Regretting my decision

[CleverQuacks]

I have a one year old whippet. She was hard work as a young pup (particularly around biting) but is just starting to settle down and is turning into a lovely dog.

However I started yearning for another dog. My whippet loves other dogs and I think it would be good for her to have a friend.

I have seen a litter of lab puppies and fell in love with a little black one. I grew up with a black lab and think they are a great breed. I have put a deposit on the pup.

Now though I am beginning to change my mind. Do I really want to do the puppy days again? Will I cope with a second dog? Etc

Is this just pre puppy nerves or should I rethink things? I strongly believe that a dog is for life so don’t want to make a really bad decision.

[BiteyShark]

Can you cope with individual training and exercise needs for several months? Also if one had additional exercise restrictions in the future would it be problematic?

Have you factored in all additional costs for two dogs in terms of insurance/vets fees/food/boarding etc?

Do you actually want another dog outside of thinking it would be a good friend for your first dog?

If you can answer yes then I think it's just nerves.

[bluetongue]

Depends on so many things.

My whippet would probably love another dog but I can’t get one due to financial and time constraints.

If money isn’t an issue, you have the time to spend with the new pup as well as still giving the current dog attention and you’re happy with the breeder and pup then you should probably go ahead.

Black labs are wonderful

[Floralnomad]

I always think because of the pattern of play that pointy hounds are better off with similar friends so another pointy and I’d be concerned that a puppy / adolescent Labrador would be able to do quite a lot of damage to a whippet . I’m also surprised that a breeder would sell you a puppy when you have such a young dog which would make me question how good the Labrador breeder is .

[adaline]

The one thing that would concern me is you mentioned having problems with biting.

Labradors are an exceptionally mouthy/bitey breed and it often continues well into adolescence. Not aggressively, I have to say, but they mouth a lot. I work in a shop that allows dogs and we're very dog-friendly - if I'm going to be mouthed at by an older dog (over one year old, so no longer a pup) it's guaranteed to be a Labrador!

[BiteyShark]

Thinking about what Floral said.

My dog was much calmer at 1 years of age but he still had his moments well up to age of 2 now

Do you think you have really got through the difficult teenage stage yet with your first? Will your first dog be a good 'role model' or are you still 'working on things'.

[Floralnomad]

I’m only questioning the breeder because in the last year two different friends of mine have been turned down by breeders because they had another dog under 18 months old - one was a lab breeder ( already had a golden ) and the other a Rottweiler ( already had 2 older labs ) . On both occasions they are fantastic homes with their own land (acreage ) .

[bluetongue]

My whippet is two and very much still a teenager To be fair though most other whippets of a similar age we meet are much calmer.

[adaline]

Mine is 15 months and just starting to calm down - but he's still very easily influenced. He gets excited easily and if someone winds him up, he's hyper within seconds.

[BlueMerchant]

The fact you are posting this speaks volumes.
Don't do it.

[BorderlineExperimental]

A good rule of thumb is to have you existing dog (or dogs) where you want them training and behaviour wise before adding another dog to the family, especially a puppy. Having a puppy and an adolescent at the same time can be very hard work, the older dog’s behaviour can influence that of the puppy (for better or worse...) and it’s not unusual for a teenager to have some training wobbles even without a puppy in the mix.

My two youngest whippets have almost exactly twelve months between them and, in hindsight, it was definitely too small a gap. The older of the two definitely reverted behaviourally for a while (particularly with his house training) which isn’t unusual for an adolescent but it was definitely exacerbated by the presence of the puppy. They also had far too much fun being idiots together and I had to work doubly hard to make sure I remained their primary focus and not each other.

They’re lovely now they’ve grown up but it’s definitely something I would avoid doing again in the future!

[CMOTDibbler]

I'd never do a gap of less than 18 months, pref two years as you want the older dog to be really well behaved and steady before introducing a mad puppy into the mix

[CleverQuacks]

Thank you for all thoughts. You are all saying exactly what I am worried about! I don’t want my current dog to go back with her behaviours and although she is a lot calmer than during her puppyhood she still isn’t perfect because she is so young. I think I am going to have to rethink :( I have fallen in love with this puppy but my head is saying no.