Adding a SECOND dog??

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chicago

chicago

Joined
Jan 18, 2006
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9,610
Location
Reno, Nevada
Hey gents,
I know I've been asking a LOT of questions, but I have Some more for you all...
Were getting our pup this week (we have had an empty nest since dec.) and we want to get a second dog maybe later this summer. What is the best way to incorporate a second pup into the "pack"??
I'm somewhat of a stickler w/ training and thinking about trying to train a SECOND dog logistically seems that it would be kinda hard to do. Is it easier to train wile both are pups, or is it a bit easier with one trained up and then get a pup to train later down the road??
Gunner (now passed) was our first dog! So experience w/ two... I have NONE!!

What guidance can you all give for someone on this?!

Thanks,

Keith
 
Dan...
Just be a GOOD DOG! nothing special. Obedience is absolutely crucial w/ mastiffs (for obvious reasons)! That's pretty much it. Sit, come, stay etc. Just the basics is all I need.
I just have no experience w/ training a dog with another around. Seems that if one were trained, he could help train the pup, so to speak.
Were planning on a female bull mastiff later this summer!!
When training, do you separate em while training??
 
If I remember, you're getting a mastiff? Size of breed will make a bit of a difference. Who is dominant among the dogs is going to determine how they get along. Usually if one is a female, then a male second might be the route to go. Training either/or shouldn't make too much of a difference even as far as age goes. You have to be consistant in your terminology, and each dog has to know you are talking to it individually. They younger will follow what the elder does, so long as commands are consistant. Don't play favourites, they're perceptive. Train in short bursts only, 15 min max at first. They're young and easily distracted. Find a good obedience instructor in your area, that person should help, and find out how early to get them in for classes.
 
You posted just as I was writing. Give them individual training for sure. Bu when they are together just make sure they get the same commands. Use the dogs name always, don't give a command without direction. ALWAYS praise them when they do what you want. I have found that dogs more or less always want to do the right thing.
 
my .02

The same cammands are critical. No more, no less. Dogs don't understand english..... single words are easiest to understand.

I had a deaf dog that was great with hand signs and made cammands across a field easy. So I started doing the same with the dog that could hear. That queensland heeler was the smartest dog in the world. People weree amazed by those dogs.

The point is that I used the same hand signs consistantly and the dogs were less confused. I wish I could say this was good planning on my part. Without a deaf dog who knows how things would have turned out.

I do the same with my weim's. Now I use a whistle tone for 'rally on me'. I tried the army arm/hand signal but the brush is too tall.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for the input!!!
So... Training has to be consistent and the SAME for both dogs.
We took our last dog to obedience training and will take our new pup (wrigley) to the same place.
The second dog will likely come later in the summer.
 
We trained our first with classes etc.
The 2nd seemed to pick it all up from what we did with the first one w/o going to training. In other words, he just mimicked what the 1st one did. It worked out. He is actually a better listener and more obedient than the 1st now, but he hates getting in trouble! He is kind of clingy too.

Someone else said this already, but they do work out their pecking order even if you want the 1st one to be the alpha. We tried to make the 1st one the alpha, but she is just more submissive so she isn't the alpha. She holds her own though.
 
patride71 said:
We trained our first with classes etc.
The 2nd seemed to pick it all up from what we did with the first one w/o going to training. In other words, he just mimicked what the 1st one did. It worked out. He is actually a better listener and more obedient than the 1st now, but he hates getting in trouble! He is kind of clingy too.

Someone else said this already, but they do work out their pecking order even if you want the 1st one to be the alpha. We tried to make the 1st one the alpha, but she is just more submissive so she isn't the alpha. She holds her own though.
Click to expand...

Really good that you let them work it out. They will both be happier and so will you. They'll get along and that is the most important thing. :bounce:
 
We did the same thing. Our first dog is a goldendoodle "smart as HECK" and my wife spent alot of time training him. We always kept him in a crate when we left the house and he became a great dog. Listens great, comes when called. Just one well behaved all round smart dog. When we got my dog (wire haired pointing griffon) the doodle was about 2 years old and my pup (the griffon) just did exactly what his big brother did. The only thing he won't do that his brother does is bark when he wants to go out. He just stands by the door. He won't use the bathroom inside, but he won't bark to let us know he's waiting! In my case the older dog was the Alfa and the pup just watched what the alfa did.
 
both pups should be young enough that it should not matter much. Your new pup will love having a friend. Train them separately till the basics are ingrained, then tweaking can be done to both at the same time.

Consistency is king
 
This is what has worked well for me for about the last 20 years. Get one good dog, train it well, then get your next one about five years later. The new one will learn from the old one, and the old one will still be puppy enough for the new one so that they will play together. As they age together, the old one will play less, and then die. Then, get another puppy, and repeat the cycle. I know it sounds harsh, but it really does work out. I don't think I'd ever fathom having 2 puppies at the same time. Plus, if you have 2 the same age, them aging and dying closely together sucks 2x as bad.
 
My oldest is now 12, and on her last legs. The 6 year old lab still hangs with her, but plays with the year old stray we adopted as well.
 
wob said:
This is what has worked well for me for about the last 20 years. Get one good dog, train it well, then get your next one about five years later. The new one will learn from the old one, and the old one will still be puppy enough for the new one so that they will play together. As they age together, the old one will play less, and then die. Then, get another puppy, and repeat the cycle. I know it sounds harsh, but it really does work out. I don't think I'd ever fathom having 2 puppies at the same time.
Click to expand...

Very true

I had 6 puppies at once. Only a few that I had time to actually train were okay dogs. The others were a bit on the wild side.

wob said:
Plus, if you have 2 the same age, them aging and dying closely together sucks 2x as bad.
Click to expand...

Amazing how horrid this feels..
 
wob said:
This is what has worked well for me for about the last 20 years. Get one good dog, train it well, then get your next one about five years later. The new one will learn from the old one, and the old one will still be puppy enough for the new one so that they will play together. As they age together, the old one will play less, and then die. Then, get another puppy, and repeat the cycle. I know it sounds harsh, but it really does work out. I don't think I'd ever fathom having 2 puppies at the same time. Plus, if you have 2 the same age, them aging and dying closely together sucks 2x as bad.
Click to expand...

This actually about what I was going for, but the wife wants two, sooner.
What you describe is what I was theorizing would be the case.
About a year before we put gunner down, we had talked about getting a pup for ALL of the reasons described above.
Coming home after that....was ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!!
 
wob said:
This is what has worked well for me for about the last 20 years. Get one good dog, train it well, then get your next one about five years later. The new one will learn from the old one, and the old one will still be puppy enough for the new one so that they will play together. As they age together, the old one will play less, and then die. Then, get another puppy, and repeat the cycle. I know it sounds harsh, but it really does work out. I don't think I'd ever fathom having 2 puppies at the same time. Plus, if you have 2 the same age, them aging and dying closely together sucks 2x as bad.
Click to expand...

This concerns me as ours are about 3 years apart, but I would be shocked if the younger one dies around the same time.

The older one is 6 and is slowing down noticeably.
The 3 y/o still acts like he is 1.:rolleyes:

It has been a lot of work having 2 dogs so close in age. Hell, its a lot of work just having 2 dogs period. I seriously think we'll not replace them once they pass, just so we have more freedom.
 
patride71 said:
This concerns me as ours are about 3 years apart, but I would be shocked if the younger one dies around the same time.

The older one is 6 and is slowing down noticeably.
The 3 y/o still acts like he is 1.:rolleyes:

It has been a lot of work having 2 dogs so close in age. Hell, its a lot of work just having 2 dogs period. I seriously think we'll not replace them once they pass, just so we have more freedom.
Click to expand...

Good luck w/ that!!! :lol:
We were gonna wait till summer to get another pup!! A couple weeks... I was contacting breeders!!
The emptiness was horrible w/ out a dog, never mind the grieving process of the loss.
I'd prefer to wait a couple years, but.... You all know how persuasive women can be!! ;)
 
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