My beautiful lab is almost 12 months old and has developed into an amazing dog! She's been difficult at times, however this site has provided me with great advice and reassurance. Thank you all! As a first time dog owner I'm now considering having a second lab to join her (and me) Am I doing the right thing?
Hi , it all depends on circumstances , for example , do you have enough time to devote to two dogs , to training a youngster whilst still having time for you dog ? Also, its best, wherever possible to wait until your resident dog has a good standard of recall and general obedience ( says she who had two pups together some time ago ! ) So, if you have the time, the space and the finances associated ( insurance, food etc . ) then why not , good luck
I agree totally with Kate, it all depends on the dog you have, and the dog you are thinking about having, there is no hard and set rules. It really, really helps if your resident dog has a reasonably proofed set of cues, recall, heel, and manners off lead as training 2 dogs together is not really ideal. Benson was 12 months old when we adopted Casper, at that time nearly 6. It was a challenge but so worth it! 2 dogs that get on really well is lovely. They just adore each other.
Heh, I've written and re-written this post several times. Trying to word it in a fair and responsible way. I have two pups from the same littler. It's not advised; the complete opposite. It's fraught with potential, very scary, issues. I don't think taking two pups a year apart is quite as potentially problematic with things like Litter Mate Syndrome. I have been very lucky to avoid any issues so far. But. Ain't there always a "but"? At only a year apart, you have to realise what a challenge this will be. Other people take this on with no consideration, and so it's fantastic that you're here and asking the questions. I'll let you know what life has been like for me. I love my pups. They are my everything. Except for that couple of percent I have to hold back for the husband. You know, otherwise he gets antsy The pups are completely different characters, though. You don't say whether your one-year-old is your first Lab, but if it is, you may think that your next will be a carbon-copy. Well, from having two from the same litter, I can tell you just how different they can be! My two are chalk and cheese. Shadow, my little boy, is the cuddliest little thing in the world. He is attentive and easily trained. He very rarely puts a foot wrong (heart-stopping jumping-into-raging-torrents aside). Willow, his sister, is so much more independent, distracted and less interactive. She is a challenge, that's for sure. However, they are both absolute joys. When Willow smiles at you, your heart melts. When she wants to give you a cuddle, a million angels sing. She is growing into a loving and attentive dog, from a pretty aloof puppy. Shadow sees you and throws himself on his back for belly rubs. He's such a tart So, two puppies can be very different. Had we had Shadow first, I think it would have been very difficult for us to cope with Willow's personality, and not take it as an affront. Knowing we've brought them up identically, I can appreciate that it is simply a matter of personality, and take the time to learn how to bring Willow out of her shell a little. Then there's the practical side. You have a young dog at a year of age. She's certainly not fully trained and is still a puppy in her mind. Taking on another pup means starting all over again. That means spending a lot of time training them separately. Almost every morning, I take my two out separately for 40 minutes to an hour each. This gives them some one-on-one time with me, but also allows me to focus on what they need to do. I can do very little with them together (at ten months) because they get too distracted by one another. It's a work in progress! But I also believe that time away from one another is massively important. They need to learn not to rely absolutely on one another. It's very easy for two dogs of such similar ages to develop a bond that is stronger than the one they have with you, so you need to be aware of that and work towards preventing it. So, lots of time spent with each individual dog is key. Very time consuming! You also have to consider times they may be forced to be apart and cope with that. If dogs are too close and unable to function apart from the other (something common in litter mates that are brought up together and, I would assume, other dogs that are brought together from an early age), then if one of them has to spend time away for whatever reason, surgery for example, they have to be able to cope independently. There is also the end-of-life situation to consider, not that any of us want to think about that; but you have to be pragmatic and think how you are going to prepare yourself for potentially losing two dogs in a very short timeframe, and also how you are going to help the remaining dog through it. To my mind, this starts at the very beginning, by giving them a lot of time apart from one another, learning to be independent of each other. Which takes time and effort. It's a lot easier to say, they're happy together today, I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. I know that this is the last thing you want to be thinking about! I can fully understand the broodiness for a puppy when your first has grown out of that stage. I think it's perfectly natural. I think that this can be the best time to get another puppy. But I also think that it's something you have to put a bit more thought into than just desire for another fluffy bundle, however gut-wrenchingly cute they are! I think it's easy to imagine that a second would just slot into your routine and, since you're already taking one out for a walk, there's no extra cost as far as time is concerned, but there is. There should be. Two puppies is a far bigger and slower process than just one. Absolutely fantastic, though, I have to say
