[oktay]

Hello,

Puf is currently 10 months old. I am trying to decide whether getting another puppy (or young adult) is a good idea.

We live in an apartment with Puf. There's nobody else and the mess he's making does not really bother me too much. I think we can have another little guy live with us in 8 to 10 months.

Question is this. Forgetting the fact that not all breeds are going to be available where I live, I have various breeds in mind.

I can go the same route and get a retriever. Chocolate lab and flat coated retriever (basically a black golden. Awesome!) are both very cute and have similar character to Puf (that is not always a good thing, but that's a different topic ) . So a familiar breed sounds like the obvious way. They would get along well too. And very importantly they would SWIM together too.

But the other side of the coin is that perhaps a more protective dog would not be such a bad idea. So I am also looking at guard and watchdog breeds too.

What I don't want to happen is the breed to be too aggressive that I will constantly be harassed about it leading me to get into fights So is there such a breed that both has guarding abilities but is also good with other dogs, kids, people in general. By the way I a m not the best trainer and there is not a training facility I really trust around here. I've seen dogs returning home with lots of scars. So this is going to be a solo effort where Puf might or might not help

I think you all get my question so I will leave it at that.

Any ideas?

Oktay

 

[mm03gn]

I think that getting a second dog would be a great thing for both you and Puf. Waiting until he is a bit older is also a good idea... Perhaps look into rescuing a young adult? That would avoid having to do the whole puppy thing again...

 

[Bkhollan]

I am in a similar situation to you. I will be graduating from college in December, and I just recently got Bella (11 week old GR). I have always had 2-3 dogs when I was growing up, so I am planning on getting at least one more dog in the future. I will probably end up waiting until Bella is at least a year old before introducing a new puppy into the house.

I have thought about numerous other breeds with sizes ranging from small to large. I am considering another Golden, Shetland Sheepdog, German Shepard, Border Collie, Mini Schnauzer, or a Siberian Husky (or Alaskan Klee Kai which is a mini husky). I would probably say I am leaning towards a Husky.

I would just make sure the breed's normal temperament fits with you and your "pack". Certain breeds are better for different types of people.

 

[jwemt81]

We have both a Golden and a German Shepherd and they get along great. Our GSD is very protective, but has never and would never bite anyone. She is all bark and likes to make her presence known to anyone who walks by our house. She is far from aggressive, but her bark is enough to even scare away the UPS and FedEx delivery guys. She is 10 years old now and has slowed down quite a bit due to her arthriits, but she is still a great protector and an even better family pet. They are one of the most loyal breeds. I'm all for getting a second dog, but waiting until your dog is a bit older (over a year) would probably be best. We are about to get our second Golden this winter, just after the holidays. Tucker will be around 17-18 months by the time our new pup is ready to come home.

 

[missmarstar]

I believe guarding breeds need a strong trainer/handler and need extensive and strong obedience training in order to be good house pets. Since you yourself said you don't feel you are a strong trainer and there are no training facilities near you that you'd consider, I'd really recommend going with a retriever instead as they tend to be much easier to train, etc. Just my opinion.

As far as just getting a 2nd dog in general.. I definitely recommend it. Love having two.

 

[oktay]

Thanks for the replies.