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The Right Time for a Second Dog


My dog is retired from running.

He is enjoying the good life, of course.

But I’m excited for another running partner, a hiking dog, an agility dog. One that can go for miles and miles.

I sense it is time to add another dog to our life. My husband seems to understand.

We’ve been talking about it for years, but it’s different now – not just a dog lover wanting more dogs but something truly missing.

I am an active person without an active dog.

Ace will be 10 in March. It’s important to me to involve him in raising our next pup, if possible. Shaping another good dog.

I doubt we will ever have a dog as “perfect” as Ace, but he is a good role model, a patient teacher.

I like to think that going out and loving another good dog is a way to honor my current dog and all past dogs.

Providing a good home, living adventures, doing the best we can.

Ace my senior Lab mix

How did you decide when to add another dog to your family?

Barbara Rivers

Sunday 13th of September 2015

That's a wonderful decision, Lindsay! I'm sure Ace will be the perfect K9 mentor for your new four-legged addition to the household! I'm looking forward to finding out what kind of pup you guys end up deciding on :-) So far, we haven't added any new K9s to our pack - Missy & Buzz are litter mates and four years old.

Lindsay Stordahl

Monday 14th of September 2015

Thank you!

Jen Gabbard

Friday 11th of September 2015

When I was a teenager we got a young dog when we already had our 5 year old Lab and it worked out perfectly. The Lab had great manners and he was the best teacher ever - he was a natural.

Sarah D.

Wednesday 9th of September 2015

I know what you mean about wanting Ace involved in raising your next dog. My Tonya is 5 years old, and, when the time is right, I want her involved in raising another 'perfect dog', another version of her... Although there will never be another dog like her, ever. For now, my parents definitely don't want to add another dog to a family of 9 kids, 2 adults, 3 cats, and 1 fifty pound dog that live in a 3 bedroom house on less than an acre of land :)

Tammy

Wednesday 9th of September 2015

We got our second dog, Sagan (lab/beagle mix), when our first dog, Kepler (lab mix a lot like Ace), was 4. We felt that he could use company, and we had a house with a yard by then. When Kepler was 11 and Sagan was 7, we added a 2.5 year-old Beagle, Leia, to our family. This was perfect, because Kepler was slowing down, and Sagan now had a play buddy. Unfortunately, we lost Sagan this spring at 8-years-old due to a brain tumor. We waited about 4 months and decided that Leia really needed a young dog in her life again so that she had someone to play with while we were at work. We just adopted Jango, a lab mix puppy, a couple of months ago, and the two of them are best of friends. Kepler is still around, 12.5 years now, and the two young dogs keep him sharp. He doesn't run around an wrestle with them, but he does keep a careful eye on them and will let out a big bark when he feels that they need to settle down. I really love that he is around to shape the personality of our new pup.

Lindsay Stordahl

Wednesday 9th of September 2015

Aww, sorry to hear you lost your Sagan. I loved hearing about the dynamics between all of your dogs. Ace probably won't want to play much with a younger dog, so another pup would be more for me and not him. And like Kepler, Ace is not afraid to bark out a "Hey!" when a youngster gets out of line. :)

Elaine

Tuesday 8th of September 2015

I keep thinking about a second dog too and yet there's that silly feeling I have that I'm getting a younger and more active replacement for Haley and that her feelings will be hurt, especially if I leave her at home and take the younger dog on those long hikes. I know it's just me thinking those thoughts, not Haley, so I really need to work on letting go of those emotions. I'm really excited for you finding your next family member!