hi all, look for abit of advice. Before we got Oscar we had always said we wanted to get two dogs as we had a GSD previously and had always regretted not getting two - which brings me to the question should we get another puppy? Oscar is seven months right now so if we were to get another i think we would wait until he is older perhaps a year/year and a half. I am aware that a lot of owners on hear have two+ labs (yous must have the patients of a saint haha) so should it be another lab or i personally won't another German Shepherd haha but the family has fallen in love with the lab So basically i know i am abit early but we were just talking about it hypothetically of course haha - so what do people think? One is enough or go for two - we currently have two ragdolls and a rabbit plus oscar (its like animal farm in here haha ;D) is it too much?
Re: another dog? I'd like two dogs but we look after an extra dog occasionally and it's definitely more work than one. I also notice having an extra dog in the house space wise. Riley is my first dog, he's two and a half. He may be well trained enough by three years old :
Re: another dog? I'll be up to 4 dogs in the next fortnight. Doesn't seem to make much difference in the looking after but does take a lot of time training. Wait until your dog is a fair bit older and then get a pup. They do love company
Re: another dog? I`ve always had multiples too , only having one dog for a very brief period of time and now back to the two ( have had five at once ). I think a lot depends upon circumstances too , i.e. if you are at home most of the time and have the hours to care for an extra dog, training etc . When we had lots together , we also had land which made a massive difference . In an ideal world , its better to have one dog trained to a decent standard and past any hooligan behaviour before adding to the chaos so yes , waiting until the resident dog is around two years old is maybe sensible As for breed , well Labs are quite large dogs , I know that when Sam ( who is a big lad of 38 kilos ) decides to go " crackerdog " its a case of look out , a whirlwind is coming, multiply this by two ?? : : Our second dog is a small rescue terrier who doesnt take up much room but then a terrier is not for the faint hearted
Re: another dog? I have two, and I like it that way, but as Barbara says, you will notice it space wise in the house. And in the car... which is really important when you are transporting children around too and loading up for weekends away. And it's twice as much money. And it will take up much more of your time than just the one dog. Team GSP is right - you'll find it takes extra time training, because even if you're training to well-behaved pet standards and not as gun dogs, you will have to train the basics separately. And a lot of the people here with two dogs also walk them separately sometimes too, because the dogs appreciate a little bit of time and individual attention... Not that I'm trying to put you off- just being realistic!! Two dogs can get a lot of enjoyment from each other's company - you just have to be sure that they both respond to you! I would definitely wait and see how you feel when Oscar is older and calmer - you, the family and Oscar would all need to be ready!! Clare
Re: another dog? thanks clare, just an idea for now haha ;D yes we do defintely have to be realistic just wanted to get an idea of whta people think as i had noticed that a lot of people on here have lots of dogs. But yes space, money etc all have to be factored in - yes we will definetely have to wait until oscar is older as he needs some serious attention especially in gettting him trained up
