Getting a 2nd dog?

[Steph86]

My dog is 8 years old & sometimes I feel like he would probably like a friend.

He isn't really dog friendly but when introduced right he is fine.

Also if I was to get a pup Id home my dog would help with the house training

What is your experience?

Xx

 

[blossom]

Following this as Im thinking the same. My dog is 5 and hasn't liked other dogs since she was attacked by a dog at the beach a couple of years ago, but she's ok with puppies.

Will be interested to read others' comments.x

I do think that the puppy would learn from the older dog.

 

[nickysnails200]

My dog is 8 years old & sometimes I feel like he would probably like a friend.

He isn't really dog friendly but when introduced right he is fine.

Also if I was to get a pup Id home my dog would help with the house training

What is your experience?

Xx

My mums dog was very wary of dogs she would scream when ever a dog walked past and she would try to get as far away from them as possible she 8 now. The only dog she liked was my nanas dog as they have grown up together. My mum got a chihuahua and her older dog misty wouldn't go near her but would watch from afar for the first couple of weeks. Mum was starting to worry thinking she wouldn't be able to keep the chihuahua because it wasn't fair on misty, the next thing she new the where playing away together no problem. Mistys perfectly fine with my dog aswell and my sisters (ours are chi's aswell). My nanas dog is 12 and was just lying about had no energy was only moving if he had to, nana fell in love with our wee dogs and got one too now her dog has a new lease of life he's like a completely different dog it's amazing.

My advice would be; if your dog is wary of other dogs try not to get a dog that will grow much bigger than the one you already have. Introduce them carefully then try to leave them to it unless the new pup is starting to irritate your older dog then separate them. Get them both new toys so the older one doesn't have to share all their toys- they will end up sharing toys anyway but to start with it's better if they have their own. Most importantly don't give all your attention to the new pup make sure your other dog is never left out and give it plenty of attention.
Sorry for the novel
Good luck

 

[Meira]

I've got two jack russells, my boy is 1.5years and the new pup is a 4mth girl. When we introduced them we knew it would take a while for him to get used to her and he's often not the friendliest of dogs. So we kept them seperate unless we were in the room with them. Took about 6 weeks for them to get on really well. And now they will relax together and sleep in each other's beds without killing each other.

Re toilet training she hasn't learnt from him yet and is still going indoors. Have really struggled to train her, she holds it in when we go on walks and even in the garden she'll wait until she's back inside. We will get there eventually but lots of patience and treats are needed lol.

 

[Jellybaby1970]

I would say don't do it. Dogs don't think like humans, it's us that need friends, not them. Your dog has been used to having just you for 8 years, introducing a new one could change his personality completely and really stress him out.I have just got my 4th dog (my husbands idea!) and it has been hard going. It's easy to forget how time consuming and hard work puppies are. I had to take time off to house train her and still come back 3 times a day to let her out and walk and feed her. if you are going to introduce a new puppy/dog then do it away from your house and do it on neutral/unfamiliar ground. That way no dog is higher than the other. A lot of people panic when the older dog snaps or growls at a puppy but that is only what the mother would do if the puppy was annoying her. It's the way the pup learns manners and what is acceptable and what is not. Just pretty much let them get on with it and they will sort things out for themselves, keeping them separate is only making a bigger deal of the issue and reinforcing your dogs worry. Obviously moniter them at all times and don't Leave them alone together.
Good luck!

 

[KHS]

From experience of a friend who thought like you, her dog was 9 and got a puppy....elder dog was not happy, didn't like being pounced on, climbed over and play fort with...

Sent her dog into a kind of depression, totally changed her personality, in tne end puppy had to go.

They're not like cats, they will muddle through and tolerate eachother amd can escape outside, dogs can't,

Confusion is a lifestyle - not a state of mind

 

[SGordon91]

I thought I'd give imput here as many people know I have 3 dogs. We started off with ziggy who was a rescue and only 10 months old. As ziggy reached just over a year I felt like although he loved me and my company he could do with a friend to play with.

So we got another dog now named Max. He's a completely different breed from ziggy and a total different kettle of fish. Ziggy is a lab cross and toilet trained really quickly with us however max took forever and he was full of energy, screamed the house down because he was in a crate on his own and wanted in beside ziggy and when we did let him in with him because he wasn't fully toilet trained he peed in the crate leaving ziggy to sit at one end, ruined stuff and I was constantly washing sheets and covers and I honestly struggled to cope.

I'm not even going to lie I considered rehoming him as I was the one left with him constantly as my partner worked and then added into that my mums dog (originally my 18th birthday doggie who she wouldn't let me take when I moved out cause she didn't want to separate him from her other dog) came to us because he was suffering separation anxiety. So when I left him in with the other two he would pee in my house because I left. Regardless of how much I walked him he'd still do it. He peed on my partners jacket which could only be dry cleaned, sofa. The lot.

I was reaching what felt like breaking point trying to crate and toilet train max and dealing with Ozzy. But then max started getting better. We moved house and for whatever reason it helped him. It helped all of them actually. It then enabled us to go on longer walks and we'd work them hard out in the park, constantly making them run for balls and even their ability to interact with other dogs since being here has been great. It was like that insanity of puppiness broke and max grew up. And now Ozzy is crate trained too which is a miracle as he's 5 now but he's adjusted well and knows where his "bed" is.

Max is a year and a bit now and ziggy is over a year and a half and they sleep together, play together, stick up for each other when other dogs are about and they are just brilliant together now. He still cries in the crate mind you lol but that's only cause he wants out when he hears us up and about.

Ozzy who is older enjoys playing with them and does have a better quality of life here. He's fed on the best quality food, he plays with the other two and he runs about like a twit now too! It's like he's a young wee bub lol. It's lovely and he's in such a good shape (he's a whippet) so it's benefitted him. Even my mum agrees. So all in all its worked out good.


It has been hard work having them. But it's so, so rewarding. I love having my pack of dogs and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My advice would be to introduce them outside in neutral ground as your wee doggie will see that place as his and he's invading it and might even mark his territory. Let them get to know each other then take them in together. Do get them new toys each as, as someone else said they will fight over existing toys so it's best to give them their own. If the puppy struggles to settle some people use plug ins that helps with dogs. I don't know if you are crate training but if you are a t shirt or something that you don't need but with your scent will help. I have tones of other info on that if you need it. All the things we did to make all three settle in their crates but I won't bore you with that. But if you want it im more than happy to help. The other thing like someone else said, do give equal amounts of attention to each dog and everything should go smoothly ^_^

Hth xx