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Author Topic : Pros/Cons of Second Dog?
 Berry Brits
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4/8/2020 9:32:12 PM reply with quote send message to Berry Brits Object to Post   

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I'm trying to convince the family to use quarantine time to introduce another Brittany to the house, but I'm losing the battle right now! Haha.

The main concern is if 2 dogs are substantially more work. Our Brittany is fairly high maintenance energy-wise, is it just another dog to exercise or can they usually help entertain themselves?

Of course, we'd still take them out every day, just is it substantially more difficult to control/look after 2? And what happens if they don't get along? Haha

And I was wondering, if we do get a second dog, is there any difference between getting a male or a female? Our male isn't territorial or aggressive towards either gender, but does one combo tend to go better together?

We're confident financially, and we've got a fenced yard and everything so we're not worried about them not having enough space at home.

Here's our current boy, he's a little over 2 years now, named Junior. happy :) I've posted pictures of him here since he was a pup!







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Last edited by Berry Brits on 4/8/2020 10:21:14 PM
 gaylanstudio
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4/9/2020 7:18:55 PM reply with quote send message to gaylanstudio Object to Post

It can be great but there are considerations:

Time:
Mine are American Cocker so grooming eats up a fair bit of time. Not a big deal with Brits though.

Gender:
If you plan to have both sterilized, it probably won't matter that much.
Two intact males can get along but they need to be supervised. They will probably fight although they may come to an understanding in time. A lot depends on the personalities of both dogs. Talk to other Brittany owners and breeders.

One of each? Well they won't fight as a rule but there will be issues, mostly seasonal but not necessarily only seasonal. If the male is neutered he'll lose interest in those matters.

So much hinges on the character of the individual dogs it is hard to predict. If it doesn't work out well between them, do you have the means to to keep them separate and give them equal turns?

On the plus side - if you have a spacious well fenced area, and they get along, they will entertain and exercise each other and you can sit down with a book or a camera and just watch them.

I have had two intact males, two neutered males, a neutered male and intact female, and presently an intact male and a spayed female.

Everyone in the house should be supportive. It might go smoothly but there is a high potential for major upsets to daily life in the beginning at the beginning especially.






 Dark Mirage
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4/10/2020 10:48:02 AM reply with quote send message to Dark Mirage Object to Post

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Two issues with introducing a second dog right now:

- most good breeders have a waitlist for puppies, or plain aren't breeding right now. To get a quality, well-bred, well-raised puppy, you'll likely need to go on a waitlist, and by the time you get your dog, the quarantine period will (hopefully) be over. Consider also the uncertainty and financial issues. Right now, some families are still doing ok, but that could change-- people who were told they would still be paid or could work from home for a few weeks are now being laid off since it looks like this could stretch on for months. Make sure everyone in your home is on-board, and have a plan in case your family gets hit with covid and people become sick for weeks, or if your family's cash flow dries up for whatever reason.

- Once everyone in the home goes back to work, your dog will have a HUGE adjustment. If you do get a second dog right now, make sure to keep to a schedule several days a week like you would be at work-- crate the dogs if you do that, etc. It will help ease the transition for dogs that were used to you home every day, all day, and are now faced with everyone gone to work all day.

Whether different sexes get along or not depends on the individual dogs moreso than sexes, but there are a couple of rules-- if two females decide they hate each other, you're sunk. They will wait YEARS for the chance to rip each other apart. Two males will usually work it out and get along fine as long as there are no intact females around. A male and a female tend to get along pretty well. Beware that sometimes spayed females can still trigger hormone changes in intact males, so keep that in mind. A friend of mine has a 13 y.o spayed Samoyed and her intact show male gets a prostate infection every six months. She obviously still has enough hormone changes to set him off, and this is not all that rare.

If you do decide to consider a second dog, bear in mind that most vet clinics are now operating on the 'emergencies only' contingent. You may be on your own for doing vaccinations, etc. for your new dog/pup.



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Last edited by Dark Mirage on 4/10/2020 10:50:49 AM
 Berry Brits
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4/10/2020 4:38:18 PM reply with quote send message to Berry Brits Object to Post

Thanks for the responses! Junior is neutered, so it sounds like hormonally there shouldn't be much issue - we intend on getting our second dog neutered when they are old enough as well.

We do have an in with a responsible breeder who currently has available pups in a litter. I've also asked for his advice on this issue and he generally agrees that as long as we get both dogs neutered it shouldn't be problematic.

Luckily mom is stay at home so there shouldn't be a massive adjustment when dad/kids go back to school/work. happy :)

That is a good point about the vets - I will have to look into how we'd get the pup vaccinated.
 gaylanstudio
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4/11/2020 1:21:59 PM reply with quote send message to gaylanstudio Object to Post

Regarding vets, I wouldn't think that you'd have too much trouble getting the vaccinations. Many breeders do their own so that might be an option anyway.

I just had my older girl in for an eye issue. It was a bit weird. They wouldn't let me in - a masked tech came out to the car and took the dog and the vet called me a few minutes later to discuss the issue. (I had separation anxiety but it worked out ok and the eye is mending.)

The tech returned with the bill and the card machine then another came with the dog and her meds and off we went.

There is of course still some risk of transmission as in pretty much any other situation.

Mirage - Excellent additional comments. (I've heard similar comments about two girls.)

Good luck, Brit!

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A specialty show is a dog show which reviews a single breed, unlike other dog shows, particularly conformation shows, which are generally referred to as "all-breed" because they are open to all breeds recognized by the sponsoring kennel club.