We currently own 2 golden retrievers, Clover a 1.5 y-o female, and Buster T. a nearly 1 y-o male. (Sorry, no access to photobucket at work.)
A friend wants to breed her golden bitch to Buster, and we are amenable. (Please keep your opinions as to the responsibility of that choice to yourselves.) While we are willing to donate my pup’s jizz gratis, a stud fee often involves “pick of the litter.” Previously, I told our friend that our dog would stand stud so long as she guaranteed I WOULD NOT get a puppy.
Well, apparently the bitch is expected to go into heat any day, and yesterday my wife said something like, “Wouldn’t you like another puppy?”
My immediate reaction was “HELL NO!” But I thought I’d toss this up on the sounding board.
My main concern is that while 2 dogs is not all that much more effort than 1, 3 would be a friggin PACK! And it definitely would add 50% than our current, not-insubstantial food and vet bills. Also, my one kid has pretty severe allergies - hell, we probably shouldn’t even have 1 long-haired dog let alone 2… Finally, my current dogs are pretty good, but the older one is a little hyper/wild, and I don’t know that she would do well if we were able to give her even less attention and work/train/exercise her less than we currently do.
So in my mind, that’s a pretty impressive list of negatives. And on the other side I don’t see much other than “Oooh - puppy!”
Go for a 2d dog. That way you can fold him up and keep him in your pocket.
I went from having two dogs to three dogs fairly recently. I had the two for about 4.5 years before we brought in the third. (We adopted our Shiba Inu’s littermate from the breeder after retiring from the ring and after two litters.)
Yes, going from two to three is a huge difference, and I would recommend against it. Adding to that is that you have Goldens, which are large and eat a lot. Since both of you existing dogs are young (practically still puppies for Goldens), it’s not like you’re anticipating losing one soon, either.
While our new addition fits in perfectly and is a complete joy, having one more dog than hands can be a problem. We often use a double-leash, but I could see the usability of that dropping for large dogs.
I read several of Jon Katz’s books, and he pretty convincingly argued that going from 2 to 3 REALLY changed the dynamic, and made it more of a pack, with more of its own dynamics.
You are right about the ages of my beasts as well. And good gawd, I can’t say I need to be picking up 50% more crap than I already am! :eek:
Anyway, do you have a family friend or anything that would maybe appreciate your pick of the litter? I’d maybe give it to them, then wife can visit puppy without having a herd in your living room.
Good thought. Tho the bitch’s fambly lives right down the block, and they will be keeping one as their 2d beast…
You know I think this is just pretty much SOP in the Dinsdale household. Things have gotten so that they are running pretty smoothly at present, so we find ourselves looking around for a monkey wrench to hurl into the works!
No, please. I’m still chuckling over this, minutes later.
Oh, and as to the OP? No, no, and HELL NO. Not if your child has allergies already! I absolutely think you should take care of and keep the two dogs you have, it’s not like that, but no need to add another dog to the mix.
Ask as your stud fee visitation rights to the puppies until they are all given away. Cause, PUPPIES!
I have two dogs and two young boys, and that’s two too many of either!
I wouldn’t do it. I have a larger breed dog (Boxer, also an epileptic, which is a major hassle when it’s seizure time) and a medium-sized collie/beagle mix.
For a few years, we only had one dog. Then my wife complained that when we took Flash for a walk, she didn’t have a dog to walk… so we got Two-Tone. That held for a few years- two dogs is a handful.
Then my wife brought home a puppy that had been abandoned at a farm she volunteered at. :eek:
Three dogs is a pack. It’s a whole new dynamic- they’ve got *politics *now. Going on a vacation entails at least another three hundred dollars. Renting a house is an adventure, to say the least.
It’s not for the faint of heart. That said, I love my guys.
Oh, and as for renting a house, we’ve recently moved into a farmhouse on two acres. Our landlord really wanted us to move in, since she’s a bit of a dog person as well- she’s got six Great Danes. As a friend of mine put it, that’s “thirty feet of dog”.
