Looking for a cockapoo!

[Amanda88t 10]

Hi

 

Any one know of any pups available or due soon ish?

 

We have a 6 month old male cockapoo who desperately needs a friend!

 

Any information would be very helpful!

 

Thanks

[Strix 11]

why do you think he needs a friend?

 

most people who think they 'need' another dog are usually doing it for the wrong reasons. At 6 months old, you still have a pup who will stil need some training. If you introduce another pup into this scenario, you can break the bond you've not finished creating between you and your dog, and the new pup will only be interested in the other dog not you!

 

If you really must have a companion for your pup, an older dog would make a much better job of it

[kate1984 10]

if you really want one there are usually lots on preloved, pets4homes websites. good luck in your search

[Amanda88t 10]

why do you think he needs a friend?

 

most people who think they 'need' another dog are usually doing it for the wrong reasons. At 6 months old, you still have a pup who will stil need some training. If you introduce another pup into this scenario, you can break the bond you've not finished creating between you and your dog, and the new pup will only be interested in the other dog not you!

 

If you really must have a companion for your pup, an older dog would make a much better job of it

 

I think he needs a friend because I know him - I spend 14-16 hours a day with him and I know he gets lonely as I cant play with him like they could...

 

Lets put it this way if he hasn't had the chance to play with another young dog when I go out and walk him he will cry when he gets home! or refuse to leave the park for a while.

 

And what 'wrong' reasons are they? I do find it hard that you are judging me and my dogs situation without knowing us or without any justification - if you had given me so reasons why it is a bad idea i would listen and evaluate but you haven't and it isn't very helpful!

 

I have been brought up in households with multiple dogs and I know to spend time with them on their own as well as together to begin with. Both dogs with have time together and time apart with me and my partner - they will both be crate trained and sleep on their own, so buster doesn't get bombarded with a puppy all the time.

 

Buster is very well trained and very willing to please so I honestly think he would be a good role model anyway.

Buster absolutely loves pups older dogs he is a bit funny with after being attacked a couple of months ago. What do you mean by older though?

[teeny 10]

I walk a cockapoo, he loves company , he has a play companion who he loves , if you fancy joining us and meeting up with us for a play , click on our signature or pm me .

[Lotti 10]

Strix was offering advice which is entirely viable and helpful. She's not judging, she's offering very constructive and useful advice.

 

Pups go through different stages of development and at six months he is yet to go through more 'difficult' phases when his training is likely to deteriorate and an impressionable puppy may well follow him.

 

It does sound like you've thought it through but Strix is right. Generally when people think they need a second dog for their first dog they are doing it for the wrong reasons. She didn't say you were doing it for the wrong reasons, just that this is how things usually happen.

 

I agree that a second dog should be the choice of the owner, and not be done simply for the first dog - it can be a wonderful addition to a household and dogs, being social creatures, appreciate having a friend but as Strix did explain, they are the same species and they speak the same language and they are more likely to bond together and not be as attentive to the humans of the family. Also note, that the introduction of a second dog almost never helps with separation anxiety in the first dog, not sure if you have this issue at all, but some people do and this is often a factor in the decision to get a second dog, but it doesn't help.

 

It sounds like you have thought things through as far as spending time separately with them and that's good. It's important that they are walked separately, and taken training separately - remember that if you go away and leave them somewhere it's harder to find space for two than it is to find space for one! It's also much harder to find somewhere to stay with more than one

 

Also, a 'very well trained dog' doesn't tend to refuse to leave the park until they've played with someone!

 

Eager to please tends to be a fallacy, all dogs need motivation and they really don't care that much about your internal state unless it impacts on them (mum is pleased - I get food/play/toys/positive attention) and remember that when you introduce a second dog, you have competing motivation so his training may actually suffer with the introduction of a partner in crime!

 

I don't know exactly what age Strix was thinking of but adding an older dog to a pup, I'd say depending on your breed, when that breed tends to mentally mature (so for instance, in my breed it'd be a dog of 3-4 years of age but you could still go younger, anything over a year to 18 months really). Alternatively, I wouldn't introduce a puppy to my existing pup until my existing pup was a year to 2 years (depending on the dog).

 

I got an elderly dog when my first pup was 1 year old, and this worked perfectly (she did pick up on some of his bad habits, but that will happen!). However, when my dogs were four and 15 years old, we introduced a 3 month old puppy... you'd be surprised how easily influenced a 15 year old can be!! The puppy mentality rubbed off on both of them and even made training the 4 year old slightly more difficult. I am so pleased I chose not to introduce a puppy to her when she was still a youngster!

 

As Strix says, this really is Buster's time with you to bond and learn and like I said, his training will deteriorate and improve at different stages of his development and adding a puppy to the mix can make things difficult for you and your existing dog.

 

I'm by no means saying that a second dog is a bad idea, far from it - I have had three dogs together (and I have to say, a new puppy, a flighty 4 year old and a 15 year old with dementia IS a stressful combination!!) and currently have 2 and they do provide each other with company, despite the fact that they come to work with me anyway but they also have enough of each other at times, they cost twice as much as one would (in fact, they cost even more than that when the idiot puppy puts it's tooth through the older one's ear resulting in a stitch-up at the vets!) and they are twice as much stress when you're not on top form! I wouldn't change them for the world though.

 

I would say though, that 6 months is a little too early for the ideal time to introduce a companion, you've clearly thought about it a lot, but just thought I'd add what I know to offer you more to think about

 

Also remember that they may well not play like they would if they only saw each other on walks etc. so you may not get the full on companion when you need it! I can take both of mine to a field and try to get them to run each other ragged and they'll show no interest in each other when at other times, they want to run each other ragged at home when I want them to be quiet!! Dogs don't play all day when they live together... so I'm not sure how Buster gets lonely when he's with you 16 hours a day... even with another dog he's likely to only play for so long and then lay down with the other dog, which he could do with you couldn't he?

 

I hope it doesn't feel like I'm peeing on your bonfire, more that I have the benefit of the experience to offer things for you to consider that you may have otherwise not known about

Edited December 15, 2010 by Lotti

[Strix 11]

Thanks Lotti. You've hit the nail on the head several times there

 

Amanda - I'm not being a kill joy or spoil sport, and I'm not telling you not to do it, I've just outlined one or two problems people don't expect to encounter when they think another dog is going to solve problems for them, and suggested a way of going about it for the easiest for you. The word 'need' in your post is what provoked my reply `

 

Unfortunately, time and time again we've seen dogs wind up in rescue through this scenario. We've also had many discussions with potential new owners via this forum and assisted them in finding exactly the right dog, of the right age/temperament, at the right time for their existing dog

 

We're a helpful bunch here really

(okay, so there's one or two who do the stuck record thing, but that's not me )