Considering a friend ?

Nifty has just turned one year old.
She’s an extremely laid back staffy and to be brutally honest, it’s been very easy integrating her to our family up to now. She spends her day in her play pen whilst we’re at work and surveillance cameras prove that she spends most of her time sleeping. She’s family member number 3 (after OH and myself) when we’re home and she's a real sweetie.
With any dog she meets, it’s only wagging tail and happy to meet anyone. Never been the slightest bit of aggression from her at all.

Sometimes I wonder if she isn’t a bit lonely as the cats definitely don’t want to play with her.
IF I were to consider a friend for her, what options would I be looking at ?
I was thinking of another staffy female pup, I don’t want a male (temperament and marking issues).
I'm completely under the staffy spell so wouldn’t consider another breed.
Is age an important factor for introducing another ?

BUT

I know what the situation is with Nifty. I don’t know what chaos could be lurking around the corner by adding another.
One is easy to cater for, two is potential for exponential trouble. Alot of details could have heavy impact, including logistics of going from one to two.
I’d have to find other travel arrangements as 2 travel cases don't fit in my vehicle = harness + seatbelt option, for example.
Would have to put separation in play pen, at first at least, to avoid trouble whilst we’re out. I’ve often read that adult dogs should not be left alone together for risk of fighting, is this really true ? If so, that puts an end to one of the primary aims of adding a friend.
Nifty could either win a friend or lose impression of being as loved in the family as now needing to share ?

What are your honest thoughts ?
I’m currently “window shopping” telling myself that it would ultimately be a bad idea, but I really have Nifty's best interests at heart.

If you have an “only dog” and you work, do you consider that your dog could be unhappy or is the quality of family life that you supply far outweighing the hours you are away from home ?

Thanks in advance for your honesty

Many people leave 2 or more dogs alone together when they go out. I, personally wouldn't as I feel there is the possibility of one egging the other on, excitement rising & you coming home to no sofa, other than a load of chair stuffing all over the floor!

Although I've had 2 fenales together, you need to watch them - bitches are known to carry lifelong grudges & once they fight, they seldom forget it.

I don't understand why you wouldn't want a male because of 'temperament'? Males are often more laid back than bitches once they've natured. As for marking, if they're house trained properly they won't mark their home, although they might mark outside (Street, park etc).

I would also think it'd be best to wait until about 6 months after Nifty's spay so that she is totally over it (mentally as well as physically).

Two dogs aren't necessarily twice the work but they are twice the cost - insurance, food etc.

Nifty staffy wrote:I don’t know what chaos could be lurking around the corner by adding another.

I'm a big fan of having more than one dog, we've had 2-4 for nearly 20 years and, apart from one rescue, we've never had a problem. It's partly because I think dogs do well with other canine company in the house but to be honest the main reason for having more than one is that I love dogs!

There are benefits to having more than one, there are negatives as well. I guess the real benefit is that canine company. Many, many dogs are just fine on their own but a doggie buddy adds an extra dimension to their lives. It's wonderful watching them play together, sleep together, etc. I also like that they are rarely alone when I go out (Chaos is on his own when I take the girls walks).

The downsides are, of course, the extra cost and a bit more work (more poo to pick up). It is double the cost but not really double the work as you should be able to walk two as well as you do one. It's tricky, though, to train two together.

I've never had a problem with them destroying stuff when we're out. Yes, we have the odd duvet cover torn and really minor stuff like that but that happens when we're here too. With a couple of them (Bobbert and Millie), there were concerns about leaving them alone with the others for the first few times, Bob because he was such a difficult dog with a history of dog aggression and Millie because of her physical issues which may have made her vulnerable (Millie, vulnerable ).

I have also never had a problem with fighting, except for Daisy and that was an unusual situation, and there were no issues when they were alone. The fights were when we were here. I wouldn't, though, leave two dogs in a penned area for any length of time. I think they need to be able to move away, for example if one wants to play and the other doesn't. I also wouldn't have them penned separately for any length of time, as that would probably lead to frustration. If that is a must for you, then two dogs might not work.

It's also only fair to warn you that two young dogs, especially staffies, can turn your house upside down. The noise levels in this house should probably have a safety warning on them sometimes! Having an off switch is a must.

It's a big decision and it's got to be right not only for Nifty but also for you. Most practicalities can be worked around but there is undeniably a change in the family dynamic. I would think that one through before worrying about gender (I agree with Gilly about males not being a problem), etc.

LizP wrote:

Nifty staffy wrote:I don’t know what chaos could be lurking around the corner by adding another.

I’m sorry Liz, no offence meant against your Chaos (with capital letter as it’s a name.   )


Thanks to you both for sharing your experiences and your thoughts.

It’s true that after reading your posts, and watching OH playing with Nifty next to me on the sofa, I can’t really see the need (or room?) for another.
I guess I imagine a second canine friend as being a second Nifty but that couldn't be further from the reality of things. She’s a really exceptional staffy and your input does somewhat confirm my thoughts of it being a bad idea to change this harmony we have at home.

Just to clarify about Nifty’s playpen, it's actually several pens put together which means she has about half of my lounge in terms of space. It may not seem ideal for many but for now it’s the best compromise we’ve found to keep her safe and out of trouble until we all grow up a bit more together.

Thanks again  

Ive 90% of my life always had two dogs or more, the only issue i ever had was when i had lexi and another bitch. She was a male dog kinda of gal, but that was her. But generally i think, bitches get along better with dogs but thats just been my experience. Also, to agree with what liz said, most of the fights happened when humans were around..when alone they generally didn't bother with each other and didn't interact much.

Whats your thoughts, another pup or a rescue?

My thoughts would have been another pup.
Morally speaking, I would look into rescue but with “pit bull type” dogs (for those who are ignorant ), it’s really better to have some kind of breed paperwork to avoid hassle with BSL. I also don’t feel confident about having to deal with negative past history of a dog who has ended up in kennels for rehoming.

For now we’re going to stay as is.
I hope Nifty is fairly happy with us, her toys and the other non canine residents. I’m too scared of looking for trouble and ultimately finding myself in an uncontrollable situation.

Interesting thread.

I have been thinking of getting another Staffie as company for Lucy as she does seem to get on well with any other Staffie that she has met so far, particularly a wee boy pup that we sometimes meet when out walking.

Thinking of getting a wee boy pup when she's a bit older as in my experience with other dogs older girls love to fuss over a boy pup...

UncannyScot23 wrote:
I have been thinking of getting another Staffie as company for Lucy as she does seem to get on well with any other Staffie that she has met so far, particularly a wee boy pup that we sometimes meet when out walking.

Thinking of getting a wee boy pup when she's a bit older as in my experience with other dogs older girls love to fuss over a boy pup...

Would you get a pup from breeders or rescue?

I think it would be very rare to get pups from rescue tbh...

I would most likely use a good reputable breeder or from friends litters where I know the pups parents etc.
It will be a while off yet

Rescue pups are probably not as uncommon as you think. We've had 3 litters so far this year, including one of staffies (the others were lurchers and shepherds), plus some slightly older pups (6 months or so). They can go quite quickly, though, so if you do want to consider rescue pups then keep an eye on your local rescue centres' websites and act quickly if you see anything.