Thinking of getting a 2nd dog... (am I crazy?)

1530 Views 25 Replies 9 Participants Last post by nikelodeon79, Mar 21, 2009

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · Mar 14, 2009

So, we have a 16 week old female Akita/GSD puppy, Luna. We originally planned on getting two dogs, but decided to start with one.

Lately, I've been getting the urge to get a 2nd dog. I know most people say to wait until your puppy is 2 (or at least 18 months) before getting another one, but I found a dog that seems like he will be a good fit.

My husband and I had discussed getting a Siberian Husky before we adopted Luna. Then, we planned on getting a Sibe puppy from a reputable breeder after Luna is a bit older.

Now I stumbled upon a Sibe that some people are rehoming (he came to them as a stray, they cleaned him up, searched for the owners, and now are looking for a new home for him).

They said he is 1.5 years old, good with dogs, cats & horses, housebroken/crate trained, and knows his basic commands. If so, somebody took a lot of time with this boy...

He sounds too good to be true. I've emailed the people with questions (was there a vet exam, any health issues, is he neutered, etc.). Can anyone think of any other questions I should ask?

More importantly, am I completely crazy to think of doing this? If we decide to go ahead with this, we'll bring Luna over to meet him prior to making a final decision (he's located about 3 hours away from us)... although I'm a little leery of doing this if he hasn't had a vet exam...

Save

1 - 10 of 26 Posts

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #4 · Mar 14, 2009

Keechak said:
yes I think your crazy lol many dogs don't start to get to their hyper phase untill at least 6 months old sometimes later. if you think your puppy is sweet and easy to handle now I'd like to see what you think in 6 months.

However if you think you are prepared and have done all your reasearch and know what activities you want the dogs for, then go ahead and be crazy.

LMAO, my puppy is FAR from sweet and easy. She's a little monster, and will most likely get worse before she gets better. She's part Akita, and some Akitas stay in their "puppy phase" for two years.

But we love her.

Wouldn't trade her for the world.

Our activities to do with the dogs include playing with them (we're fencing in our 5 acres this spring) going for walks/hikes/runs, and camping. Luna's an active dog... so if we're going to get another dog, that one should probably be active, too.

I've done a lot of research on Siberian Huskies, and this one sounds completely opposite of what I've read, and THAT scares me. I wonder if the people trying to rehome this dog are being completely honest...

Honestly the thing that concerns me most is the health of the dog. They say he's healthy.. but I want to make sure. It isn't that I wouldn't be willing to front the vet costs and take care of a sick dog... it's just that we've gone through so much with Luna since we got her, health wise... I'd like a healthy dog this time, LOL. (Now, I know things happen, but I want to make sure I at least start out with a healthy dog).

See less See more

Save

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #8 · Mar 14, 2009

Keechak said:
Since you live in Wisconsin like me I HIGHLY suggest getting into Skijoring. you have a dog that is perfect for the sport/pastime.

Yes, I'm very interested in that! When I still lived with my parents, I was given a very well bred Malamute Husky that was trained for Skijoring. His owners had lost their house and were forced to move into an apartment. Unfortunately my mom took one look at the dog (whose head was the size of her pomeranian) and said "Either you go, or the dog goes."

I shoulda told her, "Okay, bye mom, here's your dog!" LOL. She was so mad she couldn't even threaten me properly!

Save

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 14, 2009

Snuggles said:
Didn't you go through this a week ago? (decision) Anyway since it is not a pup and you have enough room for it, give it a try. Ask if you can return the dog if it is not working out.

I don't think I was dealing with this a week ago... maybe someone else's thread?

I doubt I could return the dog if it isn't working out. The reason they can't keep the dog is that they own a race horse facility and race season is coming up... they're far too busy with that to give a young dog the attention he needs.

Save

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #12 · Mar 14, 2009

Pepper said:
No, if the OP really wants the dog, they should have no thoughts of giving the dog back, and should be ready to accept the full responsibility of having the dog for it's full life. The only reason they would have for giving the dog back was if the dog didn't get along with their puppy, and they would test that when they do a meet and greet.

Yes, this was my thought as well. The dog has already had at least two owners... not fair to keep bouncing him around!..

Save

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #14 · Mar 14, 2009 (Edited)

Snuggles said:
I doubt you could either but I thought I would mention it. It's better to return than send it to another shelter or worse.

Nope, that's something I would never do (dump a dog at a shelter). I have avenues in place if something were to happen to me and my husband that made us unable to care for our animals (injury/death, etc).

I don't really foresee any behavioral problems that would make me want to return the dog. Even if he decides he wants to eat the kitties... well then I'd just have to make sure they are never unsupervised together (which is my plan, anyway... never can be too safe with dogs that have high prey drives). We have a large house.. and are already planning on making the (finished) basement safe to lock the dog(s) in when they're old enough not to endanger themselves. We have gates tall enough to keep kitties out and dogs in.

Keechak said:
Skijoring equipment is very affordable the only real equipment you need is an X-back harness for the dog which is about $30 and a set of crosscountry skis which you can get at second hand shop for $30-$60 sometimes and thats it. unless you want to buy a waist harness for yourself which is convienient but not nessisary

I actually have a really nice pair of cross country skis that are just sitting there in the closet...

Save

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #20 · Mar 14, 2009

rosemaryninja said:
It's possible, but with a lot of effort. I wouldn't consider a 1.5 year old Husky an adult dog. Probably just out of puppyhood, around adolescence. One adolescent Husky, and one 16 week-old Akita/GSD mix is a lot to handle. Crazy doesn't mean impossible. It just means difficult.

I think you can do this if you know what you're getting yourself into, but if I were you I would definitely meet the dog, with your current pup, and look for any temperament problems as well as test his basic commands.

The fact that he's not yet an adult dog is actually a plus for me. I want him to still have that "puppy mentality" so he isn't adverse to playing with Luna.

The fact that there are two of us (my husband and I) should be helpful as far as time/effort.

I haven't heard back from the current owners of the dog... I guess I'll make my final decision when I do. I want to take Luna to meet him before anything is decided for sure.

Thank you all for your input!

Save

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #22 · Mar 15, 2009

Spiritguardian3 said:
why would the dog be adverse to playing with your dog? My parent's 7 year old border collie mix and 12 year old rottie play with my one year old chessie.

Some older dogs don't exactly enjoy the enthusiasm of puppies...

what if during adolescense your pup becomes dog aggressive? Akitas often times are da, what will you do then?

A very good point... Akitas are prone to DA... but the chances are lessened if you do not have two dogs of the same sex. I've found a ton of dogs I'd love to adopt but have resisted because they are female.

and make sure you find out why they are giving their dog away, a lot of people lie about their dogs when they give them away, no one wants to give away super dog Just a caution, 1.5 year old husky might not be housebroken, aggressive towards pets and people, children, etc. Or might have physical problems, huskies are known for digestive problems.

As I said in my first post, the people stated they found the dog as a stray, but cannot keep him due to their business (horse racing). They also state that he is housebroken/crate trained, friendly to dogs, cats and horses, and healthy.

Of course, it is quite possible that they are lying... and if they are they're not going to change their story simply because I ask. I'll have to meet the dog and use my best judgment.

Save

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #24 · Mar 20, 2009

To wrap this thread up:

We decided not to get the Husky. The main reason is that Luna depleted our emergency fund, and even if the new dog was 100% healthy, accidents happen. We want to be fully prepared.

Secondly, we think Luna needs a bit more "alone time" with us before we bring in another dog.

Third, we had made the decision to go through a reputable breeder... and were swayed by the prospect of a "free" dog posted on Craigslist. We thought about it some more and decided we would rather go through the breeder, and get the health, confirmation, and temperament of a well bred dog, not to mention the support of a good breeder.

Finally... we've done a lot of breed research and are actually thinking of going an entirely different route. We're probably going to get an Australian Shepherd.

Save

nikelodeon79

Discussion Starter · #26 · Mar 21, 2009

marsha=whitie said:
Why a breeder? there are tons of breed-specific rescues.... Unless you're dead set on a pup. Good luck!

For the reasons previously mentioned:

nikelodeon79 said:
we would rather go through the breeder, and get the health, confirmation, and temperament of a well bred dog, not to mention the support of a good breeder.

Save

1 - 10 of 26 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month