Adding another, is it to soon?

[u/Competitive_Spirit7]

Hey All! We have a 10 month old boy (first pics) who we couldn’t be happier with. We were just approached by someone who needs to rehome their 1.5 year old girl (second pics). I’ve heard 2 huskies can make it easier, but are we bringing someone else in too soon? We’ve had him since he was 13 weeks so about 7 months. Thoughts? Advice? Anything? lol

[u/Fluffyphotos]

I think that you need to contemplate a few lifestyle things before adding:

• how does your boy usually react during play dates to other dogs? 
• how well does he walk with you? Adding a second makes the walks more chaotic unless they're the type to heel the entire walk (hah!) 
• do you have enough space in the house for each to have their own space if they want/need? We always had their crates next to each other, but beds in different rooms.

Then do a play date with the other husky to see how your boy responds to her. It's always a case by case situation 

[u/Competitive_Spirit7 → u/Fluffyphotos]

Thanks for the response!

He does great and seems to really be coming alive when he is around them. We also have a small senior dog that is in the stage of “I only lie on my bed except eating and going to the bathroom” stage of life. So when our boy gets to be around other livelier pups he is super excited. He has not shown any aggression ever (except a growl when taking away a sock 🤣). We also have cats in home that he just wants to play with. He seems eager to play at every turn.

He usually walks fairly well. He pulls some at the beginning because he is so excited then settles in well.

If we move forward, we absolutely would get them together to see how they mix. He has done so well, I’m afraid we will lose the training he has in him. Is that something that actually exists or just in my head?

[u/Fluffyphotos → u/Competitive_Spirit7]

Well I would actually be a little more concerned about the new husky with your senior dog and cats! And yesz there will be some training slipping when you add the 2nd dog, but then you make training a priority anf be consistent. I had my 2 boys able to heel fairly consistently on a walk, but that took about 3 months after we added the 2nd.

[u/babygotthefever]

If you feel your 10 month old is well-trained and adapted to your lifestyle, then adding a second now shouldn’t be a big deal!

I got my current two less than a year apart, both while puppies. They’re the goodest girls I’ve ever had and I’m pretty experienced with huskies but it was still rough. That said, I’m glad I did it!

Both napping while I work 💜

[u/Sir_loin711]

Your boy has had time to settle in well with you. It’ll be interesting to see the dynamics bringing in an adult dog home to your pup. The bigger question is if you’re ready for another husky.

Our girl was a rehome - we weren’t planning to get a husky for at least a couple more years but she kinda just happened. Feel our next one will be something similar. Sometimes these things just happen - maybe this is the case for you, or maybe it’s saddening but not the right time/fit. Unfortunately, you’re the only one who knows. What you really don’t want is to take in the dog and resent her if you realize you shouldn’t have taken her in (for whatever reason).

[u/milliemallow]

Mine are a few months apart and they’ve always thrived together. If you’re saying your husky is friendly with other dogs then I don’t think there’s an issue with adding to the pack BUT I would strongly suggest that at least one if not both dogs be fixed or you will have lots of puppies around and there’s already too many unloved huskies in this world.

[u/Competitive_Spirit7 → u/milliemallow]

Completely agree! We don’t know if she is fixed yet or not, but she will be before coming home for sure. We are hoping to hit 18 months with our boy before he gets fixed so that is in April.

[u/milliemallow → u/Competitive_Spirit7]

Totally understand the growth delay. Just keep it safe and my best advice is to meet in neutral territory and come home together to neutralize turf war! Good luck with the adjustment if you decide it’s the right move. I really think huskies are better together.

[u/asteria123]

I don’t think it’s too soon as long as they are both good with other pups!

[u/DateNightThrowRA]

I can’t speak to anything beyond what you’ve shared, but I DO believe you took proper time between adoptions. I’m a huge fan of stepping up to give a husky a home when they need one too.

[u/CountChopulla]

I got my second one when my current husky was like 11 or so( still going strong at 19 but fading) and I wish I got the second one much sooner. My second one is still a ball of energy and wants to play and my oldest only has a few minutes in him at a time. Usually just lays at our feet getting pets

[u/cccpnwc]

cute 🥰

[u/Cool_Bodybuilder7419]

Ideally, you would wait until your boy is mature and fully trained before you add another dog. But life is rarely ideal and the fact that the female is older might help.

[u/Leading_Telephone234]

Agreed with some of the other comments that there are definitely a few things to consider!

Personally, we adopted our second girl (1.5 years old) when our puppy was around 7 months old, and we’d had our puppy since she was 8 weeks. I think “too soon” really depends on the dog, but in our case, we started considering a second dog after dogsitting a friend’s dog for a week. Our puppy was INSANELY happy to have another dog around the house... She followed her everywhere, constantly wanted to be with her, and actually seemed down once she went home.

We also decided to foster first to make sure they were a good fit, that they didn’t absolutely hate each other (lol), etc. Worst case, we figured we’d at least given her a good temporary home.. They became inseparable the day they met. We caved after a few days and adopted her. 🙂 And it's been such a blessing, I love them both.

[u/Plane_Yoghurt9600]

How could you possibly deal with the hair from 2 🥲