i am brave- im getting another puppy!!!! Advice please :)

[Hurtwood Dogs]

It propably sounds like everyone is being negative on this post, but there is a good reason for the comments above and I guess people just want to make sure you've got your eyes wide open before you take the plunge!

One of the big training issues is that if YOU are the most interesting thing to the pup then you can be the focus of their world and really build up a good bond which makes training so much easier - particularly where it's REALLY important later on - recall. If there is another pup around, the pups will be much more interested in each other and it makes getting attention for training an awful lot harder and very frustrating.

But as has been said if you have the time to train and walk them individually for a good year and a half + and then keep at it on a regular basis then you can make it work! To have my dogs at the level I want (and need them to be for their own safety) I still have to train and walk them separately a lot. The cocker is 2.5 yrs now and the Weimaraner is 4.5 yrs which is a great age gap. They are brilliant on their own but put them together and they're much more likely to develop selective hearing, bog off doing their own thing - individually and together. You're at the early and easy stages with your current pup it will be a few months before she becomes interested in things like hunting (she's a cocker so it's only a matter of time ) when you're out etc and that's when the problems really start. Dogs learn from each other - good and bad and they excite each other too, so do think long and hard about if you want to go down this route now or wait until your current pup has matured enough to be (more) steady - it varies but about 18 months is the earliest for most cockers. There are a list of problems that 2 dogs can be more prone to than one - guarding, excessive barking, aggression together and towards each other, pulling on the lead is generally worse as they start to compete.... to name a few.. so do think carefully about this!  

Lots of luck with whatever you decide

Have you had a pup before?

[Cayley]

There is no way I'd have two puppies at the same time by choice  .

[jla]

Good luck.

As others have said personally I would never have two pups, and not two of the same sex.  I have at least 18 months between my four so that they all have time to grow up, get some individual attention and training time but also to try and space out the inevitable vets bills once they get older 

Sorry if this sounds negative but I would honestly say if there is anyway to reverse the decision then I personally would.

[poppy1407]

oh this was not the reponse I was expecting, I never realised so many people would never get 2 puppies at the same time.

Thank you for all your comments and I will defo take them on board, I think your comments have opened my eyes to possible issues when raising 2 young dogs together. I do have a lot of time on my hands to offer attention to both puppies together and on an individual basis, however I do want what is best for the puppies also. I think I will need to have a chat with hubby tonight maybe to re-evalute our decision. We just really like the idea of the puppies being raised together and I think because Poppy has been so easy to train in all aspects we are assuming the other pup will be as easy and just fit in but I suppose that might not be the case and maybe Poppy could go backwards a bit too-

oh I dont know what to do now!!!!

[wales07]

Two pups together is hell! All they want to do is focus on each other and trying to get them to even notice you there is really hard work. As others have said to get any kind of training done you will need to do this separately and any things learnt separately can then be forgotten again as soon as they are back together and more interested in playing with each other.
Sorry to sound so negative especially as it seems the decision as already been made but waiting at least 10 months would have made things so much easier for you. Good luck.

[Brimbeck(Dyllan)]

Our boys came within 7 months of each other and at that age it worked for us although many people would say it was too soon.
 You will be surprised how quickly the time goes. If you could wait a  few more months I would think you have a better chance of things working well, as your first will be more mature and a help with toilet training etc.


My two played together but still wanted to be with me,
and now I'm onto my third

[Hurtwood Dogs]

oh this was not the reponse I was expecting, I never realised so many people would never get 2 puppies at the same time.

Thank you for all your comments and I will defo take them on board, I think your comments have opened my eyes to possible issues when raising 2 young dogs together. I do have a lot of time on my hands to offer attention to both puppies together and on an individual basis, however I do want what is best for the puppies also. I think I will need to have a chat with hubby tonight maybe to re-evalute our decision. We just really like the idea of the puppies being raised together and I think because Poppy has been so easy to train in all aspects we are assuming the other pup will be as easy and just fit in but I suppose that might not be the case and maybe Poppy could go backwards a bit too-

oh I dont know what to do now!!!!

I really feel for you, it's not a positive thread to come back to Pup's/Dogs are social creatures so I can see why you like the idea of them being raised together - but your pup will have just as much fun with you giving her your undivided attention for a while and it will create a much better bond and relationship between you. You will have some rocky months ahead as she matures and starts testing you (as kids do) and if you've never had a pup before then it will be a lot easer for you and the pup if you can focus on each other and work through these months together.. Waiting will also give you the chance to learn more about her adult character so you'll know how she might be with another dog in the house and what sort of dog might suit her harmoniously - this way you reduce the sad possibility of having to re-home one of them if they can't get on also 

x

[Nicola]

oh this was not the reponse I was expecting, I never realised so many people would never get 2 puppies at the same time.

Thank you for all your comments and I will defo take them on board, I think your comments have opened my eyes to possible issues when raising 2 young dogs together. I do have a lot of time on my hands to offer attention to both puppies together and on an individual basis, however I do want what is best for the puppies also. I think I will need to have a chat with hubby tonight maybe to re-evalute our decision. We just really like the idea of the puppies being raised together and I think because Poppy has been so easy to train in all aspects we are assuming the other pup will be as easy and just fit in but I suppose that might not be the case and maybe Poppy could go backwards a bit too-

oh I dont know what to do now!!!!

I really feel for you, it's not a positive thread to come back to

Me too but everyone is really being honest and giving you the benefit of experience of owning pups and adult dogs over many years and having seen what can happen when things go wrong. Things *can* work out with 2 pups and/or 2 same-sex dogs of similar ages but the potential for it to go wrong is just so much higher. You have found Poppy easy up til now because she is still so incredibly young, believe me at just 13 weeks her 'real' training hasn't even started yet! The first few months with a new pup are by far the easiest training wise and can lull people into a false sense of security that they have this perfectly trained, perfectly behaved pup and then said pup grows up a bit, discovers its independence and bam! Perfectly behaved pup turns into teenage dog with attitude and forgets/ignores everything it's been taught up until then and you have to go right back to basics plus train all the stuff you realise you left out first time round. Also not all pups are the same, some are easy like Poppy and others aren't - just because she toilet trained quickly doesn't mean another pup will, some can take months, some are demon biters etc. etc. And they will copy each other and egg each other on. It's a nice thought for us (as humans) to have two dogs 'growing up together' because that's our human experience but dogs don't think like this. As long as she gets plenty of socialisation and gets to meet and play with other nice dogs and pups - puppy socialisation classes are great for this - then she's not going to miss out on anything and in terms of her training and bonding with you it's better for her.

[Coco]

I'm on the fence as I can't say that i'v any personal experience and know of some people who have raised two and it's been ok while others, it hasn't. Having said that due to COL i'd not get two because of the potential for problems that people talk about, why risk it. Also, I love having a puppy and would rather spread that out over a longer period, plus, and I know it sounds horrible but while they will start their lives together they will also end their lives together, I couldn't take the double loss.

What I will say is that Wherry was pretty good with toilet training and recall etc, Gizzy was a totally different kettle of fish. Impossible! And Wherry thought it was such a good laugh she'd join in too. Wherry was around 2 when Giz came along  I was fairly quickly sorted but it was more a case of Wherry learned to be naughty from Gizmo, Gizmo learned very little from Wherry  Wherry also became very guarding etc As such i'd never make the assumption that two will get along and learn all good things together. I'd go into it expecting the worse so that i'm more prepared.

[williamsmum]

mmmm good luck!   I am struggling with one puppy and a 5 year old! I cant imagine having another one so young now! To me thats  like finding out your pregnant at your six week check up! 

Would love to see pics of your baby when you get her though! 

He he. I actually know someone that that particular situation happened to - not me, I hasten to add!!! Best of luck with puppy no.2 tho.  I have an eleven month old GSD pup as well as my blue roan, and it has put me off pups for life!!!

[JennyBee]

I really feel for you, what a difficult decision you have to make .

My 18 month old girl Brodie (also a Lynwater) has a litter sister who is owned by my aunt - the two of them are completely fixated on each other when they get together, nothing else matters, and in the last few months or so there has been a few times things have gotten a little too heated between them. I do not think that I could have managed to cope if I had owned both of them .

I can't add anything that hasn't already been said, good luck with whatever you decide .

[sharonmansfield]

Aww I really feel for you too as you posted this with great excitement. There is 9 months between my 2 girlies and it was easier to train the second as she copied Bella, but she also copied the bad things too!!!. They do adore each other and I would never go back to having one dog. We have a lot of fun with the 2 of them. Good luck with your decision, you have had lots of good advice and opinions from experienced people.

[JaspersMum]

Just wanted to add that I know Holly's dogs and they are testament to having two very close together can work.  However, I'm sure Holly would be first to say that she and her OH and parents have had dogs for a long time and used to having multiple dogs in the family.  They also do agility and spend a LOT of time with all the dogs to ensure they are the happy bunch that we all see on here....

If I put myself in the same position having only had dogs in the last few years, I don't think I'd have made such a good job at it.  Proof that with experience, grit and determination it's workable. The lady I aluded to before has 2 cockers who are now about 2 years old.  She loves them both to bits and wouldn't swop them for the world but only a few weeks ago said if she turned the clocks back, she probably wouldn't have had the 2 together 

You and you OH need to be solid about the work needed as it's quite feasible you'll have one screaming at home whilst the other goes out for a training walk, never mind the additional expense of insurance and vet bills (jabs,worming etc etc)

Hope that you aren't dissappointed by the response.  Better said now than later though whilst you can go in open eyed 

[SkyeSue]

Good luck with whatevever you decide. It's not something I would do, but that's just cos I am totally new to the world of dogs, so one at a time is probably best for me 

[MrsJude]

Hi, I can honestly say that having 2 pups is, for me, very hard, even more than having my babies, I have Lilly aged 8 months and Spud who is now 4 months.  Getting a second pup, when Lilly was only 6 mths old, was my husband's idea.  He is not at home all day with them, I am  .  Lilly was totally housetrained at 14weeks, but now has accidents, Spud's toiletting is not going well at 17weeks and they playfight (and fight) non-stop.  I have to walk both separately in the mornings, feed them separately, and trying to train and spend 1 to 1 time with them separately is the hardest!  We have an open plan house, so not really anywhere to put one dog, whilst I do the clicker training with the other.   They both have very different personalities, one mostly laid back, the other more excitable, Spud's greedy and starting to guard EVERYTHING, because Lilly has always taken things from him    I think the hardest part is not being able to take your eyes off them even for a second, Lilly didn't chew, now she does, and being woken by Spud once, maybe twice a night, then up at 6am.   Having said all this, and I could go on  , I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM BOTH TO BITS.  They have changed my life (especially around mopping floors and housework), destroyed my little garden  and I know things will improve.....) They are wonderful, loving, funny, creative, clever little  , the kids, 6 and 17 adore them, and my life would be poorer without them.