Advice needed please!!!

blkdragon666

Hi could you please give me your advice,one dog or 2?,is it better to keep one dog or 2 i currently have a female cocker spaniel 4 months old who will be being spayed when she is old enough,& i so would like to have another one,a boy the breeder has said that if i want another one its best to get one now whilst our girl is still a pup as they will grow up with one another & she wont see him as a threat.Our girl will be 8 months old by the time the new litter is ready.Thanx

Mese

I got my Gypsy when Toffee was around 6 - 7 months old , everyone warned me not to , for training reasons etc ... I didnt listen , got my girl and havent had any problems
Both dogs are great , recall is good unless around strange dogs , but thats cos we dont get to meet many other dogs so I can train them against legging off to say hello

infact , in some ways its been easier , because having each other to play with meant I didnt have to entertain Toffee all the time (dont get me wrong I loved it , but its still nice to just sit back and watch them play together)

If you have the energy and commitment , go for it hun ... be warned though , my two turned into three , and im still hoping three will become four , lol

kmes

It depends on a lot of things. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.
With 2 dogs you will have to do 2x the grooming and have 2x the cost. They will also take up more of your time as you will still need to interact with them one on one.
However they can keep each other company when you are busy, and it is just as rewarding to have a second as it is the first...
And Mese is right... once you have 2 it can very easily turn into 3 and then 4 and then even more! I currently have 4!


I would wait until you are happy with your current spaniel's behavior and where she is training wise before getting a second.

IMO age is not really all that important... Just this year I got 2 new dogs (a 4 or 5 year old female min pin and also a then 6 month old male pekingese). They both settled in with minimal problems with my original 2 (a female pug and female pekingese- both adults).
I know that people say that sex can make a difference, but IMO that really depends on the dog. Some do fine with other dogs of both sexes while other may not get along well with dogs of a certain sex.

As long as your dog gets along well with other dogs, then introducing a new dog shouldn't be too difficult. But it never hurts to introduce a prospective addition to a current pet in a neutral location, to see if they get along.

PaulaMackie

Hello, I foster dogs so there are always older and younger dogs coming in to and out of the house. I have a Lurcher at the moment and about 2 months after i got him i got another dog and they got along great. Most dogs will learn to adjust to another dog joining the family regardless of their age. When i got the other dog i barely noticed the extra work either. Hope this helps.

blkdragon666

Hello paula thankyou for your advice i appreciate that,its nice to be reasured that things will work out ok.

angie001

sorry if its a bit late... did u get the second one yet?

we are the same as paula, we foster and have dogs of all ages coming in and out as well as dogs we look after when people go on holiday, aswell as having 2 older collies (10 and 13) and a 4 year old springer of our own in the house. It might be easier to introduce the new one now than later on as they are more adaptable at a younger age, and they will grow a much stronger bond together aswell if they are younger. if you have the time and can aford it, then go for it! good luck.

Tess

Well, I am a big believer in the idea that most dogs really enjoy the company of other dogs. If your female is to be left home alone much, it might be very nice for her to have a companion. If spaniels are at all like setters, they will enjoy a buddy.

Yes, the opposite sex is a great idea, although two of the same will usually get along too. Two females tend to have more troubles than two males, but not always.

As far as the ideal spacing in age, I think you would be fine for the new one to arrive when your dog is 8 months. She will be grown up enough to be house trained and have her basic training well along. She'll also be young enough to still have plenty of "play" in her to keep the little one busy.

The only advice I'd give would be to continue to make sure your female gets some time with you all on her own for training and such each day. It does not take a lot of time, even 15 minutes of one on one interaction with you, will keep her reassured that she has not been displaced by the newcomer.

We have two setters. Our male, Josey is just over two years old, and the female, Tessa is 1 year. So Josey was a little over a year old when Tessa came along and that worked out great. If you want to see how that transition went, you can look at Tessa's puppy album here. The picture order is backwards, so if you want to see it in order start at the end and push "previous"
http://www.dogforum.com/members/3356...uppy-pics-283/

Well, best of luck. Hope you post pics when your new puppy arrives!

HarleyHasMyHeart

When my sister got her dog Angel she was, I believe a year old from a not so good breeder. Then my mom got a Chihuahua mix named Winston (a year later) who Angel was very good with just wanted to play with and the Chihuahua was a baby still and very small but eventually she learned that she had to be a little bit more careful playing with Winston because he was so much smaller than her. Then I got my dog Harley who Angel lives with and I love that when I am gone they both have one another to play with or at least have the company.
It was not any tougher with training because I just train them individually right now and I'm hoping eventually I can get them to use commands together.