When to get a new dog

B

BeerCity PhsntHnter

New member
Just wondering when is the best time to get a new dog to assist the current dog that I'm hunting behind? I have heard of getting a new one every four years or so, I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks. I have seen where it works great to introduce a new pup when the current dog is 5 or 6?

Also along those lines when is it too late to try to introduce a new pup to the current dog?
 
Never too early to pick up a second pup. Ideally though in a 2 dog house I would wait until the older dog's 6 or seven. That way when the older dog slows down the pup has a couple years under his belt already. You always run the risk of a dog that lives forever or worse yet one that dies young. I'm not trying to be cold, but our house has a 2 dog limit.
 
In our house two dogs does not go over well with the spouse. Therefore when my current dog starts to slow down (usually 8 to 10 yrs) then i start with a new puppy. The last time i did that my old dog (golden) lived to be 15!
 
I know, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. My last dog died at six and I'm sure the older one I have now will live to 15. That'll leave me with 2 gray bearded dogs. :)
 
I was told years ago by my dad who used to be a professional trainer and from the breeder that I get my dogs from that the ideal age is around 5ish. That way you will always have a dog in it's prime. You do run the risk of having 3 dogs or even 4 if they live forever. Mine just turned 3 and I am already looking forward to adding another in 2 years. I am a big fan of getting the pup in the early spring, say march-may that way they are old enough to hunt and train that first year.
 
Most people will agree that a dog reaches his or her prime hunting performance at 4 years of age. Some reach it sooner, some later. Lot has to be said for breed, bloodlines, genetics, training, and dog's natural ability. How long that prime ability lasts may be determined by how well we take care of the dog, and how hard we hunt them. So over time dogs will usually lose the ability to hunt, some may lose the desire. Wish I had a formula to determine this number, wouldn't have to make my living fixing plumbing problems dealing with other people's crap. Be interesting to hear from others how old their dogs were when they reached the point they could no longer hunt.(Sounds like a new thread starting up, get right on it).
Already have a few numbers out there for you as to when to acquire your next partner. I made a pact with my first shorthair in '94; "we were never gonna get sick, we were never gonna get old, and, we were never gonna die." She lived to be 16. Do the math, every 5 years would have made us a 4 dog household. Now if your spouse wants one of her own to always have a dog at home while you and "your" field companions are out tearing up the countryside...
Don't forget to take into account your current dogs personality. Not all dogs get along well with others. Some households can only be a one-dog-household. Not all perform well "competing" with others. Seen one dog that hunted great by itself, but wouldn't while hunting with others. The agressive habits, busting points, stealing retrives, can be corrected with training. Haven't figured out to correct the regressive behavior.
Lets also take into consideration your ability to divert time away from family, job, current dog, and direct it towards training your new partner. All things considered, your timing for your next hunting partner is entirely based on what is right for you, your family, and your hunting habits.
 
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