Dog compatibility: will things work out or should we look for something else?

Is he’s gonna be neutered in a couple of weeks it should be ok, he might harass her but won’t be able to really do anything.

One day is not much time. If they aren’t going at each other tooth and nail, then give them another few days. However, do supervise them whenever they are together.

I would agree the nutering should make a difference. Also, you should give them more time, and plenty of walking together.

Neutering both pets may make a difference if Max’s aggression is dulled. You’ll probably not know until you give it more than one day. You have 2 dogs you’re trying to force as opposed to letting a camaraderie happen naturally into friendship. It’s not going to be easy, especially considering Daisy’s questionable past. Both Blue Heelers and Corgi’s can be quite bossy, pushy and aggressive especially with a submissive dog which a Border Collie (like Daisy) appears to be, on the other hand Bull Terriers are not known for taking bulling lying down and have been known to fight back when pushed too hard. I expect you would have to be constantly supervising these 2 dogs in order to make sure they “play nice”. Both Heelers and Border Collies are extremely smart dogs which can get bored easily. Don’t let them take it out on each other.

Yes, I have focused the characteristics of the 4 breeds which will make things difficult for you, only so that you won’t be fooled into thinking that neutering these 2 animals is all you will need to turn them into bosom buddies. Both dogs do have very fine qualities including; free-spiritedness, energy level, intelligence, yearning to please and fun-loving.

I sincerely hope you get to see both sides of both dogs.

Since dogs have pack mentalities, Max is probably just trying to establish dominance in his territory. It was Daisy, after all, who just waltzed into his home. I think all will be well as soon as he sees that Daisy is not a threat to him. It’s up to you (or whoever Max responds to best) to assert your dominance over Max and Daisy both. For Daisy, your role is to make sure Max doesn’t hurt her. For Max, your role is to make sure he knows that you are the boss and aggressive behavior will not be tolerated.

If Max hasn’t attacked her yet, it will probably be fine.

I was going to weigh in, but @Lovey_Howell said most of what I was going to say, and @DrasticDreamer said the rest.

Both of the dogs are quite young so they might settle down in time, but you might do better to either find a different dog to rescue or wait until Max has settled down in a few years.

They are both young and opposite sex so I think they will work out who is going to be boss. I would not let them together when you cannot be there to supervise however. I would keep them both in their crates where they can see each other when you are not home. But I would bet they will settle it and grow to be good pals.

Wow, bull terrier border collie cross, that must be an interesting looking pup. Post some pics if you can.

Good Luck

Give it some more time.

Also, talk to Max. Tell him (if you did not do so in advance, which I would have recommended) why you are adding Daisy to the pack. Reassure him that he is still number 2.

If things have not improved in a week or two, you may have to consider rehoming Daisy.

Update:

On day #2 I went out early in the morning and let them out with each other. Max started barking at Daisy and harassing her again. I immediately put a stop to it any time he started up. After a while he seemed to calm down. I took them both with me up to the mountains for the day. I thought they’d do better on neutral ground and with more space to run around. It seemed to work. They weren’t chummy, but they seemed to be more tolerant of each other. My wife came up to visit towards the end of the day, and she took them home with her. When I got home Max was being aggressive towards Daisy again. Apparently Daisy had had enough, because she was fighting back and even pinned him once before I separated them. When I got back inside, my wife told me that the lady from the animal rescue had called and we had to either return Daisy the next morning or pay for her, but the trial period was definitely over. I was thinking that they might not be compatible, but my wife decided to give them another chance. She put a bed out and they fell asleep snuggled up next to each other. We hoped that was a signal that they could get along, and we decided to take Daisy home with us.

Wow, that was a long, stream-of-thought paragraph. Anyways, they’ve been getting along surprisingly well since. Here are some pictures:

Daisy scratching herself
Max and Daisy hanging out

Thanks for the update. Both of them are absolutely adorable! :) As long as you and your wife prove that you’re the bosses, I think all will be well.

@phoenyx I am so glad! Great pack leadership! They look incredibly cute together.

Both are adorable dogs. I suspect that if Daisy proves true to her Border Collie roots she might run rings around Max eventually.