Another Doodle

[Kylee]

I know this has been discussed many times, but I was still hoping to get some opinions on getting another doodle. My doodle Willow is 9 months old and is a wonderful dog, I love her to pieces. I have been thinking for some time about getting another one because I feel so guilty leaving her at home by herself during the day (even though it is never more then 5 hours and I have a dog walker come in). My boyfriend leaves her last in the morning and she gets so pissed at him. I feel that she would really love a companion to hangout with during the day. We are also moving at the end of May to a new home with a bigger fenced in yard. I also think I would like a chocolate or black second doodle since Willow is so light. So my main question is does it matter if two females live together or is it best to have two dogs of the opposite sex living under one roof? Thanks for you input!

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

My Sasha was 10 months old when I got my Oliver.   I never had a male dog before and was a bit nervous having a male and female.  Oliver and Sasha are best buds and they do keep each other company while I am at work.  I too thought that getting a black, red or brown doodles would compliment Sasha who is a creamy tan color.   When I had Shih Tzu's I had two females and they got along wonderfully.   Oliver never humps Sasha and both are fixed so there is no issues.  But my sister has a male lab mix and a female chow chow... the male is constantly humping the female chow and both of her dogs are fixed as well.   Having two doodles is the best !!!!  

[Kylee]

Your doodles are so cute....I love the contrast of the two!! I def. am concerned about the whole humping issue, hopefully that wouldn't happen though..haha. I totally think two doodles are better then one! Could you also private message me where you got OIiver? I am finding it hard to find darker doodles. Thanks!

[Marie and Hoka]

I like the dogs to be opposite sexes and neutered (obviously).  Our behaviorist told us that while it often works fine, 2 females were most likely to have a problem of any combination.

[Kylee]

Thanks for the information...I think opposite sex dogs in one household is the way to go.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

We have two males and they get along very well.  I have a friend that had two female wheatons - they were continually both trying to be alpha.  As far as humping - beware, it is usually a dominance thing, and females do hump also!

[Kylee]

I found out about the female humping thing when my sisters female red heeler tried to hump Willow the other week...haha. I def. think I am going to do the opposite sex thing.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

You are right, this has been discussed many many times and the consensus is pretty much always the same.  Get the second one when the first one is WELL trained.   Get the second one because you want a second one, not because the doodle wants one to hang out with while you are gone.  The doodle is sleeping while you are gone. (or tearing things up and if that is the case it isn't time to get a second one because the first one isn't trained).   As far as male and female, it really doesn't matter.  Every dog is different.  Males hump, females hump, males mark (sometimes), some people like males, some people like females, it really doesn't make much difference if they are fixed.  Temperament and personality are much more important.  Occasionally a particular dog will get along better with a particular sex, but that is just that particular dog.  I find that the big advantage to having two is when they are outside and they entertain each other by playing (however not all do).  However, that being said, that also present the opportunity for more injuries as sometimes they play pretty hard.

[Kylee]

Thanks for the input. I def. want another doodle, I think they are wonderful dogs. As far as training goes she is very well behaved. I might have just got lucky, but the last time she was in a cage was when she was 4 months old. She doesn't destroy anything and will just hangout when we are gone. I also agree with you on the fact that temperament and personality are important.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Currently I have all males, but during my lifetime of owning dogs, we have had single female,  female/female, male/female, and female/female/male  combos and the only issued we have ever had were during settling in periods - one dog got depressed with the addition of the puppy and when an adult dog was introduced into the pack there were some months of pack order setting in.

[Kylee]

I too was thinking about her possibly being upset with a new puppy at first. She is my shadow and I wouldn't want her to get jealous or be depressed if we got a new dog. How long would you say the settling in periods took?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have a male and female labradoodle. There was no settling in and they are fine together. We do have mock wars in the yard which can seem ferocious but are just for fun.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I have male and female Labradoodles. I'm sure its all about personality and temperament, but there was no 'settling in' adjustment period when Oscar, the youngest, was introduced (Lucy was 3 yrs old at the time). Lucy fell in love with her 'little brother' from the start and saw him as her personal plaything. They've always played, 'I'm the ALPHA', with Oscar humping Lucy (or trying to when he was smaller) and Lucy doing her version of humping... putting her front paws/legs onto Oscar's back from the side and just standing there. Its just a game and honestly I've never discouraged it, as there's  no one true alpha between them. But Oscar is so much bigger than Lucy now and will sometimes lock onto her hips with a grip that is almost impossible for her to get out of. Somehow she always manages eventually, and before you know it, she's up on top of him. I can't speak to any other combination of genders as Lucy and Oscar are the only dogs we've had, but they get along great.