Looking at getting a second dog... opinions?

[nate]

We currently have a female Poodle/Schnauzer mix around 20lbs.  She is a great dog, house trained and obedient.  Our yard does not have a fence, just a tree line so it is a challenge to keep her in the yard at times (always supervised, when she is doing her business, or playing with us, etc), especially when there is a rabbit or squirrel around.

 

I have a six year old daughter, and hardwood floors.  1800 sqft house and 1 acre open yard with tree line.  Tons of wild life around, especially squirrels, rabbits, deer, foxes, badgers, etc.  We aren't looking for a huge dog, probably want to stay around 50 lbs and below and female.  Because of the open yard, it can't be a super high energy dog because we wouldn't be able to put it outside for extended play.  Exercise would come from daily walks and outside time playing while supervised.

 

Because of this, I think that any kind of hound is out of the picture.  Once they get on the scent of an animal they would be tough to corral.

 

With that said there are a few different breeds we have looked at, as well as every possible mix between them.

 

Boxer - There is one 2.5 years old living with a family with a five year old girl which is a bonus because I have a six year old daughter.  I am worried because they have health issues and can be aggressive toward other female dogs.

 

German Shepherd mix - There are a couple, usually mixed with a lab.  These are on the larger side of our scale (females being 40-60 lbs).  Overall they seem to be great dogs, all German Shepherds and Labs I have been around have been great.  My concerns here would be the size and the floors.  Want to avoid having the floors get destroyed.  Also the open yard again.

 

Lab Mix - Similar to the GS mix except they are usually mixed with other labs or Collie.  The Collie part worries me because they are high energy dogs and I would think would need a significant amount of outside time, since we don't have a fence we wouldn't be able to provide that other than daily walks.

 

American Bulldog/Mix - There is one in particular that is mixed with a lab that I am really considering.  From what I can tell both breeds have great temperaments and are excellent family dogs.  American bulldogs can have health issues, like all purebreeds so this does concern me a bit.  This particular dog is smaller, in the 35 pound range.  I know some American bulldog mixes can get huge.

 

We are avoiding terriers and pitbulls.  Terriers because they can be a pain in the ass and pitbulls for obvious reasons.

 

In the end of course a lot of it comes down to how the dogs are in person since each dog is different but I would appreciate any opinion AW members have on any of the dogs listed above as well as any other suggestions.  I am only looking at adoptions and not breeders and only looking at grown dogs, at least 1 year old.

Edited June 30, 2014 by nate

[mr.wichita]

it's never adding a dog..... it's compounding

[Homebrewer]

Bulldog/Lab mix gets my vote.

What a great combo..

[red321]

Compounding is a good word for it.

 

We have two dogs...they absolutely love each other and are best friends. If one is out of the house...the other sits there and waits for them (well, one of them does...the other could case less). They are constantly playing outside (hence the reason our backyard lawn is destroyed) and entertaining themselves. If you do choose to add a second dog, you have to make sure they get along. When we considered adding a second dog we always let the first dog interact with them. Our first dog was somewhat submissive, so we needed to make sure we didn't get another dog that was overly dominate. We passed on a few dogs, including one my daughter had fallen in love with, because our dog just did not like her at all. It took us a long time to find the right second dog...who actually ended up being my sister in law's, who was moving, dog.

 

You also need to really understand how they eat. Will they share food or do you have to feed each separately. We are lucky, neither of them are possessive of food and

both dogs eat when they feel like it and don't scarf down food so we can just fill up the bowl in the morning.

 

But having two dogs is now twice of everything...food, vet bills, dog crap, attention, food

 

I can't stress it enough...you have to make sure they have get along.

[nate]

Thanks Red.  I have owned two dogs before so I definitely know the challenges.

 

I will definitely make sure that they get along before making a decision.  Most of these dogs are fostered so they would bring it to the house anyway.  My dog can be territorial so it certainly will be interesting to see how they do together.

[Blarg]

Think Border Collie mix. They are medium sized about 35-40lbs. Once you define your property lines the dog will not only stay in those boundries it will also keep everyone else, your daughter and your other dog, within those confines. They naturally herd and that includes children. They are generally both protective and friendly once a person is accepted by the owner.

Ours will bark at just about anyone at the door but once we greet the person she becomes the most loveable puppy in the world. I don't it would end well for a stranger that breaks into the house.

Warning, these are smart dogs and get bored with training so restrict teaching them any command to no more than about ten minutes a day. If you go longer they start to get off track and think it's only a game that they can change the rules whenever they want to.

[nate]

Thanks Blarg.  I guess my concern is that they sound like they need a lot of exercise.  Aside from a daily walk and playing in the house I don't know that they would get enough exercise.  Especially in the winter when it is freezing balls outside or snowing.  There could be days without any walk.

 

I will look back at a couple of the Lab/Collie mixes and check them out though.

[Homebrewer]

We have 5 dogs...neighbors have 5 and 3 respectively...

We have no fences, well the fences are for horses...

 

Fights are rare but they happen...staying away from Terriers (terrorists) and Pit Mixes when you decide to go multiple dogs is smart.

We do most of our own vet stuff..except Rabies shots, which you can't get anymore...but the vet still gets business from us ...imbedded foxtails, snake, rodent, and spider bites...wasp and hornet attacks...

Every few months we all get together for a nail clipping party. The dogs know whats happening so it takes a few hours to round them all up..

[Homebrewer]

Border Collies are high energy, high maintenance. they need a lot of room and a lot of daily exercise, and 1 on 1 attention. they do best when they have a job...whether it's kids or cows they seem to need something they feel responsible for..

Best dog I ever had was a Sheltie Mix...20 years later I still miss that dog.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Homebrewer

[nate]

I know I mentioned it earlier but it should be emphasized that this will be an indoor dog.  Outside time will be limited to a walk in the evenings and play in the yard on the weekends while the family is out being active.  Plus the requisite ~4 potty breaks.

[Homebrewer]

Bulldog Lab mix...dude.

I'd like to have one.

[Homebrewer]

All our dogs around here get along, but every once in a while there will be a fight over something stupid.

It just happens...Couple years ago, the snow was melting into puddles that froze over at night and right under my feet a couple of them got into it over something..one of the larger dogs had one of the smaller ones down, and blood was being spilled.

Knowing better ( I always tell everyone to stay out of this type of fight, I have seen too many humans come out worse than either dog) It went on too long and I finally jumped in, boot first, (never put a hand in dog fight) in an attempt to kick the bigger dog.

I went right down on a slick frozen spot and sprained my wrist and bruised my tailbone. Wound up in the ER. I sat on an inflatable donut for a month.

Terrier mix and Pit mix...

[Vegas Halo Fan]

It's very telling when visiting the animal shelter here that about 75 percent of the dogs they have are either pit bulls or pit bull mixes. These dogs are very strong and can be unpredictable. Many people believe that it would be "cool" to have one because of their reputation for ferocity, but many people find living with one to be much different than what they expected. I have heard the defenders of the breed say that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. With this breed I'm not so sure. Too many stories of unprovoked attacks and the dogs mauling members of their own families for me to be at ease around even one with an apparently good nature.

 

 

 

We currently have a female Poodle/Schnauzer mix around 20lbs. She is a great dog, house trained and obedient.

 

The best dog I ever had was a miniature schnauzer. His litter was raised outside, and I never did a thing to house train this dog. He would not go in the house unless he had been left inside for far too long (I had a 12-hour shift job and sometimes got held over), and even then he would only go on the tile, never on the rug. When people were moving around outside, he seemed to have a sense about normal vs. abnormal activity. Most dogs bark at either everything or nothing, but Fritz knew when it was important to warn me and when to just let it go. I never figured out how. He lived to be 15 years old, and I had to have him put down shortly before I moved to Las Vegas. One of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I could not have asked for a better companion, and that dog saw me through some of the darkest times of my life. I still miss him, and it has been over 15 years.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Vegas Halo Fan

[Spencer]

Small dogs are the gayest shit on planet earth.

Look for a german shepherd mix.

My dog is 60lbs, shepherd and australian cattle dog mix, plus probably some lab or something.

Smart, perfect size, and doesn't shed all over the place.

[nate]

@VHF, our dog, Lucky is great.  She does bark when someone walks a dog by the front of the house but she is good about it.  She is very house trained and it has never been an issue other than a couple accidents right after we moved.  Our only issue with her is she has chased a squirrel/rabbit for about a block a couple times.  She is much better about it now.  Best dog I have ever owned.

[Tank]

so nate, no love for a bull mastiff?

[Brandon]

Ironically, I'm in the same boat but fit into the gayest shit on planet earth category as we have a small dog. We actually have a visitor from out of state and told her to bring her min pin as kind of a mini test to see how our dog woud do.

 

My immediate inclination is to say go for a smaller female that is fixed, I assume your is already. This min pin with us now is a bit bigger and not so much dominate, but he does hover over our smaller one. It makes me think you kind of want your dog to still be the domain master, but it depends on how docile your dog is and what you want from the other dog.

 

I'm assuming you are doing what we are and looking at another dog so they keep each other company when the parents are gone or busy. We are trying to look for a similar type of dog, but more along the lines of tranquility and temperament opposed to a certin breed. Our dog does good at the park but because we rescued him from the streets he can be a bit aggressive as far as his territory, but it also depends if the other dog is tepid or over barring.

 

I don't know how it is in Wisconsin, but here it sucks because when we go to adopt you have to kind of cheat the system and tell them you don't have another dog so it's an easier process and in that case you aren't 100% how they will interact.

 

Congrats on wanting another family member and good luck as we have been to the pound a few times and it's a process trying to find a compatible match.

[nate]

so nate, no love for a bull mastiff?

 

Well they are known for being small indoor dogs.

 

I am pretty sure most Bull Mastiff's are taller than me.

[nate]

Yeah I don't want any small shit 5-10 pound dogs.  They are annoying and hard to train.

 

We are meeting a small Lab mix tomorrow.  35 pound chocolate lab colors.  The foster family is bringing her by.

 

We won't lie about having another dog.  The foster family feedback on if the dog does well with other dogs is important.  Also definitely will get a dog that is fixed or have her fixed if she isn't.  Our dog is fixed.  Sticking with female because they are smaller and hopefully they will get along better.

 

By the way, whatever dog we get, we will name her Arya.

[mp170.6]

You might inquire locally to see what's recommended.

 

My cousin in Appleton brought some thin-coated dogs back from California and ran into trouble because they don't tolerate cold weather and need regular outdoor exercise.  The winter months are a problem because they tear up the house if left alone, and the garage isn't heated so there's no good place to leave them unattended. 

[Taylor]

My family recently got a goldendoodle, and it's amazing. 

[Brandon]

Yeah I don't want any small shit 5-10 pound dogs.  They are annoying and hard to train.

 

We are meeting a small Lab mix tomorrow.  35 pound chocolate lab colors.  The foster family is bringing her by.

 

We won't lie about having another dog.  The foster family feedback on if the dog does well with other dogs is important.  Also definitely will get a dog that is fixed or have her fixed if she isn't.  Our dog is fixed.  Sticking with female because they are smaller and hopefully they will get along better.

 

By the way, whatever dog we get, we will name her Arya.

 

You sounded cool and masculine with the no small dog shit until you went queer with naming the dog after a fantasy television show character.

[Hollyw00d]

I have an Australian shepherd. Great dogs. He's 60 LBs, but he's a bit chubby, they usually run 35-50 LBs. He's very loyal and it was pretty easy house training him using a crate. He's had zero accidents in the house, and he's usually alone for 8-10 hours on days I work. He does need daily walks, but doesn't have a high activity maintainence level. Gets along well with other dogs, and he's great with food. No possession or aggressiveness at all.

they're a short hair breed though, being from California. I think the winters might not agree with them, where you live.

[Ray McKigney]

Get a Shih Tzu. 

[Hollyw00d]

I frequently let him run around with me outside off leash. He does get distracted at times by the stray critter, but always come right back when I call him