Should we get 2 puppies? - Page 2

Thank you all for taking the time to reply to me. It seems pretty clear from all your comments that the overwhelming opinion is that we really should NOT get 2 pups.
 
I shall let my head rule my heart on this occasion and take the advice that most of you have been kind enough to proffer and will only get one male pup. Actually nature may well make the decisions for me. Neither of the bitches have whelped as yet and there is no guarantee that either will produce a suitable male in any case.

I have been a member of this forum for a couple of years now, regularly reading the posts and very occasionally posting myself. I never ceased to be amazed at the number of genuine, caring and knowledgeable people that there are out there (one or two exceptions as we all know!) and sincerely thank you all once again for taking the time and trouble to help me.
 

if you are set on getting 2 dogs...(in my opinion not a good idea when they are the same age) but if you are dead set on having 2..get them separate sex..one female and one male...two males and two females would not be pretty....when they become teenagers they will act like it...and at least with different sex they will mature at different rates...I would suggest get female first..and then get male..but thats just my opinion...

 Personally I do not think that two puppies are a major problem, except maybe for people with little or no previous experience with dogs - yes, they do get up to more mischief in pairs though!....   But 2 males would almost certainly be difficult when they grow up as LadyFrost says.  If you want two get one of each (of course you have to have the facilities to keep them apart when the female is eventually in heat,  if they are not spayed/neutered).  The age difference you mention should not be a problem, though I would obviously supervise them together at first....

What about a male & female that are 6 months apart in age?

It's not the age difference that is so critical, but the development of the first puppy and relationship with the owner before the second one comes.

If you get two around the same age at the same time you will simply have two dogs that are companions for each other and not for you.  Of course it can work if you put all the effort in to develop them as individuals and overpower their natural desire to make each other more important than you, but there is no point as there are absolutely no benefits to either you or the dogs to do so. 

Margaret N-J

Well put

Yup... what they said.  I'm also 60, and got my pup last summer. He's fondly known as "the Black Cyclone".  We tend to forget just how energetic lil ones can be when they hit 5 months or so.  The only exception I'd see to the rule of one pup @ a time is if there's two committed trainers for competition level both wanting to get a pup to work with. And in that case I'd say one of each sex. Two boys are a disaster, especially if a neighbors dog happens to come into heat and they're not fixed!!

Hope you find the guy ya want... besta luck  Jill