Any advice on when to get the second dog

[NunTheWiser]

Hello all, UnWiseDog (labrador) is 9 months now and we're enjoying having a dog so much that we'd love to have another dog. UnWiseDog is very sociable with other dogs and I think she'd really enjoy having a companion too. Does anyone have advice about the best kind of age gap between dogs (and yes, I'm aware that sounds like having children!) We'd probably be looking to get a rescue dog this time. Sadly, there are always abandoned pups available at our local rescue centre.

Lots of people decide they would like another dog when their current puppy is around 9 months or so and some people get one and cope just fine.

The best age, IMO, is when your current dog is 2-3 years old and training/good behaviour is very well established.

we had one of 13 months and then introduced another 2 . The pups were from different litters and idfferent breeds. All boys and all worked out very well 10 years on.

I would second what midori has said. Get another one once you are happy about the training and behaviour of your first dog. At 9 months, a dog still has puberty to go through. Do you have the time to train a new dog? It may well come with a completely different set of issues, or posssibly none at all. If you are keen, it is certainly worth looking into, even if you don't act immediately.

Of course there are no right answers! It depends on how you are and how the dog is.