Can anyone tell me will a dog smell less "doggy" once it is castrated? Also what do you consider to be the best age to get a second dog?

Can answer 1st question, my last GSDs odour never changed after castration, though he never really smelt of much really, not that I noticed anyway.

If it aint broke don't fix it. 

The urinesmell will be a lot less pungent in a castrated dog. Best age difference is at least 2 years.

There may be a chemical difference in the urine of a castrated dog one would think but I have never noticed a difference in the smell as I think the smell you get is a result of decomposition. The dog however may smell to other dogs like an in season bitch which if you allow free exercise in a public place can be a bit of a nuisance.

The only time I've ever noticed a difference in odour between my neutered and entire dogs is their first wee of the morning and even then only if they happen to be standing next to me.  Due to his coat my neutered dog is generally more 'whiffy' than my entire boy...

Age?  I like a 3 year gap - old enough to accept a little less exercise for a few weeks, sensible enough to cope with a puppy, firm enough in their training for it all not to go to pot, secure enough in their position to accept being ignored for a while, young enough to enjoy a puppy.  Mine are now 7.5, 3,  and 9 weeks.

Agre on age gap for those reasons mentioned and also for Social reasons. 

By the time the younger may feel like challenging for status, the older one is so secure/mature it can handle things more cleverly rather than be over reactionary.

Agree I try to leave 3 to 4 years but things do not always work out for you, bitches miss or a pup not to be missed becomes available.

Yep I have had 19 months and just two years, but these were not as easy as the ones with 3+ years between them.

Also unless your aiming for a houseful another reason for spreading them out is not to have nothing but old dogs later.

For example if you aim to have just two dogs it may be best to have about 6 years between them, that way you will have a continuous cycle as each older one dies.

This is often achieved by getting an older adult dog when your puppy has been well, trained and grown up, rather than another puppy, or waiting another few years before getting second pup.

Would there be any advantage to people, if they wanted 2 dogs, to have the 2 pups at the same time?  brought up together is this more ideal, than 1 now and 1 in a few years time?

A definite no!!!!  It can be done (especially in an already doggy household), but most often it ends with one or both being re-homed when it all gets too much or they start fighting.

There are numerous threads on the subject including a recently updated one http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/120056.html#fp where the owners with a great deal of dedication got through it.

Apart from the obvious issue of one on one time, there is the fact that being the same species they will bond with each other to the detriment of the human dog bond, will be harder to train as distracting to each other, and also over reliance on the other dog.  Later being the same/similar age may be more likely challenge each other, leading to fighting.

I see what you mean, the dogs would grow up closer together than would be comfortable, in the home, sort of like a little pack.

Yes and of course could act like a pair of yobs ganging up on others on walks etc.  A training nightmare.

Ideally you want your first dog to act like a big brother setting an example and helping you bring up Junior (rather than hindering your efforts), as to some extent your time will be split between them, and a puppy is a full on occupation..

I have a year between mine and i have to say it is one of the hardest things i have had to do! They are large working breed dogs although I do have a bitch and dog not the same sex. But it has taken some doing and they are now 4 and 5 (dog being older and more immature *roll eyes* ) but I wouldn't recommend a small age gap like that the same as I wouldn't want to see 2 pups of the same age go to pet homes.

Would there be any advantage to people, if they wanted 2 dogs, to have the 2 pups at the same time?

I wouldn't even advice that to my worst enemy as revenge. Well maybe to  Hitler and Bin Laden but then I don't think they'd make good dog owners in any event. For myself, having done it -twice -I'd much rather spend 8 hours a day at the dentist. Drilling without pain relief. That would be a dream in comparison.

> I wouldn't even advice that to my worst enemy as revenge. Well maybe to  Hitler and Bin Laden but then I don't think they'd make good dog owners in any event. For myself, having done it -twice -I'd much rather spend 8 hours a day at the dentist. Drilling without pain relief. That would be a dream in comparison.

Really that bad?

I'll stick with i young 'n at a time then.

Nothing can be as bad as the dentist though.;)

> I see what you mean, the dogs would grow up closer together than would be comfortable

Yes if you're lucky,if not and you had evenly matched litter mates the fights as they matured would be horrendous.

Kind Regards

Even a dog - bitch scenario? just as bad?

No, but the not allowing breeding issue would be there, and even more tears with seperating them, hormones and attachment.

Lots of baby gates I imagine. :(

LOL, you seriously underestimate the mating drive.  I won't even consider owning both sexes for that reason, even with both children flown from the nest so only me and hubby to make any mistakes with doors.

> LOL, you seriously underestimate the mating drive.

No I don't you've not seen me hurdle have you. LOL

> Lots of baby gates I imagine

I had a male many yrs ago who ate his way through two doors to get to the bitch and it took him all of ten minutes to do it! I was upstairs in the shower at the time and I managed to get downstairs just as the second door was yeilding to his teeth!!

Kind Regards

As I sit reading this thread the two dogs are playing chase, amazing since I have been up all night with the younger who had a bad case of colitis (for the first time in 3 years) yesterday and through the night, you wouldn't think that he had been passing blood every couple of hours.
I've alway been disapointed at myself for their periodic deafness/inability to show any inclination to do what they have been asked, but going through the posts I'm feeling a little bit better about things. 6 & 5 almost 12 months between them, both males, cousins and the best of friends (have never fought), neutered (which has caused problems for the elder), the younger too has had his own isues and at times due to medical problems has had to be seperated. My first dogs!!! I haven't given up on them, though at times they have tested me to the limit but still love them to bits. Would I have two so close in age again, NO. Would I neuter other than for health reasons, NO. Just one sadness, that I had to make these mistakes at some cost to the dogs.

With my Labs there is a 14month age gap....male and female, The male which is the eldest is just over 7 now....he was neutered before her first season. We now have a 2year old male and they all get on fine.
I personally wouldn't have them so close in age again, and would like a 3 year age gap.

> Would I have two so close in age again, NO. Would I neuter other than for health reasons, NO. Just one sadness, that I had to make these mistakes at some cost to the dogs.

We have all made these mistakes, until hopefully we learn as we go on, and do our best next time. Your dogs don't sound like they do too bad really, don't knock yourself.

xx

We had a year between ours and sadly this resulted in us recently having to rehome one :-(
I would agree that 3 years is ideal, my youngest is now 3 and has completely mellowed and become an "adult" in the sense that he is trustworthy, trained completly and would be a good role model. However for us we will never add another to our family as we couldn't go through the fear of them not getting on again.

If you got a bitch puppy there wouldn't be an issue with them not getting on, it's simple the bitch eventually becomes boss and the dog lets her ;)

So after the upset settles in another year or two who knows.

> If you got a bitch puppy there wouldn't be an issue with them not getting on, it's simple the bitch eventually becomes boss and the dog lets her ;-)
>
> So after the upset settles in another year or two who knows.

I would like to think that at some point way way way in the future I could foster dogs again but i'm not sure if this will ever be possible with the boy that I have. Funny thing is I have owner mutiple dogs before but they were much larger and I never had any problems but this has seriously dented my faith in myself as an owner as I feel that I failed them both.

Personally a female companion would be fine, but fostering might well be too disruptive for your present dog.

> Personally a female companion would be fine, but fostering might well be too disruptive for your present dog. <IMG class=qButton title="Quote selected text" alt="Quote selected text" src="/images/mi_quote.gif">[url=http://www.champdogs.co.uk/"><IMG][/url]

Its all a long way off and I think that he may just have us all to himself, he seems very happy being an only dog :-)

> Its all a long way off and I think that he may just have us all to himself, he seems very happy being an only dog :-)

Then think of him and keep it that way.

There will be time in the future, when you can start a fresh.

> Then think of him and keep it that way.
>
> There will be time in the future, when you can start a fresh.

Without being rude the reason we have just gone through the trauma of rehoming our eldest was because we were "thinking of them", thr thought of getting another dog doesn't even enter my mind when I have just had to part with one!

I know you have, I read your post at the time and I think you had an awful decision to make, but for the happiness of your dog you made that tough decision. I felt for you at the time, I meant nothing bad with that post. :)

I obviously mis-read your post, I am still a bit sensitive about the whole subject if I am honest

No my post looks a bit odd, no probs. :)