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Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum

Hey all,


My husband and I are looking to add another doodle to our family! We have a goldendoodle, he's 3. His name is Dexter. We also have an 8 month old daughter. Dexter has came to the office everyday with us where we work for 3 years now but he's getting to the age where he doesn't care anymore to be there and he LOVES to be with other dogs. We are thinking about adding another doodle to the family. 

Do any of you have any advice? I'm so worried that we will add another dog, and it wont go as well as we hoped. Dexter seems a little down because we are so busy at work and our 8 month old. We just dont have the time to play with him as much. I have a feeling he would be very happy to have a buddy with him, I just hope I'm not wrong!

-Nicole 

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We just added a second ALD to our family and it has been going amazingly well. Our older dog (ALD), Rooney, is 4 1/2 years old and he has been both tolerant and playful with our new puppy, Zuzu, who is just 9 weeks old. I really believe they are showing all the signs of being good buddies down the road. 

That said though, as I'm sure you remember, puppies are a lot of work. And even though I think Rooney is helping to make Zuzu's puppyhood much easier (because he helps to wear her out), we never leave them unattended at this point. He is so much bigger than her and could easily hurt her even unintentionally. So, if we are not with them, Zuzu goes in her crate where she will be safe and Rooney is safe from her pestering. :)

So, my point is that while a new dog might be fun for Dexter it also might take some time and may not be an instant buddy, if that makes sense. 

I just took this picture this morning and it is cracking me up. I feel like Rooney is saying, "Mommm!! She follows me EVERYWHERE!" 

So, I guess it's obvious that even with the added work involved I think it's super fun having two! :)

I wouldn't add another dog to the family unless you and your husband really want one.  It sounds like you're already so busy and as you know puppies are a lot of work.  Have you thought about sending him to Daycare one day a week?

The "too busy to play much" is a red flag for me.  Realistically, two dogs will require MORE of your time.  It's not like you get another dog and the first dog is a babysitter.  Yes, they can entertain each other, but you won't want them zipping through your house/wrestling with a baby walking around.  And you can't just leave them outside for hours to entertain each other.  Another dogs is LOADS of fun when you have time.  We had THREE dogs at once before kids.  Now we have two and it's definitely something that comes with challenges.  Your time will get TIGHTER as your daughter gets older...going to activities, parks, etc.  It doesn't get easier in toddlerhood and preschool ages ;-)

I agree with Adina. 

You might consider that maybe Dexter is "down" because he used to get all of your attention and now much of your attention is on the baby instead. I don't think it would make him feel better to have to share what attention he does get from you with a new puppy. And new puppies, as you know, require a LOT of attention. 

have you thought about sending him to daycare once or twice a week? It would give him the chance to get out of the house and play with other dogs. 

That's actually a great idea. I think we will do that. And we aren't looking for a puppy, I would like to find an older doodle. That's at least 1 year old, but so far its been hard to come across.

Yes, as Adina mentioned, doodle rescue won't adopt to homes with young children and most private rescues have similar restrictions. It would have to be a private rehome situation and those can be very very risky. Long experience with this area has taught me that many people who are trying to rehome their dogs are less than honest about the dog's issues. 

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