Anyone got two cockapoos?

[hippospot]

We like the look of this breed and were thinking that getting two would be better than one as they'll be alone for six hours a day (but with access to a garden via a dog flap).

So many of our neighbours have dogs that bark when left alone. Is getting two dogs the answer?

Thanks

[BiteyShark]

Are you thinking two puppies at the same time? If so I remember googling about that being a bad idea.

Better to get one and get them trained up before getting another.

[hippospot]

Thanks.

I've never had a dog but DH has. We are open to tips from more experienced dog owners!

[CornflakeHomunculus]

If you're considering getting two puppies then definitely have a read of this article on littermate syndrome before you do anything.

Although some people do have success getting two pups at the same time (or very close together; littermate syndrome applies whether the pups are genuinely littermates or just close in age), it's far more than double the work of just having one and no reputable breeder is either going to let two puppies go together to a normal pet home, or let a puppy go to a home where there's already a puppy in residence.

As BiteyShark says, it's far better to get one then consider another when the first is an adult and exactly where you want them training wise.

If you really want two at the same time then you're better off looking at rescues where there are often adult dogs who have been either surrendered together or have become close whilst with the rescue and can be rehomed as a pair.

[SkeletonSkins]

Oh god do not get two puppies at the same time, not a good plan and very very hard work.

Also, if you're getting a puppy, you won't be able to leave it for 6 hours for a while, even with access to the garden. Would you be able to take some time off work while puppy is very young? We had a month where ours wasn't left at all and tbh we couldn't have left him, no way. He can now be left around 3-4 hours at 6 months old. You could see if a local dog walking service would do puppy visits for you?

[FeedMyFaceWithBattenberg]

Get a westie poo.
Smaller and more able to fit through a dog flap.
Second what ppl have said about littermate syndrome, never a good idea.

[mayhew]

My friend has two dogs. The older one delegated barking to the younger one. But takes over if a particularly interesting party passes the house. Skateboarders get the double dog bark.

[Floralnomad]

If you have neighbours with dogs that bark and you plan on having 2 dogs that can get into an unsupervised garden you will have 2 dogs that bark . There are so many things wrong with this plan it's hard to know where to start but let's start with digs should not be left for 6 hours a day , 5 days a week irrespective of the garden arrangements .

[Cloudylemons]

I've got two that were litter mates and they're great company for each other, they play and sleep together, they share a crate at night and can be left alone to use the dog flap as luckily they don't chew or cause damage. They do sometimes dig a little bit of the lawn, but not too much, and it could happen with just one. They love each other but also us - I'm constantly being cuddled by them both! Out on walks they never run off as they're too busy racing around me and up and down the path ahead of me. It's been a massive success to have two together, but I've had dogs before so knew what to expect. By the way, cockapoos are a wonderful breed.

[BiteyShark]

OP have a look at the puppy survival thread on here as well as the teenage survival thread to give you an idea of some of the things you may encounter if you get a puppy.

As a PP mentioned above some rescues have dogs that they would prefer to rehome together. However I find training and walking my single dog hard work and honestly don't think I would personally be able to manage two of them but some people can.

As for leaving the dogs I leave mine for up to three hours at the moment with a secure area to toilet in. He then goes to day care which he loves for the company. For 6 hours I would want to break that up with a dog walker for a good 1-2 hours walk.

[dotdotdotmustdash]

Neither 'cockapoos' or 'westiepoos' are a breed, they're just bitzas whom you happen to know the parents of. And no, OP, having two young dogs together in a garden all day would not be the right thing to do.

If you really want two dogs together, go to a rescue for a bonded adult pair and make sure you can visit during the day to let them out in the garden.

[KindleBueno]

As someone with a now 15 month old cockapoo, the thought of training two at the time makes me shudder

[habibihabibi]

I have two sibling cocker poodle x's that are now almost eight .
Their mum was actually dumped in a shelter pregnant and I got them from a litter of 6.
I had no problems training them or coping with them as puppies but one isn't properly mature behaviorally. This is common, I have read, in taking two puppies together .
In all, it has been extremely positive . The neurotic poodle part of the cross likes company and they are brilliant with kids and other dogs .
Neither has ever chewed anything, dug the garden up or nipped.

[Qtipsrsweet]

We have two litter mates, brothers, (dachshunds) and I guess we must have been extremely lucky as the lil guys are absolute best friends. They're so well behaved and they're just a pleasure to have. They play together, sleep together, they're wonderful. I love my little fellas
Anyways good luck with whatever you choose to do.
X

[redpriestandmozart]

I was once told, get your second dog when your first one is ready to set a good example to a puppy. Six years later and we're still waiting!!

[hippospot]

So if we were to get one later than the other, what would be a good gap?

How long roughly does it take to house train a puppy?

And what age does the chewing phase usually end?

One more question, how much extra cleaning does having a dog involve please? The dog(s) would be downstairs only (oak floors) - no carpet.

[BiteyShark]

It took several weeks to fully train my puppy. All puppies are different though so you may find it quicker or slower. Initially puppies pee frequently so be prepared to be taking them out after every sleep, play, feed, drink and frequently in between.

Puppies chew and bite a lot. Mine calmed down significantly around the 4-5 month mark but even now he can get a bit bitey of clothes or his bed when he is over tired and he is over 7 months old. I still don't trust him to have the run of the house as we are always having to listen to check he hasn't got his head somewhere he shouldn't.

I used to have a very clean house. My standards have had to slip otherwise I would have to clean all the time. I try not to look at the kitchen floor

[CornflakeHomunculus]

So if we were to get one later than the other, what would be a good gap?

From my experience I'd at least eighteen months. You want the first dog to be past the puppy and adolescent stages before adding another. My youngest two have almost exactly twelve months between them and in hindsight that was far too small a gap, it was very hard work indeed at times.

How long roughly does it take to house train a puppy?

This can vary hugely between dogs, as an average I'd say they're generally starting to get fairly trustworthy by about six to eight months but it can be quicker (DWhippet3 had it totally cracked by five months) or much, much longer.

And what age does the chewing phase usually end?

Again, this really depends on the dog. Two of mine will still investigate a new piece of furniture by giving it a quick chomp if I'm not careful and they're three and four years old On the other hand DDog2 has never been a big chewer, neither has DWippet1 although both had their moments as puppies.

One more question, how much extra cleaning does having a dog involve please?

Yet another "depends on the dog" answer The more shedding then obviously the more hair there'll be to deal with. It also varies how mucky different dogs get on walks and how easy they are to clean so it doesn't end up all over your house. There's the cleaning you don't really think about beforehand either like the interminable nose prints on windows/screens/doors. It's inevitable there'll be bodily fluids occasionally as well, even fully house trained adults can get caught out when they're poorly. I've never had a house without a dog so can't really compare cleaning levels with not having one but I will say as far as I'm concerned the level of cleaning I have to do is worth it

[Lucisky]

You can't leave puppies for six hours a day, even if they have access to a garden. Apart from anything else, they could be stolen. Puppies are a full time job when they are young. The thought of having two sounds like hell. All that potential poo and pee (yes, you will be doing a lot of cleaning), two wet muddy dogs after a walk. I have had two dogs and it is a lot of work, and double everything: food, vets bills, kennels, dog walkers etc. Cockerpoos are not a breed either, just fancy mongrels often bred with no thought for health problems inherent in the parent dogs.

[CornflakeHomunculus]

It's worth having a read through all the articles on this list. It'll give you a rough idea of how much work a puppy is.

Six hours is a long time for any dog (or pair of dogs) to be left on a regular basis, even if they have access to a garden. All the major charities recommend that adult dogs aren't left lone for stretches of longer than four hours. Puppies can't be left for anything like that long, particularly when they're very small. As well as making sure they're not left for longer than they can hold their bladder/bowels you need to get them used to being left gradually so you're not running the risk of them starting to associate being on their own with being distressed. Getting them used to being left is covered in the crate training link on the list I posted above.

Dog walkers or daycare are options to look into if you can't manage to nip home yourself but obviously these my well be pricey and daycare isn't an appropriate option for all dogs, it very much depends on their personality and how good the local daycares are.

[Harree]

That's a really interesting article cornflake has flagged up. My friend bought 2 litter mates. She had a lot of time on her hands & walked them 4x a day. As they got older, one made the others life a misery, being much more dominant & bossy. As a result the more submissive one became more anxious. It can eat a whole can of dog food in 10 seconds flat as it had to eat so quickly in case the other one decided it fancied extra dinner. The bossy one has since died (at the grand old age of 14, leaving the other a needy pain in the ass...
Also, I've been a dog owner for the last 15 years. Say goodbye to a clean house unless you love cleaning! They just attract dirt & omg the fur! My mum always says you can send it to Blue Peter & they'll be able to make another puppy!
And one of my dogs gets random tummy upsets which can result in coming home/downstairs to puddley poo sometimes.
We had a dog door when we lived in the countryside which was brilliant. Wish we could have that now but it would be an entrance for burglars here & my dogs would probably just watch them rob the place!

[VerySadInside]

You can leave a puppy with no interaction for 6 hours a day!!!

That is so cruel, they are babies. Even with access to outdoors it is so unfair for them psychologically, you are likely to end up with a dog with issues. And you won't be able to toilet train at all.

Also for trendy breeds please have a quick watch of player link. It will help you recognise dodgy breeders and maybe save you a lot of money in future vet bills.

[Rubberduckies]

I wouldn't. Spaniels and spaniel crosses can be relaxed and chilled....but the majority are totally bonkers! Having 2 to train is likely to make it a million times harder. I loved training my spaniel but the sheer number of hours I've put in to have some degree of control is insane. I think if someone had suggested I got another I'd cheerfully throttle them! She's a year old now and I could probably manage a puppy again, but I'm enjoying the freedom of having a trained dog!

I had heard that house training can be more difficult with two, because they will learn from each other (bad habits as well as good).

[SparklingRaspberry]

Seriously?!

Cockapoos don't exist. However a mix between cocker spaniel and poodles do.

Regardless of whether you want 1, 2, or 100 - do not get any if you plan on leaving it/them alone for 6 hours every single day!

[SparklingRaspberry]

Also you sound very inexperienced as a dog owner OP.