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One BC or two? That is the question. Four weeks ago we adopted a 10 week old BC/Lab mix and we have quite fallen in love with him. While he loves his “pack” (the family), we’ve noticed that he really lights up when he gets to play with other dogs down at the park. He almost becomes a sled dog when he knows we’re going that direction.

Up to this point, I’ve always been a cat person…but then I’ve never had a puppy before. I would love for Cerbie to have a full time playmate. What would be the dynamics of introducing a second BC into our home? We live in a relatively small home (1300sq ft) and have a smallish fenced yard but ample room to ramble in the desert out back and down at the park (all of 200 yds away). My wife and I work schedules where either one of us is in the home except for maybe 5 hrs twice a week so there will be LOTS of supervision. We’ll be crating Cerbie at night for a while yet but hope to make the crate optional as soon as he demonstrates he can be a good citizen….

Are there any synergistic issues with having 2 BCs? Do they get together and plot world domination? Do they grow opposable thumbs?

Arizona Border Collie Rescue is very active in our area and we have always been a rescue home so we are thinking of adopting an adult dog…..

 

Opinions? Things to watch out for?

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Work on your youngster first. If he's pulling on lead now it's likely to get worse if you get another dog before training him out of it.

Work on his recall so he doesn't run off to play with other dogs unless you say so.

You need him to bond with you, not with another dog. Get him through adolescence at least before thinking of adding another one to your family.

Training 2 dogs at the same time can be 3 times the work - you'll need to train them seperately then retrain them together.

 

Pam

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I have to agree that one puppy at a time is enough! :D I got my second BC just two months ago. Daisy will be two in March and Devon is 6 months old. I could not imagine having two dogs that need training at once. Even if you would be adopting an adult dog from a rescue, that new dog would need much of your time and attention just to bond with the family and get used to your home and lifestyle.

 

JMO, but I would wait a bit. (I know that's really hard to do!) :rolleyes:

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I understand the desire for having a four legged friend for your dog. BUT....... two is not just a little harder - not even double hard. One dog helps the other dog process information - but sometimes it is not the information that you want. We have two - would always have two - but we recognize that two can get into a lot more trouble than one. I swear that Duchess( the smaller one) coaches Cody to get stuff off the counter for her. For a year we thought it was Cody until we caught Duchess red pawed- with Cody sitting in the corner with the look of I had nothing to do with it. Work with the new one - do as mum24dog says - make sure that your new dog is totally bonded with you. And do not look at the Arizona Border Collie website often - it will weaken your resolve. Once you and the new dog are ready - the perfect rescue will be waiting. Good luck.

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Thanks! Yes...waiting is hard to do! Cerb's training is going great. He can sit, stay, come, down and heel (the latter...mostly) is house trained and knows "go to bed", out? and off!.....but I'll have to agree, it would be a good idea to cement that training before we bring another dog into the home. Thanks!

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All the great advice everybody has given should help you make the right decision. But lets be realistic , one or two BC ?

I ask myself 4 or 5 BCs. They are like potato chips , you cant just have one or two without at least wanting more . But wanting and being able to have is another problem.... :rolleyes:

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Two dogs are great, but I second everyone in suggesting waiting at least a year. I love my puppies, but will never bring two at home at the same time again! :rolleyes:. In my experience, the perfect family is two adult dogs, about 2-4 years apart. We have Ladybug who is eight and lost her "partner" who was two years younger. We went for a puppy, came home with two and its been a three ring circus ever since. The two puppies are rising on 10 months. It's like having twins...you never have enough time to give individual attention to both of them. I worked really hard to be sure they didn't link up with each other and forgot to consider Ladybug - I've realized this past week that Brodie has solidly attached himself to her, and know I've got to fix that.

 

I'm not working full time at the moment, and I do work from home, so I've got time to play and train them separately and together...some days it seems that's all I get done, but who wants to do housework, anyway? :D

 

If you wait, you'll enjoy the experience more and meanwhile, Cerb can make doggie friends.

 

Liz

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Thanks! Yes...waiting is hard to do! Cerb's training is going great. He can sit, stay, come, down and heel (the latter...mostly) is house trained and knows "go to bed", out? and off!.....but I'll have to agree, it would be a good idea to cement that training before we bring another dog into the home. Thanks!

 

Pups are easy - it's when they get to around the 6 month mark and start testing the boundaries that they often forget what they used to be able to do.

Don't be lulled into a false sense of security by a genius pup. Hormone changes in an adolescent dog can mean that it isn't as easy to teach new stuff or reinforce what has already been taught - you just have to ease off and ride it out if your dog seems to lose the plot at that time.

It's no coincidence that adolescent dogs are so common in rescue - it's not just because they're past the cute puppy stage.

Don't want to scare you though - your dog may be fine.

 

Pam

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While I appreciate all the voices of reason, I will put in a vote for a second BC somewhere down the road, if you want. Once you feel you have a good, solid relationship with Cerbie and he's far enough along in his training, why not add another dog? As long as you think it through, you know Cerbie would do ok with another dog, you and your wife are in agreement and ready for the additional time and expense, etc. An adult rescue sounds ideal, when the time is right.

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Bitten by the BC bug, eh? Do wait, as the others have suggested. As wonderful as your boy is, adding another dog right now will make your life very complicated.

 

Get Cerbie through his adolescence, and then look around. There are plenty of dogs, sadly enough. Oh, and two dogs don't poop twice as much as one, it's more like 5 times as much.

 

Enjoy your boy!

 

Ruth

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And do not look at the Arizona Border Collie website often - it will weaken your resolve.

 

 

Caught...red handed. I have that site bookmarked from when I was looking for a pup and I actually got to meet "Otto" when we took Cerb to "Wags for Wishes".

 

OOPS.

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…but then I've never had a puppy before.

….

Are there any synergistic issues with having 2 BCs? Do they get together and plot world domination? Do they grow opposable thumbs?

...

Arizona Border Collie Rescue is very active in our area and we have always been a rescue home so we are thinking of adopting an adult dog…..

If this is your first puppy, then I will agree that it's best to wait until Cerb has grown past the adolescent stage and is reasonably well mannered. Yes, BCs do plot together and will quite likely attempt a takeover if you let them. They can be very subtle in their approach, but a smart dog is constantly attempting to train you, so be sure you set clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour and stick to them.

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Guest echoica

i waited until the first year was over before i added my 2nd - as a lot of people recommended for me too. i am glad i waited! it would have been very hectic trying to train 2 pups at the same time. border collies no less. i just added my 2nd a month ago and i couldn't be happier! casey (my first) is still young enough to enjoy the addition of a puppy to play with but he is already trained so i don't have to worry about him so much while my focus is on rikku (my second). it is interesting to see how casey has matured overnight since bringing the puppy home too. waiting a little longer will give you something to look forward to. and i agree with others above - don't keep checking that website - it will break you!! :rolleyes:

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My viewpoint is a little bit different, but I thought I would throw it in. I would not even think about raising a puppy without an older dog in the house. Of course, my preference would be to have the older dog first, but if I ever ended up in a situation where I got a puppy and did not have an older dog (maybe an unexpected death or something), I would probably adopt a new older dog sooner rather than later.

 

I would take care to try to screen for temperament issues in the older dog. Optimally, I would not want to be working on raising a puppy and rehabbing a dog with issues at the same time - although I would do that if it turned out to be necessary.

 

My reasons for not waiting - I've found that there are things that my dogs have learned from each other that cannot be taught by a human. Dog group dynamics, dog-dog manners, dog-dog play, etc. The only one of my dogs who was ever a solo-dog in my home is my oldest. And I have to say that of all of them, he is the least happy about dog-group living. Now part of that might just be his own "personality", but I think there was a great benefit that came to the others starting out in my home as part of a group of dogs. That's just been my experience.

 

Of course adding a second dog to the picture now would present challenges. You would have to make sure that the older dog would be accepting of a puppy. The transition to a new home is a tough enough thing, but for a dog who hates puppies to transition to a new home with a puppy might be just a little too much. But many dogs don't hate puppies, so that's not impossible. You would be teaching two dogs your house protocols at the same time. The way I see it, though - two birds, one stone! Double the work now would pay off in the long run.

 

One other thing - in this circumstance, I would definitely go with a dog that is at least two, probably closer to three, years old. I would definitely not bring an adolescent into the picture. Personally I would shoot for an age difference between dogs of about three full years.

 

I think this is definitely a personal type decision thing. The advice you've gotten on why to wait makes total sense. I think it depends a lot on the person, how much work you are willing to do, and an assessment of the benefits vs. potential challenges.

 

Still, there is almost no way I would consider raising a puppy without an older dog in the house! That's definitely my own preference.

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i waited until the first year was over before i added my 2nd - as a lot of people recommended for me too. i am glad i waited! it would have been very hectic trying to train 2 pups at the same time. border collies no less. i just added my 2nd a month ago and i couldn't be happier! casey (my first) is still young enough to enjoy the addition of a puppy to play with

 

if you've got a playful BC I don't think age matters much - these two are 1 y/o and 5 y/o. The 5 y/o never really played like this until the 1 y/o came along and started initiating it. Now they chase and wrestle until I tell them to knock it off

 

IMG_6805.jpg

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We waited 2 yrs before adopting each of ours. JJ was 4 when we adopted 1 yr old Jake and Josie was 6 months old when she came into our lives. They are now 7, 4 and almost 2. I don't know much about JJ's past but I don't think he was exposed to other dogs the 1st 2 yrs of his life because he doesn't play the same way the other 2 do (he plays, just not the same way) but Josie has been teaching him.

 

With that said, you can help Cerbie by socializing him with other dogs in other ways. Is there a place near you that has puppy classes? Maybe you can get together with some of your friends that have dogs and have a puppy/dog get-together. Or offer to dog sit when one of your friends go on vacation or takes a trip. As someone stated earlier, getting Cerbie to listen to you while other dogs are around is important. Obedience classes can help you there. In fact, that's the main reason the 3 of ours went.

 

And don't forget to take lots of pictures while he's a pup. They grow up fast!

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Guest echoica
if you've got a playful BC I don't think age matters much - these two are 1 y/o and 5 y/o. The 5 y/o never really played like this until the 1 y/o came along and started initiating it. Now they chase and wrestle until I tell them to knock it off

 

IMG_6805.jpg

 

cute picture! i love puppy pile ups!

 

you're right, personality is much more important than age i think. in getting any second dog it is important to find a good match for the dog already in the household.

 

i really like root beer's comments above too. if adopting an adult who is already in a good place training-wise, then it might not be too big a challenge after all introducing a 2nd dog right away. once he/she adopts the new routine of the family/house. and the older dog could definitely teach the young one a thing or 2! hopefully all good things :rolleyes: i don't think i would be a one-dog person ever again. if you have the time for it, then 2 is much better!! :D

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Still, there is almost no way I would consider raising a puppy without an older dog in the house! That's definitely my own preference.

 

The advantage of having an older dog or two to help a new puppy learn the ropes is clear, but the situation here is that there is already a new puppy and a family who is still learning to live with a puppy. that's a double learning curve. Bringing in an older dog -- who would also be learning the house rules -- would, in my opinion, just make things harder. It might work if the older dog is puppy friendly, well mannered and easy going, but then again it could go horribly wrong.

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The advantage of having an older dog or two to help a new puppy learn the ropes is clear, but the situation here is that there is already a new puppy and a family who is still learning to live with a puppy. that's a double learning curve. Bringing in an older dog -- who would also be learning the house rules -- would, in my opinion, just make things harder. It might work if the older dog is puppy friendly, well mannered and easy going, but then again it could go horribly wrong.

 

I don't doubt it would make things harder - for a while. To me the long term benefits would be worth the short term increase in difficulty. Again, this is a personal thing. I can totally understand why some would prefer to make a different choice from my own.

 

Yes, it could go horribly wrong, but that's always a risk when adding a new dog to a household. Shoot, sometimes things change down the road and things go horribly wrong between dogs who have been peaceable housemates for years.

 

Like I said, I know my choice would be different from most. Still, adding another older dog sooner, rather than later, would be the choice that would work for me. Even with the increase in work up front, and the potential problems that could . . . potentially . . . arise.

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Somehow I am reminded of the old Merry Melodies cartoons where Bugs Bunny hands Elmer Fudd a cup of tea and asks, "One lump or two?" We all remember what came next (if we are old enough)...

 

 

Ouch...I'm old enough to remember.

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I personally think it's easier, especially for new dog owners, to start with an adult and then add a pup later, but I know lots of folks like pups. I grew up around dogs and was quite dog savvy, but still the first dog I got on my own was an adult rescue. The second and third dogs were also adult rescues. As was the fourth. It wasn't till my fifth dog (and fourth border collie) that I finally got a pup. I have also raised two pups together (littermates), but that takes a lot of work. As for whether it's good to have more than one dog, I'll give my standard answer: I'm not a good person to ask, I have 10 (ranging in age from 15 down to 6 months).

 

If you are unsure whether you can handle the training of the pup while also dealing with a young adult, I'd wait for the second dog. If the second dog is an adult who's been in foster and already has good manners and doesn't require a lot of effort on your part, then you'd probably be okay, but your attention *will* be divided, so you need to consider whether that is a good thing for the pup (and the older dog).

 

J.

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Since I got out of rescue my rule is no more than two dogs, and the new one comes in when the present one is seven years old. I can't afford the vetting on two old dogs. They (usually) need more tests, dental work, etc.

 

I figure seven is about half the average dog's lifespan - and usually a seven year old isn't too old to put up with puppy shenanigans. It actually seems to keep the older dog feeling younger. And I have the advantage of a steady experienced dog to "educate" the pup.

 

If it were financially feasible and I had more space I'd probably have half a dozen... I only have the one now. My Lurcher developed some problems that I couldn't afford to take care of - starting with about a thousand dollars of dental work. I found out a month or so after Sugar arrived. Fortunately for me, a couple who had been dog-park friends of Grace for several years asked if I would consider parting with her. It was hard, but the best thing for her. And she is very happy with them... Her teeth are all fixed and she has three other Lurchers to boss around. (And she does, too!)

 

Best of all, I get to see her regularly.

 

Happy/sad... :D:rolleyes:

 

Here she is in her palatial new home with two of her homies. post-10533-1262649879_thumb.jpg

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get another one. i got tegan in feb and she always wanted to play so we were looking and got one a little older than her in august. they play non stop and its fun watching them learn together. tegan is 1 and jess is 1 and a half. i would never just have 1 bc that would be boring. get another one you wont regret it

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I like the 15mo rule (it's my own). If at 15mo old your resident pup has all the basic training you want it to have and does it exceptionally well, then it's a good time to think about adding another dog. My first BC puppy at 8wks was dog #2 (5yo dog in home) she was always mature for her age and learned all her basics solidly by 7months - but she wasn't so easy that I would have wanted to do 2 together or really close in age - she was A LOT of work that paid off in spades. She was about 20mos when I got the next BC who himself was a 15mos rescue. One year later, 8wk puppy added. Great dynamics for me. 2 older BCs had solid reliable foundations for my pup to emulate.

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