1or 2 golden retreivers at a time?

Question

Hi all.
I have had dogs in the past but always one at a time, i am moving in a couple of weeks into the counrty lots of space and really big garden fields ect. 3 of my 4 children will be going to school full time and we really want a golden but i always wanted two so they can keep each other company, not they they will be left alone much. but i had 4 children so they could play together it seems odd not to do the same with the new dog what do we think....Am crazy or is it a plan..

Answer 1

The only negative I can think of, is that two pups from the same litter tend to bond to one another, rather than to you. You might get one, wait a bit until s/he is trained, then get another. That way the older dog can help train the pup.
If they are relatively close in age the older dog will welcome a companion. Goldens are great friendly happy dogs anyway, not like some breeds which might resent the new "intruder"
I'd also make sure the second pup was the opposite sex (and have them both fixed of course.)
GoldenGal will know best on this question... ;)

Answer 2

HI!

Golden's are the best family dog going! But I must say that 2 pups at the same time is not in the best interest of either pup. Karen was right on track. With all you have on your plate already it would be best in my opinion to get 1 pup and then 6 months later get another. The time spent with the first pup in training and finding it's place with in your family will be very time consuming. My dogs are 8 month apart in age and quite frankly the second pup was a breeze to train and actually my first pup did most of it for me. He just followed the older pups around and when it's time to go potty then it was like a parade here of both dogs going out. My 2 Golden's are the very best of buddies so there is no reason to worry about that.
1 at a time is what I recomend. I never sold any of my pups in pairs. One new pup to train and get house broken is more than enough for most families to handle. Then at some point down the line if you still want another than by all means get one. By this time you will have all the know how under your belt and 2 beautiful Golden's in your home.
Hope this help with your decision.
Golden's are the very best dogs going.
Have a good one!

Thanks Karen!

Answer 3

As a dog breeder I occaisionally sell 2 pups (labradors) at the same time, I have to be very certain the the buyers know what they are taking on. 2 pups at the same time are brilliant company for each other and if they come from the same litter, better still. The down-side is that it is very hard to get 2 pups to listen to you when you are trying to train them as they are too absorbed in each other. I would only recommend it if you are not working or at best part-time so that you can devote a lot of time to each one indiviually or you could end up with 2 very unruly mutts. when all is said and done, retrievers are very biddable and therefore 2 of this breed would be slightly less hassle than a lot of breeds. Plan B - Get one then 6 months later get the next one. Good Luck !

Answer 4

You are unlikely to find a reputable breeder who will sell you 2 pups from the same litter. Two pups are not twice the work - they are 4 times the work!! You cannot train them together as they will only want to play with each other. You had 4 children but (unless they are quads, of course!) not all at the same time. I have 5 dogs but I always try and make sure that I have at least 18 months between puppies - that way, the older one is trained but still young enough to accept another dog.

Answer 5

If you're talking about two puppies at the same time, then YES YOU ARE CRAZY! Two puppies are much harder to deal with than just one puppy (as someone else has stated, two does not mean twice the work it means more than twice the work). Goldens can make great pets and many can be trained without a major hassle, but golden puppies can also be overly energetic, slow to learn, and quick to pick up on bad habits. I can't say how many times I've gone to the dog park and been annoyed because a muddy adolescent golden has jumped up on me in their excitement to see me. And these are usually dogs with owners who have actively been teaching them not to jump up on people since they were little puppies! In addition to being more difficult to train, two puppies that are the same age are more likely to bond strongly with each other rather than with you and your kids.

Now, if you are talking about adopting two older dogs from a rescue, then that sounds like a more reasonable plan. It will still be a little more difficult than adopting one at a time, but it will be much more manageable than dealing with two puppies. Adult dogs are usually already housetrained and many have some basic manners and obedience under their belts already so it is mostly a matter of adjusting them to your rules rather than teaching them all of the many rules that are necessary for dogs to live and function in human society.

Answer 6

I think 2 dogs sounds a good idea. Try to get 2 siblings, so that they know each other and are friendly. Or at least get them at the same time, so that youdon't have the problem of introducing a new dog to an existing one.
By the way, I agree that 2 dogs+4 kids=chaos, but it also equals love and affection, and i don't think it is so different than 1 dog+4 kids! You have to consider the cost too, of course.

Answer 7

Two dogs would be a lot of trouble to bring up along with four children! I'd advise getting one & getting a second when that first one matures a little first. You'd also have issues with the two dogs battling for your attention or ignoring you because they become attached to each other.

Answer 8

It should be fine if you have a lot of space in the country. The only drawback is that having two dogs is considerably more expensive than having one. However, I think all the happiness you'll get from having them far outweighs any material cost.

Answer 9

I would go ahead and have two. I know they say that a dog is mans best friend, therefore you would think that the dog would only be interested in its master for company, but I disagree. I have two cocker spaniels and they adore each other. I also think that you are in a great position as you are moving to the country and will have lots of space. The kids will enjoy two dogs too as there 'will be more to go around.' You will get double the enjoyment too as Retrievers are known as the clowns of the doggie world. Go on get the other one.

Answer 10

you lost me a little but 2 dogs incase they're ever at home by themselves during the day (say your kids grow up and spend more time at school or with friends than chasing the dog lol) then 2 dogs to keep eachother company is a plan ^_^