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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

second dog

27 replies

houselikeashed · 03/12/2017 23:31

What dog would go with a Border Terrier? We're thinking a Cocker Spaniel, so something around that sort of size.

OP posts:

Wolfiefan · 03/12/2017 23:32

How old is the BT? How much walking do you do?

Oops4 · 04/12/2017 00:47

Another border terrier 😊 We got border terrier 1 last October and border terrier 2 this October! No 1 just needed a dog friend. They are brilliant together.

rightsaidfrederickII · 04/12/2017 11:32

What's your lifestyle like? How much walking, grooming, company etc etc can you offer?

Original poster

houselikeashed · 04/12/2017 13:16

BT will be almost 1 when we get the second dog. this is our second BT, so we fancied giving a different breed a go. Although 2 bt's is such a lovely thought.

lifestyle - we work two days a week, other than that we can offer plenty of off lead walks. Grooming, not every day please! But obviously we have dog hair around already, and grooming needs of the BT, so happy to do basic grooming duties.

OP posts:

FairfaxAikman · 04/12/2017 13:19

I currently have a lab from working lines. I'm considering a BT as my next dog because I feel there are a lot of similarities in intelligence and drive (I do dog sports).

Very little grooming needed - furminator once a week and a hose down when muddy.

Wolfiefan · 04/12/2017 13:35

How secure is training at 1 year old? I would want it secure before getting another!
What happens on the two days you work?

Oops4 · 04/12/2017 18:46

Fair point wolfie. Really depends on the dogs. A 1 year gap between our two BTs has worked really well for us. Ddog1 grew out of the very puppy stage (nipping/chewing/digging/pulling on lead) very quickly and the only thing that was a slight issue was the very occasional accident in the house. He has been far better than we could have expected with pup. So so tolerant and because he is still so young, is still very happy to play all the puppy games. She is learning so much from him and redoing toilet training has stopped his occasional accidents. We are careful to spend time training them individually and do a combination of solo and duo walks but so far it has been a great decision.

Wolfiefan · 04/12/2017 18:57

I only ask as Wolfie pup is 14 months and there's not a hope in hell I could take on a second right now!

Chickenagain · 04/12/2017 19:04

I would recommend another Border Terrier. They are quite robust little dogs and the ones I know who live with another breed, well, the other breed can take a bit of a battering IYKWIM......
Or a whippet - fast enough to run away and great dogs to boot!

CornflakeHomunculus · 04/12/2017 19:05

My youngest two have twelve months (almost to the day) between them and I wouldn't have that sort of age gap again if I could avoid it.

Having a needy teenager and a rambunctious pain in the arse puppy at the same time was hard work. They're five and four years old now and still occasionally wind each other something chronic

It does depend on the dogs in question. DWhippet1 was a breeze as a teenager and I don't think it would have been as difficult if we'd have had that age gap between him and DWhippet2. There's actually eighteen months between them and I think that sort of gap between DWhippets2&3 would have been much, much easier.

DWhippet3 has taken a looooooooooong time to mature. He's just turned four years old and it's only really in the last six months we've even started thinking about adding another.

In future my preferred age gap would be at least eighteen months plus, or post the adolescent phase of the youngest.

1805 · 04/12/2017 21:47

training is going pretty well I think. My only worry is that he does run off occasionally when on a walk and I can't get him back. He does come back, but only when he's ready. We need to work on that before we get doggie no2.
Anyone got a cocker spaniel?

1805 · 04/12/2017 21:50

sorry - on the days I work, he is left alone at the moment. We are carefully watching him for signs of stress/anxiety, but he seems fine. If need be, we'd get a dog walker in for those two days. Or use day care. Plenty of options around near us.

Veronicat · 04/12/2017 21:53

A Patterdale. A client at work has a Border with one. They are brilliant dogs.

Wolfiefan · 04/12/2017 22:33

He's left alone for a full working day with no chance to go for a wee?
That is not fair on the dog. No decent breeder will let you have a pup with that arrangement.

SheffieldStealer · 05/12/2017 09:19

following this thread with interest as we're planning to introduce a friend for our Border terrier in the new year. He had a big dog pal until last year, and the big dog's chilled nature seemed to calm the BT's hyper energy down to more manageable levels. We're thinking a hound of some kind, or maybe a Clumber spaniel/lab?

ButFirstTea · 05/12/2017 09:39

Soft coated wheaten terriers are lovely and we're currently thinking about what breed to get as our second dog (although not for another 18 months or so!). I think they'd go really well with Border Terriers. I never used to be a terrier person and I can't believe how much I adore them now!!

1805 · 05/12/2017 16:47

Wolfiefan - please don't worry about our arrangements. We don't work 9-5 jobs. We've always had dogs and they've always been cared for very well. I want this thread to be about what breeds would go well with a BT, not about how we look after our pets.

I will look up Soft coated wheaten terriers, and Clumber spaniel (never heard of that type.)

Wolfiefan · 05/12/2017 16:57

Sorry. I took your comments as working two full time days. I apologise if this isn't the case. You would be amazed how many people think shutting a dog in a crate and going out to work all day is actually ok!
I like clumbers. A lab could also work. I love the working ones. But they are high energy. The only Border I know is quite a lazy girl!

FairfaxAikman · 05/12/2017 17:13

Wolfie depends what Line they come from - some are higher drive than others.**

Wolfiefan · 05/12/2017 17:17

I didn't know that Fairfax. Total newbie here so learning a lot! Thanks.

FairfaxAikman · 05/12/2017 17:58

Wolfie they are nearly all higher drive than the show types, but there's a variation amongst workers.**

One of mine is much lower drive than the other two (who are her offspring).** She's happy enough with a few miles, whereas the pups will do three times that distance (I still walk the few miles, they pelt around)

Think adding the sire's lines into hers made for intelligent pups but with a higher drive (more than two thirds of his pedigree was FTCh or FTW, whereas hers had far less red ink)

Wolfiefan · 05/12/2017 18:39

That's really interesting. I have little idea about breeding etc. (Don't worry I won't be breeding from my girl!) it's fascinating.

kmh79 · 09/12/2017 23:02

Hi can anyone offer me any advice please. I’ve got a 4 month old border collie pup and she keeps attacking my middle dog to the point I’ve begun bitten separating them she is really vicious Shen she does this and I’m too nervous to put gh together as she goes for her as soon as she is in reach. I’ve enquirer with a trainer and they said it sounds like resource guarding but dog Behaviorists are so expensive and I don’t want to give up on her but can’t see a way to get passed this. I tried walking her tonight with the older dog and she went mad barking all the time I didn’t even get out of the gate she just seems to ghave gone crazy and the more separated they are the worse she is help x

Scandicat · 09/12/2017 23:18

In answer to OP we have two working cockers. Three year age gap. They are wonderful dogs but pretty full on.

So I'd say it depends on what your existing dog is like. The play between my two seems pretty ferocious to me but its definitely mutual and my older spaniel is a great combination of keen to play but gentle. However, I think a more sedate older dog would have been really annoyed by bouncy cocker puppy.

Someone I know has a border terrier. They had her at DD's cricket training and I was amazed that she could just potter around off lead. My older spaniel would never be that chilled. That said, the border terrier pottered slowly off and disappeared and was found wandering off up the lane and returned home, so perhaps they are stealthily mad rather than full on crazy like a cocker! They always seem lovely to me.

ZivaDiva · 10/12/2017 06:32

We are just about to get our second dog. Our only stipulation was not another Border Collie! Only because I don’t need another dog who is so clever, if we had 2 collies the house would be run by the Border Collie federation and I wouldn’t have any say.
We’ve got a springer/lab cross coming just after Christmas and I can’t wait. There’s a four year age gap.

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