Aspen has just turned 10 months and there is often talk of getting him a brother. However, the older he gets and the more I bond with him, the more I wonder if getting him a brother is the right thing to do. I have always wanted a golden retriever, and I'm going to be honest here...I had never wanted to own a lab! I grew up around them and just thought it wasn't a breed that suited my personality. But then we brought home our little yellow lab and I slowly fell in love. Aspen is great with other dogs, but I can't help but to think if I were to ask Aspen about getting another puppy (silly, I know) he would tell me "No mom, I like it being jut me, you, and dad." I think for now, it is my gut telling me that it won't be the right time to get another puppy anytime soon. But I also don't want a window of time where we get a puppy and he and Aspen bond, but Aspen is an old man. He's my first baby and I don't know if I want to take that away from him...but then again, is there ever really the "perfect time" to get a second dog?
There's a pretty big space in time between Aspen being only 10 months old now and the time when he'll be too old. Why not give yourself some time to keep on enjoying him as things are now? I'd bet when the time it right, you won't have Aspen's voice in your head telling you he'd rather be an only dog. I think another advantage of spacing out your dogs more is a simple fact of biology - we have to say goodbye to our pups eventually. That's always going to be hard, but it can be a big comfort to have a younger dog to help you through.
Yeah... I reakon wait until he's out of puppy hood...of course it's up to you☺️ Aspen and Pearl are actually 1 year olds at the end of next month...makes it sound closer saying it like that. Can you believe that?
I've always wanted to get a second dog. In my head I thought that we would when Homer was about 2 or 3 years old. He's five and a half now but I'm not sure how he'd cope with a puppy in the house. I'm just not sure if it would help him or make him more anxious. He's quite a loner and doesn't play with other dogs much and is much more human focussed.
I started my puppy search when Willow and Shadow were 2. Luna is an absolute joy and, as much as it was very hard for the first few months where they didn't accept her, she has brought so much to the household, and to them. Where W&S don't play together much anymore, Luna plays energetically with both of them. I am sure she has helped Willow's anxiety, just by playing with her when they're out and about, so making going for walks together real fun. This morning, Willow was wary of going past the front door (we've had huge amounts of avalanche blasting recently - I need to update her log) so I called J, who was out with Shadow and Luna, and asked him to come back. As soon as Willow saw them, she raced to them and we were able to have a nice little walk together. Without this, Willow would have gone back into the apartment and not had that positive experience. I think waiting until your important behaviours (recall, loose leash walking, staying close on off-lead walks, no running to or jumping up at strangers) are pretty solid is a really good idea because having to wrangle two dogs when they're full of mischief can be hard work. My sister has a cocker spaniel who is heading towards his 8th birthday - a really grumpy little man, more attached to R than is healthy, quite possessive of her and not good at all with other dogs. He was amazing with Luna as a puppy (appropriate "get out of my face" behaviour when she got too much, but really gentle with her) and has continued to be as she's grown, even though he went months without seeing her, and her body type falls into the "dogs I really hate" category for him. And they have since taken on Conchita, my three-legged Spanish rescue and he is completely besotted with her. She has brought a lot to their little family. I think I'm saying that, in my experience, even the ones who are real "Mummy's boys" or who have anxiety issues can benefit from having another dog - the right dog - around, even if it's hard to start off.
I loved having Sky our black Lab to ourselves for 10 years. I think we should have got our second earlier but somehow it never entered the equation. I did think we had made a huge mistake last year getting an 8 week old puppy and it took 5+ months for Sky to accept Red. They get on great now and Red has added a whole new dimension - her sheer ‘joie de vivre’ is a joy to behold. Personally, I would enjoy some time alone with your Aspen - you have plenty of time to make the decision to get a second and when you do it will feel right.
I absolutely agree with this. I want to add another puppy at some point, but I want to spend time now with the three I have, just enjoying them all. It'll be several years down the line - and maybe a foster or two between times - before we get puppy 4
You're in a similar position to me, I've been toying with the idea of getting another dog for around a year and Stanley is now coming up 2. It appears, that for now it's unfortunately going to be a no the biggest deciding reason - family. We rely on family with Stanley approximately 2/3 times a week to walk him or visit him. And they're all happy to because they adore him but they've been clear that they wouldn't be so keen to do it for another one (especially not a puppy where they used to have to sacrifice much more time because they'd have Stanley all day when he was little, rather than the hour or so they do now). Or at family events, they wouldn't be happy to have 2 Stanleys bounding round the house up to mischief. It's only recently that people have also been happy to have him overnight. Last year when we went on holiday he had to go to his daycare lady for a part of the week, this time we've got both parents in a theoretical tug of war over who gets the tinker - but I think getting 2 looked after would be hard. I hadn't really given it a second thought to be honest, I just though lot I had OH to convince and it would be fine. But it looks like it will just be the 3 of us for a little while
I'm in the getting another puppy camp too . But Ripple was, and is, such hard work I'm worried it would be too difficult. My other boys were much calmer by this age (NOT rose tinted spectacles, they were way past the chasing the cats, eating rubbish etc stage by three ). Part of me thinks 'no way' Ripple would teach them all his bad (disgusting) habits, the other part of me thinks maybe it would be good for him to have a companion /playmate. But obviously I don't want to make a mistake.
Moo has some really bad habits I was determined that it stopped with her. I managed the time she had with Rory and made sure he didn't copy her. I was very careful and Rory's fine. He does not do pirate dog stuff like the little black hell beast. I introduced a pup when my dog was two and again when one was 12 and the other was 10. It wasn't really that different. I was careful that they all got their own time with me and good times together. I introduced them carefully and supervised at all times. I will always look back at my 3 dog days with joy it was wonderful. I'll be down to one dog again soon I haven't decided if I will be getting another yet. 1 2 or 3 it's all good you just have to make sure all the dogs are happy and the one you introduce is well socialised with other dogs.
I remember you said this in reply to me before - I'm thinking how I could manage things with Ripple to prevent him passing on bad habits, especially with OH away so much. You're giving me hope I could do it.
I did it on my own it I just made sure I had to plan. I made a list(yes it was long) worked out ways to make sure Rory didn't copy her. It ment separate toileting walks etc until pup had established good habits then slowly introduce the Moo. I never let him her see her eat Poo etc. If he didn't see it he would not copy and I worked hard on his recall and I never let him off lead with her until he was older. It can be done. Pups don't need long walks for ages and you can establish the behaviours you want before they do. I did it I'm sure you could too. At least you understand what you don't want
