[puppylove2009]

Okay first of all we weren't going to do this for about 5 years but we are starting to think its something we need to do sooner.

You see we have almost lost our poodle twice and we feel our mix will be lost with out him (she is younger) (Our poodle is 1 1/2 years old and our mix is 1 years old)

we feel if we go ahead and bring the dog in she will already have formed a bond with the dog. We hope we have our poodle for many more years but we are concered for our other dog.

So we are thinking after we move into our house......maybe a bit after that (when both pups have hit 2 years old)

Is this a good idea?

I mean I hope nothing happens to our poodle and he can live a long life (but we were told the outlook on that is not so good)

On the other hand I know we should save the money to treat and care for him......and not spend it on another dog.

But I'm trying to look out for my other dog.

(I still have some training issues to work out with my current two...because of the setbacks they have had here but once those are under control.....it might be a good idea)


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Anyways we are thinking of adding a Dalmatian to the group.

But if you can think of a better breed for us let us know.


here is a little bit about us:


Okay we are a young couple (23 and 27) and we have no kids (though that is not out of the question in the future)


We have 2 smaller dogs.....a minature poodle and a mix (Treeing Feist mix we think) the poodle is 12 pounds and the Mix is 24 pounds.


We are fairly active. We take two 1 hour long walks a day with our dogs...though in spring, summer, and fall we do more. And on Saturday and Sunday we take a 4 mile walk (usually takes about 2 to 2 and half hours...depending on how many times they decide to go to the bathroom) We also go tot park quite often on the weekends

We are moving into a house with a small/medium size yard and its fenced.

This dog would be an indoor dog.

We crate the dogs when we are not home. (Which isn't often because I only work part time.) The rest of the time they are out to play

My dogs are my life. If we aren't taking them for walks we are going to the park. We are visiting our friends and relatives with dogs. (my relatives and friends have labs, beagles, bichons, poodles, malteses, boxers, Goldens, Toy Fox terrier, Dachshunds, etc)


We are enrolling our current dogs in agility training this fall.


What do you think would be a good breed for us?

Do you think a purebred Dalmatian would be a good fit?

Do you have any other suggestions?


(by the way any puppy we get goes through obedience training)

Thanks for your imput

Sorry no one has replied to your question. I just saw this and thought, geez someone should say something!

For the first question: "They" say that dogs don't grieve or at least they don't grieve as long as we do. I don't know about that. I had two dogs that were bosom buddies for 10 years when one of them died last year. The remaining dog did indeed grieve and his separation anxiety escalated for several months. Whether this would have been any different if another dog was already a member of the pack or not, I can't say. What I do know is that I couldn't have provided for three dogs. Two is my max and sometimes even that is a push. After a few months, I adopted another dog and after a few days of "attitude" Sabastian accepted the new dog.

I think that you need to consider your ability to handle three dogs now, especially since you have one that medical issues. If you can financially, emotionally, and physically handle a larger pack, then by all means go for it! I'd have more if my situation was different--I have always found dogs to be better companions than most humans I've known.

As to what breed. You need to consider what you want in a dog, what type of personality is best for you and your current pack. Milan says to get a dog with the same or lower energy than those currently in the pack. Research breeds -- what appeals to you, what suits your pack (humans and dogs), etc.

Dalmatians...really really research and consider. I've only personally met one Dal and it was NOT a friendly dog...but then neither was his human so there you go. Dal's become popular when 101 Dalmatians comes out but many end up in rescue when the humans realize that these are high energy dogs.

Other dogs that an active person might consider are:

R. Ridgebacks if you are a marathoner because they can go 30+ miles with energy to spare.
Labs--would love to go on long walks, great with kids, comical
border collies--would need hours of walking a day just to keep them sane--major agility stars!
Australian Cattle Dogs--high energy, high intelligence, not for the couch potato! (I have a fondness for these dogs...the dog I lost last year was an ACD.)
Spaniels--energetic, sweet (but over breeding has messed with their temperment--pick with care), intelligent

And, of course, I have to say this--there are great dogs of all breeds available for adoption.

[puppylove2009]

Yeah we think we are going to wait and see how things play out.....hopefully we will have him for many more years. But he needs our attention right now more than a puppy does

Wow! Very active! If a dalmatian is what you really want I say go for it!
Frecs listed sever suitable breeds though. One of these higher energy breeds would work out just fine, and a Dalmatia does have a lot of energy. Keep us posted

[puppylove2009]

Yeah we are going to focus on our dog right now that is ill and getting him better.

I think there is more going on then they think...ofcourse they never did any real tests to see if he had pancreatitis (they tested his liver and he had high enzymes and said everything pointed to it) If I understand that correctly.

I am going to be taking him to a new vet. This vet treated my other poodle for 14 years. I just want to be sure. You know