I have a question. I've got an almost 13 week old Golden Retriever. I am home all day (my husband works) and so I spend a lot of time with Toby, training him and walking him and socializing him. I would have ample opportunity and time to spend with two dogs seperately, and was considering getting another dog. The reason is mainly because Toby likes playing with other dogs so much. He can do things with them he can't do with me, and he knows it. Like biting, for instance. When we go to my parent's house, they have a basset hound, and Toby and Homer have so much fun just basically wrestling and chewing on each other. He can't do that with me because I don't let him chew on me, but he really enjoys it, and I would like him to have another puppy to wrestle with.

Now, before you post in response to that last sentence, keep reading.

I know all the negatives about raising two puppies together. I've read Ed's article atleast 20 times, and others on the internet. It seems, though, that all the problems associated with two-puppy families are essential time issues. It's hard to dedicate the time to two puppies. But I'm at home all day. What I'm doing right now is what I do all day. I would crate them seperately and not let them play together alone. I would train them separately and walk them separately until they were leash trained. They would get to play "together" with me there, so I could supervise.

If you think it's a bad idea, please tell me why. Thank you for your input. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I've always had 2 dogs at 1 time, but I've never raised two of the same age together -- If you follow Ed & Cindy's protocol, you should be fine (especially if these dogs are just family pets) IMHO <:-)

Toby is just a family pet, I am doing obedience work (and agility, but just for fun) but nothing really intensive, like bomb sniffing <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />. Just enough to keep him stimulated and on his toes. Thank you.

My friends got two puppies within 6 months of each other. They live by the rule of no "coulda, woulda, shoulda"...but told me that no they would have never done that again. It has been a very tough year for them.

From his experience it would seem that each puppy results in an quadradic function of work not a simple linear function.

2 puppies <> 2x work
2 puppies == 2^2 work

I am planning on waiting until the current dog is completely trained and matured before I add another dog.

 Quote:

2 puppies == 2^2 work

we got two puppies, two sisters (!!!) at the same time, and while they live more or less seperated a lot of the time, the times that they are together they are very much a handful. i believe them to be pushing 10 months, i'm not sure if it gets worse or better from there.

one dog is mine+wife's, one is my brother in law's (we all live together as one big happy family). i can honestly say i don't think i'll ever get two puppies together again - and to think, the day we got them my wife was trying to convince me i needed my own!

I also have two dogs. A 3 yr old Golden Ret. (Noley) and a 7 mos old GSD (Coach) I waited until I had had Noley fully trained, house broken, acclimated to our house and family, etc. before bringing in another dog. As you have already stated you are reading Ed's articles and are on the right track. My personal opinion is that you should completely bond with your current dog before bringing in a new puppy. I do feel that Noley has been an asset in helping me train and acclimate Coach, but that is because he is fully trained and comfortable with his place in the pack.
Good Luck

P.S. just like you were told 2 dogs are a hundred times more work, but they offer a hundred times the joy as well.

Terry

 Quote:

I also have two dogs. A 3 yr old Golden Ret. (Noley) and a 7 mos old GSD (Coach) I waited until I had had Noley fully trained, house broken, acclimated to our house and family, etc. before bringing in another dog. As you have already stated you are reading Ed's articles and are on the right track. My personal opinion is that you should completely bond with your current dog before bringing in a new puppy. I do feel that Noley has been an asset in helping me train and acclimate Coach, but that is because he is fully trained and comfortable with his place in the pack........

Ditto! <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

You said this perfectly. JMO!

for me, personally, it's a matter of what kind of relationship i want to have with my dog. the dog i have now was acquired as a puppy when our older dog was four years old. the two of them always got along great, but i disliked it that the puppy was more focused on and bonded with the other dog than he was with me. and the older dog seemed to miss the exclusive relationship we once had. i missed it, too.

you will have a very different kind of relationship with your dog if you have more than one. there isn't really any way around this. i would vote for taking him out for play dates with known, safe other dogs around his age. now that our older dog is gone, and my current dog is an "only," that's what i do.

it's amazing how much my bond with him has improved and our working relationship has really flourished in the year since the older dog died.

however, if you don't care about having that sort of deep and exclusive bond with your dog, it may work out just fine for you to get a second pup. i don't think i would do it again. two dogs was just too much for me. and i work at home, too.

As far as the bonding issue I have to agree.The bond with my 4yr. old is much stronger than with the 1yr. old.The older one seems to crave more attention from me lately,especially when I go out to work with the pup.It really is tough to try to give them both the same attention.I seem to be trying harder with the pup to make up for any loss of bonding due to him always looking to the older one when it's playtime.They get along great and are never allowed to be together unsupervised.The older one tore a ligament a while back and has been slow to recover,but I honestly feel since the arrival of the new guy ,the older one has more zest so would I do it again?Yes I think I would given the same circumstances.I do feel the difference in age helps though.It's funny how jealousy plays a big part especially when I'm petting one or the other.The older one gets special privilages like going with me for rides to run errands etc... I try to make him feel special or at least just as important to me as the pup.

I agree. I have a 3 year old mixed breed that I adopted from a shelter in January of this year. In May, I acquired a foster dog who was 9 months at that time. Exercising the dogs is easier because they can chase each other around and play with each other. However neither of the dogs gets sufficient training time or one on one time with me. When the younger dog gets adopted I will wait before getting another foster, so I can spend some time with just my adopted dog. We need more bonding time.

Here's the other issue. When I first got my foster (a male) who is a Louisiana Catahoula, he was 9 months now he is 15 months. He use to adore other dogs and was very "doggy", he always wanted to play with other dogs. Now that he is maturing, I find that he is getting "growly" with other males and I am told that his breed is not known to be especially dog-friendly after maturity (about age 2). I know you have a Golden, and Goldens are known to be friendly, but it IS POSSIBLE - that once he grows up - he and your other dog may not get along and then you would have to deal with 2 dogs who don't get along for the rest of their lives. Are you prepared for that? Of course it may not happen but it is a possibility.

Amber my suggestion to you, since your dog loves other dogs, is to find him a "play-mate" that you know and trust. Do you have any friends or family members that live nearby, that have a dog you know to be friendly? Maybe you could place a flyer at the local pet food store? You could bring them to the park or in the back yard together to play, say, 4 times a week. Your dog would get to play with another dog, but you would be free of the responsibility of owning 2 dogs. Just a thought.