Hi, I am looking to get advice on getting a second golden. I had got a golden retriever pup for my dad last december and now Im looking to get a second one from the same breeder. The golden I got was female and the runt of the litter (last pick, she was the darkest while the rest were really light and she had a slight underbite. Well anyways both my parents instantly fell inlove with her when I brought her home and they couldnt be happier with Maggie. She is 8 months now and is fully vax/spayed, with a gorgeous coat and is in excellent health. Everytime I visit them I am always amazed with how beautiful she is, and more importantly with how friendly and warm her personality is too. My question is Im planning to get first pick of his next litter so Maggie can have a playmate (right now she has a 14 years old dachsund who cant really rough-house with her), and my parents are thrilled with the idea, but Im wondering if having 2 goldens will be too much? Should I get a boy or a girl for her (it will be a brother or sister)?? Will she even take to the new pup or become jealous?? If any of you have any input I would greatly appreciate it!

For me, there is no question that 2 goldens are better than one! Since Maggie already shares her life with another dog, I doubt she will be jealous of a puppy. She will probably love her playmate. It is a good rule of thumb to go with the opposite sex. I live with one intact boy, a spayed girl, and two neutered boys with zero problems- they love one another, and the oldest dog, Finn, gives the younger ones baths every night.

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Oh Ljilly...how sweet that your oldest one gives the others baths every night! My Lucy does the same to her older brother and he loves it (often time he ends up with a little mohawk on his head). I have to agree that 2 is better than one! Sure, there is some jealousy from time to time. Who wants to get loves first, who gets the loves from company, but it all gets worked out in the end, and they relly do love each other....I say go for it!

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I have two neutered boys and I can not imagine not having more than one golden. I agree that since you already have a girl. Adding a boy would be a great addition. But if you decide on a girl,I bet they will get along wonderfully too! They will love having each other to play with!

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Sherrie

It's probably a little soon to be adding another puppy. A ten month old golden is still a puppy, very needy and demanding of training time. Spend a few months more devoting your time to this pups training before adding a second puppy and it will pay dividends long into the future.

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I got the "runt" of the litter and she lasted over 15 years. She was so sweet. When she was 14, I adopted an approximately 3 year old Golden Retriever from a Golden Retriever Rescue. There are so many Goldens out there who are already born, and they need homes. Why not make one of them happy?

Thank you all for your input so far- it sounds like most people who have two goldens highly recommend it so that makes me feel good about getting another one. I have a good feeling that Maggie will enjoy having someone to really play with and I think she will be happier overall with a buddy (as the dachshund is more interested into guarding toys in his house then sharing).

I have had multiple dogs for years and find they are healthier and happier when they have companionship of their own species. They also exercise each other and keep each other company when the two-legged members of the family are away. I think the ideal is one dog per person, but I have had a trio of Goldens (yes, they sing together ) while single myself.

Right now my pack/family includes one 12-year old neutered male, a 9-year old intact male, and a 10-week old baby girl, all Goldens. (Yes, I know we will have a problem to solve in a few months.) We have had a bit of sibling rivalry at times, especially when a new pup comes homes, but giving the "difficult" dog a bit of extra attention has solved almost every problem. Baby Goldens are so adorable that they tend to get all the attention and the older ones sometimes get jealous.

Our older guy is not fond of puppies - never has been - and he has some health issues, including arthritis. We try to keep the puppy away from him when she is in high-energy mode, but they will nuzzle each other when she is calmer. On the other hand, the younger male simply adores the little one and has decided she is his to play with and to keep cleaned up. They are a sight together!

Consider what your house will be like in 10 years with two senior goldens... it can be financially and emotionally draining.

I would recommend waiting 3-4 years or adopting/buying a dog that age.

Read my post "Its Official! I'm and Idiot!".

We added a second golden this week, on top of a zillion other stressful things going on. Jazz was 15 mths old and while she's not perfectly trained, we have a good base. She is very, very dog social so we figured a companion would be a good thing for her. We even let her pick out the new dog by taking her to some rescue meet and greets and watching who she had chemistry with and appeared to like. It worked and they are rapidly becoming fast friends. So we got what we wanted.

However, its a huge amount of extra work in the short term. If you got family to help, it probably won't be as tough for you. But, it is amazing how much more work it is. To feed them, work them, load them in the car, take them for a walk, play with them, give them one-on-one attention, brush them, etc, etc.

I'm not trying to discourage you, but I guess I could sum it up as OMG!!!! LOL!