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Permalink Reply by Kristen on October 22, 2008 at 2:44pm

You sound just like a parent thinking about having more children! Cobi will no doubt be a little put out at first, but in my experience he will come to appreciate the company. Depending on his personality he may assert his "top dog"status, but that is normal and will have to be supervised. Bringing two puppies in may be more difficult than one. It might be better to alow him to bond with one puppy before adding another. The energy level of two Corgi puppies together could be overwhelming. We have an elderly Lab/golden cross that has seen numerous additons to the family in her years and she adjusted quite well. In fact, I believe the younger dogs have added years to her life. but a lab/golden cross is not a Corgi and the dynamics may be different. A house full of Corgis is a happy house indeed.

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Permalink Reply by MagnoliaFly on October 22, 2008 at 2:54pm

How well does he tolerate puppies in general? I would be careful letting him play unsupervised with puppies as they can be quite annoying to older dogs since they don't know what is socially acceptable yet and what isn't. Some adult dogs don't like puppies at all and get really annoyed with them. Some love puppies and will play with them any chance they get.

Just be prepared for either one of these scenarios happening:

Your senior dog may completely dislike both puppies and refuse to have anything to do with them. He may become agitated whenever they are around. He may give them corrections whenever they bother him (mouthing or verbal corrections).

Your senior dog may also adjust and learn to get along with the other puppies. He may play with them and teach them dog mannerisms. They might become good buddies, especially if you chose the proper temperament to compliment Cobi's.

I would find a good breeder that would allow you to socialize Cobi with some of the puppies they have. Figure out what temperament he tolerates the best. Be prepared for some squabbles if you end up bring puppies home and give each dog some alone time with you. Learn to watch Cobi for signs that he is uncomfortable or unhappy with the situation (I recommend reading books by Patricia McConnell like The Other End of The Leash and For Love of a Dog). Also learn when Cobi is giving his own correction to the puppy and when things are beginning to escalate into a fight. Adult dogs will correct puppies when they do something that is not acceptable.

I recommend finding a good dog behaviorist and perhaps using them to help you begin to integrate your puppies and Cobi should you get them. They can show you body language to watch for and what would be "good" or "bad" signs for each situation and how to respond yourself.

I chose to get another puppy when my Bernie was a year and a half old. Granted, she wasn't much past puppy stage herself but for about a week I thought we'd made the wrong decision. I had to take it slow and keep them seperated much of the time and allow small play sessions so that neither Bernie nor Basil got overwhelmed. I chose a good match for Bernie's outgoing personality and now they are really good buddies and want to be together all the time. I think Bernie is happier having a playmate other than me at home, though both dogs really love to play games with me still. Bernie enjoyed playing with puppies at daycare, dog school playtime and at the dog park so I wasn't too worried about her warming up to a puppy.

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Permalink Reply by Gail L on October 23, 2008 at 1:46am

Kristen & Katie,
Thank you both for the good advise and your thoughts on this subject. We have a lot to think about and we definately will not make any decisions until we have given it a lot of thought and weighed all of the pros and cons. Gail

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Permalink Reply by Nicola Porter on October 23, 2008 at 8:24am

You sound like a concerned parent and that is probably the first step. You have some great advice here and I know you will choose well.

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Permalink Reply by mosesbotbol on October 23, 2008 at 2:07pm

I would be worried there could be an all out war when no one is home. My friend had one cocker, then another.... There was like 2-3 months of battles until the pecking order was determined.

Maybe as others have said; one at time may be easier on your dog.

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Permalink Reply by Gail L on October 24, 2008 at 2:05am

Thanks for the advise......we are pretty much leaning toward not getting a puppy right now. My heart wants more corgis but I need to be realistic and do what is best for Cobi. I guess I just needed to hear other opinions, thanks everyone.

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