A second dog... am I nuts?

Based on the responses, it is clear that anyone who owns a second (or 3rd, 4th, and 11th in @UncleJoe 's case) is NUTS!

Hoping to set up a trial period as my wife won't commit yet and that has been our plan all along.

 

All I can say is when you get to three, you lack the third hand to pet everyone when they rush to greet you coming home from work.

 

I'll give a different perspective.
Let me say first this is my situation which sounds completely different from yours.
I have a rhodesian ridgeback who is 8 now. She has been at my side virtually every day since 8 weeks old. She hasn't worn a collar or been on a lead since she was 2, because she is very well trained and very obedient. She is also spoiled rotten, I think she deserves it. She has protected my family for 8 years.
We have been seriously contemplating a second dog for years. We have recently given up after dogs sitting a friends dog for a week. My girl plain and simple did not like sharing any attention. She was never aggressive to the other dog, she knows better, but she wanted nothing to do with the other dog. When they were outside, she would go to the other side of the yard. When inside, she would go to a different floor. Before going away from the other dog, she would give me that sad look (like please save me, I hate this thing). I felt bad for her.
She plays great with other dogs, for about an hour or so. Then its time to go.

My girl is a spoiled rotten unsharing bitch, and I love her to death.

We will be a 1 dog house.

 

Def..of german decent...beautiful pup....

 

I also have 3.. but they have a stay at home mom too..

 

Like the 'bear stay away noises' on your shoes

 

Yup, he's a definite "square head".............Loyal as all heck, way too smart for his own good. Got him @ 8 weeks old and he'll be 9 next month. complete cream puff when we are around. Total business in the house or the vehicle when we aren't. I get out and have no problem leaving the keys in the ignition. As the sign says on the rear windows "You might make it in, but you won't make it out". Have had dogs all my life. This will be the last one as @ my age, the next one would probably outlive me.

 

I get so used to Campinspecter wearing them that I hardly hear them. The dogs in the neighbourhood really get to know when we head out for a walk at 5:30 AM.

 

Alas.... It wasn't meant to be. Called to set up a time to pick up the dog but the owner has changed their mind. I can respect that, or have to.

She said they are going to try another professional trainer. I kindly suggested they work with the dog themselves to see better results.

 

Well, your heart is in the right place. Never know how it will go. I thing dog training is more to do with owner training than training the dog. Given time, a lab is an excellent pet for both the young and the old. Takes nearly two years for them to settle down.
If I wanted a dog more for protection, I would go for a Rottie. Good pets loyal to a fault. Nobody, but nobody will mess with a Rottie. They need a strong leader, and room. In retune, they will love you and keep you and your property guarded.

 

"Home" since Friday. They get along great and she is smart, albeit "naughty."

Was gonna upload a pic but PB not working.

So, in conclusion, yes, we are nuts; but we are happy.

 

I'm confused, I thought that the owner of the dog opted not to give it up, did that not go that way, or did you happen to have another opertunity? Too bad the ISO 8 is messed up, can't upload from my iPad 2.

 

Sorry that cut short waiting on PB. Same dog, owner called a week later to see if we were still interested.

 

Well, we've had more than one for several years.
My wife decided about 12 years ago that she wanted to be a breeder of Dachshunds.
We had well over 20 at any given time, but it became too much when we lost more than a couple to illness.
We now have 4 labs, and one of the Dachshunds since his birth (his mom was one of 2 sisters, and they were our first 2). He's almost 11 now.
They all have a different personality, and has been mentioned, take at least a couple years to mature.
We tried to rehome one of the males last year, but got him back ( those folks had no clue about dogs).
Agreed about the training.......it's more about the owner than the dog. Sending your dog to a trainer won't train you how to be Alpha or how to command the dog.
They need a leader. That would be my wife and I. This is not to say I'm mean with them, totally the opposite, but they all know who's boss. With lots of love and fun.

 

The black one in front is the new girl, 8 month old purebred black lab. Very athletic dog, super agile and can catch a fly ball better than me.

Chocolate in the back is our mutt, 3/4 chocolate lab and 1/4 great dane. 6 months old and quite a bit larger than his sister, already pushing 70lbs.

 

Big dogs. I sometime miss our two big German shepherds but not for long with three busy little dogs around.

 

They've got that "what we're chewing on what we are supposed to be" look....
Good looking pups

 

That's pretty appropriate. Right along that doorway was newly installed weatherstripping. That lasted approximately 1 day once we got the first puppy, literally ate the bottom foot and a half on both sides.

Puppies !!

 

I got out pretty easy with Billy Bob, he had an affliction for flip flops.
We can't buy any chew toys with stuffing in them either - unless I want to come home to a yard covered in polyester stuffing

 

Actually @basod the chocolate guy came from your neck of the woods. AL adoption and then caravan up here to Mass.