hi. For the first time in 35 years, I am Dogless. I lost both my beloved goldens 2 days apart ( ages 4 & 10.5). I am now starting to think about getting a puppy, maybe 2?? Am I crazy?? I do have the time, but the energy?, that,s another question. Anyone else out there raise 2 puppies at one time?
Hi and welcome. I am sorry that you lost your dogs so close together that is hard. I have to say DONT get 2 pups at the same time. It is so hard to train them. When you have one pup you can concentrate on that pup and train him/her how you want when you have 2 they play together, eat together, sleep together then you end up walking them together and trying to train together which doesn't work. If you want 2 dogs I would consider adopting an older 2-3yr old dog then after you have had him/her for 5-6mos then get a younger pup.
Hello and welcome. I am so sorry for your huge loss. I personally would go for one puppy, I have a puppy, nearly 4 months old, he's plenty of work and I can't imagine having two. I also have Chester. He is four today. I love them both very much and they keep me more than busy and on my toes. A puppy needs training and attention and in order to make sure you can do that to the best of your ability, I think it is best to give at least two years to 1 puppy. I wish you luck in your decision and look forward to meeting him/her or them here.
Alan, General & Elly,thank you for replying. I did check several rescues for pairs, but since most pairs have "older" dogs and goldens only live about 10-12 years, i am reluctant to get them since we have them for such a short time anyway. i took the deaths of my dogs really hard and i'm not ready to go through that again anytime soon. i also really like to train my own dogs, and my husband is also just as involved as I am. I have narrowed down 2 breeders i like and each would have a female for me. i agree the potty training wil be a real challenge. I can take the pups to work with me, since i have my own business and i only work 3 days a week. The pups wont be from the same litter, and would come to me 6 weeks apart. That will give me some time to train the first baby before the 2nd comes. I think they will entertain one another at playtime, and probably get into trouble together too. Some of my concerns are will the older pup hurt the younger one when they are playing, since he will be bigger? and then there's the question, will I get any sleep????
I would like to wait 6 mos between dogs, but my husband wants them to grow up together.
Most reputable breeders will not sell two puppies wheather they are siblings or not. Most require at least a year between pups. Even service dog organizations will not allow puppy raisers to have two together.
It is really not fair to the puppie or you to have two that are both young. Get one then get back on a waiting list for another. It ussually takes months to get a reputably bred puppy and getting back on the list will be easier the second time.
I know how hard it is to loose a dear friend. I have done rescue most of my life and I have had several dogs that have not lived long lives but they have lived GREAT lives with me. It seems like you have your min made up on getting pups but I wish you would consider those older dogs. My mom told me that it was an honor to take in those older/senior dogs that most people do not want and love them and let them give themselves to me. To hold them in the end is to show no greater love.
If your hearts are set on puppies I would get one first, wait until the first is fully trained and preferably through the teenager phase before getting a second. That would make the second much easier to train because it will learn from the first. With the time difference you can bond with each one individually. I wouldn't be overly concerned about the older one hurting the younger smaller one in play but others should have more advice on that than me.
I only have ever had one but when I have my own place is like to get a second.
I'm so sorry for your loss. My family lost the sheltie I grew up almost a year ago and it still hurts sometimes. I can only imagine losing two, let alone so close together.
hi there, from what I gather, I think it would be best to either adopt a older dog from a shelter, or why not 'adopt' a older retired show dog? or a 6 month old from a breeder that they were going to keep but turned out it didn't work for their plans? or a older dog from a breeder that is pre-trained, or a pre-trained therapy dog? rare but it does happen on occasion and I have seen some breeders that have older dogs for sale , one person on this forum told me about how their first dog was a pre-trained 4 year old who was a show dog but the owner could no longer keep him. Then they got a puppy later down the road. That might be a good option, but i would give the first dog atleast 6 months to settle in with you first before you get the puppy and just get used to having the dog around. Another idea, though might sound a little odd and if your not a cat person then forget it but maybe get a kitten, and a puppy and raise them together ? : ] go for a lazier breed of cat like a scottish fold ?? or get a retired show cat that is used to dogs...and then raise a puppy with it? that way the pup could have a friend to play with but it wouldn't be as much work as two dogs/puppies? just a thought. Raised kittens can be leash trained as well and socialized too you know. I'm not too much of a cat person but I have a cat that I trust on leash and have met many well trained ones, the key is to raise them while they are young and you can walk them together on leash : D
Probably, would look into a retired show golden, or a older golden puppy from a breeder that the breeder held on to but has chosen to sell or was left over from the litter. And then get a young pup 3-6 months later : ]
plus another issue is, if you raise two puppies together they will not learn how to behave with you, just with eachother and they will become attached to eachother, and not you.
I just saw a discussion on Facebook by a breeder who learned one of her puppy families for her litter is on a list for another breeder....and she was not pleased. It may be that person will be denied puppies by both breeders, especially since they were not upfront about it to the breeders. I don't think getting 2 at the same time is a good idea. That said, one long time forum member got 2 littermates 10 years ago and did an excellent job in training both. I hope she sees this thread and gives you input about her experience.
I am sorry for your loss. Wow, you lost one that was four years old?
I lost my two seniors who were 2 years apart within 9 months of each other to the same cancer. That heartache is unbearable. I can just imagine your pain.
I would also suggest getting a pup and an adult dog instead of two puppies. I have a almost 6.5 months old pup and he is a lot of work, I could not imagine two of them.
I did two puppies about 10 plus years ago, but I was younger, you did not say your age, but honestly I think one puppy is enough,at a time. It is hard with two at once.
I have lab littermates back home- and they were a disaster as puppies. Granted, I was a teenager, and it wasn't my responsibility (my parents). But, now that they are adults, I can see how unsocilaized and untrained they are. The chocolate lab isn't completely right in the head, either... They are now 8 years old and doing alright- but I would NEVER suggest getting two puppies at the same time or even close apart.
Thanks everyone for your input. I am re-thinking my decision to have 2 puppies and planning to talk to the breeder to see if I can wait awhile (6 mos to a year) to get a 2nd puppy. I would not want to risk any of these problems and this way I can spend quality time with my new little golden girl and take my time training her. I will let you know when she comes.
I am still grieving my 2 lost dogs. I hope this gets better with time.
Welcome and sorry for your loss. My wife and I are currently raising two puppies. We have a female golden who is 7 mo and a female irish setter who is 6 mo. They are a handful at times but its getting a lot better. It also helps to have the right house setup. I really wouldn't reccomend two pups at the same time for someone who gets overwhelm quick or can't invest the time. Good luck with your decision.
Madison & Bailey who went over the Rainbow Bridge together!
Here are my 2 goldens that I lost - they are missed everyday.
Good News!! We have just brought home a new golden puppy, her name is Willow. She is VERY energetic, and smart. She is loving and calm too. She is already retrieving her stuffed pheasant for me and dropping it on command. I have only had her one week, she is 9 weeks old, yesterday.
Willow is filling the hole we have in our hearts and helping us to move on. We love her so much already - I will try to post a pic of her too.
Madison and Bailey were just gorgeous together, thank you for sharing a photo of them. I am just seeing this and wanted to congratulate you on your sensible, very sensible, choice of bringing home one puppy for a while. I think the chance to establish a solid relationship with one at a time is a joy.
I would love it if you would start a new thread for Willow and share photos and tell us all about her - I think she deserves her own thread Congratulations on your new love.
I was just about to start a new thread to introduce Willow to the forum. It took awhile to get some pictures of her - (getting on her level, then she wants to play and not sit still for her picture) LOL.
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