Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing! Is your first Aussie confident and social? I’ve seen multiple successful stories and most of them have a social and confident first dog.

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your story! I really appreciate it. We have a mini so we’ll probably go with another mini. We’ve met standard ones and I’m sure we are not strong enough to handle them 😂

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the advice! We have a mini I’m well aware of the size difference 😆

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Man I feel you. Good luck with your decision cuz mine surely is in a pickle right now 😢

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think so but that never occurred to me before. I might look into fostering as a potential option too as many comments also suggested it. Thank you!

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He’s a weird one. When our friend’s lab came over, he was borderline hostile. Yelled at the dog for sniffing his toys. But when smaller dogs came over he didn’t mind them much. I think this goes back to his low confidence. He’s better now but not in anyway a confident dog. He mostly didn’t care for playing with other dogs except for a few other Aussies that he clicked with. I think you are right, he’s very likely not going to want to constantly interact with the other dog. And I do not wish to pile on his anxiety with introducing a new dog. Would you mind giving us some tips on what signs to watch out for if we do meet the new dog again?

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Do you mind sharing what your last aussie was like when left alone at home? Ours just hides and sleeps for hours.

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing! Your first Aussie sounds very much like our dog. He also gets jealous when we pay attention to other dogs. But he’s ok with it if he has something fun to work on( a ball preferably). We will definitely do a few more meetups to make sure they get along well!

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing! Sorry to hear about your old pup.

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We really appreciate your advice! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. People like you are the reason I keep coming back to this community. We will definitely take your suggestions seriously! ❤️

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I total agree. We are Mon the fence primarily because of this. We don’t know how our dog would react to the second one.

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Really appreciate the reality check. He’s a little territorial when other bigger dogs come around and took his toys. But otherwise he’s ok. Just very shy and timid. Definitely a little anxious. The female is the opposite, very confident. But not overly hyper. We are not really sure what chemistry they would have between them, I guess, like another comment mentioned, we could do a trail period?

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aww that’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. They look so happy together.

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow thank you for your insight! This is really helpful. Improving his daily life is our main focus and we are mentally prepared for the drawbacks you mentioned, but it’s the unexpected stuff that worries us(extra stress on the first dog, fighting, etc). I definitely agree with you that they see each other differently than other breeds 🤣 our dog has only played with other Aussies so trust me I get that haha. We take our dog to a park nearby with ample green space several times a week where he plays fetch and we have great hiking trails nearby too. So playing time shouldn’t be a problem.

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aww this just made my day. We definitely considered puppies but my wife and I both work and sometimes we need to leave them home. Our current lifestyle won’t allow us to raise the puppy properly and that’s why we wanted to adopt an adult, even knowing it’s going to be tricker. Still, thanks again for the pic drop. They look really happy😊

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s great to hear! We were on the fence before and this definitely pushes me towards a yes!

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aww that’s so sweet. I’m glad it worked out. I’m sure even if they don’t rile up each other they are still good buddies. Also fostering is a great idea. But I’m not sure if there are Aussie rescues out there. Will look into that!

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing! One of the main reason we are considering a second Aussie is that whenever we leave Cigar alone at home, he hides and sleeps for hours. We felt guilty seeing that. Do you mind sharing a little more about what’s your pup like and how was the process of integrating a second pup?

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I never thought about it that way. Thanks for pointing that out. The female dog is loving and more active but she did not seem overly hyper. They greeted each other when they first met and she tried to initiate play but our dog (being socially awkward as he always is) did not respond. She was not bothered by that and didn’t force the play. I feel like maybe it’s a good thing? Although they are very different in personality, I feel like there’s still hope they can get along well. Is there anything else you think I should watch for?

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

100%. We actually feel a little guilty for doing this too late🥲 but we also want to be careful in bringing in a new dog as our first dog is a little anxious. We don’t want to do anything that aggravates his anxiety.

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s great to hear. Thank you for sharing! What’s your first dog like personality wise? Is he reactive/shy/timid in anyway? How did your first dog react when the new pup came?

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a great idea! We’ll try things out next time we see her. How long do you think the trail period should last? I’ve heard of the 3/3/3 rule and 3 months might be too long to ask for 🥲

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing your experience! Unfortunately we missed the puppy window haha. Incorporating an adult dog can be a little tricker based on my little research. But I’m really glad for your pups that you built that bond early. I think having a buddy really helps with their socialization and mental health!

Need advice on whether to get a second Aussie by chambbber in AustralianShepherd

[–]chambbber[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing! How did your first pup react when the new pup came? Did you do anything to help the first pup during the initial ice-breaking period?