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I have a four month old cocker spaniel. I am thinking about getting another puppy to keep him company. She will be ready to leave her litter on December 10. Does anyone have any advice on trying to raise two puppies that close in age? Any advice?
Thanks.
I don't have any advice, because I haven't done it. But I would like to welcome you to Pet Talk and encourage you to keep coming back! There are many very knowledgable people on here, and they're nice to boot! Please come back often, and post pictures!
Welcome to Pet Talk!
As for my advice, I would take the same steps to introducing puppies as adult dogs. I got Sylvia (see below) in June and she was about 4 months old and then in August we adopted Harley a one year old (also below). Their ages were close, but after a few days they were pals. Don’t forget that the new puppy and the four month old and going to need some time to adjust. I suspect the four month old is still adjusting to you home now. In my opinion, I think it is a good time to get another puppy so neither pup has really established dominance. My advice is to have a lot of patience, you're gonna need it! :D
Hi Cathypede! Welcome to Pet Talk!!
I had two puppies at once. They were five months apart in age, and "half" sisters. It worked out fine for us. I'm so glad that I did it that way, as they are good friends and helped to keep each other company when they were small.
Honey and Lilly are in my signature below. As you can tell, they are big girls now. And we've added a couple of more to the household!!! :)
the only problems that i forsee are that the puppies will bond more with each other than with the humans. on one hand this is what you want because yes they will keep each other company. on the other hand i do know of 2 gsd who both have severe sep anxiety from each other. they cannot be separated even for a short while without problems. i am not trying to rain on your parade because your pups will likely do fine, but i did feel compelled to at least share my experience. something to think about that's all.
I just thought of something else. In the short time that we had Sylvia and not Harley she used to cry a lot. When I would go to work and she had to be aalone for the 2 hours until my dad came home she would cry terribly when I left. It used to break my heart. When Harley came she was to occupied to mind too much that we were leaving. I like the fact that they play all the time and keep each other company. Let's face it, sometimes animals have to be left alone. Now when the family leaves I know that Sylvia and Harley will not be lonely. And when I want to play too, they have no problems letting me into their play group!:D
Congratulations on the new addition, and welcome to Pet Talk! I love it here(and so do MANY other folks) and it is just a great place to talk about your pets, and well pretty much anything else.:)
I don't think that you will need to get another puppy as long as you spend a lot of time with your new cocker. Do you have a digital camera? We love pics here, and I am sure we would all like to see a pic (or pics) of your new puppy.
Here's a link to an article that lists some of the issues you may face when raising two pups together. It also gives some training advice to avoid problems.
Double Trouble....raising two puppies at once.
Thank you all. I could not download the page Double Trouble...
can you give me more information on where I can find that?