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Post by shevy on Jul 7, 2014 15:19:45 GMT
My minischnauzer is 3 and we'd eventually like to have 2 dogs. Originally we were going to wait until our dog was about 4-5 and add another puppy to train up. We have had our dog since he was a puppy and we've worked hard to train him and he's an awesome dog. He minds, comes when he's called and does tricks. We take him on the motorcycle with us to camp and he really fits our lifestyle.
We've seen some dogs for free on our local garage sale site. Some are older and some are younger. The latest one is 4 and sounds like he's a similar temperament as our dog. But for some reason I am hesitant to take in an older dog. DH worked hard to train our dog and continues to work with him to reinforce it all. He loves DH and I am the typical mother who he cuddles with and sleeps with at night.
And suggestions for adding another dog that's older? And success stories that would make me feel a bit better about it all? I know that if we meet this dog today, my puppy mothering gene kicks in and I want to take them all home and love & feed them. If I felt like I was better prepared with things to think about or ask about, I'd feel better if we decided to take him. |
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Post by leannec on Jul 7, 2014 15:27:06 GMT
We used to have two dogs (a Lab and a Lab/Border Collie cross) that were about two years old when I rescued a seven year old Malamute ... they were all females which probably helped ... everyone got along from the start ... the Lab had always been the dominant one and that continued even though the Malamute was bigger ... It can work depending on the temperament of the dogs  Leanne |
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scrapngranny
Pearl Clutcher
Only slightly senile
Posts: 4,826 
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Post by scrapngranny on Jul 7, 2014 15:34:23 GMT
It's great to take an older dog. We adopted a rescue boxer 6 years ago and I'm thrilled we were able to save him from certain death. He was about 6 when we got him. All that being a said he came with baggage we have not been able to solve. I would be reluctant to take another dog much over a year old in the future. If you warn a dog to ride on the bikes with you, that may be something to try before you even adopt the dog, some dogs can't ever get past their fears.
I love our boy, he is a big baby. He makes us laugh everyday. Good luck finding the perfect fit for your family.
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Post by shevy on Jul 7, 2014 15:40:28 GMT
I didn't think about all the dogs that are afraid of loud noises until now. I'm so used to all the dogs that we know that do ride that I don't think much of it.
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Post by BeckyTech on Jul 7, 2014 20:02:00 GMT
Meet-and-greet with your existing dog is first and foremost. If they don't get along okay, then it should be off the table completely. If the other dog is not at a shelter where there are trained professionals to help you discern behavior then read up on it or find someone to take with you. Often times you can tell right off the bat because one will completely ignore the other. They should be able to face each other and be okay. Of course prolonged eye contact is bad, that is challenging and aggressive. Try taking them for a walk together - can their bodies be close and all is okay?
The oldest dog I adopted was Kayley, she was estimated to be about 2-3 at the time. She was and is just wonderful. She followed me around like a shadow for the first two or three weeks watching my every move - she was trying to figure out our routine and fit in.
I will tell you that Kayley came to us already knowing the basics but she was absolutely fine fitting in with us and we had a much older dog at the time. As a matter of fact, we had to go through many, many potential candidates at different shelters to find a dog that was good with our existing one.
You can train a dog at any age, but you are right, the loud noise thing would be the second biggest concern in your situation (the first being do the two dogs mesh). That could take months/years to overcome if it is an issue now.
If you are adopting from a private party, they might not be upfront and honest with you about why they are trying to re-home. I might be worried about that.
I know the problem about wanting to take everyone home with you but you do need to be realistic about it. Maybe the three of you should go on your bikes to the initial meet so you can gauge the reaction right away as well. Or perhaps one of you take the car (just in case).
And don't forget dogs learn from each other. If your new adoptee isn't afraid of loud noises, he will learn many things (like riding and tricks) just by observation.
Good luck!
ETA: Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as some type of "expert" and sounding like I know it all, they really are suggestions! I have been through the adoption process with an existing dog about 3 times, though, that's why I put so much emphasis on reading the meet-and-greet.
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Post by scrappincolleen on Jul 7, 2014 20:47:16 GMT
We rescued Roscoe 4 years ago when he was about 3. He's a Shih Tzu mix and our other pup ginger is also a Shih Tzu mix who is now 6. We've had ginger since she was 8 weeks old. It was a totally different world with Roscoe than Ginger because he was abused previously so brought his history with him.
Potty training was tough because he didn't know any better. 4 years later he still has an occasional accident, but no more than any other dog. We used a lot of reinforcement with him like we did with ginger as a puppy. Every time we don't outside we had hi. Ring the bell. He doesn't ring it often now, but knows how to tell us when he had to go potty.
Make sure wherever you recscue from will allow you to have some time with the 2 dogs together before you make your decision. That will be really important to see now they get along from the start.
We wouldn't change a thing about our decision to rescue Roscoe, but it was very different that with a new puppy so be prepared for that.
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Post by shevy on Jul 7, 2014 21:26:14 GMT
No worries Becky, I asked for all the things, good and bad, so that I have a clear head going into it.
I waited for the owner to message me again about meeting up to see the dog. She wanted to bring him to my house and said they needed a resolution today. It kind of scared me off and I waited to reply until DH got home and we talked about it again. But when I went back, her post on the sale site is gone and it looks like I'm blocked from additional messages. So I don't know if she found someone else or what. But I was definitely worried about her saying that they needed him out of their house by today. I guess I'd be more comfortable if they surrendered to the local rescue and we adopted from there so they could check the dog out and give us more information.
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