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The doghouse

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Original poster

How do i introduce 2 puppies?

11 replies

starshaker · 28/02/2011 07:31

Yes i know im totally mad having 2 puppies when im a single mum with dt (7months) and dd (5). But anyway...
I have 2 puppies. Charlie is 12 weeks and is a lhasa apso and daisy is 11 weeks and is a black lab. Daisy wasnt treated very well and a friend of mine who breeds labs said she wanted to take her back and rehome her. Well when i saw her i had to have her. Her coller was that tight that she tried to bite you when you touched her neck (finally got a new collar on her and shes fine now). Enough of me justifying the second puppy (mainly trying to justify it to myself lol).

When i took her home i did a small intro with lots of treats and attention for both. They seem ok but daisy just wants to play and as you can imagine she quite a bit bigger than charlie. How can i get them to play nicely or will i just need to keep them seperated for now. I plan on taking daisy a really long walk today to tire her out a bit.

OP posts:

ditavonteesed · 28/02/2011 08:13

you cant take a small puppy for a long walk, 5mins per month is the guidelines or you can damage their joints.
other than that no advice, sorry, although you are very brave.

minimu1 · 28/02/2011 08:24

Can I just be the word of caution here.

You have two little DC's and must be pulled in all directions it will be a nightmare for you to have two puppies as well.

To be honest you will not be able to give your DC's and the dogs the attention they deserve and you will be in the middle knackered, stressed and unhappy.

Do reconsider - I am sure there is another home out there for the puppy and you can then give you puppy the best home in the world rather than the compromise that it will get now.

When the DC's are bigger they can then have the pleasure of bringing up a puppy with you and enjoying it rather than it be a stressful horrendous time.

midori1999 · 28/02/2011 08:33

I am sorry, but I agree with the above.

I am a breeder, well used to puppies and only have older children at the moment. My life is totally spent on my dogs, everything in my world revolves around them, even my DC sometimes.

I would never, ever have two puppies at the same time, not ever. I have done it before and it really isn't for the faint hearted. I have a few breeder friend's who would sometimes keep two puppies from a litter, but usually they have paid help. I'm afraid everyone else I know who has had two puppies together has ended up rehoming one at some point.

Two is not twice the work of one, it is three or four times at least the work of one. It is always best to get one dog established and trained prior to getting another one.

I am sorry, I realise that isn't what you wanted to hear and you have tried to do a very nice thing by taking this dog in, but your breeder friend is responsible for her and will be able to find her a nice home.

Original poster

starshaker · 28/02/2011 09:27

Yes i know its hard work. when i said a long walk i really meant to the school and back. Daisy walks really nicely next to the buggy. I take them out into the back garden alot. They are by no means trained but charlie comes when called and im working on that with daisy. They both know to sit and calm down before they come out their crate and before we go outside. The twins get plenty attention too. I do the training when the twins are sleeping and dd is at school. They will have a very good home here and i dont want to rehome either of them. However if i felt it was getting too much then of course i would.

I was asking how i could help them get along together

OP posts:

Original poster

starshaker · 28/02/2011 10:01

I have now called a dog trainer who will come and help with training the puppies and teach me exactly how i should be doing things

OP posts:

herladyship · 28/02/2011 10:24

the professional advice sounds like a good idea, as your situation is quite individual! i hope you get them settled..

also wanted to confirm that as you said yourself you are 'totally mad'

Original poster

starshaker · 28/02/2011 10:48

Both pups are actually very good. Its just when they get together their a bit rough. Well daisy is but she just wants to play. I want her to learn its fine to play but she needs to be gentle since its not just charlie but the kids too oh and the cat.

OP posts:

fifi25 · 28/02/2011 12:17

Ive got 3 kids 9, 6 and 2, a staffie and a puppy. Everyone gets on fine and i can manage to walk the 2 of them with the 2 year old. I take the 8 month old with me on the school run, come back and take the staffie on the big field. They then go in the garden throughout the day. I take the puppy to the school again then after tea me and the kids take the two of them to the field. I enjoy it and it gets me and the kids out of the house for exercise and fresh air. My puppy is a lot more veisty than the staffie and i just tell them off and split them up when she gets too rough which is starting to work. Good luck

Labradorlover · 28/02/2011 13:14

Oh my god, you have twins as well...
I have 2 labs and want another dog, but not till my DD5 is a bit older so training is easier, without DD teaching puppy bad habits.
ATM your lab puppy is still pretty small ( and obviously extremely cute ), this will change very soon and you are likely to have a large boisterous puppy, with two, soon to crawl babies and a 5 year old, oh and another puppy.....
Please do yourself,your children and the lab puppy a favour and get her rehomed elsewhere now.

I don't see that it would be at all difficult to find her a loving home ( Lab rescue etc ) and IMO that it is better to do this now, rather than trying to rehome a 1 year old dog.
midori and minimu really know what they're talking about, please listen.

Baffledandbewildered · 01/03/2011 01:11

Hi we breed large gun dogs and never sell puppies in twos. We have a lot of grown up children and have kept puppies in twos ourselves but it is not easy and I would never have kept more than one when they were little nothing gets the attention it needs. I think one of your biggest problems will be that these puppies will have vastly different needs as they grow and this will take extra time up. Never exercise very young dogs for more than 5/10 minutes especially the lab as you could end up damaging hips, elbows ect they don't require long runs until they are over a year old, gradually build up the exercise. Don't just exercise them till they drop.with small kids I would try to regime the lab and enjoy the Lhasa . Good luck whatever you decide

Laska · 01/03/2011 08:18

It's not just going to be hard now, but when they hit the teenage stage together. I think your motives are truly lovely, but Midori and Minimu are spot on and thus finding one of the pups another home while still a young pup (and very much in demand - much more so than with an adolescent / adult) would be by far the kindest thing to do - for your family and for the pup.

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