Hi folks, I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on the best age (for dog number one) to get a second? My husband and I have always wanted lots of dogs. We are thinking along the lines of when Tatti is one- old enough to be well trained yet young enough to cope with an energetic pup and deal with change. Any thoughts?
I think about this a fair bit - although am not at all sure I will ever get another dog, I do think about it! It must depend on the dog you already have, the personality and temperament of that dog, and how far you have got on with training - plus how much dog free time you have in your life. So completely depends how you are fixed, really. At nearly 3, Charlie more often than not appears to be a total juvenile, still silly, and still needs an awful lot of training....I'll see how he is at 4 or 5! Other, more sensible dogs, maybe would make a good role model earlier, and need less of my training time! Right now, no way I could continue to get Charlie to a half decent standard and take on a pup.... Here is a helpful article: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/do-labradors-need-friends-and-should-i-get-a-second-dog/
We have a new 'second dog' every year lol! I will let you know when we get to number 10 how Tatze takes to each one differently. So far she has completely adored being an older sister. Our first (Gypsy) came to us when she was 15 months old and second (Twiglet) when Tatze was two years old. When Gypsy got to about 6 months old I had to regulate their play or they would have played all day and exhausted each other. But I loved having two youngsters in the house!
I have 3 labs 14, 12 1/2 and 2. I wouldn't have 2 so close in age again as it does cause worries as the get older. the 2 oldies are very close and the 14 year old is chronically ill. I was very worried that when he passed the 12 year old may too, as this has happened to a few friends with 2 dogs who very close. Also it can be hard having 2 dogs who are very close in age as dogs often need more health care in old age. It can be expensive. I'm spending 120 quid a month on the oldest at teh moment in drugs and hydrotherapy. Ideally I think a gap of 4 to 5 years would be good and I intend doing that next time and am planning a new dog in about 2 years. Having a young dog with the 2 oldies has been great they really look after him and teach him how to behave and play with him. My 12 year old taught him the bitey face game and the old boy has given him such confidence and calm way at looking at things. he's a bit spoilt though they indulge him and give in to him sometimes but they are all so lovely together. I'm so lucky
I reckon a two year gap is about right , the first one being reasonably well trained, hopefully anyway ! Having said that , we did have the pleasure of five dogs together at one time, ranging from pups to a 17 year old , and very enjoyable it was too, so I guess its when the time is right, it will feel right, for you and what you can cope with .
Hehe, loving the optimism that Tatti will be "well trained" at one year. I'm still waiting to consider mine well trained, and they're 17 months. I'm looking forward to them suddenly turning into adult dogs at 2 years, which I've heard is the magic age. Julie, I'm not listening to you, lalalalala! I know I got both of mine at the same time, but if I had just had the one, no way would I have introduced another at a year. That was one of the most trying times. I'd certainly wait until the first one was quite a bit more mature - the thought of having an adolescent and a puppy is just exhausting!
Fully agree with most of this. I had two dogs two years apart in age - they were inseparable all their lives, it was easy to train the second as the first was a very good boy and well-trained by the time we got the second. However, in old age it was difficult, as I had two virtually geriatric dogs together... and then we got Poppy when Bones was already 13 and that was difficult too, for different reasons. I loved having the two boys together and will definitely get another puppy, either one of Poppy's pups if all goes to plan this year, or failing that I will get a puppy from someone else's litter sometime next year.
I have two who are six months apart so I got Lochan when Tarka was eight months old. Having a reasonably under-control teenager and a pup was great fun but not for the faint-hearted. It was very time consuming walking and training them separately but so worth it as they are great friends and look out for each other. I know folk say having two the same age is difficult when you lose one, but having two dogs with a big age gap can give you a long term problem with different exercise requirements too. I love having two and would not go back to having just the one. My girls are five and four and a half now, and I have plans for a third when I can find the right puppy.
My two labs have an age difference of 8 years. our very first lab entered our house in 1996. She was female. When she was 8 we had Euan. He was very energetic. She didn't like it! But she managed to get him to do what she wanted him to do and corrected him many times. Later, when her eye side left her, Euan helped her. She was 14 years old when she died. When Euan was 8 we bought our little "monster". He is also very energetic. Euan doesn't like to correct him and let him do to him what Finn wants to do! It is that the last few weeks Euan starts to educate Finn when he is too boisterous to other dog, and intervene between the dogs! Finn is on the other hand very protective towards Euan! Euan's eye side is bad, and when we are going for a walk for instance, he walks to Euan and warns him that something is going to happen! Annemarie
No, it's 3 - I'm hanging on for that. On the 17th Feb, Charlie is 3, and overnight he will turn into the model citizen of a calm, sensible Labrador. I just know it.....
I have had dogs with 20 months between them and my present ones there is 6 years between them. Not sure which is the best age gap!
I don't think there is an ideal age gap, it's just a matter of what works for you, your dog and your family.
met a man out walking and with his 2 year old lab he asked me if it was true that they calm down at 2? after I stopped laughing i gently broke the news to him he he. Labradors growing up and getting calmer is a urban myth like bigfoot or the jag jaw beastie, they just get more sneaky. 2 old dogs at the same time is very hard especially if one has health problems beyond the norm for old doggies. It hard lifting a 35 kg lab and harder watching them try to do what they used to do a fail.
at a training class a man who owned a very young pup lab asked the trainer when does he turn into a gun dog?
We have just got a puppy Annie, now 10 weeks. Our other dog Fred is 20 months old. We are very lucky that he loves her to bits, but it is very hard work. She has been very good and now sleeps through until 7 in the morning. She is clean. Annie never stops and is full of life. You will need to do everything twice at first, eg. walking and training, but it is great fun. My OH and I are both at home all the time, so we can share the care of both dogs.
Wow, thanks everyone for your thoughts, there's a lot to think about here. I think because things got so much easier after 3 months I thought it would be a steady curve to adulthood now but it sounds like that journey varies a lot. I'm not listening to some of these comments though - she'll be grown up and sensible from the day she turns 2 Perhaps we'll review our situation when she is one and see how it could work. She's pretty good generally now but still needs supervision around stones and twigs- she just can't get enough of them. She's only 5.5 months and I'm already missing my puppy They grow up so fast
5.5 months she's not much more than a puppy still , you've got all the teenage months to look forward to yet
HaHa - you are in that delightful window of a pre-teenage puppy but boring stuff like house training is done....she still stays close outside, no doubt has a perfect puppy recall, and considers you her sun, moon and stars... Ah, I remember it fondly. I think it lasted about a week....
