Sometimes it isn't in the best interest of the dog to make it work. Sometimes it really is the commendable thing to let the dog go to a new home, and focus on the first pup.

I agree with the others who said rehome the new pup and focus on the first pup for at LEAST a year or two befor even entertaining the idea of a second pup.

 Quote: Jennifer Ruzsa

Sometimes it isn't in the best interest of the dog to make it work. Sometimes it really is the commendable thing to let the dog go to a new home, and focus on the first pup.

I agree with the others who said rehome the new pup and focus on the first pup for at LEAST a year or two befor even entertaining the idea of a second pup.

Ditto.

And Ditto what Carol said about alot of us making our own mistakes, I know I did. Mistakes are great teachers.

Kudos to you for sticking around the board and taking the heat.

Wait, wait, wait.....

I have a day job, 40 hrs per week. Plus I have duties at the fire department and the ambulance barn and the SO....

It can be done. Trust me. My 7 are fine.

It does take a bit more effort on my part, and I work and care for dogs before I go to work, at lunch and in the evening after I have fed my family. Not to mention the weekends and travel I do for seminars and such.

Three of my dogs are certified to National standards , the rest are training for something. They get more time, but I do continue training with the three "trained" dogs.

I can see where working from home would be ideal, but it can be done otherwise as well.

It is not about the quantity of time (although it is good) BUT it is more about the quality of the training that means more, just my two cents.

(need to add that I do not agree with two pups at one time)

I have done it and it is HARD. And I have an indoor/outdoor kennel set up.

Well well Geno,
You do find your self in quite the fix, don't you. Have you ever had even one dog? Of any kind? As you've probably noted, just one can take an extraordinary amount of time.......Ergo, let's get two! They can keep each other company...... I got that right so far?

Okay. Let's start with the first pup. What did you get the first him/her for? Do you have any plans beyond a companion dog? (If not, it's okay. Not everyone is into working or sport)
What are you doing with him/her? Walks, play, exercise, training, etc. You know, interaction with YOU. These things are all important to the dog and your final relationship.......

So now you have two! How much time do you have, or want to, dedicate to training?
I'm with a few others here......I think you're in over your head, the second pup should be taken back while he's young and still has a chance. Concentrate on your first charge.

Yikes! Six or seven hours on it's own, loose in a back yard. Not a good scenerio...... Get a crate, or build a kennel!


If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy

Geno,

I can't comment on having two puppies, as I've never had more than one at a time ... 45 years apart It seems to me it would be a lot like having twin babies. Who can run around and have sharp teeth.

When I was a kid no one researched getting a puppy. They just got one. That's what my family did om the 60's. This time, I researched. I think researching works better. But you are a little bit behind, so you have some catching up to do.

Get crates. When you can't be there supervising the puppies keep them in the crates. The hours you are gone during the day are probably about how much their bladders can handle, so when you get home immediately take one, then the other, out to relieve themselves.

Someone with more experience can chime in if I am wrong, but I think if they fight they should probably have their own food and water bowels. You may even want to feed them in their crates.

You need to be the center of the puppies lives. Play with them each, but if you can't be right there with them, put them back in the crates. Crating puppies is not cruel or mean. After they get used to it they are just fine.

Like human children, puppies put everything into their mouths. You'd be surprised at how much trouble they can get into in a backyard, so don't put them out there unsupervised. Plus, if you are gone during the day, and they are in the yard, you have no idea where the little turds are. You might find them the hard way

Read Ed's article on house training, and here is an idea for you: With my dog, for the first 6 months or so of his life, every time we let him out to pee and poop he was on a leash and we took him to one area of our yard. We made a 25' x 25' area surrounded by railroad ties and filled with pea grave. He's 2 1/2 now and the only place in our yard he relieves himself is in that area. So make an area for your puppies to go, take them there on a leash each and every time they have to relieve themselves and you won't have to worry about stepping on land mines or having discolored grass.

Spend time on this site reading Ed's articles. Buy some DVDs and watch them. It will be money and time well spent.

Like the others, I believe that once you bring a dog home you have accepted a responsibility. But I think if you see a problem you can't deal with, and you know you can place the 2nd pup in a good home, then you are fulfilling your responsibility if you do so.

Some words of wisdom:

"We always introduce a new dog into the home through the use of a dog crate. Those who don't use a dog crate are making a big mistake. Those who won't use a dog crate should just stop listening right now because they are wasting their time." - Ed Frawley, Establishing Pack Structure Podcast (Emphasis added)

Hate to jump on the bandwagon, but I have to agree with everything everyone has stated here, so im not going to type out a whole lot.

But i was wondering if you read the articles on here about introducing a new dog into your household?

It has to be done gradually, puppies or grown dogs. You can't just throw the two together and expect bliss because they are puppies and about the same age.

And the whole philosphy of getting another dog so your current dog has a "friend" is not a good enough reason (in my opinion) to purchase another dog. Your pup needs to bond with you and learn you are his friend first and foremost, not bond with another dog.

And to flippantly throw out the "get rid of the little guy" option/comment really irks me.

Will try not to jump on the dog pile too much here Alyssa and others have pointedly expressed concerns for the well being of the pups. You should listen to them.

First off, Geno, I want to commend you for seeking advice and braving the responses here. While some may seem harsh, I assure you the posters have only the best interest of your dogs (and thus you) at heart. You have come to the right place for advice on how to raise and care for dogs. I hope we haven't scared you off.

Your issue, I think, boils down to this: What type of dog(s) do you want to have?

When have guests over, would you like your dog to jump up on your friends, bark and run around like there's a cat in the room? Do you want your dog to refuse to settle down so you have to confine him in the yard or the garage, while worrying that he'll chew up, claw or generally destroy whatever he can get his paws on? Would you like him to pull you on walks and try to run off at the first sniff of anything interesting?

Or would you like a dog who greets your friends with a sniff and a wag and then lies quietly at the foot of the sofa? Would you prefer a dog who walks WITH you and comes when called. In short, would you like your friends to say "wow, what a great dog, I wish my dog would be like that. Did you take him to OB class? who's the breeder?"

Right now, you are on the road to the first dog I described. Having the "great dog" requires A LOT of work and time with the dog. But it is well worth the effort. IMO, if one is not willing to put in that effort and work, one should NOT own dogs. It's not fair to the dog and is not rewarding to the owner.

If you start following the advice on this site and forum, in a few short months you will be well on your way to having a great dog(s).

Geno,
you are getting GREAT and appropriate advice even though it might seem like your parade is getting some rain...

it is possible to keep both but not without a LOT of wk, DAILY, consistently and with lots of research & asking & reading on this site. it will become a much bigger disaster if you dont follow the advice you're getting here. *personally* i would re-home pupp #2. multiple dogs (later!) might work(?), but again its a much much bigger commitment than only 1, but two *puppies* at the same time---why sign up for double everything if you don't have to? what did breeder of puppy#1 say about this? bet they would have advised against if you'd asked....

1. CRATES. at night and when not home & develope a routine for potty times & meal times. Feed IN crates.
2. No leaving either OR both in the yard for those lengths of times unsupervised. they WILL get into trouble from boredom (like DIGGING for starters) and one or both could be stolen. there is quite a lot of pure-bred dog theft ALL over....
3. Separate consistently or Re-home #2.
4. READ READ READ & ASK ASK ASK. and be open/willing to take advice that might be new or foreign to your ideas of puppy-raising.

goodluck.

 Quote: wendy lefebvre

And to flippantly throw out the "get rid of the little guy" option/comment really irks me.

It irks me in a way too. It is not recommended, I would never promote it, but since Geno has two puppies, it is better to help him.

None of us promote or like the "throw away" attitude and I know that none of us promote the "two pups" either.

However, he is coming here for HELP, which all of us have provided great advice, except for the "get rid of the dog".

IMHO, we need to give him the chance to read what we recommended, make his decision, and then help him learn how to have a well mannered, healthy, happy dog or dogs. That is what we are all about.

I understand where everyone that has said "re-home the pup" is coming from, I really do. But I think we need to allow Geno to respond to our comments and tell us what he thinks now that he has had time to digest everything we threw at him in less than 24 hours, and go from there.

I am very passionate about what I do and about how I feel, so I sometimes feel guilty for jumping on the "NO NO NO" bandwagon.

I always try to be supportive of ways that can help, even though I may not agree with the situation.

Hope that makes sense and I do not mean to offend anyone that is adamant about the two puppy thing. I have done it before and it is tough, but not unachievable.