. Yes, we were really worried at first, but as she isn't scared by bigger dogs, and never yaps at them or acts aggressively in self defence or out of fear, she has never yet had an issue, and she has met literally hundreds of other dogs over the last 5 months off lead. If we meet another dog being walked on lead, we will call her away, as these are often dogs that aren't particularly sociable, and letting her run up to them wouldn't be right or fair to either dog.

Whether you should get both dogs at the same time is a tough one. Personally, purely given how small your Yorkie puppy will be, I would wait until it was at least six months old, purely because a much bigger puppy could hurt it without meaning to.

Now that I'm reading this thread again probably not a good idea. Perhaps if I already had a grown up and well behaved bigger dog, it could have worked.
My previous yorkie adored big dogs but I never let him off the leash in the dog park. It only takes one bite after all. Plus he wasn't very obedient. This time I'm definitely taking a puppy training course.