Second dog. When and what to get.Thoughts?

[BeerHunter]

Right now we have an 11 week old Retriever/Lab puppy that's coming along just fine. She's quit bold but we're getting a handle on it. Still has a lot to learn (like not grabbing food off the table) but she has learned a lot considering we've only had her 4 weeks or so.

We want to get her into some puppy classes ASAP for socialization and some training.

We'd like to have a second dog someday as we enjoy going for walks in the bush with 2 , they are company for each other in the dog run / kennel if we have to leave for any length of time and it's always fun just watching then ramble around together. They will both be house dogs as well.

Just wondering when would be a good time to look at a second dog (won't be for at least 3 more months at the earliest). This summer or wait until fall.

Also , should it be an older dog or a younger dog , or would this make any difference.

(The second dog would be a rescue dog ..for sure!)

 

[SarahHound]

Generally, its recommended to have around 18 months between dogs, it means the first one can be trained and mature before you add a second one. It all depends on you and the dogs involved really, everyone is different.

In September 2011, I adopted a 2 year old rescue dog, then my other dog died (in October) so in November 2011, I got a puppy. It was far too close together. The first dog hadn't been well trained enough yet (although I thought she had), and taught the puppy all kinds of bad habits. They also bonded incredibly close, making it harder to control them at the same time, which is something a lot of people say about getting two puppies at once, but something that never occurred to me getting an adult then a puppy. It's one of the worst dog decisions I've ever made basically. I love them both to bits, and seperately, they are great well behaved dogs, but together, they barely listen to a word I say.

If I was you, I'd wait quite a bit more than 3 months, but that's maybe just because I've experienced it, and it wasn't the best decision.

 

[Saeleofu]

I prefer to have one dog all trained up to a good level before adding another. Of course a dog is always in training, but I want house manners, potty training (with a puppy...I never had to deal with that as I got mine as adults ), basic obedience, and then maybe additional stuff depending on what the dog(s) will be for.

Gavroche is strictly a pet, and we dabbled in competition some (just rally, and now lure coursing). He nearly had his RN before I got another dog. He had passed his CGC, and was at a place where I felt like devoting less time to his training was going to be okay.

I got Logan (at 1 year old) when Gavroche was 3, and I'd had Gavroche for nearly 2 years. 90% of my training time was then dedicated to Logan, as Logan was in training to be my service dog. Here we are 3 years later (nearly) and Logan's a full service dog. I still have a lot of trialing and showing to do with Logan, though, so even if I was in a position to have another dog, i probably wouldn't get one yet, just because I want to devote my resources to Logan.

All in all, I think 1-2 years between dogs is the minimum I'd wait. I felt bad enough splitting my time between two adult dogs, I would feel terrible splitting it between two puppies.

 

[ruffiangirl]

I prefer to have 2+ years between my dogs as well, for the same reasons as others have stated. I do have 2 dogs close in age now, but it was not planned, the second was 1 year when we got him and the first was 2, but I raised her from a pup so by then she was pretty much trained to where she needed to be, the one year old is a work in progress.

I had two if my dogs bond so closely that I had to have the put to sleep at the same time because the younger one would have seizures if the older I e was not with him, never doing that again.

 

[ruffiangirl]

I prefer to have 2+ years between my dogs as well, for the same reasons as others have stated. I do have 2 dogs close in age now, but it was not planned, the second was 1 year when we got him and the first was 2, but I raised her from a pup so by then she was pretty much trained to where she needed to be, the one year old is a work in progress.

I had two if my dogs bond so closely that I had to have the put to sleep at the same time because the younger one would have seizures if the older I e was not with him, never doing that again.

 

[AdrianneIsabel]

It totally depends on what you can handle and want to handle. We loved raising two pups together but my other half and I are equal parts responsible for them. That said one thing to think about is old age, it's expensive to have an old dog and its heart breaking. Having two at the end of their life may be more than someone wants or can reasonably afford. It's a grim thought but rational. A few year buffer can really help disperse costs, to say the least.

I have always done a 2-3+ year break between each pup with the exception of the two Malinois at once.

 

[OwnedByBCs]

I totally agree with AdrianneIsabel. I have actually added another dog approximately every year for the last four years, and it all flows really well in my house. Not sure if I'd want to have another young puppy until all of my current dogs were at least 10 ish months, because before then they are just so much to handle.

It really depends. You are the only one who can know when you're ready, and what you can handle.

 

[BeerHunter]

That said one thing to think about is old age, it's expensive to have an old dog and its heart breaking.

That I know. We recently lost our companions of 13 years.. one the end of October the other the end of December. We still miss both of them very much.

Guess we've been lucky over all these years. We've nearly always had 2 dogs.We've introduced new dogs without giving it much thought and never had any problems. It really helps that both the wife and I are dog lovers and love spending time with them.

I'm semi-retired so have a lot more time at home to spend with them too.

Guess we'll just wait and see how Tally comes along , how well she takes to being left alone for a few hours once in a while and what's available at the shelter if/when we decide to take on a second.

Nice thing about the local SPCA is that they have a "get acquainted" room where the prospective partners can at least meet in a controlled environment and you can judge their reaction to each other.

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

 

[Romy]

There's always the option of bringing home a mature dog, not necessarily an elderly dog (though there are some gems out there). If you find one that has been fostered in someone's house there's a good chance it will at least know the basics of house manners, if not more.

 

[DJEtzel]

Really just depends on when you're ready.

Frag was two when we got our second dog, she was rehomed, and Frag was 3 when we got Sir. Then I got Recon a few months later.

Recon is fully trained to be a household dog with no issues now, so I *could* easily get another dog any time. And I want one. But I can't afford it right now, so maybe next year. I like having a group of young dogs together, personally.

 

[BlackPuppy]

I also have 2 years between my dogs' ages. Have to get the youngest trained before introducing a new evil influence.

 

[Tortilla]

It totally depends on what you can handle and want to handle. We loved raising two pups together but my other half and I are equal parts responsible for them. That said one thing to think about is old age, it's expensive to have an old dog and its heart breaking. Having two at the end of their life may be more than someone wants or can reasonably afford. It's a grim thought but rational. A few year buffer can really help disperse costs, to say the least.

I have always done a 2-3+ year break between each pup with the exception of the two Malinois at once.

Basically this. I'd personally wait it out a year at least, but then again, I always space my dogs out. Sally turns fourteen in a couple weeks, Seamus is approximately eight (he was rescued so we're not entirely sure), and puppy will be coming home sometime in the summer. It's really hard watching Sally slow down. It'd be doubly hard watching Seamus slow down at the same time.

But then again, it really comes down to personal preference and what you're able to handle.

 

[momto8]

That said one thing to think about is old age, it's expensive to have an old dog and its heart breaking.

This right here. I have never thought about the financial part of it but to lose more than one so close will be devestating. This worries me so much as I have 4 dogs that are all very clse in age and then 2 that are only a week a part. Not all of them were gotten at the same time a few were older rescues. The day we start to lose them scares me that we will lose 2 or 3 at a time

 

[Oko]

Wesley will be closing in on 3 years old by the time futurepuppy comes home. That seems like the right spacing to me, I swear just because my siblings and I are all 3 years apart except for the youngest. I figure it'll be just in time to make sure he doesn't get too grown up, the puppy will make him more playful again.

But really, I think it depends on a lot of factors and personal preference. I do know people that have gotten two puppies a couple months apart, some do fine, some have a lot of trouble dealing with it.