So although a long way off before my first Labrador puppy is old enough for a second puppy to join us... What are people's thoughts on this? Do labs generally get on together? Etc etc...
Yep they usually do. The most I've had is 3 but I'm down to 2 now. I picked the dogs carefully and made allowances for different personalities. I introduced them carefully too.
How did you go about picking them carefully...and how did you make allowances? What were the age gaps?
The first dog was a very tolerant big lab of 18 months when I got his half sister. He was neutered and very well trained.they were great together. Doug mothered her and they slept in the same bed.I got Rory who's unrelated when Doug was 12 and Moo was 10. I had to get a male as moo would not tolerate a female She likes to be the centre of attention. I chose Rory because he was out going but not over the top fun but respectful . He came from a breeder who had 9 Labradors and was socially well developed. He was respectful and calm initially but became the spoilt daring within a week. Moo got on the sofa and refused to get off for 4 days but was teaching him bitey face on the 6th. I kept the puppy separate from the older dogs until I knew they were safe together. It took time care and watching their relationship grow and judging when to move things along a little. I still exercised them separately and occasionally together and made sure each felt loved and cared for equally. The older dog was great he cared for Rory and encouraged him to do things like going outside for a walk and just helped with the pups confidence. Moo played with him teased him and was just silly it took about 10 months before everyone was really settled. Doug died when Rory was about 2 1/2. Rory helped and supported Moo during this time and although the grief made her ill at one point she did not give up and consoled herself with her toy boy. She at 14 still plays with him bites his face is happy. Rory is a sweet dog and made the house happy .
They're normally absolutely fine, but only you know your dog. My two older dogs were two and a half when I introduced Luna, and they hated her. I had to keep them apart for a couple of months while doing very careful introductions. It was a very stressful time, but we got through it in the end and they're now best of friends. I was surprised by my boy's reaction, as I really thought he'd love her immediately, but not one bit.
I had the opposite experience to Snowbunny; I thought my five-year-old bitch would hate the puppy, but actually she accepted him immediately!!! I think the key to success with a second dog is waiting until your first dog is really well-trained, because the puppy will learn immensely from him/her by copying. So if you have a well-behaved dog who walks to heel, comes when called, and waits politely while you go out of the door, then the chances are your puppy will start to do that naturally too. If you have an ill-mannered goon who drags you on the lead, disappears off to the horizon while you are left helplessly calling his name, and who barges you out of the way to greet people at the front door, then your puppy will likely copy this behavior as well... Just from this point of view, I think it is worth waiting 2 - 3 years before getting a second dog.
Not Labradors, but when I had my own dog(s) and doing fostering, I had a lot of different combos of dogs and puppies through my house. What I found was generally the more the merrier and the puppies were especially well-accepted into the fold by the older dogs. Sometimes it did take a while to have the dogs be genuinely buddies and play together. I had one foster chihuahua that turned her nose up at Brogan (boy in my avatar) for an entire month but then all of the sudden she wanted to play and then they never stopped. I've only had one hard core case - my rescue devil poodle Tavish - who seriously hated nearly every other dog, in or out of the house. But he was a complete basket case with zero socialisation until I got him (7 years in a rabbit cage!). He was a little sausage head, but he had his reasons and made progress in his own way. And he LURVED my third dog, Mama Jodhi, so even he wasn't completely hopeless. So my gut would say that as long your "first" dog is well-socialised and happy, he will eventually accept a new puppy. Even if it can, as in @snowbunny 's case, take a while!
Can I give this about hundred "likes"? This is SO important with the second dog. If you have a good solid first dog, they are such an asset in raising the puppy. If you have a hooligan, you need to work with him to "de-hoolie" him before getting a second dog.
I so agree, re waiting until your first dog is " sensible " ! Sam has always been a steady dog , but still had his silly times as a youngster . He has been a fantastic teacher to two dogs we rehomed , one sadly no longer with us . Its very true that a second dog, puppy or adult, will emulate the behaviour of the resident dog , so yes, hang fire until you have a reasonably well trained and steady first one !
I've always thought Stanley would love a second dog in our home because he loves other dogs so much. This weekend we looked after a friends 16 week puppy for 2 nights and by the lunch time after the first night he was done. This would usually be the time Basil goes home or Stanley gets picked up from daycare if he's been out overnight. He was looking at me like "mam, this thing can leave now". He's far too soft to ever tell another dog off, so he kept segregating himself to get some peace and it made me quite sad. As soon as she'd gone he jumped on top of me and cuddled for about 2 hours. He was much much happier once she'd gone. I think as much as dogs love another dog to play with, you're the really important person in their lives. Stanley would much rather have me and OH all to himself than have another dog to play with I think x
Yes I agree with this. Sky our 10 year old Lab is an excellent role model for Red (9 months). Okay, it took almost 6 months for Sky to accept her and they lived almost separately initially. It was a very difficult time and I really thought we had made such a huge mistake. Not so - really worth the long haul as they are great together now and Red watches and copies Sky. Sky is quiet and steady and gentle - she is such a good teacher. In hindsight, we should probably have got the second a couple of years ago as Sky has been very steady since she was about 3 years old but never mind.
This is very true - all my dogs are far more bonded to me and J than they are to each other. But, that means we have three lots of doggy cuddles, and that is far better than one Currently, Shadow is laying next to me on the sofa, pushing J off the edge, and Squidge is asleep with her head on my foot and her bum on J's
On the other hand, my two gain hugely from each other. They play together every day, and this has definitely perked Poppy up a bit, who was getting a bit staid... The puppy absolutely adores her...
This is so funny! Yes, I think it really depends on the dog and even the age and stage of the dog. Brogan grew up always having at least one other dog in the house. For the first half of his life, he vastly preferred dog company to human company, no matter how much I tried to convince him otherwise. When we moved to Europe, it was just the two of us. I worried that he was lonely and didn't have the dog socialising he craved. It was the one thing in our travels I really felt guilty about. But lo and behold, what happened is that he became all about the humans and with time really didn't give much of a fig about other dogs. He was still nicely behaved with other dogs and enjoyed if they came to visit, but when it was time for them to go home, he'd look at me like you say Stanley did: "Um, that was nice and all, but can you tell her to GET OUT now?". If I didn't comply in a timely manner, he'd go off to another room (or to the bathroom in our studio here in Germany). It was pretty funny. And I was completely absolved of my past guilt on the subject. For me personally, I do love having two dogs. My current dream combo if I ever stop traveling would be a Labrador and (horrors) a Bodeguero.
I think this is fundamentally true. Sky never played with other dogs, never showed any inclination to do so but was equally never hostile to another dog. She was simply not interested. When my daughter's greyhound stayed every year for a week, they mooched around each other quite happily but never played as such together. I never felt guilty or felt I needed to give her dog company. It just never crossed my mind. She is/was happy with DH and me and anyone else in our big family/friends network. She has always attracted a lot of people to her because of her gentle nature. I do think though that Red has bought a lot of positives into her life. Not initially but she was also in pain (coincided with the arrival of Red) due to her undiagnosed at that point arthritis. She actually plays with Red and initiates play. She is much less sedentary. I think her life has been enriched by Red but having said that, she was a happy dog on her own.
Tatze adores all dogs and especially pups. She's never happier than when her best friend, Zaba, is here to stay for a few weeks.
If id had moo first I would have never had another lab. She was the worst pup ever and a horrible adult. I had a difficult time with her. The reason I got Rory was because I felt I needed another pup and that Doug was getting old and frail. I worried about Moo. It had been very hard for her to adjust to Doug not walking out with us anymore so I felt his death might well be the end for her. I have friends who have lost dogs like this. One dies and the other mourns and fades. Rory is a wonderful dog he just happy all the time he comforted Moo made her feel less lesser lonely. He's done the same for me. He was a brown insurance policy but is much much more.
Sam was an only dog after Millie died , and a spark went out . He just lost the zest he had when she was around , and would take his toys out into the garden and hang around, waiting for her to play, long after she died until he finally stopped . He visibly relaxed when Nelly joined us , and the toys came out to play once more x
