Now, I stress this is a hypothetical question. Nothing to do with the conversation we had with two puppy-walkers we met last weekend with their 4 golden retrievers...... : Hubby has always had a hankering to have a second dog (preferably a red golden retriever!) and he thought that the general opinion was that waiting until one's first dog was about 2 was best. However, our puppy-walking friends said 18 months is a good age as it will help Mira calm down. This was not what I wanted him to hear (Mira is nearly 19 months now) and has brought the topic to the fore again. So, I would like opinions and experiences of those of you who have a second dog please. I realise that all dogs are different and everyone's circumstances vary, but it would help to know some of the issues/things to consider incase we decide (or, rather, I decide ) to go down this route.
Re: When to get a second puppy? Well, I once had two dogs about ten months difference apart; they did play a bit to begin with and knocked the TV over (it seemed to go in slow motion!), the sad part of having dogs so close in age is that they tend to die at the same time. I would have thought once the first dog is trained then time for another, two to three years might be ideal. My last Labs are 6 years apart.
Re: When to get a second puppy? Tatze is 15 months and the age gap is perfect! (Gypsy is 11 weeks - I'm a puppy walker too )
Re: When to get a second puppy? I`ve added a second, third, fourth etc . at all sort of ages, but to be honest , I think the better age to add a second is when your first is between 18 months and 2ish years . It is easier too if your resident dog is fairly well trained , as the pup will follow its elder , will learn from it too
Re: When to get a second puppy? I would never recommend getting a second dog to calm the first down! If you have a hyper young dog, adding an excitable young pupster will only make the situation worse! In my experience Ruby started to calm down and mature from about 2 onwards. We got Bella when Ruby was 3 and it has worked out fine. I think it is best to introduce a puppy when your older dog is able to set a good example for your puppy to copy. Another thing to consider is that the closer you have dogs together the more likely you are to lose them close together too Hope this helps Chloe
Re: When to get a second puppy? I had a 15 year old male Lab/Husky mix (Dante) and an 11 year old female Lab (Molly) when I got a 6 month old male Golden mix (Henry). It worked out beautifully, especially when Dante had to be put down 6 months later, when Henry was about a year old. The two older dogs really provided a good example for Henry, though I think the play options were not what he really wanted! I started saving pennies for a Lab puppy and got Daisy early this summer when she was 8 weeks old and Henry was about 3 years old. This has been perfect! Henry is old enough and trained enough to really be a good co-trainer, but still young enough to play as long as Daisy wants. I've even seen him playing again with toys he'd abandoned long ago. Molly, who is now about 14 (she was a rescue dog, so age is uncertain), ignores the puppy, but takes every opportunity to get extra petting from me while the younger dogs are wrestling. She's no dummy! This age gap will also give me some relief from the prospect of losing them all near the same time. :'(
Re: When to get a second puppy? Thanks for all your comments - some interesting points To be fair I don't think they really meant it would calm down the older dog (I think I used the wrong words) They were saying that they had observed the older dog seemed to mature more quickly once it was the 'grown up' one in the household. It wouldn't be our reason for getting a second dog. Mira is reasonably well-trained I think. Not as good as many on here, but a lot better than many we meet on our walks Today she recalled perfectly from a run around with two labs on the moor - first time woohoo!! She still has her mad bum-tuck runs and frantic digging around the garden from time to time but she is generally pretty biddable and has calmed down a lot in the last couple of months. We had a crowd of friends in last night for a meal and she was as good as gold - no jumping up, no mooching for food and when it all got too noisy and raucous she took herself off to bed I actually think its unlikely we will do it this year, so she will be at least 2 before we add another to the family. IF we do!!!
