Adding a third dog - male or female?

[Amazetl]

On 25/11/2022 at 8:26 AM, Snowpea said:

In answer to your question Amazetl it's purely for my own desire that I want another dog. 

Our two are happy as they are. I just see so many dogs that needs homes (including puppies) and can't help but want to help. 

That means that we have a lot of pets (not just dogs) but of course dogs are a bit more challenging in the way that it's harder to keep them separate if they don't get along, and because they are pack animals and need to work out a hierarchy. 

Maybe I'll think about it a bit more. I need to make sure our current dogs will be happy with a new pup too. How I work that out, I don't know! 

 

I think your reason is great for yourself. Just sometimes we have a particular type of dog that might not like having another added in and it’s up to us to decide whether to still go ahead. 

 

When I got my little puppy, I fully thought the other two dogs would be great. I thought my older female dog would be ‘mum’ like to her as she is so super sweet with her soft toys and with a family member’s small dog who visits sometimes. But no. I didn’t realise she was really my baby and didn’t want a younger one (who is submissive btw). So it’s taken a lot to manage but we’re getting there. What I have found most difficult is how my time is taken away from each individually since they aren’t really a ‘pack’. My older boy adores both thankfully. But just if you need to walk them separately, play with them separately, etc. It can get a bit tiring. I think too that each dog deserves having one on one time anyway. 

 

Something that I didn’t fully think about is that a new puppy or new dog coming onto the property and sharing their person with other dogs is so different to having a friend dog come over and then go back to their home. 

 

I have no regrets, just it takes more effort than I had imagined and I do feel for my middle dog. I think every day though it does get better and I’ve caught them hanging out together nicely a few times now but I’d never trust them to be alone together, I don’t think ever. Pup is now nearly a year old.