Worth buying another puppy for company?

I have a staff puppy that will be 6 weeks old next week. I also have the chance to buy another puppy ready in 2 weeks, so both will be about the same age..

My pup will be the only dog in the household, so I'm considering whether it's worth buying another to keep him company. Considering my boyfriend and I both want one, he can take the responsibility for the other, so both will be looked after 110% and trained consistently.

What would you do? Worth the opportunity or not?

You don't have your first pup yet, do you?

Personally I'd wait for a few months at least. Get the house training & basic training underway first. Two youngsters like that (and don't forget, they're not supposed to leave the breeder until 8 weeks old) are bloody hard work, believe me!

It's really better in general to get a decent age gap between 2 dogs , Tilly and Tommy are almost 2 years apart and if I did it again I would make it more like 3 years.
So the Staffy pup you have now is really young to be with you already and you may find difficult in coming times due to being so young when he left his mum and you could end up with 2 giving you a hard time

Caryll wrote:You don't have your first pup yet, do you?

Personally I'd wait for a few months at least. Get the house training & basic training underway first. Two youngsters like that (and don't forget, they're not supposed to leave the breeder until 8 weeks old) are bloody hard work, believe me!

Unfortunately not yet, but almost all pups have gone, and he's soon to be left on his own, well before he's 8 weeks. By next week all will be gone except for him :/ And considering he's separated from his mum, I considered it so they can still grasp the basics from one another. And I completely understand lol, I've been around a friend's staffy puppy, she's a nightmare lol!

davemck3834 wrote:It's really better in general to get a decent age gap between 2 dogs , Tilly and Tommy are almost 2 years apart and if I did it again I would make it more like 3 years.
So the Staffy pup you have now is really young to be with you already and you may find difficult in coming times due to being so young when he left his mum and you could end up with 2 giving you a hard time

I suppose so, he's only 4 weeks and 3 days old today, but by the time he's 5 weeks old, his 3 siblings will be gone and he'll be on his own, as the litter had to be separated from mum due to problems. Considering he's so young too, I thought that getting another will keep him learning the basics. My boyfriend will have sole responsibility of the other, so I'll only have mine to attend to..

NicoleLouise wrote:

Caryll wrote:You don't have your first pup yet, do you?

Personally I'd wait for a few months at least. Get the house training & basic training underway first. Two youngsters like that (and don't forget, they're not supposed to leave the breeder until 8 weeks old) are bloody hard work, believe me!

Unfortunately not yet, but almost all pups have gone, and he's soon to be left on his own, well before he's 8 weeks. By next week all will be gone except for him :/ And considering he's separated from his mum, I considered it so they can still grasp the basics from one another. And I completely understand lol, I've been around a friend's staffy puppy, she's a nightmare lol!

NicoleLouise wrote:

davemck3834 wrote:It's really better in general to get a decent age gap between 2 dogs , Tilly and Tommy are almost 2 years apart and if I did it again I would make it more like 3 years.
So the Staffy pup you have now is really young to be with you already and you may find difficult in coming times due to being so young when he left his mum and you could end up with 2 giving you a hard time

I suppose so, he's only 4 weeks and 3 days old today, but by the time he's 5 weeks old, his 3 siblings will be gone and he'll be on his own, as the litter had to be separated from mum due to problems. Considering he's so young too, I thought that getting another will keep him learning the basics. My boyfriend will have sole responsibility of the other, so I'll only have mine to attend to..

This is going to sound really negative, but I wouldn't even have the pup you're going for now. The breeder is pushing the pups out far too young for what appears to be a flimsy excuse. I certainly wouldn't add another one to it for some considerable time yet.

NicoleLouise wrote:

Caryll wrote:You don't have your first pup yet, do you?

Personally I'd wait for a few months at least. Get the house training & basic training underway first. Two youngsters like that (and don't forget, they're not supposed to leave the breeder until 8 weeks old) are bloody hard work, believe me!

Unfortunately not yet, but almost all pups have gone, and he's soon to be left on his own, well before he's 8 weeks. By next week all will be gone except for him :/ And considering he's separated from his mum, I considered it so they can still grasp the basics from one another. And I completely understand lol, I've been around a friend's staffy puppy, she's a nightmare lol!

are you sure you want this pup sound like you getting him off a BYB (back yard breeder).

It's a friend of mine, her male staff managed to cover her bitch, but he's going to be castrated, and the bitch is to be spayed. They're always kept apart during season but he got out :/

Definitely want the one I got now, hasn't had the best start being so young, and I want to eb able to give him that at least x

If you have the time, patience, enough stuff to ruin without getting mad, don't mind little wee/poo stains and have eyes in the back of your head go for it

They are handfull and it might be an idea to get used to 1 and introduce another later X

i bet the pup; asn't been health tested

NicoleLouise wrote:

Caryll wrote:You don't have your first pup yet, do you?

Personally I'd wait for a few months at least. Get the house training & basic training underway first. Two youngsters like that (and don't forget, they're not supposed to leave the breeder until 8 weeks old) are bloody hard work, believe me!

Unfortunately not yet, but almost all pups have gone, and he's soon to be left on his own, well before he's 8 weeks. By next week all will be gone except for him :/ And considering he's separated from his mum, I considered it so they can still grasp the basics from one another. And I completely understand lol, I've been around a friend's staffy puppy, she's a nightmare lol!

Sorry excuse my comment in my first post , I have read back through your few posts and see my mistake , just whem you said "I have" but nonetheless I would really think hard about it.

Your other option if it suits your lifestlyle would be to wait a few months to get you new boy into the swing of things and maybe look at taking an older dog from a rescue ?? That way you get a decenty age gap and also the 2 dogs without having to wait so long ............just a thought

Believe me, I've had him checked lol! I'm not that silly in diving head first, even if it meant doing it off my own back. He's a healthy puppy, thankfully! And I don't mind, I'm a horsey person and everything is puppy-proofed already.

I suppose it would be worth a shot leaving him on his own for a bit.. I just worry an awful lot, just want things to turn out good for him! (:

NicoleLouise wrote:Believe me, I've had him checked lol! I'm not that silly in diving head first, even if it meant doing it off my own back. He's a healthy puppy, thankfully! And I don't mind, I'm a horsey person and everything is puppy-proofed already.

I suppose it would be worth a shot leaving him on his own for a bit.. I just worry an awful lot, just want things to turn out good for him! (:

Sorry I don't understand , if you've not got him already how have you checked out for yourself if he's a healthy pub , sorry not being rude just curious

NicoleLouise wrote:Believe me, I've had him checked lol! I'm not that silly in diving head first, even if it meant doing it off my own back. He's a healthy puppy, thankfully!

I think Steve meant the parents wouldn't have been health checked for the various hereditary problems that are present in the stafford breed nowadays.

The parents are both registered and papered dogs and were health checked before she even got them, they too were clear. And I don't have him at my own home, but I regularly visit and have access to him and had him checked prior to even putting a penny to him. No it's fine, it's all a big confusion!

Getting animals from friends is usually disastrous. If the pup ends up an unhealthy head case (which leave the mother at that age is likely) then your friendship will be in jeopardy. This pup was an accident i get that but the owners need to take responsibility of the puppies not just chuck them out.

I strongly advise against getting another pup and TBH, I personally wouldn't be getting the first one from the person you're getting it from.

Having two pups at the same time is a recipe for disaster for many reasons (one being they often build a stronger bond with eachother rather than you so you will never be able to have a great deal of control over either of them as they will be far more interested in eachother than you) not to mention the sanity of even the most experienced.

I would also question who you are thinking about getting this second pup from as I don't know any reputable breeders that would home a pup with someone who has such a young pup of a similar age.

Sorry to put a downer on it but you did ask and I can only be honest!

ETA: Also, just to mention, there's no such thing as an accidental litter IMO, if someone isn't responsible enough to keep an in season bitch away from an entire male and they do tie then the bitch can be taken to the vet for the doggy equivalent of the morning after pill.

Also just to add to what has been said, the expense of keeping another puppy and adult dog when they grow up, will be doubled...

Wormers, frontline, food, Vaccinations, health checks, possible treatments, possible medication, insurance, beds, toys, puppy classes, obedience classes, groomers, leads, collars, crates, stair gates, pens, household repairs (lol)....the list is endless, much like a toddler.

Also, if you are like me, you may have a doggy nest egg tucked away for emergency trips to the vet, which would need to be doubled for two and replaced when used.

It all adds up.
And just to put into perspective, one of my mother-in-laws pups got an injury at 5 weeks, likely caused by rough play with his litter mates (They are relentless). He wouldnt eat or drink and was sleepy, so he was rushed to the vet after hours, put on a drip and stayed overnight, the next day he was much better and left with some painkiller and after a few days was back to normal. The bill for just that 24hr period was around the £400+ plus subsequent vists and check ups afterwards. And the vet on call wouldnt even look at the pup without money up front.

So thats always worth considering also. But whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck with it.

Two pups are way too much work I think

Hi Nicole

I can understand your desire for the pup to have company but I think with a 5 week old pup you will have ur hands full 24/7. Think newborn baby and multiply by 10!!
I bought my first pup home at 10wks, she was strong, fit and healthy. Shes now 15mths old.
My second pup we bought home at 8 weeks. He was in a mess, underweight, small and incredibly fragile. I was a wreck of worry for a good cpl of weeks. After the first cpl of days I'd be lieing if I said I didn't have regrets about getting another.
He's now 16wks old healthy n strong and love him to bits but it's not been easy. I can only imagine how fragile a 5wk old pup will be, let alone two!

I'd recommend stick with one, see how you go and wait. You will know when the time is right to get another, in the meantime ur lil 5week old is gonna need 100% of you.

Enjoy x

Galadriel wrote:Having two pups at the same time is a recipe for disaster for many reasons (one being they often build a stronger bond with eachother rather than you so you will never be able to have a great deal of control over either of them as they will be far more interested in eachother than you) not to mention the sanity of even the most experienced.

ETA: Also, just to mention, there's no such thing as an accidental litter IMO, if someone isn't responsible enough to keep an in season bitch away from an entire male and they do tie then the bitch can be taken to the vet for the doggy equivalent of the morning after pill.

Good post.

Two pups is alot to take on, when I first got marley I had a lass staying over with her female staff who was one week older than him. poo and pee everywhere, shredded newpapers, well shredded everything. playing with each other 24/7, one playing at 4am is enough but 2 thundering around drives you crazy. I was glad when she left and the bond between me and marley increased tenfold.
I have just taken on a pup myself and marley is 10 months old, he's reached a level of maturaty where he's looking at her like a baby rather than a playmate. she's watching and learning quick from him too which is a joy to see. If you want a second pup i would wait until the first is mature enough to act as a mentor rather than just a playmate and your life will be a whole lot easier.

Caryll wrote:

Galadriel wrote:Having two pups at the same time is a recipe for disaster for many reasons (one being they often build a stronger bond with eachother rather than you so you will never be able to have a great deal of control over either of them as they will be far more interested in eachother than you) not to mention the sanity of even the most experienced.

ETA: Also, just to mention, there's no such thing as an accidental litter IMO, if someone isn't responsible enough to keep an in season bitch away from an entire male and they do tie then the bitch can be taken to the vet for the doggy equivalent of the morning after pill.

Good post.

Thanks

Thank you all for your advice. Myself and OH decided that we'll stick to one puppy until he's mature enough, then only will we consider introducing another. We have several friends with staffies, so he'll be introduced and socialised with them. We want to give him 110%, and think it's best if it is only him to do so.

Appreciate all your advice.

Great to hear. I hope you have a good time with this pup and make sure you set the boudaries immediately r.e. biting as pups who are rehomed at such a young age tend to not know when to stop. lots of squealing needed.

Equi wrote:Great to hear. I hope you have a good time with this pup and make sure you set the boudaries immediately r.e. biting as pups who are rehomed at such a young age tend to not know when to stop. lots of squealing needed.

Definitely will ensure all boundaries are set from the day he comes home. I'm not willing to allow him get away with it, and end up with a dog that won't listen or steps the mark when he's older. Thanks!

That sounds like a very responsible outcome, well done and please dont be afraid to ask any further questions you may have along the way.

Good luck with it all, dont forget all those pics

kathytake2 wrote:That sounds like a very responsible outcome, well done and please dont be afraid to ask any further questions you may have along the way.

Good luck with it all, dont forget all those pics

I think it's the best outcome too, hopefully things will work out regardless. Appreciate the offer, will most likely be back askign further questions.

Thank you! And there will definitely be plenty of pictures to come!