Serious Question About Adding a Doodle

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

You all are the experts here, and many of you have become good Doodle friends.

 

Penny the WonderDog will turn six in a couple of weeks (yikes!).  She's the joy of our lives. We both work from home and she's been around one of us almost constantly since Day One. 

 

I have often wondered in the past whether it would be good to add another doodle to the family, so that she has a companion.  Now, a doodle puppy has caught our attention (and a little bit of our hearts) and we've been talking about adopting her.

 

We go back and forth between giving Penny a doodle buddy, and worrying that it might change the wonderful dynamic that we have with Penny now.  Would we just be setting ourselves up for trouble by adding another dog?  We're not worried about the training, as we're both home all the time.  It's the "relationship" stuff that we're thinking about.

 

If you've added a doodle (especially a PUPPY), how has it worked for you?  Problems?  Challenges?  Are we just out of our minds for thinking of doing this?

 

I'll attach a picture of Penny (love that she is) and the puppy.

 

Love you guys,

Michele

[Lesley, Wellington & Bingley]

 

To be completely honest - I preferred having one doodle. Welly and I have far more fun when it's just the two of us. Bingley is more my Mums dog now - as I didn't really enjoy having 2 doodles all the time.

 

But - now I know! Im a one doodle girl =)

 

If you do get a second dog - do so because YOU want a second dog - don't do it for your older dog. In all honesty at 6 years old Im sure she is quite happy being number one. I've realised there are SO many situations (in my life) that 2 dogs just don't fit into. One doodle is perfect - for me!

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

Thanks for your honest and powerful input, Lesley!  This is exactly what I've been thinking about.  I'd love to have another dog, and maybe I'm using Penny as an excuse.  LOL.  Thanks again!

[Carole (*Koda*Monty*Bindi)]

Gaston-Cramer was a puppy when he joined our family.  At the time we had three other dogs, the youngest being 6 years old and the oldest was 12.  The transition with introducing such a much younger pup to our older dogs was flawless.  They all embraced him. 

Time has passed and so have our two older dogs.  In March of last year we added Rose to our family.  Though she was 14 months when she joined us (and not a puppy) the addition was one I've never EVER regreted for a minute.  There was an initial (unfounded) worry that Gaston-Cramer would not be as devoted to us as he was because he'd be distracted with a new playmate but that was quickly extinguished. Our bond with him never changed and he and Rose are inseperatable! 

 

We too work out of the home and have been with GC since day one.  There is NOTHING that brings us more joy than looking out the window and watching the two of them romp around and play together.  Adding another just enhanced our joy (and Gaston's)instead of burdening us.  I hope the same for you :).  The puppy looks absolutely darling.  Please keep us posted.

 

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

Thank you so much, Carole!  I knew I would hear some really great stuff if I posted here.  You hit the nail on the head about GC and the "devotion" factor.  I think that' what my husband is worried about.  I, myself, don't think it would change.  We'll see - I promise to let you know if we adopt the darling pup!

[Lindsey, Lee, Whopper and Simba]

We added a second and absolutely love it!  After many similar discussions on here, I've started look at it from the perspective of deciding to add another human child (even though I don't have any I'm the youngest of four...)  It will make things a little crazy for a little while but will likely add more joy and memories.  If families were truly concerned about second children ruining the relationship with the first, there would likely be a lot more one-child families.  I ultimately think you just have to do what feels right and what you want.  Obviously you will have Penny's interests factored in, but I don't think adding a second will change her, it will just change how YOU have to do things.

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

What a great way to look at it!  Reading everyone's posts so far, I'm beginning to admit that yes, I want another doodle and have been placing too much pressure on the "Penny" factor.  How I will do things?  You're so right.  Surely means going through the "puppy phase" again -- but I admit I loved it much more than I let on, the first time around.  :-)

 

Thank you!

[F, Calla & Luca]

There's lots of discussion about this, particularly in the multiple doodles group. http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/multipledoodlesordogs

I got Calla, who was 17 weeks, when Luca was 14 months old. I worried we'd never snuggle again: ) The doodles play and play fight all the time , which I hoped for, since I could not exercise Luca enough on my own. Luca sleeps with me all the time, Calla stops by for a while.  I recently added an album to my page "winter 2010-2011". You can see my two at play: watching them together gives me lots of joy. Yes, more expensive etc.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/photo/albums/winter-20102011-2.

[Michele, Biscuit & Mo]

I love the photos of those two -- they look so happy and full of joy.  I have used the "sibling" factor AND the "expense" factor in mulling things over, but in truth, I know we can handle both.

 

And thank you for referring me to the "multiple doodles" section - hadn't thought to look for one!

 

You're the BEST - thank you!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Aw, thank you.

[shelly]

I always think about getting another... and what a cutie Gabriella is!  I always wondered how I would feel adding a second CHILD.... how would I ever love another child as much as my first... but as we all know... YOU JUST DO!  I think you will have some trying times, but that's puppy hood... and then when you've been through it all... I can come to YOU for advice when we're ready!  good luck!

[BG and Gavin]

My friend says when your grow your family, love isn't divided, it's multiplied!

[Lynn D.]

Technically, I don't have two, I have one but my neighbors have 2 dogs that are ALWAYS over in my yard. We don't have fences as it would hinder the migration of the wild critters here (Elk, Moose, Deer, Fox, Coyote etc.) If my nieghbors didn't have their dogs, mine wouldn't get as much play time. I hope to have a second dog of my own at some point.