To Add a New Pup...?

M

mutts

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#1
I've been considering adding a new puppy to our home but I have concerns on how this will effect the "pack" I already have. We only own one dog and I was wondering-- is it very difficult to jump from one dog to two dogs??
I've heard that some dogs will learn bad habits from the other dog-- any truth to this?
There are plenty of people with multi dog homes and I was just wondering what the pros vs cons?
BTW-- after a lot of research on a reasonable family dog for young kids we decided on the Shih Tzu or the Cocker Spaniel to add to our home IF we decide to make that leap!
 
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#2
Surprised that no one has posted on this. I am currently a single dog owner, but in the past have had three. I have never had a problem in adding to the pack. As all my dogs have been calm and allow me to be the pack leader. If you have a demanding dog there may be some transitional issues but with time and assertive training it usually works out. You did not say if your current dog is male or female, sometimes that make a differance. I have mostly always had males. There has never been a dog fight in my house between my boys. Hope some of this helps.
 

Saeleofu

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#3
For me going from one to two was easy. Two to 3+ is much harder.

Dogs can pick up bad habits from each other. If your current dog has bad habits, try to prevent the new dog from being exposed to those habits. They can also pick up good habits from each other.

I like that when I'm not feeling up to doing something with the dogs, they play with each other.
 

Moth

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#4
I have two here...and I enjoy having more than one dog. I am lucky as my two are very close.

Yes, they can and do sometimes get one another in trouble, but it balances out as they also keep one another entertained like Sael mentioned above.

I personally did not think it was hard going from one to two at all.
 
M

mutts

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#5
The dog I currently have is a female Boston terrier/Boxer/Pitbull. She is a medium energy dog and is very submissive and responsive to training. I would prefer adding a male to the family just because I don't want the same sex aggression issues (if there were any) and because I've honestly always preferred male dogs.
My dog has no same sex aggression or DA of any sort at this point. She LOVES other dogs. She is only 9 months old however and I'm sure this could change if I wasn't properly socializing her (which I am).
I've decided I want more of a toy sized breed.... shih tzu is on the list but I'm open to just about anything. There's a little papillon/chi that I found on petfinder and he's only 11 weeks old.... he's melting my heart right now.
 

~Tucker&Me~

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#6
The dog I currently have is a female Boston terrier/Boxer/Pitbull. She is a medium energy dog and is very submissive and responsive to training. I would prefer adding a male to the family just because I don't want the same sex aggression issues (if there were any) and because I've honestly always preferred male dogs.
My dog has no same sex aggression or DA of any sort at this point. She LOVES other dogs. She is only 9 months old however and I'm sure this could change if I wasn't properly socializing her (which I am).
I've decided I want more of a toy sized breed.... shih tzu is on the list but I'm open to just about anything. There's a little papillon/chi that I found on petfinder and he's only 11 weeks old.... he's melting my heart right now.
I just want to point out that it's not all about how they are raised. Some breeds are definitely more likely to develop DA. I actually know personally of dogs that were seemingly good with other dogs up until they hit about 2, at which point they decided that they REALLY don't like other dogs lol. They're attitude didn't change because of a socialization problem or any sort of bad incident... Most likely a genetic one (pittie mixes).

So while you may do EVERYTHING right socialization wise, you could still end up with a dog that is not safe around other dogs.

Having said that, I LOVE having two dogs and did not find the transition hard. I think your best bet is to wait until your girl is fully trained and matured (I would personally wait until she was about 3) and then look into adding number two. The last thing you want is to add another dog when she is not well-trained yet and have the two feed off one another's bad behaviour, or to add another dog only to find out 6 months later that she hates other dogs. Let your girl develop first :)

The other consideration - are you prepared to crate and rotate if she becomes DA?

Overall, I love having two dogs. I think it's a lot of fun and nice for them to have a pal. Just make sure you consider all the implications, particularly in relation to having a dog who may be genetically predisposed to having DA.
 
M

mutts

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#7
I don't really like the generalization that all pit or pit mixes are DA. I think that it can be a reality but if she was TRULY DA she would have shown signs of this behavior by now.
I believe that people should be cautious with pitbulls because there is a possibility of DA but it's not a CERTAINTY that all pits and pit mixes are going to attack dogs. I believe also, that what you fear you can create. I refuse to allow my dog to dictate how I will live the rest of my life. If she is DA or DR then we will deal with the it through intense training. So to answer your question of crate and rotate, absolutely no. I will not allow her go get to the point where this will be necessary.
 
M

mutts

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#8
Also-- the only breed we KNOW for SURE that she is, is the Boston Terrier. Everything else has been guess work.
 

~Tucker&Me~

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#9
I don't really like the generalization that all pit or pit mixes are DA. I think that it can be a reality but if she was TRULY DA she would have shown signs of this behavior by now.
I believe that people should be cautious with pitbulls because there is a possibility of DA but it's not a CERTAINTY that all pits and pit mixes are going to attack dogs. I believe also, that what you fear you can create. I refuse to allow my dog to dictate how I will live the rest of my life. If she is DA or DR then we will deal with the it through intense training. So to answer your question of crate and rotate, absolutely no. I will not allow her go get to the point where this will be necessary.
Sorry if I came off as unclear, I didn't mean that all pit and pit mixes are DA. I meant that many of the breeds that fall under the term 'pitbull' have a higher likelihood of developing DA than many other breeds. Not all of them will be DA, but they certainly are more genetically inclined to lean in that direction.

I did not say that attacking other dogs is a certainty. My sentiments were the same as yours - people with a 'pitbull' breed need to be cautious and aware of the fact that those breeds are more likely to be DA than others. It's not about creating fear, it's about people who acquire pitbulls being aware of the characteristics of the breed they get into. Just as, for example, people who get border collies need to be aware that BC's have a higher tendency than other breeds to unhealthily fixate on toys and bizarre things (lights, shadows, etc.).

Unfortunately, no matter how much you work and how intense your training is, if your dog is DA, leaving her and another dog unsupervised is irresponsible. That's like saying you will teach your 6 year old daughter to swim REALLY well (intense training! lol) so that you can leave her in the backyard to play in the pool when no one is home. Nothing bad may ever happen, but risking it is irresponsible. People who have to crate and rotate do not do so because they haven't trained their dog enough, they do it because the risk of allowing a dog who has tried to harm or kill the other dog is not worth it. People who do not leave their dogs together without direct supervision do so because they recognize that no matter how much training and proofing you do, accidents can happen, and fights between dogs can be severely damaging and fatal.

Look, I am not saying all pitties are DA. I am not saying your dog is DA. I am not saying your dog is part pittie (my reply was based off what you wrote). What I am saying is that it is important to recognize ANY dog can become DA, and that 'pitbull' breeds tend to lean that way more so than some other breeds. If you own a pittie (or any breed with a higher probability of developing DA), it is important to consider what you would do in the event that your dog no longer tolerates dog #2, which is a real possibility. And at 9 months, a dog is not fully mentally or physically mature yet. Lots of big personality changes can and do happen before a dog reaches full maturity... I know your dog seems mature now compared to not that long ago, but she really is still a puppy and may still change. Most dogs reach full maturity around 2, 2 and a half years old.
 

~Tucker&Me~

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#10
I think that it can be a reality but if she was TRULY DA she would have shown signs of this behavior by now.
I just wanted to point out again that this is not always the case, MANY dog develop DA around 18 months or 2 years of age. She is not done developing yet.

I figured that point may have gotten lost in my other reply lol.
 
M

mutts

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#11
I understand what you are saying. I'm not offended I was just pointing how you slightly misspoke. :)
I never said that I would leave the dogs unsupervised (that was an assumption on your part?). I would not do that if I had poodles, golden retrievers or bichons either. Anything can happen. They would be crated when we sleep and when we have to leave the house. They would not be left alone ever and that wouldn't change even if I had different breeds.
I'm truly not worried about dog aggression being an issue as I am constantly supervising. I think supervision is key to successfully owning a dog (with kids especially).
I understand what you are saying and I appreciate the advice :D
 
M

mutts

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#12
I've owned dog aggressive dogs and typically they start showing it as early as 4 months. I had to work harder with them but they eventually became fairly comfortable around other dogs.
There are different reasons for aggression in every dog. Sometimes fear based, insecurity, lack of self esteem and just plain all out aggression. Different aggression require different training tactics and I DO honestly believe that if you train properly MOST of the time you can eliminate dog aggression.
 

thehoundgirl

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#13
~Tucker&Me~ is absolutely right. You cannot elimnate dog aggression in a dog that is naturally dog aggressive and was bred for it. That would be like saying you could eliminate retreiving in a Lab or herding in a Border Collie.


Not all APBTs and mixes are DA, but it does happen and you need to be prepared. You can NOT eliminate it if it's been bred into them for hundreds of years. It's just irresponsible leaving a dog known for dog aggression (even if your dog doesn't have DA..yet it's better to be safe than sorry.) alone with a puppy while you are not home. If you don't want to crate in rotate, just stick with one dog. :)
 

~Tucker&Me~

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#14
I've owned dog aggressive dogs and typically they start showing it as early as 4 months. I had to work harder with them but they eventually became fairly comfortable around other dogs.
There are different reasons for aggression in every dog. Sometimes fear based, insecurity, lack of self esteem and just plain all out aggression. Different aggression require different training tactics and I DO honestly believe that if you train properly MOST of the time you can eliminate dog aggression.
It can show up early, but it can also show up later. I am actually surprised that most of the dogs you owned that became DA showed it that early. In my experience, it shows up mid-late adolescence and right around that 18 months mark.

I understand what you are saying. I'm not offended I was just pointing how you slightly misspoke. :)
I never said that I would leave the dogs unsupervised (that was an assumption on your part?). I would not do that if I had poodles, golden retrievers or bichons either. Anything can happen. They would be crated when we sleep and when we have to leave the house. They would not be left alone ever and that wouldn't change even if I had different breeds.
I'm truly not worried about dog aggression being an issue as I am constantly supervising. I think supervision is key to successfully owning a dog (with kids especially).
I understand what you are saying and I appreciate the advice :D
I guess I assumed that part, you are right :)

The amount of supervision you do will not make your dog no longer DA... And imo, I think it's a bad idea to not consider the possibility that you may have to C&R because of your training and supervision. I guess we will have to agree to disagree though.

~Tucker&Me~ is absolutely right. You cannot elimnate dog aggression in a dog that is naturally dog aggressive and was bred for it. That would be like saying you could eliminate retreiving in a Lab or herding in a Border Collie.

If you do not want to crate and rotate with the dog you have down the road, just don't get another since you have a dog that is prone to be DA.

Not all APBTs and mixes are DA, but it does happen and you need to be prepared. You can NOT eliminate it if it's been bred into them for hundreds of years. It's just irresponsible leaving a dog known for dog aggression (even if your dog doesn't have DA..yet it's better to be safe than sorry.) alone with a puppy while you are not home.
Just to clarify, I believe the OP said she did not plan to leave them alone when she couldn't supervise :)
 
M

mutts

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#15
There is a possibility that she will become DA. Not saying its impossible. What I'm saying is that IF she does I'm confident in my ability to keep it under control.
No I will not be leaving them unsupervised IF I decide to get another dog.
 
M

mutts

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#16
Also-- if you hadn't read my earlier post, saying that she is a Pitbull is only a guess on our part. The only thing we know for certain is that she is Boston terrier.
 

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