[jellybuttonss]

Hello all!

My Cali's 3 months old now and he's awesome! I've had him since he was 8 weeks old..We've started obedience training.. He's learning so fast..

I am interested in adopting another lab from a rescue shelter.. But I am not sure if I should wait? Or will it be ok if I were to adopt one now..?

I would just like some feedback as to when it will be best to adopt another older dog.. I am willing to work extra hard to make sure the two dogs get along.. I am just not sure how difficult it can be..

Most of the dogs at the rescue shelter are "housetrained" and "good with dogs" and "good with kids".. But how reliable are those wordings?

Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

[corgi_lover]

i think that will be fine. i got two puppies at one time plus the one i already had and it turned out a lot easier than everyone made it sound. i actually found it easier owning two dogs. they keep eachother company, give each other plenty of excercise and they were both so smart training came easy.

But it also depends on how old your dog will be when you get him. although an old dog(senior) may be good around other dogs they usually dont have the patience to hand a young puppy i would say you shouldnt adopt a dog older than 5 unless it is a pretty hyper dog. hope i helped

[poodleholic]

Enjoy your puppy and wait until he's fully trained before you bring another dog into the household. It takes a lot of time, effort, and patience to raise a healthy, well balanced dog.

You have no way of knowing for sure just what you're getting with a dog from a shelter (or a re-home from an owner), and what you see during the "honeymoon" period is not always what you end up with a few weeks/months down the road. That dog may have undersireable behaviors that your puppy could take on, so, keep that in mind when you make a decision. Keep in mind, too, that a rescue requires the commitment of doing whatever needs to be done once you've brought that dog home. I could never have brought Beau (my rescue) home if Maddy (my resident dog) hadn't already been well trained. She was 16 months old, and had been with me since the age of 9 weeks. Even if Beau had been an "easy" dog without issues, adding another dog dramatically changes the dynamics in the household.

[doggone6]

Originally Posted by poodleholic

Enjoy your puppy and wait until he's fully trained before you bring another dog into the household. It takes a lot of time, effort, and patience to raise a healthy, well balanced dog.

You have no way of knowing for sure just what you're getting with a dog from a shelter (or a re-home from an owner), and what you see during the "honeymoon" period is not always what you end up with a few weeks/months down the road. That dog may have undersireable behaviors that your puppy could take on, so, keep that in mind when you make a decision. Keep in mind, too, that a rescue requires the commitment of doing whatever needs to be done once you've brought that dog home. I could never have brought Beau (my rescue) home if Maddy (my resident dog) hadn't already been well trained. She was 16 months old, and had been with me since the age of 9 weeks. Even if Beau had been an "easy" dog without issues, adding another dog dramatically changes the dynamics in the household.

Absolutely! When your puppy starts going through the 'teenage' stage, you'll be glad you only have one dog to deal with, too!