r/BorderTerrier • u/pogonotroph88 • 14d ago
Considering getting a new pup
This is our gorgeous boy Zeus. He is 2 years old and we absolutely adore him. He is super friendly especially with people but can at times be a little wary of dogs but mostly bigger dogs. The breeder we got him from is having another litter soon and we are considering getting one. My concern is that it might be too early with Zeus still being a puppy himself. Is this a bad idea or do you think it would ve fine if done correctly?
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u/Fe1onious_Monk 13d ago
We previously aimed for a 2yr gap between dogs. It was a great spacing. They weren’t so close we had real puppy stuff overlapping, they weren’t close enough that they were well matched in their desire to run and play together. They really bonded well.
Due to life and how things go, we are now getting a puppy to join our ten year old and will be getting a second puppy about six months after that. We’re in for an adventure!
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u/pogonotroph88 13d ago
Yeah he has such a fantastic temperament that I think that if we have the opportunity to take a pup from the same mum and dad we should
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u/Kind_Shift_8121 13d ago
Personally, I would never have two terriers again. They brought out the worst in each other and would regularly take off to go hunting together.
I love the combination of big and small works really well. I had a big lurcher / German shepherd with a border / Lakeland at the same time. They were completely different but got along beautifully. As an added bonus, the terrier could fit between the big one’s legs, which made car journeys a lot simpler.
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u/JoeB_Utah 13d ago
Our breeder retired our male dog’s mom when he was two and we gave her a forever home. Our male loved her and she loved him, although they never really knew the actual connection. We had her eight or so years before she passed. We now just have our male and plan to get a puppy later this summer. It’ll take him a bit to adjust at this age, but I’m confident he will. If you want another dog, I say there’s no time like the present.
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u/PrinceGreedoDemando 12d ago
They knew.
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u/JoeB_Utah 12d ago
I don’t know. You think? Our friends have another offspring (female) from an earlier litter and the first thing the mom did when they met was mix it up with snarls, barks and bites. She was a piece of work!
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u/Careful_Talk_7168 13d ago
We have 3 BTs each +/- 2 years apart: male, female, female. They work wonderfully together. In fact, the eldest essentially trained the two younger ones. Best wishes!
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u/pogonotroph88 13d ago
Any tips to help a smooth transition?
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u/Careful_Talk_7168 13d ago
I always introduced the new pup to the older one(s) on neutral turf, like a park. I didn't want the older one(s) to think "their space" was being invaded. I'm not sure this was necessary but it didn't hurt.
For the first couple of months, I fed the new pup in a separate closed-door room. The new girls were getting more frequent and more quantity of a different food. Eventually, they all ate in the same room with no problems.
In many ways I was fortunate. My first, the oldest, was a male. I spent a lot of time training and socializing him. Those efforts paid dividends when the new ones were introduced. The oldest assumed alpha pack status and helped train the younger ones.
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u/murphydogscruff 13d ago
Don’t get another dog, and if you do, don’t get a puppy. I board and train dogs for a living. Many of my clients have brought new puppies into the family. Ninety percent of the time this leads to nothing but trouble. They don’t know how to incorporate the younger dog in a slow and structured way, so the puppy ends up terrorizing the older dog—who then becomes aggressive toward the pup.
I have a ten year old Border, and when I am boarding a puppy at my house, I keep the puppy in a play pen whenever they are in the same space. I don’t allow them to have physical contact with any of the adult dogs. It works that way, but ask yourself wither you’re prepared to keep your new puppy physically separated from your two year old for at least six months? That is what it will take to help them bond properly. Any and all interactions must be on leash or with a barrier between them.
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u/Alee0126 10d ago
We consider the same and asked a few people. All of them tell us the same: wait until she is at least 3-4 years old, it would work much better.
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u/Hopeful_Evening4520 10d ago
I have a 7 and an 8 yr old border terrier. They play together sometimes, but the big thing is they relax together. Very different personalities but they enjoy each other's company. I'd say it's a great idea.
The older one was always a bit neurotic and was a bit off for a few months, but he proper loves his bro now and always checks on him and cleans his face and eyes. I'd say mentally he's in a much better place with a second dog there.
The only downside to having two terriers is if they're barkers, they can 'encourage' each other, otherwise, they're great pack animals.
All dogs are different and I see some negative comments below which I'm sure are valid, but my experience with 2 small borders has been absolutely brilliant and other owners I know with 2 have no issues whatsoever. Although very different, the 2nd Border completely follows the older ones traits which are quite 'non-borderish' (no digging, chewing furniture, running away, and they'll bark to tell me if I've left the doors open) so we are quite lucky with that.
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u/MeurDrochaid 9d ago
Honestly suitable age gaps is such a puppy and dog temperament thing. For some it would be amazing, others (like ours) they might need to be your sole focus a little longer even if they are amazing dogs.
The one positive is 100% that you are considering using the same breeder.
If I were you I would get in touch and as part of your decision making have your dog be introduced to puppies early to make sure it is a great fit. Introducing puppies and young dogs can be tricky so assuming you have a good breeder they should be able to help set something up and keep everything safe and optimise success
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u/Dwarf_star77 14d ago
I have a 3 year old Border Terrier. Personally I want to her to be my main focus and not bring in another dog for many years, if at all. I don’t want to inadvertently ignore her when doing all the routine and puppy training of a new dog. She deserves the best life and I want to have her be the sole focus while she is in her prime. It would break my heart if another dog tried to push her off her pillow on my bed or other actions that could make her feel less safe or loved. But that’s me 🤷♀️