I am planning to get a puppy in about a year. However, I do want to have at least 2 dogs together in the future. I am just wanting to make sure to make the best decisions I can for my dogs before I get a chance to make the wrong ones.

If I do plan to have a 2 dogs, would it be better to get them both as close to the same time or would it be better to space them out in age? I know I want a giant schnauzer as one puppy. Would it be better to have the same breed or will that make a difference? They would both be large breeds. (I’m thinking pinscher?) these are a few questions I’ve be wondering about.

I have 2 children there ages will be 3+ and near 2. I also have a standard schnauzer that will be 5. I will have just graduated and be free for the summer to lay plenty of groundwork.

I know I might be totally wrong about this whole idea, but be gentle on me guys. TIA

I wouldn't recommend getting two puppies at the same time. I would get one and once you have a good obedience foundation and the pup is a bit older ( past the teenage stage) then you could get the second one. I'm sure other will chime in as well on that.

As for them being the same breed I think that's more of a personal preference. Every dog is going to have its own personality/temperaments.

Often times two pups raised together will imprint strongly on one another instead of on the humans of the house.

Thanks guys!!

I was thinking I might have issues trying to keep their attention on me if I had 2 at once but I wasn’t sure how right I was about that.

 Quote: Ethan Keene

I am planning to get a puppy in about a year. However, I do want to have at least 2 dogs together in the future. I am just wanting to make sure to make the best decisions I can for my dogs before I get a chance to make the wrong ones.

If I do plan to have a 2 dogs, would it be better to get them both as close to the same time or would it be better to space them out in age? I know I want a giant schnauzer as one puppy. Would it be better to have the same breed or will that make a difference? They would both be large breeds. (I’m thinking pinscher?) these are a few questions I’ve be wondering about.

I have 2 children...

there ages will be 3+ and near 2.

I also have a standard schnauzer that will be 5.

I will have just graduated and be free for the summer to lay plenty of groundwork.

I know I might be totally wrong about this whole idea, but be gentle on me guys. TIA

Next year you'll have a 4 year old child & another child who won't be 3 yet -- Plus you'll also have a 5 year old Standard Schnauzer ... That's a LOT of "little feet on the floor" in your house already, Ethan

I would absolutely NOT get 2 puppies of the same age together, for reasons previously mentioned in posts above -- And because your children are both still so young, if it were my decision, I would only ever have 2 dogs at any given time ... After your current dog Crosses the Bridge, you would still have the one left that you'd be getting next year, and then you could get another puppy later on down the road

Staggering their ages by at least 2-3 years has a couple of advantages: It gives the pup a chance to mature & settle down a bit before bringing another baby dog into the household, and, it maximizes the chances of NOT having one Cross the Bridge too soon after another -- As to which breed, that's pretty much just a matter of Personal Preference ... Since you already own a Standard Schnauzer and presumably have a good handle on their typical characteristics, then if it were my choice, I would go with a Giant Schnauzer myself, but that's just me, Ethan

GREAT articles Below...

http://leerburg.com/articles-recommended.htm

Hi, Ethan,

Great replies already, but let me put some frosting on the cake ...


http://leerburg.com/2dogs.htm

I will add my own personal experience.

When I bought my first house in 1969 I desperately wanted a new pup after 18 months in an apartment that didn't allow them.

My dad's dog (Mutt) just had a litter and I took two of them.

Not only that but I took the largest male that was totally in control of the litter and the female runt of the litter.

I knew even then that it was not the right thing to do but damit I wanted a puppy(s).

They were raised as outside dogs because of their size.

As they grew and matured the male became super dominant and the female became super submissive.

This male spent most of his life challenging me and my "old" methods of beat the crap out of him did nothing but fire him up.

I really liked that crazy bastard but I don't think he ever said uncle in our "discussions".

They basically were their own pack and no matter what I did (mostly wrong) I wasn't a real part of it because of their strong connection to one another.

That was a HUGE Awakening for me.

Does this mean you'd never again adopt two of the same litter?

My Pits are sisters of the same litter and they never had issues one with the other. Though, as you know, Slippie became the more dominant. But Socks knew somehow how to handle her. So between those two everything went well.

The problem began with the adopted ones. Slippie has become very peaceful in between (perhaps partly because of her age, 6) and she goes on well with the Lab-Mix. But from Charlie I kept her always separated since the last shock and I will go on like that.

Getting "any" two puppies at the same time can create issues with human bonding.

Not that it absolutely will but the chances are good with a less then experienced owner.

In particular one that doesn't understand pack issues.

even getting a new puppy with older dogs it's possible for the new pup to bond with the older dog more then with the person.

Thunder was about 3 when I got Trooper and yes, I did allow play time with them together but it was limited and I still spent a great deal of time with each separately.

Both thunder and Trooper spent their first 7-8 months in the house to learn basic house manners so Trooper was in the house more then outside with Thunder.

One tell tail sigh is was working for ME was a lot of my training is done in my large side yard since my house is on a corner with a very small back yard.

When I finished working with one and brought it back in the yard I always watched the interaction with the dog IN the yard.

The dog IN the yard always came to me and not the dog I was bringing in.

Something very simple yet very telling.

When I started with the Pits, they as outdoor dogs didn't learn any house manners at all. Exception: not to enter the house. I also spent lots of training and walking time with each of them separately. Same also since I have 4 dogs.

As in the first three years we had no kennels yet, I think the biggest negative point was that Pits had much too much free time together and unsupervised, when we were not at home and especially during the night.

I'm convinced that this long duration of complete "freedom" was the main contribution to many problems they showed as "teenies" and later on. Lack of management and constant leadership. Slippies issues with Charlie have probably additional reasons, which i'm not sure about, But I bet it wouldn't have been as bad as it was, when she had had a consistent basic work as you describe.

"The dog IN the yard always came to me and not the dog I was bringing in." At least this works with mine nowadays too. Diference: there are always two dogs coming to me.

Does this mean I am still giving them too much freedom? For when I come back from a walk, the other two were more or less unsupervised in the meantime. More or less, because the gardenkeeper keeps an eye on them, but this not quite the same as insisting on the rules.