We currently have Bill, a two year old yellow lab. He’s maturing into a lovely dog. We have never had a second dog, but as my husband approaches retirement we have thought about having a companion for Bill. We have 3 acres of land, so plenty of space. It’s a big decision that we don’t want to get wrong. So, what do you think?
It's a tricky decision, isn't it! Does Bill get on well with other dogs? How's his training coming along? We've got an article looking at this topic on the main site, which might be of interest.
I understand completely. We have three dogs. Together our first dog was a Schnauzer. We added an Airedale Terrier puppy. It went very well. Then we added a Shih Tzu Poodle mix. They all got on well. After our Schnauzer died we added a Yorkie puppy. Years later after our Airedale Terrier died we added our current Black Lab puppy. It was always a big decision adding another. You have to take into consideration the temperament and personality of the current dogs. Will they accept and get along with another dog. The adjustment period could be anywhere from two weeks to two months. Space is also a factor. Do you have time to commit to more pets. Then of course there's the biggie : The financial aspect. Lots to consider.
We have had two Labs for 3+ years now, and it has worked well. The age difference is almost 9 years, and I wish it was less, but I would still do it over again. They get a long well, and sometimes keep each other occupied, though it is mostly when we are around with them. They don't have any resource guarding or food aggression issues. Some times they do steal each others toys, but often it seems like they actually encourage it. Our younger dog Cooper, tends to dominate play, and is very competitive when retrieving. We have to set up scenarios where Tilly has a chance to catch or retrieve without being run over by Cooper. They often sleep together on the same dog bed, so I would say they do get along together.
