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A second dog

denali

Well-known member
I have a bit of puppy fever and would like another dog.
I have found the perfect breeder who breeds blenheims and tri's.
I would LOVE another tri.

They are planning a litter at the end of the year and i would bring the puppy home december/january ish.
I am not fussy on gender, and it will be neutered/ spayed.

The thing is, i am worried about Kokoda.
He is two, he will be going on three (his birthday is 26th Feb) and he is nicely trained like i know they should be before getting a second puppy.

I have read all the other threads, and am still not sure.

He loves other dogs, but i fear he could get jealous and envy the puppy, and end up not liking it.

Also, the other possibility is that he likes it so much he stops liking me as much.
Either is not ideal for me!

So i just want to hear about your experience with bringing a second puppy home and whether or not it changes your first dog.

p.s i can afford a second one, and i know i would love another. The only thing holding me back is Koda.

[NOTE: Admin - if this is in the wrong spot feel free to move it]
 
Either of those scenarios is very unlikely. For most dogs, having a friend greatly enriches their life. It makes for a better adjusted dog and makes them less dependent on their human in positive ways -- it won't change the loving relationship that exists and usually adds to it in new ways.

It generally takes a bit of time for a new dogs to settle in with the exiting dog, so don;t expect instant best-buddies though this sometimes can happen too. :)

There's a whole section on adding a second dog in the Library section -- lots and lots of links that would be worth looking at. :) There are some best practice ways of bringing in a new dog whether it be a puppy or an adult.

Some dogs don't care too much for puppies so that's one thing to keep in mind -- however the pups quickly get to an age where they are not seen as such pests by the older dogs so all ends up happily generally either way. :D But generally if dogs are well socialised and have been exposed to lots of other dogs then a new dog of whatever age will fit in very well given a chance to settle in properly (owners should not force things, let them adjust at their own pace).

None of my four cares much for puppies but they are about to get one that will be the same size or larger than they are so it will be interesting to see how they all do! :) We have a big dog that loves to play however so am sure most of the energy will be burnt off by those two together. :D

Have fun and good for you for planning so carefully and thinking things through.
 
I think Fletcher would love a cavalier sibling in the house and I know Mr. Monster and I would LOVE it too. I am thinking of adding another cavalier when Fletcher is 2 (next year) honestly I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to get 2 at once but that's only a dream something I will do when all my kids are older (Mr. Monster is only 5 now). I know some people think 2 puppies at once and think I'm completely crazy but I know I could handle it and think the extra work in raising 2 isn't really work at all :) I've already started thinking about colors either a tri or a ruby, male or female (after owning a male when I organically wanted a female I think I have bought into the idea-girls love you, boys are in love with you), and I have started looking for breeders...tho I do have some wonderful names from people in CT.

I also have applications in with all the major rescue groups. I would not mind taking a rescue however I think this may never happen because it's going to take the "right kind" of rescue dog for my family. I need a younger dog or at least a 5 or 6 year old who is a puppy at heart, a shy dog is not going to be very happy in our crazy house. Plus I would need to find a rescue that would let me adopt with a 5 year old at home....most simply will NOT even tho Mr. Monster is "dog trained" (this fact is VERY annoying to me) I am unwilling to take in a dog with a medical issue. I have done that before and tho I had 5 great years with my Skylar I still feel robbed that he died at an early age and I was unable to own him longer. But you never know, if a rescue group had a dog that fit the bill I would take the dog.

I think with planning adding a second (or third) cavalier is going to be a fun thing.
 
As I sit here reading CT, three of mine are curled up on one chair together. Oliver has always been a little aloof, but my other three do the doggy pile for sleeping several times a day. I don't think I'll ever be without at least two dogs again. I never had trouble introducing a new dog into my house, but like Karlin said my dogs also had been socialized to other dogs at my neighbor's daycare. My three youngest all came from the same breeder and none of them were younger than 14 weeks old (Riley was 11 months) when I brought them home, so they also had been well socialized by their mom. There's nothing better than seeing two dogs playing together, following each other in the yard, or curled up together on a chair or the sofa. And they all still adore me - of that I have no doubt. So if you have found a reputable breeder who health tests, I think Koda and Fletcher and Mr. Monster would love it!!
 
Guinness found Thistle extremely annoying for about 2 weeks. She jumped on his head while he was sleeping, ripped the eyeballs off his favorite toys, pulled his ears, stole his bully sticks, and stole his attention.

He was very clingy during that time. But it really was only about 2 weeks. Then they figured it out how to get along, and they're really good friends now.

Koda may be a little upset at first, but he'll probably love having a little friend. He's at an age now where he'll still be young enough that he enjoys playing chase and wrestling with the puppy.

I say go for it.
 
I had Lady first and brought a 3 year old, Gracie home when Lady was 6 months old. So not quite the same situation. It took a couple weeks for them to start getting along but now they play and snuggle up together all the time. Gracie even helps to teach Lady not to be so rambunctious. But as much as they get along, I'll always be the favourite! Don't be worried about that. It might take a bit of adjusting but I think having a second dog was a great addition and it's not all that much additional work. You'll just have to take time with each of them especially to train a new puppy. Koda will probably love having a puppy around to play with :).
 
Dillon was 20 months old when I brought home Lucy, then just over 6 months. A few months prior to that we lost our beloved cocker spaniel at the age of 13. Dillon had grown up with her and he missed her so very much. We knew we would look for another dog, but we felt it right to give him a little time to settle, though I have to say he was very depressed and withdrawn...I'd spent a lot of time researching for a good breeder who did all the tests. Although I would love to have had a rescue dog, rescues in say UK will not entertain me as I live in southern med and I can understand that .... I was prepared to travel and I did to northern europe for my ruby girl Lucy. Almost from the word go they hit if off and now some two months later they are very bonded and most of all love to play together. Lucy is quite confident and Dillon has lost most of his anxiety...they are such good friends and just love the together walks we go on.......we've always had at least two dogs (sometimes more!!) and mostly they have been local rescues. I find they get so much from just being together, and no my bond with Dillon is the same as it was; he's a kind boy and says there's room enough for two :) I wish you all the best whatever you decide.
 
Luke is the only cavalier, but there are two other dogs in the house. One of our dogs, she is the one who everyone gets along well with. She's looks like a little golden. Then we have a poodle mix. The little golden is the one who is friend with everyone. Luke and the poodle mix don't really bother with each other much. Everyone can be a butt at times, but it works out well. Luke was the first one of these three that we got. At the time we had an adult dog. The poodle mix is a week younger than him, but I think we got her when they were around 6 months old. The little golden we got when the first two were about 10 months old. I'd definitely wait till the first dog is at least a year old, if not two. Luke was mostly trained at 6 months old, but not having two puppies would have been better. The poodle mix is not mine (she was my sisters, and is now my mom's). She never got the training and socialization that Luke did. Had I not been busy with him, I might have taken on some of it.
 
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