How many of you added another doodle right after getting your first?

[Doug and Beth]

It's very strange but we are already addicted to this breed and we have not even gotten our first one yet!  He arrives next Thursday and we are just thrilled!

 

We may be NUTS especially with a 6 and 3 year old but we are already talking about if we should add another to our family.

 

How many of you have done this and in what time frame?  3 months, 6 months, etc?

 

Does it really hold true that's it's easier with two labradoodles then one because they keep each other busy?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

We did....I have had dogs my entire life, but there is nothing in this world like a "doodle"....One is just not enough and after we had gotten through the puppy stage, which was like experiencing "baby's first year" we decided to do it all again, but this time we felt we should get a rescued doodle. DRC...was and is the most amazing organization and we felt we could never find another dog to love as much as we loved and adored our gorgeous big white girl, Frankie and then we found our gorgeous jet black boy,,,Johnny who wanted nothing more than to be loved "constantly". If I had the land and money, I would have many, many more doodles and with this website..you are never alone. Congrats on your new addition. I know you will never regret your choice :)

[Susan, Zeke. Lily & Jasper]

This sounds almost identical to our story!  Our 1st came from Dianne Carter (our wonderful breeder ) as a 12 week old puppy.  Six months later we adopted a rescue who was 7 months, making them only 2 months apart in age.  Obedience training was a little crazy during this time.  Zeke on Mondays, Lily on Wednesdays for 12 weeks. (This is when I became known as the crazy dog lady)  And then...shortly after the first 2 turned 2 years we had the opportunity to aquire another in a guardian situation from Dianne.  Like you Frances, I have said on more than one occasion that if I had the money & property I would have a doodle in every size & color.  My DH has threatened to turn me in to the TV show about hoarding if I even consider getting another one.  Might be fun to be on TV!

 

[GBK]

I waited two years in between so I could train the first one really well first.  He was a spitfire, I could not imagine having two puppies at the same time.  When we added the second, she went to training class, just her and I to learn the ropes. 

 

The reason I wanted two, was to enjoy each of them and watch them enjoy each other.  They can be very different and have different issues.  It took the younger one about 4 months or so to figure out that DH and I existed for more than getting food from and opening the door to go potty.  She was sooooo attached to Buddy in the beginning, but she did figure out we were fun too :) 

 

Enjoy your doodle puppy!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Can you get another one from this litter? Just kidding. We waited a year and a couple months, that's how long it took me to talk DH into it. Training one at a time is much easier but everyone's opinion is different. Let us know if you get another!!!

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Doodles are an addiction. I only have one, Riley and he is 14 weeks old.  My partner and I have already cancelled a one night break even though we have a great pet sitter to come stay.  We just can't bear to leave him yet as he is so young.  This is like having a new baby and there is a lot of work involved, especially if you want a well trained Dog.  If I was to get a second one ( and I can see the attraction) I would wait until the first one was at least a year old.  These dogs are total love bugs.  Riley loves to cuddle, very gentle and very smart.  Best of luck with your first Doodle.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I would wait until you see how your new puppy is.  They can be really hard puppies - now that my Peri is 2, I would consider another.

But there are LOTS of DKers with 2 doodles close in age.

[Sandy]

Agreed.  Toby was a horrendous puppy.  Two of him would have driven me insane.  He's 3 now, and lovely.  :)

[F, Calla & Luca]

I waited a year and I was happy with how that timing turned out. Calla was 4 months old when I got her and Luca was 14 months then, just right.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I would wait until you get your puppy and see how it goes. There are many stages a puppy goes through, not all great, and some puppies can be more work than others. I would also take this time and build a strong bond with your puppy before bringing another one home. Lastly, get your first dog trained before adding a second. Now, with all that said, I waited one year.

[Jane Smith]

I waited a year before getting Ethel, but my cousin went ahead and got two from the same litter, and she had no problems.  The only thing that would deter me, is having a 3 and 6 year old.  If you've given it a lot of thought and are sure you are up for the challenge, and there will be many.  I say go for it. 

[Adina P]

I think it's best to get your first dog...get through puppy-hood, train your dog to your level of satisfaction and wait till you kind of know your dog's quirks and habits (good and bad) and have a plan of how to deal with any problems and fix them.  At this point it's SOOO easy to be tempted to add more because you don't have one and it all looks idealic online and doodles are ever so adorable.  But they are still dogs that need a lot of time and attention and training.  It's hard enough to get one trained to a reliable level---just read all the posts by people who struggle with the same issue for a long time (barking, jumping on guests, pulling on leash, lunging, etc).  These are not things that get trained in puppy class and then you're good.  They are things that take concerted time and effort. 

 

I don't think two are easier than one.  They EACH require individual time in training, in grooming, in vetting.  Yes, they play with each other...but they still want to play with YOU.  It's not like you get a second and send them on their way and they are perfect just because they entertain each other.  They can also cause trouble together and dig together and overwhelm guests together. 

 

I guess what I'm saying is get your doodle home, get used to him and his needs and after that see if having two of him (one possibly that might be more energy and more difficult) STILL sounds like a good idea. =)

 

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

We did two at the same time, but I didn't have a 3 y/o and a 6 y/o and did not work outside the home.  I can honestly tell you that the first year was somewhat hectic.  It was finally around 13-15 months when they started to settle in really well.  We did a lot of training classes and a lot of home training so it was very time consuming.  My concern for you with puppies and your little ones is getting them through the phase where they jump and bite.  Those puppy teeth are sharp.  Also the jumping is going to be a problem unless you get really lucky and don't have a jumper.  My 7 y/o niece comes over and my two can easily knock her down.  The kids get excited which in turn gets the dogs excited.    Personally, I would highly recommend getting one through the puppy phase and trained and then add another if you still want to.  Many people suggest adding the 2nd around 18 months.  However, you will see every possible combination probably as many people have done it at many different times.