By Jennifer Broome, the QK owner
Do you think that you are ready for another dog?
I have many clients reach out to me saying that they want to add another dog to their family. I am certainly quite a dog lover myself and my husband and I not only own 5 dogs at the moment, we also have 6 other dogs at our home that we are raising and training. From 10 week old puppies, to 4 month puppies, then an 11 month old dog in my started/intermediate trained dog program and then our own pack from 2.5 years up to 12 years old.
In my world, my life revolves around dogs. I not only bring many of my dogs to work at the kennel to be trained during the day, my home property and farm (next door to Quinebaug Kennels) is set up with a finished dog room in our basement complete with dog washer/dryer, dog tub, built in kennel runs, crate areas and more. Outside we have enclosed kennel runs and a large fenced in dog play area plus 50 acres of property to run and exercise the dogs. At least 5 days a week my dogs get extensive exercise along with training time and pack play time. My dogs have it pretty good!
When a client tells me that they are ready for another dog, I offer this feedback and advice:
Is your current dog at least 2 years old?
If YES, then is your dog well trained, socialized and stable? If so, your dog could be a great mentor to a new puppy.
If NO, and your pup is under 2 years, it is still a puppy! Pups tend to bond to other pups more than their humans. In my experience it is best to allow your current dog to reach at least 2 years of age to mature and fully bond to you. Two puppies under 2 years old become inseparable friends, they easily block out the humans and become their own little pack. It is easiest to put them together to play and keep each other busy, but then they learn to be co-dependent on each other, and good luck separating them! They get separation anxiety… and then sadly as they age, when one passes away the other nearly dies of a broken heart.
Is your current dog well-trained?
If YES, and your dog is over 2 years old, then your dog may be a GREAT mentor to a new puppy!
If NO, then Hmmmm, what do you think will happen? Yup, your untrained dog will only teach a pup bad habits. Your new puppy can easily become unruly and bond to the untrained dog, and then they become a pack of untrained wild hooligans!
Does your current dog have behavioral issues?
If YES, then your puppy will most likely also develop these issues. Fear, aggression, timidness, protective, over reactivity….
So, we would LOVE to help you bring another canine companion into your family, BUT consider the above advice. If your current dog is young, not trained, or has behavioral issues, wait until the time is right and your current dog can mature, get trained, or overcome any behavioral issues so that he/she can be a great mentor to your new puppy!
Dogs all have unique personalities, energy levels, sensitivity levels, and factors that drive them. Adding a second dog to your family can present a lot of challenges and my advice is to make sure your current dog is stable, balanced and well trained. Once this has been accomplished and you are yearning to add another canine companion, GO FOR IT! We are here to help you find that next great companion. Check out our QK Certified Dogs or reach out to Jennifer to have her help you choose the next great canine companion to your family. Jennifer can interview you, learn about your goals for your next dog and she can provide you with ideas, insight, and experience on breeds and breeders to ensure a good fit for your family based on health, temperament, energy level and trainability. Jennifer’s professional Canine Referral Service may be some of the best money spent to help you understand dog breeds, genetics, health clearances, pedigrees and more so that you can successfully find your next canine family member!
