I think this might be a long one, but if anyone has the patience to read it i would love to pick your brains :D
Most of you know what happened with Cleos litter, and the fact that i won't breed from her again, but this has left me with the decision of whether to buy a puppy in, i have been told of a fanastic litter due the end of April. I have wanted another dog to show ever since cle was about 12 months, she is now 3, and with all that has happened i desperately want to get another dog, but am i being selfish?
I am currently doing an MA, and as such am home almost 100% of the time, researching! I shall probably be getting a full time job early next year. However, my partner works a couple of days a week at home, and can take dogs into the office as well - they all love cleo in there and she is spoilt rotten!! In about 18 months we intend to move out to the country, and soon after that i hope to go freelance, which will allow me to work mostly from home. Obviously none of this is set in stone, but about the same time my partner wants to set up his own business working from home.
My mum also wants to have a dog, but is out of the country for about 3 months a year, so we have thought about an arrangement where we both invest in the same dog (she absolutely loves cleo, and as well as gratefully taking her when i go on holiday, asks if she can "borrow" her from time to time - cleo has her own private health farm in the country, and often jumps in mums car herself to go down there!) as the nature of the breed is to be quite jealous, we would keep them together almost all of the time - being with me when mum is away (mainly the summer) and mum taking them for a lot of the winter, though this won't work out exactly like this we know. I know that a lot of you would have the concern that the dogs wouldn't know what was what, but cleo is perfectly happy to be with either of us, and doesn't pine when away from me, or away from mum, though obviously she loves me more ! And the dogs would always be together so there is a constant there.
Also, I feel very strongly about being able to give 100% time and energy to the training and upbringing of a pup and i am in the perfect situation to be able to do that at the moment as i am at home all the time, and it is something i really enjoy, and i can give this for a good long time not just a fortnight taken off work.
BUT there is the possibility that the dogs will be alone for periods after i have finished studying. Currently we live in a relatively small flat in london, with a garden and dog-flap, etc, but i am very commited to my present dog, and have always walked her about 2 hours a day. Also i am worried that Cleo will become jealous (though i think she would love a pup) as although she is very obedient and good, she is also quite spoilt, and regualry comes for cuddles, lying on her back on my lap, would this be any different if we got another dog? Basically it would be between me and my mum as, though my partner says that he is behind whatever decision i choose to make, and that he'd like a pup, that is where his commitment ends. This i don't mind, i had cleo on my own and that was great. Is it different with 2 dogs? Are things more difficult?
Please help me to come to a decision, as i am going round and round in circles! I'm sorry this is so long, and if you've got this far please give me your opinions as i sometimes feel that my WANT to get another dog, is not enough.

I know exactly how you feel - is wanting a dog really enough? I had this dilemma myself before we got Jabba. In fact that is the first question I asked at Battersea.

The way I see it is that if you want a dog enough to think about it soooo much, let alone bother to post on this website, and so on, you are half way there. If you have that much love to give, then give it. People have more than one child & don't think it a bad thing! There are so many unwanted dogs in the world, it seems that someone who wants one as much as you can't go far wrong!

Having said that there are the practicalities to consider, but it seems that you have thought those through. You might be wiser to get an older dog (over two or three years) rather than a pup because when you are needing to leave the dogs alone (not for a while, if I read your post correctly) the dogs will be older and calmer. Puppies are hard work for a long long time. We were advised to get an older dog & Jabba is great for being on her own - in fact she get really knackered when we are here all over the weekend because she can't sleep all day!! (she is currently snoring next to me, but I know if I move off this chair she will wake in an instant - how do dogs do that????)

I often think it would be great to get another dog for Jabba to keep her company - but not really sure if this is true as I've never lived in a multi dog household - do they NEED company? They are a pack animal, we we humans are their pack. Maybe others could advise us both on that one.

Best wishes with your decision.

Jabba, Thanks for your reply, makes me feel a bit better about everything. I have thought about getting an older dog, but with my breed that can be a problem, though cleo will definately accept a puppy. And it is the hard work of training a pup, etc that i really love. I also want to show, and can only do this if i buy a pup, though there is no guarentee that it will end up being show quality! Also, the pup will be almost a year old by the time i start my job, and then my mum will take them for a while, etc. Its such a hard thing to think about, because i really want it, but am worried, blah blah - keeps going round in my head and is getting quite annoying now!!!!

I think you should do it:) You clearly have all the right ideas and intentions - who knows what the future holds, circumstances can and do always change - deal with that at the time.

As for Cleo - she could become quite jealous so it might be an idea to see just how she is around other pups and dogs/bitches. Forgive me, but I can't remember what breed Cleo is, that can have a bearing on the best way to do things. But I think you have all the right motives etc to make a go of it.



Pam n the boys

Pammy, Cleo is SBT, and is absolutely fine with other dogs,etc, and actually only ever plays with puppies! She is not a massive dodg dog if you know what i mean, but having just lost her own litter of pups (and seeing how she was with the for that short time) i thought she would be very good with another dog - she is very gentle, a complete wimp, and even tolerates the cat biting her and comes running to me when she does!!!!

NO go ahead and all the best. Jackie H