Adding a puppy?

[secondhandscottie]

I might be crazy. For the past year or so, I've really wanted to add a second Scottie. More for myself than for B, although he's improved by leaps and bounds around other dogs and he's regularly around some other small dogs now with no problems. I watch Petfinder pretty religiously, and today there's a 4.5 month old female Scottie posted in Ohio.

DH, who has always had reservations (he's the kind of guy who doesn't like change), says this is the first one I've sent him that he'd really consider. He's always been a little upset with the fact that B had so many behavior issues when he came to us at 4 years old. We've worked through most of them, but he's going to be crated for life because of the marking.

Summer is busy for us, we like to jet ski and boat, although B comes with us on the boat, as would the new dog. And we both work full time, and DH often works late. I don't travel again until October for shows though.

I know that if it's something either of us really wants, we can and will make it work, but is adding a puppy to a house with a 7 year old adult dog, in a busy household a good idea overall?

And just so that you understand the dilema, here's her picture. How could anyone resist?

[mollymoe]

She's so cute! She's a little fur ball. I totally understand your deliemma. We've thought about getting a second dog too but I just think our dog, Molly, isn't "ready" yet. She is a bossy Jack Russell and I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving her unsupervised around another dog. But that doesn't really help you. Sorry!

[amavelle]

Since you're already used to the structure of crating and otherwise dealing with B's marking, I tend to think that you already have a lot of the structure built into your schedule that is needed to deal with a new dog or puppy.

She's absolutely adorable. Would it be possible to have her as a trial to see how their personalities mesh?

[secondhandscottie]

May 15, 2012 11:58:14 GMT -5 amavelle said:

Since you're already used to the structure of crating and otherwise dealing with B's marking, I tend to think that you already have a lot of the structure built into your schedule that is needed to deal with a new dog or puppy.

She's absolutely adorable. Would it be possible to have her as a trial to see how their personalities mesh?

Probably not, seeing as she's 6 hours away in Ohio. I'm not as worried about them getting along as I am giving B some space away from a young puppy at times and giving them both the attention they need and deserve.

[beaglechon2012]

How adorable! :heart: When B is around other dogs does he play or does he just deal with them? How old were the dogs he has been around? Do you have any cats or anything or is B used to being completely alone?

We just got a puppy, but Charlotte is 2 so she was still very into playing. That being said sometimes the puppy annoys her (e.g. right now she growled and told him to leave), but she puts the puppy in his place and he leaves her alone. I think she knows he is a puppy, and she is generally patient.

My parent's Dog just turned 9 and she does NOT like the puppy. Even when Char was a puppy she was not interested. She is used to being alone, in the house..and wants to be left alone. Now that Char is older my parent's dog loves her and will even play with her. So maybe it would just take some adjustment time. I would also fully expect B to backslide on any potty training, behavior issues, etc due to the new puppy, but that will probably be temporary.

[secondhandscottie]

May 15, 2012 13:38:53 GMT -5 beaglechon2012 said:

How adorable! When B is around other dogs does he play or does he just deal with them? How old were the dogs he has been around? Do you have any cats or anything or is B used to being completely alone?

We just got a puppy, but Charlotte is 2 so she was still very into playing. That being said sometimes the puppy annoys her (e.g. right now she growled and told him to leave), but she puts the puppy in his place and he leaves her alone. I think she knows he is a puppy, and she is generally patient.

My parent's Dog just turned 9 and she does NOT like the puppy. Even when Char was a puppy she was not interested. She is used to being alone, in the house..and wants to be left alone. Now that Char is older my parent's dog loves her and will even play with her. So maybe it would just take some adjustment time. I would also fully expect B to backslide on any potty training, behavior issues, etc due to the new puppy, but that will probably be temporary.

Friends of ours recently got a puppy (he's about the same age as the one we are looking at) and B loves to play with him. But when he's done, he just walks away. Same at the dog park. He has fun playing, but when he's done, he just removes himself from the area. We don't have any other pets, and Bentley is definitely used to having all of our attention to himself.

I know to expect some back sliding, but that worries me a bit too because it stresses my husband out a lot. He knows that the puppy will require housebreaking, but accidents get him pretty riled up. He's learned to just walk away and let me deal with cleaning it up, but I'm nervous that having two dogs having accidents might be more than he can take. (He'd just get frustrated and mad at me, not the dogs.)

So much to think through and so little time, because I know that we need to put an application in on her by tomorrow if we are really interested... and even then we'll be lucky to even have a shot!

[secondhandscottie]

And.... None of it matters. They got a ton of apps on her. Sad for us, but with so many applications I'm sure they will find her a great home. We put in an application, but with that much competition, between our distance from her and our unfenced yard, I think we're out of the running.

But that doesn't mean I'll stop looking!