I have a seven month old male Boston Terrier and am hoping that later this year (or next year depending on breeder) to add a second male pup to our household and am really just looking for any advice, tips or experiences you could offer.

We have a good sized garden and house, plenty of time for exercise and training and a good knowledge of the breed but have in the past only had adult dogs who got along fine.

The dog would be from the same breeder with possibly the same parents.

Thanks

Personally, I would wait until your dog is at least two and has fully matured and grown out of the "teenage" behaviour which you may be about to experience in the new few months! 
I recently (September) got a second dog and went for a male (having already got a female) as various people told me that dogs of different sexes are more likely to get on.  Having said that, there are plenty of people on this forum with multiple dogs, and they clearly get on fine.  My older dog hated the puppy at first - she sulked for weeks, and really disliked all the jumping, running around and nipping he did (and who can blame her?).  She tolerates him much better now that he is a bit more civilised, but I don't think they're ever going to be best friends or curl up in a basket together.  I understand that male dogs are generally not keen on puppies, so it would probably be worth organising separate spaces for them initially.  My pup still has a pen (he's six months old) that he can be removed to if he gets overexcited. Without that, things would have been very difficult, and the arguments between the two dogs much worse.  
For the first few months, it is very hard work having a pup and an older dog, though I should add that I have a particularly lively breed.  The two dogs need to be excerised separately, trained separately, they eat at different times.  The puppy obviously takes up a lot of time, but equally the older dog needs much more attention than usual so that it doesn't feel put out.  It felt like much more than double the work having two and for quite a while we felt that we'd made a mistake getting the new puppy, but things have calmed down now and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Hi,

I've just got my third dog, she's six months old. My boxer aged 9yrs loved her from the start but my miniture shnauzer took quite a dislike and it has taken a couple of weeks for her to be 90% comfortable with the puppy.
We found the best thing was a stair gate, they can see each other but not hurt each other.  We would let them all in the lounge together but under our control as the shnauzer wasn't happy if the puppy got to playfull. Alot of dogs seem to be upset by puppies, so if you can control the puppy from jumping on your new dog for alittle while then thats helped us.
All three of my dogs spend the day together now but i am at home with them, we just seperate a night but will let them sleep together when we feel totally happy. The shnauzer sleeps in the kitchen, next to the stair gate and the boxer and puppy sleep in the utility. 
every day they get on better and have now started playing together so it just pays it take your time unless they are completely alright from the start.

My youngest dog is 18 months and we are only now starting to reap the rewards from all the hours and all the effort we've put into shaping him.  By 12 months he was pretty steady but it's now we notice that he has settled into a really nice boy, with lovely manners that can be relied upon (daft teenager moments notwithstanding!!).  I want to enjoy this stage for another year and to watch him develop and blossom into a proper grown up before adding another.

Our eldest was 4 when the pup came along, more to do with our timing rather than his.  From the dog's perspective I'd aim for 'young enough to enjoy the puppy madness' but 'old enough to be sensible, secure in his position with you, and not likely to forget every bit of his training' !!

Some dogs may be ready for a pal at 2years but many will need a little longer.  Let your breeder know you are interested, stay on their waiting list but say you'll review it closer to the time, if they know you are being sensible they'll not mind rolling you onto a later list if needs be.

A hard decision I know :)

Thanks for the replies so far.

Our breeder knows our plans and is happy to let us roll onto the next list if we are not ready when pups are available.

I totally agree that all the time and effort at a young age really pays off and this is probably my main concern - will a second pup get the same commited time that the first one did, who although is only seven months, is obedient and well mannered?

The hardest part is going to be when we get that call, be it this year or next, to say that a litter is due.

I agree with the other poster an age gap of two to three is more likely to lead to a harmonious canine household.

"Another year .................before adding another" R?!!!! :-)

I have a 20 month old Berner and have also taken on a Lab pup into the house. They play all the time if allowed. The only issue i have with this is that the pup is jumping all over his face and biting it, so we now have a few scratches which need to heal before Crufts..
We also have 2 older Jacks in the house, the male just ignored the pup, the bitch took a disliking to it initally, but they have all settled down now.

I think that you have to work on the behaviour and personality of your current dog as to whether its a good time or not. A dog with bad behaviour or no respect for their owner can potentially teach the pup the same thing if they spend too much time together.

> "Another year .................before adding another" R?!!!! :-)

I keep being asked - How long do we have to wait!!  I may just leave it til they've left home...