Going from 2 dogs to 3...

I only have two and can't imagine adding a third, so I can't say for sure. But a friend of mine recently added a third dog (she had a Maltese and Pit/Boxer mix and then got a full Pit). She also had a brand new baby and her husband had just deployed. And she said it was not much difference having 3 dogs.
 
I really questioned getting a second dog, because I didn't know if I could handle it. But I saw Odin online and knew he was supposed to be with us. So I'd say sometimes it's a matter of following your heart. []

Ya that is my problem, I have a two month old baby, and I am moving in 2 weeks, mind you it is to an acre and a quarter of fully fenced yard!!  I am in total love with this dog which is a Boston terrier/pug mix so I am just confused about following my heart or my head.  I am stuck with the worry that adding another dog would add to the chaos, yet somehow, I live my life chaotically!! Thanks for your help.

wow, i am in an extremely similar situation right now , except im thinking of going from 1 to 2 dogs. like you, its not necessarily the IDEAL time for another dog, but i saw one online that i CANNOT stop thinking about which is not a normal experience for me. and the more i talk to its foster mom, the more it seems like it is meant to be. i haven't made a final decision yet either.

sounds like we are in the same boat! I CANNOT stop thinking about this dog.  When I think I have made my decision to call her breeder and say I AM COMING FOR HER, my head says are you ready to house break another dog?  I will let you know what I decide.  I have attached a pic of her 'breed'.  This isnt her but VERY SIMILAR.  I fell in love right away.  Let me know what you decide too!

Sounds like your heart is ready...just not sure if you are physically up to it. So I say...GO FOR IT! I guess there will never be a completely "right" time. But I do know that if you do end up getting the pup, you will somehow be able to find the time to do all that you need to do for all in your family...human and non-human alike. And it's not like you're a 1st time owner with no prior experience. Just adding one more is not going to be such a big roblem. I think the initial few month will be terribly hectic but once you get done with your move and your baby is older and things settle down a bit, all will be well.  Good luck!

Ashley, there is one other thing to consider, and maybe you already have but...
 
I would not support a breeder who mixes breeds. The dog may be wonderful (or not) but there are very few good breeders who will mix breeds. The fact that a breeder is mixing breeds usually tells you these two things (at least):
 
1: The breeder is not dedicated to any particular breed.
 
2: The breeder is concerned with selling more than breeding.
 
These are not good signs.

I know, that has been playing in the back of my head for a while.  This breeder does seem a bit sleezy.  He says he has 39 bitches and 7 studs and he has a reputation of breeding MIXED BREEDS primarily.  He says all of his pups come with an 18 month health guarantee (not sure how that works with mixed breeds) and that he is part of the Iams breeder club (another subject and opinion of mine but no need to get into it).  I am baffled with the whole "designer doggy" trend that is coming out now.  People here are charging upwards of 700 plus dollars for mixed breeds now!  I have been told that boston terriers are bred with pugs to avoid the breathing issues of the pug... yadda yadda yadda... personally I generally am against BYB and breeders in it for the almighty dollar but I have fallen in love with this dog, which poses a problem to me.  My opinions and ethics on breeding are comprimised because of the love for this dog.  I do not want to support his irresponsible breeding yet love this amazing pup. HELP!!!!!!!

I have been told that boston terriers are bred with pugs to avoid the breathing issues of the pug

This breeder has already proven to you that he is completely ignorant or a liar. The breathing problem I would imagine he is talking about is brachycphalic syndrome and Boston Terriers also have this. (Any snub-nosed dog does, to my knowledge.)
See: [linkhttp://www.bostonterrierclubofamerica.org/health/The%20Brachycephalic%20Syndrome.pdf]http://www.bostonterrierclubofamerica.org/health/The%20Brachycephalic%20Syndrome.pdf[/link]

I understand that you are in love with this dog but how hard is it to fall in love with a puppy? When you're thinking of how much you already love him, consider how much you want to spend on vet bills. Consider how well a pup can be socialized when there are over 40 dogs. Consider that this pup has very likely been raised in a crate without enough socialization. You know that the pups of over 40 dogs cannot be raised as house pets.

As far as the health guarantee goes, most of them are worthless. Most say that you will get a 'replacement' puppy after you return your pup. Breeders know that you will not consider giving up your pup and even if you did, who wants a replacement from the same bad breeder?
 
By the way, anyone can join the Iams breeder club. It is not exclusive and does not prove anything except that the breeder feeds Iams or Eukanuba (and gets a pretty good discount on it).

I completely agree.  I was unaware about the Iams breeder club being just about feeding the pups Iams, he had indicated without out and out lying by saying that being a member must rove that he ran a good kennel because he was in the club.  Says he breeds Saint Bernards down to Toy Poodles and mixed breeds too.  It is sooo hard to say no, I know I can give this dog an excellent home with love and good nutrition.
Also told me that if the pup gets sick that he takes it and takes it to his vet to get fixed.  That I didn't like.  A bit sketchy.

I'l not say anything about the pup you want, but going from 2 to 3 isn't that much of a big deal. Extra food and vet care, having 3 is better than 2 in my opinion. You can take one and theres still two to keep each other company.

Alarm bells are going off in my head like CRAZY over this breeder. St Bernards to toy poodles? That has to be a joke. Run and do not walk away from this breeder. All puppies are cute. This sounds like a total nightmare in the making. Please don't support this guy!

I'm not trying to advise you in your situation....but I personally can't think of how it would be to switch from 2 dogs to 3. It's probably because I hate to leave one of the dogs home when I take one places.....and if I take both of them at this point, it can be difficult to try and deal with the two dogs. But if I had three.....wow...that would be hard to take them somwhere. That is just my thinking.....but then they are both large dogs and it looks like you have smaller breeds. This could possibly be the situation in the future.....because I have my one dog, Cassidy, which is mine, and then I am raising a puppy to be a service dog for Canine Companions for Indpendence, and when I give her back for advance training next spring, I will probably be getting another puppy to raise from them. But if Mirelle ( the one I have now) fails her training for any reason, I am sure that I would take her back.....but that would give me 3 dogs ( at least temporarily), and that would be pretty difficult, I'm thinking. I would have a 4 year old, a 1 1/2 year old, and a young puppy!  Anyway, sorry for all of this.....I've just been thinking about this lately. Having to take care of three dogs, plus paying for stuff ( vet especially) seems like a lot, but I am pretty sure that I would go for it, if it means getting to keep my puppy []

I don't mean to hijack this thread at all. I just wanted to tell Stephanie that my inlaws raise CCI dogs. They are on their 4th or 5th dog right now. I think it's such an amazing thing to do. They've had 2 that have gone on to become service dogs and it's so great to see the pictures and hear the stories from the families who receive them. Thanks for doing such important work! I hope to do that someday, but I get way too attached to dogs, so I can't imagine it yet.

Wow, that's pretty neat [] I really should start a thread, to see if there's anyone that knows someone or anyone that raises puppies to be a service dog or guide dog. I've never done this before either, and yes I do get really attatched to my animals....so we'll see how this goes![]