Hello fellow dog lovers! I am in a bit of a dilemma. Should I? Or Shouldn't I? Briefly I have a black lab bitch, who is 8, 9 in February 2003. Bonnie is the best, so good. We have been thinking and looking into having another dog to join our pack. Only problem is I don't want to rock our already happy pack, and feel that perhaps Bonnie is starting to slow down and might not enjoy the thought of a bouncing pup. Shoudl I wait and when the time come and Bonnie leaves us bring another dog in then? I wondered if perhaps someone out there might have any previous knowledge or experience in this situation and might be able to give me some comments of their experience/s. I've been educating myself concerning bringing in another pup to our pack by reading books and looking at some helpful web site. Thanks.

Hi ME,
The only experiance of this that I have is that when I was a child, we had a black lab too-Josh. Once he got to a similar age as Bonnie, my parents started thinking the same thing, they kept on putting it off and off, until Josh got to 15 and had to be PTS, sadly arthritis got the better of him. It was shortly after that that Mum and Dad wished that they had had a pup whilst Josh was still around. They felt that to do it then would make them feel as if they were trying to replace Josh. So they waited again, and got Oscar, a yellow pup, about 5 years later. Sadly, for a number of reasons, they had Oscar rehomed when he was about six months old. I think if they'd have had a pup whilst Josh was still with us and young enough to 'put the new pup in his place' it would have all worked out more happily. Also, when Josh was a pup, my sister and I were children (played with him lots) and my parents were younger;). By the time Oscar came along, us children had long since moved out, and my poor parents could'nt keep up with the needs of a very bouncy lab pup. I know this is just my experiance, but I hope it helps!
Nic :)

Thanks Nic for your comments and experience, it was good to hear and I do feel that Bon's would be able to hopefully rub off and pass on some of what makes her such a pleasure to have. At least it's a positive tick For rather than against. Cheers Me

I think that it is a good idea to get a pup now. I'd bear in mind, tho', that you will need to be able to separate them at times. Even my four year old gets fed up with our pup at times and so we have a dog gate on the kitchen door and use this to give 'time outs !'. Also, you may find that if your older dog gets a lot slower, you may need to give them separate walks if the pup needs a lot of exercise when older. A cage for the pup is also recommended.

Good luck

Daisy

12 years ago, we bought Purdey, as we knew our old lab, Jet (who was then 10) wouldn't be with us for ever. Purdey gave Jet a new lease of life, and for about 3 years he "flumped" around with her, before slowing down, and gradually fading away at the age of 14. Purdey started moping, and we then acquired Thor. Now, Purdey is 12, and happily is "matriarch" of our clan of Aussies & labs!

I have a black lab bitch who was 10 in September.

In June I bought a new yellow lab bitch pup. My old collie was PTS in January at age 15 and I enjoyed having 2 dogs and seeing them interact. When I got the black pup it perked the collie up no end. He loved her!

When I got the yellow pup I expected the same. That my black bitch would perk up and love the pup. However, the yellow lab pup is really naughty to my older dog. She only wants to play, but the black is having none of it. Black would walk out of the room with pup nipping her heels just to get a response! Which one day she did. Black turned around, picked up pup by the scruff of the neck, shook her three times, dropped her and walked off... There wasn't a mark on pup. (Not that you would know it from the noise she made. )

Ever since then, pup has respected my older dog more.

Now pup is 7 months I let her off the lead more as her recall is fairly good. Pup follows black around everywhere. It's almost as if my older dog is teaching her, not on purpose of course. But black is very good and I would like to think pup is going to pick up some manners from her as well as me teaching her.

At home I treat them the same and you can sometimes see pup looking to see what older dog is doing.

lol... what I am rambling on about and trying to say is that there are pros and cons.

Also, for me, it will eventually soften the blow when black goes. Having black around when I lost my collie was a godsend.

Hmmm, just a thought...

does anyone think that older dogs accept new pups into the home better than older bitches?

If you are lucky your lab is around half way through her life, and in fact a new pup may keep her young for longer. I would use a crate for the pup for when you go out for short periods, and over night so that she gets the required peace. they will have each others company, but she can doze in peace.

A question to ask yourself, is whether she is a generally sociable bitch with other canines. My lot despite having each other have quite a lot of canine freinds.

You may find initially that she is hard on the new pup, o9r a bit sulky/resentful. Also do not ruch to protect the pup when she disciplines it. Only step in if you think things are really out of hand, which if she is a well adjusted bitch around her own species, is unlikely.

When she eventually goes to the bridge the pup will be a nice sensible adult, and you will be able to have another pup either right away, or after a bit of time, but will not be left totally dogless!

I do find that having more than one dog some how enriches mine and their lives. Also you have someone other than yourself to keep the pup busy, and in it's place.

Hi there
IMHO I think it would probably be a good time to introduce a new baby.
Pup's have to have quiet time to rest and sleep in the first few months so you will be separating them at times during the day when you can have quality 1 to 1 time with Bonnie to allow her to understand you still adore her. :)
Most dogs enjoy the company of other dogs and *most* are quite careful with pup's, but that doesn't mean puppy won't be firmly put in his/her place if he/she steps out of line or pushes his/her luck! ;)
However, as I say it is really important to let Bonnie know she is still No:1 with lots of love and praise and being fed first, lead on first, through the door first etc etc.
Please let us know what you decide.
Nicky

Hi

Have you thought about a rescue Lab? It will solve the problem if you do not think Bonnie will like a young pup pestering her !

Just a thought ! There are plently of Labs out there who are after a loving home that you sound although you can provide !

I introduced a Pup as I had two Labs, Mars the mother (13 at the time) and Min the daughter(11 at the time) for when Mars went so that Min would have a companion. We did however search long and hard for a rescue Lab but time was not on our side as we wanted to establish the new addition so that we knew Min had bonded 100% before Mars went. When Moose our pup arrived it was a very tiring time for all of us, dogs and humans but it was worth every minute as Min and Moose are inseperable and Min did not suffre at all when we lost Mars in August.

Hope this helps ?


Lucy

Hi Me, I had exactly the same dilemma 5 years ago, with our black lab who was then 8. I made the decision to look for another puppy the following summer when he would be coming up for 9. Before we got to the next summer, sadly Sam developed nasal cancer and died. This all happened within the space of 6 weeks. I was devastated, but 3 months later we got a little black lab bitch who was a joy to us. Now we also have her daughter who is now 18 months old. I don't think having a second dog would make you miss the first one less, but maybe it makes things a little less empty.
One of our puppy buyers last year had an old lab of 11. She says the puppy has given him a new lease of life, and he now really enjoys his walks and having the youngster around.
Its got to be your decision, but I hope this may help you.
Lorna

Hi ME,
I had the same dilemma as yourself, I have a 10yrs 11mths old Staffie, Tessa (my best friend) who allowed me to bring not one but 3 cats into our lives, the youngest is only 9mths old, the others are 4yrs and 2yrs. She still (given the chance) would chase other cats but not her babies. She has even woke me up in the middle of the night to go to rescue any of her babies who she thinks are in trouble (fighting) outside.
I often thought about getting another dog but but I felt it would be unfair to Tessa as she was slowing down and she also suffers from osteoarthritis. Also although she didn't mind the cats (i even have a photo of her allowing them to suckle of her when they were very young kittens) 4yr old Mickie her favourite now grooms Tessa's ears for her, another dog might be just to much for her.
Then 7wks ago Charlie arrived (i like yourself posted about it on this board and got some very good advice) Charlie needed a home and someone reccomended me. I was so worried about my beautiful, loyal Tessa but Charlie, who is also a Staffie is now 14wks old and has given Tessa a new lease of life, they play Tug and Playfight together but Tessa is the Boss and Charlie will lie on his back and submit to her.
Thankfully getting Charlie turned out alright for me (so far) also the cats soon put Charlie in his place as well. Charlie sleeps downstairs in the kitchen and Tessa, Cats and me upstairs and I did not allow Charlie on our couch untill Tessa was OK with it.
As long as you let Bonnie know she's still number 1 in your eyes and you still love her as much it might be OK but I do know how you feel because if Charlie hadn't just arrived on my doorstep so to speak I don't know if I would have got another dog. Best of luck whatever you decide. Deirdre

As someone has already said there are pros and cons to this. We thought our 5 year old dog would benefit from having a playmate so we brought in a six month old pup. They do get on OK but sometimes I feel that the older one would have been quite content to remain 'an only dog'.
Although of course I love the little one very much and wouldn't part with him for the world, if I was completely honest, I don't know if I would do the same again.

I'm a cat person, not a dog person, but this is my experience. Dolly, a spayed female large dog (a mix of many kinds) was 6 years old and the only dog of my mother's when a no-collar puppy remained under my truck and would not leave as I left a motel room, in the middle of nowhere on a trip to visit my mother. Not wanting a dog myself, I thought I'd bring it to my mother and it'd go to Animal Alliance.

Much to our surprise, independant, older Dolly really loved that puppy. She was so happy with it that my mother kept it.

Now that pack of 2 dogs happily went on for 3 years together, when I found another lost dog, roughly 10 months old. It joined Dolly and Vaughn. They took a few days to get along, but then they did and happily play. This year, I found another lost dog, a Cocker Spaniel with no collar, not neutered and whose owners never answered the newspaper ad I put in, so it too joined the pack. Now there are 4 dogs in that pack, and they get along.

Dolly being the first dog, however, and being a dominant dog in spite of being female, is the pack leader, even though the, now neutered, Cocker tries to take charge at times. As a result of pack leader status, Dolly is fed first, given front yard priveleges, given first in the back of the car priveleges, that sort of thing.
Everybody else accepts this.

So if you do add a puppy to your pack, to keep your older dog happy, I suggest you treat your older dog as pack leader and allow her the corresponding priveleges that go with that. EC Kostrubala

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply to my post, I have to confess now am an addict of this message board!

You have all given me food for thought and although I'll probably never be absolutely 100% sure, I am leaning more towards getting another babe!! I appreciate that Bon's will have to be number 1 and she is, so that will be easy and to be honest I don't think any other dog would ever take that No: spot even when Bon's no longer with us.

The time out idea is something I really thought I'd need to do, as although Bonnie is good in all/most situations I feel time out will be good for all of us.

So, now I need some more help, yes I feel confident that we will bring another dog to our home but male or female does it make a difference.

My experience with Bonnie and other dogs is fairly good experience especially smaller dogs.

A friend with whom I walk most mornings has two dogs a six year old dog Collie and a Bearded Collie pup say 4/5 month old bitch - who my friend say is very dominant. Bonnie had no problems with the dog Lester although put him in his place about sniffing where she was not too happy with, and they get along fine now. But Mollie the pup and Bon fine to begin with but Mollie has become more and more full on, Bonnie did decide she'd had enough and put Mollie in her place and it's the first time I'd actually seen Bonnie like that with another dog, she pinned Mollie to floor growling and showing her teeth for just a short time, then off she got Mollie had a shake and all was fine - but I must add Mollie did back off and all seems calm in the morning walk pack.

Bonnie does seem to keep her distance but now that Mollie's around Lester and Bon don't seem to run together Bon's happy to just stay close by me and sniff about, perhaps she's a bit put out that her mate Lester has a new play mate!

I would like to have another bitch but only because I have Bonnie. On reading various articles concerning dogs and bitches I don't think either will matter too much as Bon will be top dog and any new dog will soon be shown it's place in our pack, I trust I'm right in thinking that.

Also at home we are undertaking some renovations, hence won't be looking for a pup until say May time. Choc lab we think not too many breeders where I like, but got a list from this site and will start to make some enquiries.

Thanks again everyone and perhaps some replies might come in relation to this posting.

From what you say about Bonnie and the naughty Beardie pup, then you should have not long term troubles settling in a new pup. she seems well adjusted and can stick up for herself, and will actually be a huge he;p re disciplining the new addition.

I keep only bitches and have no problems, and with your breed that should also be the case, as they are not renowned for inter dog problems.

You have seen how efficiently she dealt with the pup, and the fact that he wasn't physically or mentally scarred by the experience, so I would just say, don't be tempted to stick up for the new puppy if it is pushing it's luck. any interventions should be to support Bonnie, and if neccesary split them up for time out, but make it clear to Bonnie that she is not in the wrong, so pup gets put out.

Of course if at any time you feel she is going to far with her role, and then you as her Alpha can issue a rebuke, but do not favour the pup.

I'm back again. Well, as mentioned previously taking our time in making up our minds and won't be getting an addition under next spring and if the renovations continue at this slow, or should I say stopped, speed then maybe I'll be too old and not Bonnie, with regards to taking on a pup.

Well, on Saturday I'm up my mum's place and she's was looking after a Jack Russell, now these two dogs walk together as often as every day now, I'm in the room, Bons getting lot os love and attention from my mum who I think feels Bons the only grandchild/dog she'll have from us and the Jack is over saying her hellos to me, well, over come Bon and she starts to like well, how to explain, headbutting the jack, A very slight growl come from her, I then got the Jack to sit down and made a fuse of Bon, off she then went and we took them both out for a walk.

I am off again, worrying about what it might be like for us with a new addition. Is this just harmless jealously or should I be worried and reconsider the new addition and let Bonnie carryout with the life she use to - having me to herself.

HELP - the more I think about it the worse its getting, the more a read the worst it get, I really want another dog, but is it worth making her sad, because thats what I feel. I'm sorry for going on. And I do know that it's what I do that will make the difference and I suppose I need to just get on with it and worry and face things as they come.

Sorry to just come on and go on!! Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to listen and reply!!

I wouldn't worry to much about a puppy, my Beardie Una was 8 when we introduced first pup and 11 when the next one came along. She put both in their place if they needed it, never nasty just firm. I never interfered and Braid who we sadly lost at 3 and Cava now 20 months soon learnt their place.
She plays with Cava a lot even tho' she's nearly 13 now and they are great pals. For myself I would tend to have a dog pup but that's just me
Anne

A;so bear in mind that dogs are naturally social creatures, and a pup will learn it's place, and things should work out fine/

Thanks for the further comments and here's looking forward to a new addition in 2003!!

Thanks again I'll be back to let you know how it goes concerning our new addition but won't be looking until about April/May time. Cheers.