Any single females with double doodles? Need help deciding!

[Multiple Doodles (or dogs)]

Hi all,
Are there any single females out there with multiples? I am seriously considering a playmate for Hattie but worry there won't be enough of me to go around! If you are single, please talk to me about the pros and cons of two dogs by yourself! Thanks!

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Sandy don't take a puppy home at six weeks.  They learn so much between six and eight weeks from their siblings.  Neither Riley or Boris were/are sharks.  In fact both of them just do lots of licking : )  There are so many posts here from people crying due to shark puppies ! 

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Puppies sleep such a lot that I'm sure it will be ok.  You may have to use an xpen and puppy pads though for potty training as you may be gone too long for potty breaks?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Now that you mention the fact that Hattie had been separated from her mother at 6 weeks could that have attributed to some of her early guarding issues.  Something to think about  But, it has passed now.  Glad the breeder spoke to others and will not be permitting this to happen.  Glad for you too.  This really helps stack the deck in the puppy and your favor.  It is hard enough to raise a happy healthy puppy without getting off to the wrong start.

I'm very happy to read this

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks Nancy. These were the old science buildings, there is a big newer building now. I  don't know what they do here today.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Sandy, are you sure this is the breeder for you?  There are a few things that I would question since I have learned so much from dk members. 

Don't rush this decision - especially if you are not fully committed to two dogs being the way you want to go. Two dogs do keep each other company and two dogs can be managed by one person, but some places you can easily take one dog, are not accepting of two. You need to look at your lifestyle and the places you take Hattie. Could you bring two dogs to those places or would you have to leave one or both home more?

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

My red flag question is  why the breeder would 'bow' to letting the pups go early when it is not considered good practice - does she want what is best for her pups or want to let them go for Christmas as a marketing ploy? Gifting could be done with a picture or a stuffed dog all wrapped up rather than subjecting the pup to the stress and hubbub of Christmas day itself when the puppy can't be the center of attention in a good way.  However, I see that you have done your other homework and that the parents have genetic testing.

If and when to add a second dog is kind of like if and when to add a second child - this is really a personal decision and what I think is the best way to go is not necessarily the best way for you.  I like to add a dog when my youngest is fully adult - like four years old - so I can really concentrate and enjoy the puppy.  But his is my philosophy for kids too and that doesn't make it the only way to go.  Don't you go on  trips sometimes (perhaps I am confusing you with someone else) but if you do what do you do with Hattie and could you add a second dood to that same situation?  We have taken one to four dogs places and I can tell you one is way, way easier and actually fun; two gets a bit more difficult - not all places or friends want two dogs visiting; with three or four you really have to limit your activities.

On the other hand, you have done such a marvelous job with Hattie, I would expect you to do a marvelous job with your second doodle.  Even though two is harder, you are so much more experienced now that some of what was very hard won't be.

Bottom line answer is that YES, you can love the second dog as much as the first and whatever drawbacks there are you will deal with, and the advantages you will enjoy.  It just happens.

[Cynthia, Elvis & Pink]

I'm single and II adopted my second doodle about 4 months ago.  It is a LOT more work and expense than just 1.  Not that I have any regrets.  But she is so much different than my goldendoodle (she's a labradoodle).  He's always been calm and laid back.  Pink is much more active and more of a troublemaker than Elvis was at the same age.  She's also quicker to pick up on training (except for housetraining :-(

Elvis is 5 and I'm glad I waited until he was a complete adult - he's been a good mentor to her.  Even though it looks like you have made your decision, I would recommend waiting until your dog is a least 3 years old before getting your next one.  Remember your new dog is going to be a puppy for 2 years so you want to make sure you have any behavioral issues with your other dog out of the way.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Hattie is awesome - thanks to your hard work.

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

I'm a bit late to this conversation (sorry, been a bit crazy over here). As a single female with two dogs there are definitely both pros and cons but for me the pros outweigh the cons. (Mostly. I've been known to grumble under my breath "what the heck was I thinking?!" from time to time.)  I'd agree wholeheartedly with everyone who said "don't rush the decision." Weigh the pros and cons carefully and make sure you're ready for the cons.

I'm in my mid-forties and work full-time (and a bit more, depending on what's going on at work). Lach and Dec each weigh ~65lbs and have long legs; that means two large crates that I have to find room for - and in their case, four large crates because they have bedroom crates and living-room crates. That also means paying for a sitter to come in twice a day for two dogs every day that I'm scheduled to work because I can't always get home myself but I don't always know what days I'll have the freedom to leave work and what days I won't.

Two large dogs means that a full grooming for both of them is a weekend shot. It also means twice the training (plus) because they need to be worked separately as well as together, and twice the potential for problems that can be time-consuming to address (Declan has anxiety issues, for example). On the bright side that's twice the exercise for me and since I hate exercise and am rather out of shape because of it I'm benefiting too!

They're retrievers, so that also means that my vocabulary these days pretty much consists of "leave it!" Not to mention riffs on the refrain of "That's a <variable>, not food." For <variable>, insert chair, cat, rock, drywall, etc.

Twice the bloody-expensive kibble and treats. Twice the number of times I'm hauled out of bed in the middle of the night because someone's hacking up something he shouldn't have eaten in the first place and is now deeply regretting. Twice the amount of attention required just when I'm elbow-deep into a project. Twice the ears that need to be cleaned and nails that need to be trimmed.

Suddenly I'm a Soccer Mom 'cause I traded in my car for a mini-van large enough to hold two big crates. My vet bills doubled. I pay twice as much for insurance. Elk antlers ain't cheap either! And the new dog-resistant kitchen trash can arrived today - Declan discovered over the holiday that he can clear the nearly-four-foot gate across the kitchen doorway and I caught him with a turkey neck half-way down his throat.

On the pro side of the equation, they're absolutely devoted to each other. They wear each other out tearing up the back yard. They're absolutely a delight to watch play together. I don't feel as guilty about leaving them all day because they have each other for company while I'm gone.

And there's nothing, and I mean nothing, like the feeling when suddenly I have a head on each thigh and twice the number of big brown eyes looking up at me with so much love it brings tears to my eyes.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Sandy, you forgot to tell her, the second is already on the way  :)  LOL

Signed, Sealed, and the delivery is in January

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

ROFL! I missed that ... congratulations, Sandy!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Congrats.  I know this will work out perfectly.