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Advice...on Possibly Getting A Second Pup!


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So, now that Wyot is settling down, is pretty good off leash, and doesn't chew our fingers and other inappropriate things (still shredder dog, given the chance, lol!), we may have a possibility to adopt a 2 month old Icelandic Sheepdog! Yikes...did I say that? :rolleyes:

 

Just down the road a bit from us, where I get a lot of native to the Catskills plants, they have two Icelandic sheep dogs. Great dogs they have, off leash, just hanging at the nursery, nice to people that come to visit and shop....well, it seems that mom and dad sheep dogs had a litter of puppies...a third litter, and there are three females left, and they need to find good local homes. The questionnaire/application is just as detailed as Kim's initial interview! I reached out to them, and it is possible that the pups are gone, but if not, we were actually thinking of a companion for Wyot. Just a few questions for people who have had more than one dog at a time, since we only ever had one dog (even though two or more dogs would have been easier than the teenage kids I had at the time, lol!)

 

Is a female, who would be two months younger, a good match/mix/playmate/sister for a male dog? Does anyone have experience, or know much about Icelandic sheep dogs? It looks like they may have the same temperament and physical activity/needs as an AI dog.

 

Now that Wyot has "his" den (the crate he sleeps in, which could accommodate two medium size dogs- it is the XL wire crate), would I need to get another one for the new pup? If so, that would be hard to find a spot to put it in without compromising space...I would crate train the new pup, just like Wyot. Our little guy now goes to sleep for the night by himself into his crate, and that's that. Wondering how this new little one would upset the apple cart, so to speak. Would he backslide, or would the new pup learn from Wyot?

 

We are on the fence, but at the same time, love the idea of him having a companion...we take Wyot everywhere we go, and he has truly grown into a more grown up pup. He is loving, funny,smart, energetic and just a joy! :) Yesterday we went for a short hike to the river swimming hole we go to in the summer, where there is a nice open beach area once you walk through a short trail out of the tall pines and trees.. He just curls up in the back seat without whining,scratching or trying to climb into the front., or without biting at seatbelts and the blanket that covers the back seat. When we stop, he's up immediately taking in his surroundings, and knows he's going on an adventure...off leash! He's getting pretty good at that, waiting when we say "wait", and depending where we are, he himself doesn't go far, because we are his "safety" so to speak. We had 10 inches of fresh snow yesterday, and he just LOVES it...he is a doggie shovel, just running through the snow, lifting his "powder" face after he's taken a tumble, or shoved it into a hole he wants to dig out, which makes us laugh! I guess we'd have twice the fun, and twice the work, too, lol!

 

Still thinking this through, tentatively. Since I go to my farmer's market most Saturdays for four hours starting the end of May, that means he will be alone at home then. As the summer ends, I travel and do seasonal shows/boutique markets throughout the county on weekends through the end of November (one day, usually, and very rarely two) which would mean a few more hours away, since dogs are not allowed (we do have friends that will take him at their house for those hours, though)..We were thinking a companion at home with him might help. Just a thought. Perhaps I am just making more work and asking for double trouble for myself initially- since I am the one at home (and my work ramps up as springtime comes)...but we are calculating that this new pup, if available, would be four months in April, and that is where Wyot is at the moment, and he has adapted and learned so much, as well as calming down at this point.

 

Well, any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks to all in advance!

Edited by KittynDoc
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Kittyndoc,

 

Most of our marriage we've had 3 dogs and we had 4 when we first got Cake. Two pups 2 & 4 months will be a lot of work because both need to teeth, are in the highest energy part of their lives, and have a lot of maturing to do mentally, including the teen dog part. It's possible our first two dogs were that young. We were 20 and lived where there is no such thing as winter. It was a lot of work. However two well matched dogs can be less work than 1. Personally I think it is better to wait until the first dog is 18 months before getting the second. An 18 month old pup is a lot more mature. IMHO much more likely to take care of the pup, tell on the pup if the pup is getting in trouble vs join in, give up things to meet the pup's needs and feel protective of the pup vs competitive. Two teething pups may collaborate together to eat your sofa. A lot depends on the chemistry between the two dogs. Speaking of chemistry, with two dogs too young to fix you really need to know at what age that female can go into heat and what the signs are. Most likely they will get on well enough but just like human siblings, be in competition and get on each others' nerves. You won't know until you can see them interact together for a few days. At that point it's a done deal and your heart is entwined. It's possible Wyot, like Waki will give up his crate for the new pup but it's more likely he'll pout and feel put out that his place is being invaded. It's even possible he'll fight over it. I do think that only dogs are lonely dogs but my advice would be to give Wyot time to mature if you aren't up for the energy and possible double trouble. I personally wouldn't be comfortable leaving a 4 month old and a 6 month old alone at home to entertain themselves.

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As a quick response, I echo Sherab's commentary. She has a lot of dog wisdom.

 

I often wondered what it would be like adopting two from Kim at once! LOL!

I'm not sure I'm up for that challenge and also I wouldn't want the pups to bond more to each other than to me, their alpha.

As Sherab mentioned ... it does depend on the energy and personalities of the two pups in question.

 

Do you know any people that have twins or have raised twins (humans)? They could tell you some stories.

You could have a great time with the pups or the two could wear you out.

 

Maybe you can search the forum for 2nd pup or something and find threads that talk about the ups and downs?

 

I know of: Waki and Cake, Lili & Kekona, Boone & Houston, Tayamni & Coffey, Tamarak & Rune,

Meadow's family has multiple dogs, and so does Allison, Starghoti, Molly, Greg, Gib and others.

 

I don't know if anyone had pups that close in age.

 

Good luck and keep us informed!!!!!!! :)

 

 

 

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Yeah, I've been going up and down with this...sometimes people say it is great to have two this close in age, because they will bond, but I personally think if it was another male, it'd be a bit better. I would NOT leave them alone loose in the house at this point. Even if we go out for an hour or two, Wyot is crated, with a treat. If not, we would come home to things ripped off the walls, lol!! (Yes, he was already getting up on a wooden bench we have in the entrance, where on the wall, we have some coyote tails, and one skin, hanging on antique snowshoes... :blink::o ).

He is getting better at respecting our things, but if you leave shoes about...they are fair game.

 

Thanks for the advice and things to think about. :)

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Second pup is not happening. First, not in our budget, and then the advice I received helped us to rethink and realize that we'd be biting off more than we could chew. Thanks for being here to bounce off ideas and seek advice!

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As a quick response, I echo Sherab's commentary. She has a lot of dog wisdom.

 

I often wondered what it would be like adopting two from Kim at once! LOL!

I'm not sure I'm up for that challenge and also I wouldn't want the pups to bond more to each other than to me, their alpha.

As Sherab mentioned ... it does depend on the energy and personalities of the two pups in question.

 

Do you know any people that have twins or have raised twins (humans)? They could tell you some stories.

You could have a great time with the pups or the two could wear you out.

 

Maybe you can search the forum for 2nd pup or something and find threads that talk about the ups and downs?

 

I know of: Waki and Cake, Lili & Kekona, Boone & Houston, Tayamni & Coffey, Tamarak & Rune,

Meadow's family has multiple dogs, and so does Allison, Starghoti, Molly, Greg, Gib and others.

 

I don't know if anyone had pups that close in age.

 

Good luck and keep us informed!!!!!!! :)

 

 

 

and Bandit and Kito!

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Feel the need to chime in here. We know that two young ones can and would be a handful, but that's just puppies! Some do just as well by themselves, but what a wonderful gift to give them, each other. The things most worth having in life are worth working hard for. The love is repaid hundredfold, and the two can be, as in our case, inseparable. Was just a little surprised that wasn't emphasized more. Totally understand if the situation is not the right one for everyone, but just wanted to add .02. For us personally, the parenting and teaching was actually easier because they enforced good habits...with each other. :)

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Good add mommom. My main caution was not about having 2 dogs. An only dog is a lonely dog IMHO. It was more around having 2 toddlers at the same time and the energy level.

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mommom sorry I missed Bandit & Kito. Still hoping to meet up for a get together in Texas at Boone & Houston's!

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