Opinions Needed.. PRETTY please..

[Mama-to-Elle]

Hey guys!

We are in a pickle.. well we really just need help deciding a big decision, from experienced dog owners..

We got Luna last weekend, she is a Fila Brasiliero, female pup 12 weeks..

INSERT DILEMMA HERE:

The breeder called us yesterday, and asked us if we'd be interested in another pup. A male, her littermate. It is the last one they have left, and the buyer backed out. A deposit was paid to hold that puppy, so because of that she is willing to sell it to us, for $150.00 which is obviously much much less then the original selling price of these dogs.

I have seen and interacted with this puppy, when we went to pick Luna, so I know he is not runt, sick, etc.

We fully intended on getting another dog, at some point in the next 6-8 months or so, but we'd never considered at the same time.. LOL..

Now to the advice needed...

I know quite a few of you have more then one dog.
-What are the advantages/disadvantages of having more then one ginormous dog?
-Did it affect the bond they have with you, having a dog friend?
-Did ANYONE get/ have two puppies at the same time?!

And lastly, are we insane for considering this??!

Thanks so much guys! We really appreciate the opinions/advice! :hail:

 

[Renee750il]

You need to talk to Linda (Filarotten) on this one. She can give you the best advice, since she's got littermates. PM her

I would totally tackle it, but I'm certifiable -- so don't listen to me, PLEASE.

 

[milos_mommy]

-What are the advantages/disadvantages of having more then one ginormous dog?
-Did it affect the bond they have with you, having a dog friend?
-Did ANYONE get/ have two puppies at the same time?!

And lastly, are we insane for considering this??!

1) I don't have ginormous dogs (yet) so can't help you there.
2) Yes. It didn't with my dogs, but I've seen it happen a lot with the dogs we work with. But I think that could be the families, too...the dogs are ALWAYS together, super protective of one another, and not well-trained, because the people only try to train them together. They're just way more worried about their "sibling" than about their human. I've also seen it work out well, however.
3) Yes. My family got two terrier puppies (a 3 month old wheaten and 4 month old JRT) at the same time. The dogs would have liked to kill each other (literally, and they have come close) for a good portion of their young adult lives. They play together supervised for short times now, but my parents still crate-and-rotate most of the time. And getting them to play together took TONS of training and work.

Honestly, I think in your situation it's not a great idea. This is your very first Fila. Even if you're savvy and educated...you'll come across some first-time problems at some time...do you really want to have to fix those problems twice?

If you do decide to take the male, I think something very important to do is make sure the dogs spend a lot of positive time apart from each other. Take them out socializing separately, take only one for a walk at a time, train them separately, put one in the yard and give one lots of toys, treats, play, etc. and then switch them...stuff like that. Make sure their time together is enjoyable and fun, but don't let them get completely dependent on each other.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I don't think two dogs is a bad idea but I've often heard it discouraged to get two puppies at the same time, especially littermates.

I copy/pasted this from another site:
You see, litter mates often become “one unit”.

They sleep together, eat together, play together and are never alone, even when their humans are off to work. The puppies become best friends and all seems well.

Challenges with this oneness arise as they get older.

You’ll notice that when apart, the dogs are not quite the same. This may not sound like a problem, until you live it.

At some point, you’ll need to separate the dogs for training, walking, emergency vet visits, et cetera. Depending on how the puppies were raised, these brief split ups can be very traumatic or non eventful.

Now, they are 7 months older and much stronger. You haven’t really taught them to walk nicely on a leash, and they pull like crazy. When someone comes to the house, you have to grab their collars and prevent them from mugging the visitors. You can get one dog to sit politely for a moment, but the other one jumps and barks. By the time you get dog # 2 settled, dog #1 is through being polite and starts to jump and bark. It’s a circus!

This scenario is even more frustrating when one dog is naughty. It’s impossible to fix behavior problems such as fear, anxiety, aggression without separating the dogs.

You now realize it’s impossible to train 2 dogs at once; you decide to take one dog outside for training. The instant you exit the house with one dog, the other dog is whining and crying in the doorway, not quite sure why he or she has been abandoned. The dog outside with you is hesitant to walk away from the house, puling at the lead, trying to get back to his or her playmate. Neither dog will eat a treat, or pay any attention to people, because they are very anxious about being apart.

Help your Litter Mates Become Independent

If you have litter mate puppies, teach them about being apart when they are young and not fused together. Take one for a walk, then take the other. Crate one puppy while you teach the other basic commands. Spend time with each puppy, when the other puppy is somewhere else. Do this from the start. Your puppies will be less likely to freak out when they are apart.

 

[Mama-to-Elle]

LOL, Renee.. We are very well on our way there with you ..

I will send her a PM.. Thank you!

My boyfriend is really the one that is SUPER gungho on this idea.. sigh. He usually is pretty easy going and doesnt care too much about things one way or the other, but he has brought this up about 674 times, since they called yesterday, so I suppose I need to decide whether its a no go.. LOL!

Thanks for the input!

 

[Dekka]

I seem to repeatedly raise littermates lol.

Dekka/Snip Dash/Bounce and Solo/Kat. The only ones that are in the least bit close are Dash and Bounce, but they both prefer people over each other.

I would be more concerned that this will be two Filas, more than two littermates. If this is your first Fila I might pass.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

I think the biggest thing I'd consider in this would be the teenage phase--with two large dogs. Could you deal with that, and your daughter? Chewbecca might be a good one to PM as well--since she has her two, not littermates--but similar age pups.

 

[Mama-to-Elle]

Thanks for that information ladies..

I am really rather unsure of the whole idea as well...

Luna a is really good girl, doing wonderfully with training, becoming really attached to my daughter, and I'd hate hate hate to lose that.

I really appreciate the info and the input!

 

[Renee750il]

Filas are hardwired to work in sync with each other and have done so for hundreds of years, while being bonded to their human families as well -- much more so than other breeds. They really are a unique creature, so some of the concerns that apply with other breeds aren't so much at issue -- but, there are other things to consider, which is why you should talk to Linda since she's very much acquainted with those

 

[Romy]

It depends a lot.

If you take the time to work with them separately every day, socialize them separately, make sure they spend family time with you guys, then it'll probably be fine.

It's a different breed, but many borzoi breeders require you to have another puppy the same age as the one you are getting. Some go so far as to send a loaner "grow out companion" puppy. Those breeds tend not to develop correctly, physically, unless they have another puppy to play with. I don't know if molosser type dogs have that issue.

We have two giant dogs. It's not a problem at all. The main issues to keep in mind are:

Car space. Do you have a vehicle that can hold the whole family at once?

Food. They do eat food. lol

People always say vet bills, but honestly small dogs can have big vet bills too. My guys haven't had anything major thank goodness, and I don't really see how them being 60 lbs. lighter would have changed the bills very much in their cases.

The biggest drawback IMO is they are both going to grow old and leave you around the same time. It's so heartbreaking to lose one, to lose both is devastating. Not a reason not to do it, but something to be aware of.

ETA: Maybe her brother will love YOU the mostest.

 

[Renee750il]

Sent a text to Linda. She can't get to the computer right now, but she'll be on a little later

Shiva and Kharma were both pups at the same time -- Shiva was 7 or 8 months old when I brought Kharma home, and it was fun, as well as handy, to watch them keep each other amused and physically challenged, although I'm not so sure how Shiva felt about it, since Kharma punked her on a regular basis

 

[Mama-to-Elle]

It depends a lot.


ETA: Maybe her brother will love YOU the mostest.

I cant say I haven't selfishly thought of this possibility... :lol-sign:

 

[Mama-to-Elle]

Thanks a bunch Renee.

I'm not tossing out the option yet. I will consider it fully, but am just so iffy... LOL....

I am just rather reserved, as I do 99% of pet care. Feeding, walking, potty training, etc.

The food for two would be no problem.. We are kibble feeding, and going to transition to raw.

We have tons of yard space and will be moving to 90ish acres in the next few months, so it's really just whether or not its right for US, the small logistics aren't as big of an issue..

I really appreciate everybodys input!

 

[milos_mommy]

What are your hesitations? That you won't have time or it will become too much of a chore to care for two? With a small daughter, will you have time to train, socialize, walk, etc. your dogs separately?

Think about things such as...if your daughter has a friend come over, how much harder is it going to be to get TWO filas into another room before you answer the door? How much harder is that going to be if they're 2 10 month old, 110+ lb puppies who don't WANT to go in the other room? If they decide to push boundaries and counter surf, how much harder is it going to be to keep two away from the not-their-food than it is one?

(I don't have any fila experience, but that would be what I'd be thinking of if I had a large, protective dog)

 

[Renee750il]

In my limited experience with the two grrrls, two Filas were actually LESS trouble than one in many ways, but mine weren't littermates and they were a bit farther apart.

Where two Terrier pups would keep me on the edge of my seat, Shiva and Kharma really didn't, but in all fairness, I did have Bimmer to help raise them, lol.

 

[PWCorgi]

If you are hesitating at all I would say no.

And honestly, I think any breeder of such a powerful dog who is offering TWO puppies to a first-time owner is questionable.

 

[Mama-to-Elle]

Thank you so much for all the time and effort ya'll are putting into your responses.

I am leaning No. My boyfriend would really love to have him, but I am the main pet/house/kid tender and I just feel like it would be too much all at once.

I haven't told him no for certain yet, but that is really the way I am leaning!

Again, I certainly appreciate all the replies.

 

[Lizmo]

-What are the advantages/disadvantages of having more then one ginormous dog?

Not sure on the ginormous part, but it's double the work. Double the training. Double the socializing. Double the one-on-one time. Double the vet bill. Double the food bill. Double the training class bill (if you go that route).

But the advantage is double the love. Double the reward once the initial training/socializing is over.

-Did it affect the bond they have with you, having a dog friend?

No, it didn't. But, these puppies were not together 24/7. They slept in different rooms. Walked seperately most of the time. Training seperately mostly. Didn't do training classes with each other, either.

-Did ANYONE get/ have two puppies at the same time?!

Yes. I got my Border Collie about a month before my brother (in the same house) got his Beagle.

We did have 'sibbling' problems, though. At about 1.5/2 years old they almost couldn't be in the same room together. One neuter later and taking a stand and showing them acting on those feelings was NOT under any circumstance tolerated, they are doing very well together.

And lastly, are we insane for considering this??!

In my book, I would do two puppies at the same time in a heart beat. But like Renee, I'm not your 'normal' owner either.

 

[milos_mommy]

In my limited experience with the two grrrls, two Filas were actually LESS trouble than one in many ways, but mine weren't littermates and they were a bit farther apart.

Where two Terrier pups would keep me on the edge of my seat, Shiva and Kharma really didn't, but in all fairness, I did have Bimmer to help raise them, lol.

And keep in mind you weren't raising a human toddler at the same time...

 

[Renee750il]

No, but I did have Charley and his mother -- and they were both more time consuming and demanding than any five toddlers -- literally, neither one of them did anything for themselves, among other things (and I have lived with and been responsible for toddlers -- as well as one with his two older sibs ) Trust me, the pups were the EASIEST part.