Hello,
I have a flatcoated retriever puppy (9 months) and was thinking about getting another, there are a wonderfully friendly breed and would love two but I was wondering whether it is a good idea,, just will it change my flatcoats behavior and will it help him or does his breed prefer to be solitary? Any information welcome. z

I see no problem in gettting another, however i would give it another year to allow your existing dog enough time to grow up. Bringing in another too early can cause the older pup to regress slightly and could undo all your hard work that you have already done. You are also just entering the adolescent period which cna be a testing time for both you and the dog as they try to push the boundaries a little, so its better to put all your attention into the next year and once they reach adulthood (around 2yrs) you should be ok to add another. They aren't a breed that would prefer a solitary life, they love company, but make sure that they don't bond too closely (another reason not to get one too soon), you are supposed to be the most important thing in their lives, not each other, which means spending alone time with you, training seperately as well as together.

I would also wait for all the reasons lucy says - and personally, I would look to have trained what you need to train in the dog you have before taking on another one.

That's the mistake I have now made 4 times (yes, I have learned now I think :-P) - I took on the next dog before training the essentials (lead walking, wait, recall) in the last.  So now I have 4 dogs who will only wait half the time, whose recall isn't great (especially around other dogs) and 3 of which are absolute pains on the lead.  Which also means I now have all that extra training for which I need to find time to do!

Hi I have two fcr's Kira who's 5 and Bracken who's 3. Kira was very excitable as a pup and harder to train she has been late to mature and more difficult to train I wouldn't have been able to cope with two Kira's as small puppies.
However Bracken is a lot calmer and slower she doesn't need as much attention on a walk as Kira does, she is still more excitable even as a 5 year old .
I did notice that Kira stood back when I got Bracks even though she is still very loving she instantly became top dog and let Bracks be the baby who sits on my lap ( when she can ).
I am pleased I have a two year gap as it gave me the time to enjoy Kira and feel more in control when I walk them.Even now Kira is the only one who I take out in the car when I become a taxi service to my children as I think it makes her feel a bit special and she is quick to get to the front door when the phone rings at night.
Ros

My older dog was 4 when we we got our pup but 3 would have been ok too.  He was old enough to be sensible but young enough to still enjoy the puppy.  Additionally he was confident and secure in his position with us so that he did not feel threatened by the new boys arrival or jealous of the time he took up.  His training was thoroughly instilled by then, much of what we expected from him was such an ingrained habit that no puppy was going to put him off his stride!!  For example, he would sit patiently waiting for his lead to go on or off whilst the puppy was pinging off the walls and grabbing his ears.

I've done KC Bronze and Silver training with the puppy but many of the 'in house' things that make living with these dogs a joy he has learnt from my older dog.  If the puppy had come too soon he may have learnt a lot of the wrong things too!!

my flatcoat - and all the flatcoats belonging to my friends - adore company, both human and canine.

and in the flat coat society yearbook there are some lovely pics of heaps of flatcoats curled up asleep. :-)

but your boy is still a puppy, and if you get another now you will have two puppies to train, so i would suggest getting him trained, keeping him social and happy with other friendly dogs, and waiting till he is 2 or 3 years old before you get another. :-)

Flatcoats are very sociable dogs, friendly with all and sundry. They are very addictive and I can understand your wish to add to your flatcoat family, however, they do take a long time to mature and can be quite hard work, at the adolescent stage especially. From my own experience with this lovely breed, I would advise you to wait until your pup is around 3 years old.  As other posters have said, this will give you time to enjoy your current pup and forge a lasting bond. When the time is right, your happy, well balanced dog, will help you with your new bundle of love and fun! I know it it seems hard to wait sometimes, but you really have been given the best advice!

Best wishes,
Linda