I have a rescue dog who is about 11 months old, I got him at 6 months old. When I first got him I tried leaving him free in a room with Kongs etc after exercise but he barked and wrecked the door and door frames. I resorted to crating him which he hates, he shreds all his bedding and barks until I come home. He always has Kongs and bones and has always been exercised before being shut in. At night time he was just as bad so I've had to put a crate in my room and he sleeps right through now. He can be left in the car with no problems. I have tried leaving him in the living room with my mum's dog for very short periods and he is fine in there but I sometimes have to leave him for 4 hours and without building up time incredibly slowly I daren't leave him in the living room for too long incase he does decide to wreck the door frames in there too. I've tried moving his crate into the living room so he could see the other dog but had complaints from the neighbours re the barking! So, regrettably he's crated in a back room where he can't be heard and he hates it. He isn't left for long periods and he often comes to work with me or stays home with my mum but sometimes I have to leave him).
My question is: I am thinking hard whether to get a puppy, (a breed I had before and have always wanted again but hard to come by and I've never had offer of help, I'm a dog walker so when old enough can come to work but without help pup would have been home alone too much) ideally I would wait a while until I had worked on my rescue's issue for longer ie building up time left in the living room but my mum looks after my rescue lots at the moment and has offered to help with a puppy now whilst she is home most of the time (she works for 4 hrs 2 days a week which is the most amount of time the dogs are left). If I got a puppy (my rescue loves other dogs and I would trust him with a puppy) would it help my rescue to settle in the room that he's already damaged or would he be more likely to give the puppy issues too? I haven't tried my mum's dog in damaged room with my rescue as he is older and just sleeps in the living room when we're out.
Ps I have tried Zylkene and Adaptil with no success!

> or would he be more likely to give the puppy issues too?

Yes. Your rescue is just too young to get another dog yet. Please wait until he is older and you have sorted the problems.

Is there no reason the other dog cannot be in the room you put him in, as she seems happier with some company.

The other dog is my mum's dog who just sleeps when we are out and never goes in the back room. I truly believe my rescue would be no problem if left with him in the living room, I think he would just settle as I've tested him by going out for ten mins at a time and he's fine. I wouldn't leave my mum's dog alone with a puppy though so ideally if I got a pup then I would have the younger dogs in the back room when I went out and had to leave them. There is an alternative which would be to crate puppy in the living room and continue to crate rescue dog in back room if out for any period of time. This way I could have pup in crate in living room and older dogs loose in there for short periods building up the time?

Instead of a crate have you thought of a puppy pen which is open at the top? You could place his bed in one corner but it gives him room to move about without feeling too enclosed.

I meant why can your Mum's dog not sleep in the back room with your existing boy, when he needs to be left, not a new puppy.

would it help my rescue to settle in the room that he's already damaged or would he be more likely to give the puppy issues too? I haven't tried my mum's dog in damaged room with my rescue as he is older and just sleeps in the living room

When you have a 'needy' dog separating it from other dogs in the house increases the problem tenfold, if your mum can be there apart from the 2 x 4hrs she works makes perfect sense as Brainless has already said to keep the dogs together, allow your mum's well behaved dog whom sleeps to be a good influence as to how to behave when out. A dog will destroy things due to stress, anxiety and boredom, usually boredom, he is still young and does not wish to sleep, he's upset at being left, other dogs are fantastic for teaching allow your mum's dog to teach.

A puppy will not teach your young 11 month old how to behave or act whilst you are out, he will teach the pup (seeing problems yet? :-D ) bad idea.......... he may well play with a pup, he may well enjoy the company, but you'll probably end up with a wrecked house and maybe two dogs barking when left....... poor neighbours. ;-)

The dog needs a calm influence and some growing up to do along with a fair amount of training, I would buy some nice comfy dog beds for your mum's dog to snuggle up into in the back room to stay with your dog, or you can risk leaving your dog in the room for the 4 hours for one day to see what happens, but leave the dogs together. :-)

Agree with the above.

I have two sets of dogs only 15 and 17 months apart in age rather than the 2 to 4 years I usually have between them.

I have trouble with the younger pair reacting to other dogs when being lead walked they woof as they want to greet, but of course lots of people don't want to approach a barking dog!!, so they get frustrated.  Don't have this issue at canine events as of course there they get to socialise with the dogs.

With the older pair (they younger pairs mothers), I found I had to resort to head collars as they competed with each other to be in front on walks.

Thanks all, I thought that was the answer I would get but a few people I've spoken to had put doubt in my mind so just wanted to ask you all. I'm not a new dog owner and have worked with dogs for many years, I just feel this may be the only chance of having the breed I love again so I am trying to do the sensible thing and not let my heart overrule my head but I'm in conflict with myself. My rescue dog is very well behaved generally so I don't think it would be a major problem to take a puppy on even with him being young? In an ideal world I would wait a while longer but then the offer of help for when puppy needs 4 meals a day and is too young to come to work with me may not still stand. The one and only problem I have with my rescue is when we go out but I am trying to convince mum to try him for longer periods in the living room with her older dog. She worries about all sorts of things though but is coming around to the idea I think. My rescue is destructive due to stress not boredom and I think he would be ok if left in living room with other dog. I know when dealing with anxiety it's a good idea to change the going out routine ie change radio for telly etc. I used to leave the radio on but he learnt what it meant so I stopped turning it on. His other trigger is when I stuff his Kongs but I don't want him to get bored if I leave him in living room and get destructive so if I start trying this should I still give him Kongs or not? Hope that all makes sense

You haven't said why your Mum's dog can't go into the back room with your dog when he needs to be left, then you have the company sorted for your dog, and risk of damage to living room removed????

No to a puppy from me.  The current youngster is still a pup.  Never buy another dog to resolve problems.

Probably not what you wanted to hear, but I'm not being picky, just being logical.  :-)

A puppy isn't going to resolve the issues with your current dog.  Your rescue is, in a variety of ways, telling you he needs time and attention.  If I'm being honest it sounds as if you aren't able to offer him the training and support he needs to overcome his problems as most of the solutions require more time (or expertise?) than you are able to give...

4 hours is as long as I'm prepared to leave my adult dogs - who are well trained, acclimatised to time on their own, and show no signs of anxiety, stress, or noise whilst I am out.  We've built up to this over the years and I never leave them more than 2 hours before they are 12 months old.  Four hours is much too long to leave an anxious dog and way too long to leave a puppy.  It's entirely possible that the problems you have experienced with your rescue dog are as a direct result of the previous owners mishandling this time-critical stage of habituating a dog to short absences.  Many inexperienced owners try and rush this phase and end up with destructive youngsters, with bad manners and a fear of being on their own at home.

I do appreciate this might not be what you want to hear but, for the sake of your existing dog, please do think long and hard about whether it is fair to add another dog to your home.

> I just feel this may be the only chance of having the breed I love again so I am trying to do the sensible thing and not let my heart overrule my head but I'm in conflict with myself.

Although it might not be sensible if this really is the only chance to get this breed that you are ever likely to get  and a re prepared to put in a lot of time and effort then actually I am going to say go for it. You need to do some serious consideration first to work out ways that you can protect your new puppy from the habits of the older one and will need to work seriously to help the older one get over the problems, but, and it is a big but, if you can honestly say that you are prepared to do what it takes to make the situation work then do it.

Forgive me if I've missed something somewhere but having the mum's dog in with the rescue might NOT help with the SA at all.  I'm currently dealing with it in several of my dogs - what started as barking for fun has developed into SA in a few since the matriarch of the whole group died last week.  I leave everyone but Phoebe together (she is much happier alone) and while it's helped a little, the SA is still very much a problem.

>Forgive me if I've missed something somewhere but having the mum's dog in with the rescue might NOT help with the SA at all.

The poster said that if left in the Living room with the other dog the pup did not get stressed but the OP worried about possibility to damage to the living room.

Quote;
"I have tried leaving him in the living room with my mum's dog for very short periods and he is fine in there but I sometimes have to leave him for 4 hours and without building up time incredibly slowly I daren't leave him in the living room for too long in case he does decide to wreck the door frames in there too"

I can't leave my mum's dog in the back room as he's happy in the living room, has only ever been left in the living room and we don't want to upset him as well. I have been saying to my mum for months now that we need to leave my dog with her dog in the living room but she's a worrier and she's more concerned that my dog will want to play whilst her dog wants to sleep than she is about any damage my dog will do. I'm not concerned by this as if my dog wants to play and mum's dog doesn't he just gets on his bed and my dog gets the message. I also never leave my dog unless he's been exercised first and fed and he generally wants to play when he's ready for a walk or his meal. Thanks to the people who have read my post properly and understand that I don't want to get a puppy just to try and solve issues with the dog I already have. As I've said ideally I would wait a year or so but then my dream of this breed (that I've had before and love) may never come true. I am not a selfish or inconsiderate person though and I want the best for all my dogs hence thoroughly considering everything and not just rushing out to get a puppy.
Dogs a babe, lucky you to be in a situation where you don't have to go out to work! I find your comments very patronising and assuming. My dog is not wanting for my time or attention and I have had both rescue dogs and pups before with no issues. I took on my dog at the age of six months after being told he was used to being left all day everyday, something I would never do. I was also under the impression he had no health or behavioural problems. Since taking him on I have taught him recall (it was non existent and he had never been walked), I've found out he would growl is 'hugged' in his foster home,  I can touch him everywhere, pick him up and he asks for cuddles now and I've also found out he had rickets as a pup which has resulted in deformities of his back legs. Please don't tell me I neither have the time or the expertise! I walk dogs that have come from rescues into homes where people leave them for 8 - 11 hours per day, I'm not saying this is right and personally I would not do it but I certainly don't think I am wrong for giving a great home to a dog and the only issue is having to leave him for upto 4 hrs upto 2 days a week! Reading your comments you would think my dog has dozens of issues and I totally neglect him which could not be further from the truth! 

Could you not take your dog with you when you are dog walking? Not sure if that is viable but it would then mean that he wouldn't have to be left for four hours and you could then work on getting  him used to you not being around at a very slow rate and not have to rush it.

He comes to work with me as often as possible but sometimes I have to walk dogs that aren't dog friendly. He's with me as often as possible and both mum and I do our best to work round things so he's left alone for as short amount of time as possible.

If you truly are going to wait for another year before getting this much wanted pup, then I don't see a problem hopefully your rescue will have much of his issues well and truly sorted by then, but the way you are talking sounds as though you want now.... :-) if so, yes, it is the wrong time.....as many of us have said.

I can see you're heart strings are being pulled here, but wait........ it isn't the last and only time you will be able to have the pup you crave, what about when your mum is retired, or if she decides to leave her job completely? Things generally seem to slot in, patience usually brings that reward.

I've put my next breed on hold for the last 7 years as I have other things to do, but I will be getting her within the next three years now, you have to wait for the right time, the amount of times I've wanted to go do it now and even had hubby saying it would be fine, but I know in my heart I cannot get a dog for 2 years and then go off swanning around the world, leaving my family to care for my dog,  I'm waiting much to my heart strings being pulled until afterwards.

Right now, you have a needy dog, wrong time, sure your mum will be around to help with a pup whether you get one now, in a year, 2 years or 3. Make sure everything runs along tickery boo. :-)  Always listen to the head, as the heart is a plonker. :-D