What SHOULD I know about…

[Chealsie508]

Possibly adding a second basenji pup to the household at the end of the year? Oakley is currently 16 months and neutered. I've been working very hard the last year on him becoming a better dog and we are making a lot of progress. Lately I have been considering adding a female pup to the mix because I think it would be great added metal and physical exercise for him and overall I think it would be better for Oakley to not have to be alone when Im at work. My fear is that he is so attached to me that I may have trouble adding a dog to the household (it's just Oakley and I). Awhile back I considered adding an adult female but Oakley still needed a lot of work an after thinking about it, thought it would be harder for him to accept another adult as easily as a lower ranking puppy. I may be completely wrong and maybe he would be great but something tells me he wants his mom off limits to others in regards to affection. What things should I consider? What personality should I look for to compliment Oakley and minimize issues in the house? Obviously, the end of the year is a ways away but I really have a lot to consider and I want to be prepared to make a good decision for everyone involved…
IS two better than one???

For those who don't know: this is my boy enjoying the birds at the river..

[paneane]

I think it's better to add a pup to a household with an adult dog in it. I think it's much better with two dogs than just one, since they entertain each other while they play, and they also have each other when they're alone. The first dog in the household have always been attached to me, and still is, but there weren't any issues when I added the basenji as a pup (the adult one at 20 months now is a flat coated retriever).

[eeeefarm]

I agree that adding a pup should be easier. One difference with multiple dogs is that particularly the new addition may not become as attached to you, since the pup will have the company of the older dog. Having had both situations, I find that a single dog becomes much more reliant on you and therefore more attached to you, but especially if you must leave for long periods of time, I believe it is better for the dog to have a canine companion. Jealousy can definitely be an issue, especially at first. Take care to give your first dog even more attention than you give the new addition (not always easy with a pup).

[Kipawa]

@paneane:

I think it's better to add a pup to a household with an adult dog in it.

I would tend to agree, though I certainly don't consider myself a dog expert. I am thinking of Janneke, from The Netherlands - a member on this forum, and her two basenjis - Mirtillo (male, intact, 5 years old I believe) and Aoide their new little girl from a litter in Poland this year. Mirtillo is being such a mentor for Aoide. She is still so young, but is learning so much from Mirtillo. Mirtillo is a very cool, calm male, and she is picking up so much of that attitude from him. He is teaching her not to be afraid of objects on agility courses, and you can tell by the pictures I have seen on Janneke's website, that Aoide feels very calm to look at new things when her brother is with her. Okay, enough tooting someone else's dogs! But here is a link to their webpage. I hope Janneke does not mind that I post it. There are just so many pictures that show how an older dog can mentor a young pup. http://www.suaralayn.nl/

For us, Kipawa will always be in a 'just one dog' family. Him and I have bonded like it was all meant to be, and I want to enjoy that to the fullest.

[tanza]

Two is better then one!!!! However, no one can prepare you for the noise that two can make that sounds scary close to the fight to the dead…..

Oakley will teach the pup WAY more then you can, especially concerning biting with those needle teeth!

You should look for a pup that is neither dominate or shy, but something about in the middle, confindent but not agressive. And honestly while you think that He only wants you... but face it... right now that is all he has, so you really don't know that.

[Chealsie508]

Pat, so true….I would love it if he would take to the pup better than I think. He is so very goofy happy when playing with other dogs that when I see that it makes me think he's missing out on something. The real factor of getting another has been since Oakleys major separation and crate anxieties were fixed, but even though hea fine going in his crate ( animal planets always on!) ....I still sense another dog can ease the loneliness.

Is two really a lot more work than one? Besides having a puppy and the costs of first year vet care etc...? I guess what I'm asking is, is it mentally tougher? I put 100% into Oakley 24/7....Does two actually double the work or is it just a little more work?

[eeeefarm]

@Chealsie508:

Is two really a lot more work than one? Besides having a puppy and the costs of first year vet care etc…? I guess what I'm asking is, is it mentally tougher? I put 100% into Oakley 24/7....Does two actually double the work or is it just a little more work?

I would say two aren't anything like double the work…...once everything settles down and you develop a routine. I went from having one girl for seven years to adding a pup of seven weeks, and the first month or so of course there was more work, as there always is raising a puppy. But once things became routine, well, walking two together takes no more time than walking one, ditto feeding, etc. Of course there are four more sets of toenails to clip, etc. but really not a lot more work.

However.......mine bonded and got along great, and neither were much trouble in the house (other than "normal" issues like garbage, etc. ) If you manage to pick a little trouble maker, she might lead your currently "good" boy astray!

[Chealsie508]

Oakley is the king of house destruction…in that department he has nowhere to go but up...lol. Pillows,paper towels, toilet paper...turning over rugs..he does it to get my attention and for his love of paper

[lvoss]

I don't think that a pup is necessarily better than an adult. My mom added an adult female to her household with two adult males and it was a pretty easy transition for them but I think that had a lot to do with the dogs. Also, some dogs prefer to be only dogs, so keep that in mind too. If Oakley really doesn't want to share you then in the end it isn't going to matter if it is an adult or a puppy, he still isn't going to want to share you.

[Chealsie508]

What would you think is a good way for me to see if Oakley will allow another b in the house? My breeder lives ten minutes away…should I ask if I could watch one of her females for the weekend? I don't want to start the long puppy process search if it could end disastrous

[Nemo]

@Chealsie508:

What would you think is a good way for me to see if Oakley will allow another b in the house? My breeder lives ten minutes away…should I ask if I could watch one of her females for the weekend? I don't want to start the long puppy process search if it could end disastrous

Getting along with another dog on neutral ground and in their home are two potentially different scenarios. With my basenjis (the beagle didn't care) it took at minimum days to weeks to acclimate. For Nemo, it took a good 3-4 days to get used to Zoni as a puppy. For Zoni, we had to gradually introduce Hubble over the course of about 2-3 weeks in small doses. If I had made a snap judgement that it wasn't going to work based on the initial reactions they had, we would have been totally wrong. Now Zoni and Hubble are like best buddies. Zoni loves playing with other dogs but she has to be comfortable around them first.

So, long way of saying that if Oakley doesnt get along with a pup or adult at your house right away, it doesnt necessarily mean its not possible. It can take a little time. You know Oakley the best.

[Chealsie508]

I know he is very attached to me…..on a scale of 1-10 he's now a 9....he would be a 10 if he still was crate crazy when I left. He ha a reliable recall but that's because he's afraid of losing sight of me....he has in the past gotten aggravated at me lovig another dog but that's gotten better...on the other hand, it has literally been Oakley and I since day one. I got him after a tough long term relationship breakup and he and I have done everything together....I truly don't know I he will allow another dog into the house...that's probably the main reason I created his thread...

[eeeefarm]

I would agree that you won't know instantly. My Lady hated the puppy on sight, and would growl and walk away if Tamu got close to her. But after three days she decided to play with her, and after that it didn't take long for them to bond. (although for a long time Lady didn't think allowing Tamu in bed was necessary. If the pup accidentally touched her, she would take offense, but never bit her, only growled). I think a pup gets more tolerance than an older dog would, although that can change as the pup matures.

[Chealsie508]

That's the tough part…I want this to enrich Oakleys life, the "what if he doesn't take to her is the part that I worry about. There's a lot of planning, time and money that goes into the process, I can't imagine what I would do if Oakley didn't adjust

[Nemo]

Odds are he probably will be fine with another dog. Maybe try out a retired show dog, who could range in age from a yearling to much older. It might be an easier option to try in case it doesn't work out.

[lvoss]

Two main pros to getting an adult are that 1. You will have a really good idea what their temperament and personality are and 2. You can probably take them for a trial basis to make sure things are working out. This may be something you want to talk to Oakley's breeders about.

[Chealsie508]

Still so confused about what to do….oof

[eeeefarm]

If you are ambivalent, it might be wiser to try him with an adult, preferably one that can be returned if necessary. It would be a shame to start with a pup and find things don't work out.

[Chealsie508]

I'm going to talk to my breeder and see what she suggests and maybe bring Oakley over so she can "analyze" him. But, I am thinking that he will accept a puppy way better than an adult. He will be a mentor for awhile and I think feel less threatened…an adult female will come in and take over right away and I think that quick loss of power will make him object. He really isn't dominant and he is so goofy that I think he will find a puppy fun and submissive....my only concern is how well he will share me. Lots to think about

[eeeefarm]

@Chealsie508:

my only concern is how well he will share me.

Ah, Basenji jealousy! Yeah, they think life is all about them. My husband can't give me a hug without finding a dog pushing in between us.