Puppy Clucky- A real phenomenon.

[Steph M]

Hello everyone! Been AWOL for some time, been busy raising a toddler and working etc.
(Photo below for everyone's peepers!)

 

My question is, does anyone else just get CRAZY puppy clucky sometimes? Like, beyond practical clucky?
Every now and then I think 'how hard would a third dog really be?' and it just spirals from there. Haha.

Part B is how hard did you all find adding a third to a group of 2 adults...hypothetically speaking...haha. Gus and Rosie are 4 and a half now, so well into adulthood.

Anyway, have some Gus and Oscar spam. Watching their first local footy match. Both very excited)
 

 

[Little Gifts]

My name on here used to be Puppy Sniffer - I think that tells you I had the same issue! I never even wanted to foster puppies for that reason! My thing is they are just babies. So vulnerable and everything is new for them and I want all their experiences to be positive ones. They are just so precious with their little lives ahead of them.

 

I have twice added a failed foster puppy to a household with older dogs and it has gone really well. First time the puppy helped an older dog with grieving and brought her back to life. She lived another 4 years. She mothered the puppy too and kept her in line as she matured. Second time I had two adult dogs and they both took on different roles raising two foster puppies. They taught them things I could never teach them about how to be a dog. We were always a three dog house  as three  felt normal but last year's loss was a big one and we are just not ready. One thing about adding a puppy is it keeps your older dogs younger and gives them more play activity. I loved the change in our older dogs when they shared their life with a puppy. Almost like a multi-generational family!

 

Here is a pic of Stussy supervising some bitey face between Dimples (pink collar) and Dweeb. DImples went on to become foster fail Tempeh. Stussy was also a foster fail. Both only came for a weekend while other carers were found!

Edited July 24, 2017 by Little Gifts

[tdierikx]

I get my puppy fix by fostering them... have only 2 failures here (one is now 5 and the other 7) out of over 200 puppies in care over the years... I think I've been really restrained actually... lol!

 

There is only one foster that I still wish I'd adopted myself - even though he went to an awesome home. He took a hold of my heart, and I still miss him.

 

T.

[Simply Grand]

I looooove puppies but fostering (both adults and puppies) cured me for a while, I was loving the peace and ease of just 3 adults. Hasn't taken long for the cluckiness to come back after a break from fostering though! I'm also having cravings for a cat or kitten... Luckily there's no way it can happen any time soon so I can keep it at bay (will be back to fostering though).

 

As far as adding a third, it's a much bigger jump in work and management than from 1 to 2. I found it really made them a "pack" in the way they respond to things like other dogs, perceived threats etc, much more so than with 2. It also adds an entirely new dynamic and "rules" of interaction - my three have different relationships with each of the others and different behaviours they will exhibit and allow with one but not the other etc.  Adding the third affected the relationship between the older 2 as well because the middle one became closer to the 3rd whereas the oldest has a constant power struggle going on with the youngest, even 5.5 years later. In general though they all get along well and I really like having 3.

 

It will depend a lot on temperaments as well, you'll need to match a third to suit both Gus and Rosie, who might have different  requirements, but if they are both pretty easy going and especially if you introduce a puppy, it should be ok.

[sandgrubber]

17 hours ago, Steph M said:

I can't figure out how to type outside your quote box...so please ignore the box feature.

#3 is great.  My mature dogs loved having a puppy and helped a whole lot in keeping the puppy out of trouble. And come the awful days of saying goodbye when the older dogs pass, it will be a relief to have the 'puppy' around for a dog fix.

BUT if you find two limiting, eg., when traveling, finding a hotel room that allows dogs, or keeping dogs under control when off leash, three is much worse.  Also...three can lead to four.

[Rascalmyshadow]

I used to get the puppy urge but after so many years of working with dogs and fostering rescues the thought of an untrained peeing, pooping, chewing machine does not fill me with excitement anymore.

 

As for having three dogs, that is our perfect number. It's a nice little pack, you can take out a single dog and the others have company, it is still manageable to walk them all together, proving they are not reactive to other dogs etc and are taught not to pull, and it is lots of fun watching them play and interact together.

 

The downsides are, the extra costs, and they will behave like a pack which is quite different to just having two individual dogs, for example if one is reactive to something it will often set them all off, even the ones that initially weren't, probably the biggest issue we've come across.

[gillybob]

I have just added a third to my pack, she is a teenager and has fitted in well.

I got her because I was worried what would happen to Cedro when his best mate Gilly (21) has gone.

She was a bit timid to start but now she is part of the pack and is as happy as anything, its like she has always been here.

Its been a while since I have had a three dog family and I didn't realise how much I missed it.

I always had oldies who came to die here, which for me was very hard, but they usually had good lives for at least a while.

I got Cedro because I wanted a dog I picked and waited for and now with Etta who is also a Fauve I have a nice little family.

I got Anna and Cedro together when Anna passed I was very worried about Cedro but Gilly helped him a lot.

Now its near Gilly's time and hope Etta will be there for Cedro.

 

 

[tikira]

Hi Steph

 

It is great to have an update from you and your beautiful family. It really does not seem that long ago since we were all raising our pupstars through their first 12 months, but I am really glad to know that we both survived the first 12 months and beyond.

 

Jingo is an absolute joy, he is much more catlike than Jack Russell like. Not much of a barker, but "talks" a lot  (aw, aw awww ), particularly to get the long suffering Kira (border Collie) to move. I think he considers himself her exercise coach, lol!

 

The ease of having two dogs has me "puppy Clucky" too, I find myself looking at all the rescue dogs, and wishing, but I know that neither of my two would welcome a newcomer easily. That makes my decision simple at the moment, I must consider my dogs before I acceed to my own wants, oh well, I can still cluck though.

 

Cheers Di