Question for Multi-Doodle Families

[Elle23]

Hi!

How long did you wait before adding your second Doodleto your family? An opportunity may present later this year for a second young Doodle to enter my family, and I wanted to see if the experts on here had some thoughts on this, and how they and their Doodles did with the transition.

Background on me -- my first Doodle joined our family just after New Year's (this year) and he's been incredible. I've had several dogs in my lifetime, but he's been probably the easiest to potty train, great with obedience training (can be a bit stubborn because he's so darn smart and catches on too fast), relatively light shedding (mostly due to the blowing of his puppy coat), and great with family/friends. He is a bit on the shy side with other dogs, but is warming up the more he socializes. He was pretty mouthy; however, that's subsiding as his teeth change and he get further with obedience training. At the point the second Doodle would join the family, he would be just under a year -- so still a puppy. I just wonder if this would be good for his/our lives, or if it is better to wait until he's older and less of a puppy? The second Doodle is also male, and the age difference is about 6 months (the opportunity came out of the blue and I'm excited/grateful, but also thinking it through).

Thanks in advance for your input/experience.

[Joyce (Casey & Cody's mom)]

  My best advice is --- you know your dog better than anyone else does, so trust your instinct. However, some general advice includes - I would take your current pup somewhere other than your home to meet his new sibling. Allow them time to sniff, play, etc before going home.  Be sure that they each have individual attention and time. Also, be sure that the older pup has his own space and make a new space for the new pup.  

Our 2 boys were litter mates and they came home 1 week apart, so we didn't have any issues with introducing them to each other. They did however, come into a home invaded by 4 dachshunds. We have commonly been a home that has foster dogs, so I'm sure the dachshunds  thought that these 2 young snappers were just more fosters. Fosters that just never left! :)  My 12 pound oldest dachshund is the alpha bitch in my house. Everyone, including both of these 50+ pound doodles "toe the line" around her.  You are right - they are VERY smart dogs and caught on quickly that when "Mama dog" speaks - they all listen.

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

We waited 3 years before adding a 2nd doodle. Originally, we'd planned on waiting 5 yrs, but circumstances changed and we did it sooner. Lots of people here on DK get a 2nd puppy within a year of the first, and some even get them together at the same time. My advice, and what worked for me, is to wait at least until the first dog is well trained. Doing that will go so much further in helping to train the 2nd dog. Its amazing how much the 2nd dog learns from the first, and it makes all training so much easier.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Agree.  I think 3 years is perfect timing between puppies.  We got our first doodle in 2003 when my husband retired.  We already had a standard poodle and when he died in 2006, we got our second doodle.  When the first doodle died (too early) in 2010, we got another doodle to replace him.  And when the second doodle died in 2014, we had to get another dog to replace him.  This time Harpo selected a Jackapoo who was a perfect companion for him.   As you can see, once dogs have had another dog as a companion, they have a very hard time when the companion dies.  At least that has been our experience.  We will always have at least two dogs.  And yes, the older dog trains the youngster by example.  We do have the perfect ambiance for dogs with a fenced back yard and a dog run and always somebody at home with them.  We usually take them with us, but had a sitter come to stay here with them in November when we went to Arizona, and took them to a sitter in San Jose when we went again in February.  They never spend more than a few hours alone and they always have each other.

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I just brought home doodle number two last weekend and Loki was just over 14months old and Moose was 8weeks. everything has been going well with them. So similar age to what you're doodle would be! They do play very very rough but from what I can tell/what others here have said it seems normal just something to get used to. They are both boys and seem to be settling in nicely with eachother! Loki is very shy with everyone and everything, he is the older one and Moose on the other hand is fearless and very head strong. Loki was soooooo easy going as a puppy and Moose is more of a challenge but seeing how different they are from eachother, I think once we are all settled in they will mesh perfectly together. Good luck! :)

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

We have a Multiple Doodle Group -

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/multipledoodlesordogs

I'm sure you will get more responses there.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I like to space my dogs so that I can give full attention to the youngest.  Our two doodles are exactly the same age but we got them two years apart as one was a rescue.