need on advice on getting a third dog (sorry its long)

[kellikans]

Hi all.  Lurker with a question.

We had an opportunity fall into our laps where someone I work with needs to get rid of his Great Pyrenees puppy (she's 4 months old).  we currently have 2 dogs, ages 11 and 12.  my 12 year old has been rediagnosed with a massive liver tumor (had similar tumor surgically removed a year ago, but it grew back).  we have opted to not put her through surgery again due to her age as well as not being confident that it won't grow back again.  she had one episode of acute internal bleeding last month, but it has since clotted off and she's been stable/acting like her normal self.  the reality of it is that it's basically a ticking time bomb and may start bleeding at any time, and she may recover again, or we may have to let her go.  

we've always talked about getting a third dog (I'd have 100 if I could), but we never went through with it.  and a Great Pyrenees has been a breed we've considered for a while.  what I'm torn with is if it's horribly bad timing for our situation.  I don't know how stressful it will be on my 12 year old.  I know there will be some stress, but I know that sometimes bringing in a new friend a lot of times extends their lives.  and I worry about my 11 year old when my 12 year old passes.  I wonder if having another dog in the mix by that time will help ease the loss for her.  

My colleague has agreed to a trial run for a few days so that we can see how things will work out.  Should we go ahead and do it?

Then that leads to another question... if we do the trial and everything works out and we go ahead and decide to get her, how much should we offer for her?  I know he paid a hefty chunk of change (he got her from a breeder), and he's telling me that it's not about the money, he just wants her to go to a good home.  I looked up on local rescue sites to see their adoption fees and puppies under 6 months of age tend to go for $550 (that's with vaccines, spay/neuter, de-worming, etc.).  This puppy is not fixed, so I'm factoring in $150-200 for that.  Puppies that are 6-12 months go for $350.  What would be a good offer?

Sorry it's so long.  I just want to make sure I'm making the right decision for my two dogs.  How I wish they could talk and let me know what they thought!

[G22]

We have 3 dogs. Adopting #3 was a spur of the moment thing. We had tossed around the idea of getting a third one, looked on pet finder, and then decided to go to the shelter "just to look". We came home with a 4 month old hound mix 2 hours later. lol

We added the 3rd dog when our other two were 3 and 4 years old. Both our other two dogs are great with other dogs, so we weren't to worried about them. The new dog came in wanting to be "top dog" which wasn't about to happen. Our husky is top dog and wasn't about to give it up to the new dog. All 3 dogs got along great from the start, but the new little hound challenged our husky a few times and they got into a few nasty fights in the first 4-6 months.

But we have had him now for 2 years and he's no longer picks fights with the husky and they have figured out the dynamic in the pack. They are inseperable. For us going from 1 to 2 dogs was slightly harder. Adding number #3 was a piece of cake really.

The only downside to 3 dogs, is I can't walk them all at once by myself. They are all 65+ lbs so when I'm without my H, I walk/run them 1-2 at a time. But that is a minor issue in my book. The area we really only noticed the cost pick up was in vet bills. Taking 3 dogs isn't cheap, but they are healthy so its only a once a year thing usually.

I would definitely try a trial run, given that the owner has offered and your other 2 are older. To see how they handle being around a young dog. Also to see how your lives might change with #3. It sounds like you have done research on how much the breed goes for. $300-350 sounds reasonable to me.

[niemand88f]

Sounds like a strange situation... Your CW can't have had her very long if she is only 4 months old, why does he need to 'get rid' of her? If CW got her from a reputable breeder, there's almost definitely a contract that says he needs to give her back to the breeder if he can't keep her. If there isn't... then it wasn't a reputable breeder, and I would worry that the parents weren't tested for genetic problems like hip dysplasia (see here for what health problems this breed should be tested for), and she could end up having expensive problems.

I would be concerned about stressing your older dogs, especially the one who is sick. She may be a lot less tolerant of puppy behavior if she has any discomfort. It might be worth doing a trial period, but don't feel pressured to keep the dog if you have any hesitation just because it seems like a good opportunity.

[kellikans]

Sept 10, 2013 9:28:29 GMT -5 niemand88f said:

Sounds like a strange situation... Your CW can't have had her very long if she is only 4 months old, why does he need to 'get rid' of her? If CW got her from a reputable breeder, there's almost definitely a contract that says he needs to give her back to the breeder if he can't keep her. If there isn't... then it wasn't a reputable breeder, and I would worry that the parents weren't tested for genetic problems like hip dysplasia (see here for what health problems this breed should be tested for), and she could end up having expensive problems.

I would be concerned about stressing your older dogs, especially the one who is sick. She may be a lot less tolerant of puppy behavior if she has any discomfort. It might be worth doing a trial period, but don't feel pressured to keep the dog if you have any hesitation just because it seems like a good opportunity.

He got her when she was 2 months old and didn't think it through.  He lives in a small place with no real yard and has a 2 year old son.  That's why he wants to find her a new home. 

[kellikans]

Sept 10, 2013 10:27:23 GMT -5 greengardener said:

I'm sorry, but I would not get a puppy with two elderly dogs in the home. If you really want to get a third dog, I think your best bet is to find an older dog with an established temperament.

Bringing a puppy into our house has aged our 7 year old dog significantly. The younger one pushes him to do more than he should, and the result has been a lot of wear and tear on his joints. If your older dogs were 100% healthy, then maybe I would consider it. Considering the health problems of the 12yo, I would say this is not a good match.

if we keep her, she will be crate trained, so my dogs will only be interacting with her when we're supervising.  

I've been on the fence with getting her, but DH has his heart set on it.  I figured doing a trial would be a good compromise, and who knows, they may love her.  My dogs are my number one priority, and if something doesn't feel right, then she'll go back.

Is there a reason why you wouldn't even do a trial?