we would like another dog... advice please!

[OracleInaCoracle]

we have a 3yo de-knackered JRT/westie dog. he has calmed down a lot, but is still rather excitable. we have just moved to a small village with a larger garden, surrounded by fields. dh and I are talking about getting another pup. not a big one, but maybe a beagle or spaniel. Ive spotted a cocker/lab cross for sale near us and am trying to win dh round to getting one sooner rather than later.

first, should we get a bitch or another dog? my instinct tells me a bitch would be better, but not sure.

secondly, should we take Benji with us to view and until he/she is ready to take home take him a few times to get them used to each other?

He is browsing the rescue sites as we speak...

lissie don't adopt a Basset if you don't want a giant cwtch-junkie lapdog! (typing over the top of a five-stone beanbag of love on my knee) They are the sweetest, gentlest, funniest dogs, but precision-trained lightweights they aren't.

Many Tears breaks my heart and makes me so angry at the same time.

ooooh wildfig, but I just love them soooo much! lady and the tramp is one of my favourite films.

lissie - found any dogs you are going to follow up on? not that i have a soft spot for benji and bluebell honest

I want Giles and the two pairs of dogs, Spoof and wotsit and the sisters.

I love Gordon and madeleine. I also love dotty on the lurcher site. my niece is called ruby, but I call her dotty. I do think dh is pretty set on a spaniel though, although I may be able to persuade him that an older dog is a good idea!

ooo you mentioned gordon before i think? i did click on the many tears link but found it all too upsetting the other night so only got about a third of the way down the page. what do you love about gordon? what type of dog is he?

a friend adopted a dog from spaniel breed rescue. she is very pleased. they matched her with a suitable dog (she has a ds with severe autism). think dog was about 2 or 3 when they adopted him

he is about 2/3s of the way down, a two year old tricolour beagle who has been rescued from the pound. I dont know what it is, I can just "see" him here with us iykwim.

yes i do know what you mean. what are you waiting for then?

a couple of things, we go on holiday at the beginning of august, I dont want to put ourselves under any extra pressure financially. plus, we wont be around as much. Benji is coming away with us, as will any future dog, but it'll be hard to organise right now.

also, carmarthen is a long way from us, and we dont drive. we need to work out the logistics

did you see Gordon

not yet. i will be brave and go and look now

yep gordon is lovely. he looks a cheeky, fun chappy

they all are was trying not to look into Story's eyes as would love to rehome her

I also love crispy and patchy.

careful, lissie, there are now eight on my list. Look away, look away now!

does anyone else feel they 'owe' it to the dogs to read each and every story? i do this and then feel so sad

Hully, the damage is done, have left page open all day!

Chick, I'm the same, some of them have reduced me to tears. The poor, mites!

Beertricks, we only have one dog, otherwise I would have snapped her up