Need advice for getting a 2nd doodle ASAP!

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

Hello everyone, so we just got Remington about 3 months ago. He is my dream dog and so wonderful in every way I can imagine. However, we have been wanting another dog ever since we got him. I have always regretted not getting his sister because they were so bonded. We found some puppies for sale near us from a breeder and are planning on going to see them Thursday at 6:00. However I need ADVICE!

I'm an the one in our relationship that thinks about all the negative things when doing something like this. Dan on the other hand is the one who thinks about all the great things that will happen if we do this. Because of this Dan has his heart set on getting the second dog... and I'm a little bit hesitate about doing it.

I would love it if you all could give me your two cents... pros and cons of having two dogs, good stories and bad stories etc. I'm not specifically worried about the money aspect of this even though I know this is an issue, but I'm more worried about when the time comes that Dan and I start having children and how we are going to deal with two dogs and well and juggle the kids.

Any advice from multiple dog owners would be much appreciated! I need it!

Here is the website so you can go look at them! "http://www.indygoldensanddoodles.com"

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

Double Food Bill
Double Vet Bill
Double Grooming Bill
Double Time Training and Cost of Training
2 Take more of your time because not only do they need time with you but they need one on one time.
If puppy #1 isnt trained puppy #2 will learn a lot of bad habits
Do you already have a hard time getting him to sit while greeting visitors
Does he come when called 100%
Does he eat or chew your things
Is he potty trained 100%
Can he walk on a leash without pulling

They will have each other as play mates while you are at work!
You will get double the love when you get home everyday
There are many more but I always think the negatives out weigh the positives if all planets are not in alignment~

One thing I did notice about the breeder you listed was that they dont mention health testing on the parents or their guarantee that they offer on their pups. This scares me because those of us who do health test are proud of it and talk about these things openly. Also they have no connection to the doodle community, most breeders will display a list of fellow breeders that they work with that they can recommend and who will also recommend them.... this is important~

[Janie]

I think Kendra said it all.

[Leslie, Dexter & Kirby]

How old is Remington?

For us, it was tough having 2 at first, but now it's really cake. We did adopt Kirby when he (and Dex) were 1 yr old so we didn't go through the puppy time a 2nd time (Kirby was actually pretty well trained when we got him). They're both 3 now and we love having 2 doodles. We work full time and the dogs definitely keep each other company - they are very bonded to us and to each other. They are happy to see us when we get home, but are not stressed.

It's so fun to watch them play...they can entertain themselves (when we only had Dexter, he didn't seem to have the ability to play on his own).

I was also hesitant to get a 2nd dog (my husband wanted 2 from the start). It is more difficult to go places with 2. We also don't have children yet, but we knew we had some time when we got Kirby and that we could get to a place where the dogs were more mature first. We definitely do not regret having 2 :)

[Paul & Michele]

Hi Kendra! I have always been a dog person and I like big dogs.....We had 2choc. labs and a black lab great perinnese (I'm sure I spelled that wrong)mix. When my black lab passed away at 12 yrs old my husband surprised me with molly a black Goldendoodle. She is great!! Yes she has gotten into stuff that she shouldn't have like chewing our direct tv cable in half 2 days after it was installed and then there is the wooden patio chairs that she seemed to think had too much wood on them ahhh and the new birch tree I had to replace 3 times before I bought a fence to put around it to give it a chance to grow before she chewed the branches off again. That is the puppy in her and I agree that if you have a younger dog they will pick up habits from the older dogs good or bad but I have always had more than one dog so the other one wouldn't be lonely. Our two choc labs are getting up there in the years and if anything happens to them I'm sticking to Goldendoodles. They are very smart and gentle. She is great with my 3 1/2 yr old daughter as you can see in some of my photos I have posted. We went for a wlk last night and my daughter wanted to walk her it was kinda funny watching her because Molly almost comes up to my little girls shoulders she had a gentle leader on and everytime she would tug a little my daughter would tell her to slow down and she would. They are like big teddy bears. I think you would be happy with 2 of them and I think they would get along great with kids. Good luck!!

[Tricia, Shiloh, Fenway & Tessie]

Two is hard at first, I won't lie.....but once you get passed the puppy stages and life settles in and everyone is trained.....two is definitely better than one. Just know that it will be chaos for the first year....gradually getting better. By the time you guys have a kiddo, you will have two happy, well adjusted doodles....who will have each other to soften the blow of your attention being showered on a human baby.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I don't have 2 doodles, but I do have an 11-week mini goldendoodle and a 5 1/2 year old chihuahua. It is tough, but every day gets better. It is easier that Taquito (obviously the chihuahua because of the name LOL) is completely trained and an adult. We decided to get Peri for the same reasons you want a 2nd dood - no kids yet, want a dog to keep Taquito company, love dogs, etc.... Good luck with whatever you decide.
Where did you get Remington - from a breeder that tests, etc...? I would take the time to make sure the breeder is really a good one before you jump into this. I was on a waiting list for a long time for Peri and would do it again because of her health, disposition, etc...she is ultra socialized and is a better puppy than we ever hoped for.

[Adina P]

I think two dogs is better than one.
BUT I agree with everything Kendra said.
I'm a worrier, over-analyzer, thinks-of-all-the-possible-bad-outcomes kind of person too. But now with three dogs, I have a teeny bit of experience with the pros and cons. But when I got Rosco (my first doggy) Clark had his senior Cass (border collie) and had just gotten Thule (11 month rehome doodle) and when I'd have to dogsit for him AND care for Rosco...it was incredibly overwhelming. I can't even imagine having TWO puppies at the same time.
For me the biggest issue is training. It's far more work when two puppies are needing to be managed and trained and are busy teaching each other naughty things :-O

Personally, I would not get a 2nd puppy until I was VERY satisfied with my first dog's level of training.

Of course all that said I survived just fine and have occasionally had 4 dogs at my house when babysitting friends' puppies. So your abilities and skills tend to grow with challenges like that...just be sure you WANT the challenge and are ready for the extra time involved. You might find that if Dan can't walk one dog on some days and you have to walk TWO...that you end up having to go on two separate walks so that it's not a chaotic walk and one doesn't become a stronger leash puller.

The one other thing that gets challenging is travel. If you like to travel it's not always easy to find places that take two big dogs and then figuring out what to do with the dogs if you go out to eat, etc. NOT impossible...just challenging.

I also share Kendra's questions about the breeder. It does not appear there is any health testing or that any common breeder standards are followed and there is no mention of a health guarantee. It sounds like the breeder relies on hybrid vigor. But there are known problems with the idea that hybrid vigor knocks out health problems. Read this link: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/what-to-look-for-in-a
These are all major drawbacks and red flags. Please ask about health testing, etc...but since it is not mentioned it is unlikely these things are done.

Good luck with your decision.

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

I will definitely ask about health grantees and testing! Yes, I would say responsibility is split 50/50... and yes I have thought about the possibility of it being a much different puppy than Remington... I mean Remington never even cried at night... I don't know how I'll react to a screaming puppy! YIKES!

[Adina P]

Just a warning...ARM yourself with facts and knowledge about health testing -- because she may try to talk you out of the idea that testing is important with straw man arguments, deflecting the questions and listing the myriad of puppies that she knows are perfectly healthy. Be prepared. You don't have to argue WITH her...but know your facts. (remember even puppy mill pups CAN be healthy...but that is in no way a reflection of the puppy mill).

[Michele Barton]

Hi Kendra,
The first time we had 2 dogs they were 7 years apart in age, it was a piece of cake. Our golden retriever was very well behaved and she basically taught Artie how to be a good dog. We fostered a litter of pups, whose mom rejected them, from the time they were 3 weeks old, and we ended up keeping Artie. Until then, I had no idea how much happier dogs seem to be when they have another one around.
So this time around we got 2 right from the get-go, littermates. I won't kid you, having 2 puppies at the same time is a LOT of work, and while they potty trained very easily, I am finding it difficult to get one-on-one time with them in order to train them to sit, stay, etc. Maybe 2 or 3 minutes each per day (when one happens to be awake while the other is sleeping), and both my DH and I are home all the time, though he is working and cannot spend the time with them like I can. BUT, I believe that it will all be worth it, because we live in a very rural area and they will not get many chances to socialize with other dogs. Would I do it this way again? Absolutely! But you need to examine your circumstances and see if it will really work for you. And it is VERY expensive.
We had a dog before having children (1 dog), and it was no problem at all when our children came along. We didn't push the dog out of the way, but included her in their lives from the start, and she absolutely loved and even protected our kids. I think growing up with a dog is one of the best gifts you can give kids. Growing up with 2 dogs? Probably twice as wonderful!

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

My opinion...give Rem a chance to be an only puppy for a while and get your undivided attention before you get a sibling for him. I know how addictive it is. Abby is 5 months old (my senior citizen dog 12.5 yrs old) and I am always dreaming of another pup to add to the brood. But I slapped my face (lol) and decided I can look but not touch. I will get another puppy after Bailey goes to heaven (hopefully not for another 2 yrs at least!!) That way Abby gets to have us all to ourselves as well.

I had kids close in age and really felt the impact of the babies not having me all to themselves very long. And the dynamics of 2 at a time are enough to drive me batty at times. Double up everything and then there is the COMPETITIONS - lol!! Everything is a "ME FIRST" race! UGGH! (and of course I did it twice...I had 2 sets of 2 boys close in age)

The other thing you may consider, is with us as a couple didnt do kids and dogs together real well in the sense that as soon as the human babies came along - down the totem pole the dog went.

Now there is a positive. I did have 2 dogs at once that were 2 yrs apart in age. They were great friends (they were actually mother and son) and got along great.

[Kai Doodle (Kathy & Keith)]

Kendra~ The things you love about Remington, do you think they are because of his parents and the way your first breeder took care of him from birth to the time you and Dan picked him up? If the answer is yes and he is your perfect puppy, you may want to consider getting another puppy from the same breeder.

As to dogs and children, when my youngest son was 6 weeks old we brought hom a German Shepherd Puppy they did great together. I survived 3 kids (10, 3 & newborn and a puppy, also had a very well behaved golden at the time) without loosing my mind. You will handle children and dogs great, it's all what you are use to and what you decide you can tolerate. I decided early on there were worse things in life then my baby being licked by a puppy. I was right, the baby survived. ;-)