I never thought I would see the day when we adopted another dog! Brett adopted Tucker before we met and has debated getting Tucker a sibling for years. We’ve discussed adopting another dog after we move into our new house. But recently, Brett suggested that if we were to get a puppy, we should before we move (so we could train the puppy before he destroyed our new house).
In mid-October, I came across a Pomeranian mix that was up for adoption. I used to be obsessed with Boo the Pomeranian and have always wanted one. It took a lot of begging and negotiating, but Brett finally relented and agreed to meet him.
Long story short: Brett was still unsure about adopting another dog after meeting him. Ultimately we told the rescue that we wouldn’t be moving forward with the adoption. Fast forward a week, and Brett said he was still interested and wanted to reach out to see if he was available. He was staying at his foster mom’s with his sister, and a lady was flying in to pick up his sister and potentially him. We were on pins and needles for a couple of days before we got the great news that she only took the sister. And that’s how we got Copper — he was truly meant to be ours, and we are so in love with him. Also, Brett can now admit he was being an idiot initially.
Copper was born on June 20th and is now 21 weeks old. He’s the same length as Tucker but only weighs 10 pounds, and I wish he would stop growing. While Tucker loves to cuddle constantly, Copper is more independent and likes to do his own thing. Like we’ll all be snuggling on the couch, and Copper will be on the floor chewing on his toys. He is playful, the best-behaved car passenger, the stereotypical annoying little brother, and just the cutest, softest puppy ever.
Crate Training
We let Copper sleep in our bed the first two nights because Tucker always sleeps with us. But then we decided we should crate-train him well before allowing him back onto the bed. He fussed for a few minutes the first few nights, which was hard. But the other night, he wandered in alone while we were still getting ready for bed. During the day, we keep his crate door open, and he’ll play or nap in there on his own, which is great because we want him to love his crate and view it as a place of safety.
We’ve also recently started requiring him to sleep in the living room at night to work on his separation anxiety. I can’t go anywhere without him, or we get noise complaints about his barking. He’s handled the transition well from night one, but he loses his mind if I crate him and then walk through our apartment door, so if you have any suggestions, I’m all ears.
Potty Training
Potty training is slow going. I try to take the boys out every 2-3 hours, but Copper’s still averaging about one accident a day (so thankful we got him before we bought new rugs, lol). We need a bell or something so he can let us know when he needs to go outside, but he does sleep through the night without any accidents. One theory I have about his slow-going potty training is that when he was at his foster mom’s, she let him roam outside on her property all the time. Or maybe I’m just terrible at potty training, ha!
Biting & Chewing
We’re fortunate that he hasn’t destroyed anything so far. I don’t know if we should attribute it to watching Tucker, but he seems to know which ones are his toys and sticks to those. He’s been intrigued by the toy box corner several times, but a quick redirection nipped that quickly. When I was in high school, my family got a dog, and I remember finding her in the living room with my headphones, shoes, and whatever else she could get her teeth on.
Bonding
We naively thought the two of them would become instant best friends because that’s what everyone seemed to say about getting a second dog. I seriously stressed that we made a huge mistake when they didn’t instantly bond. After playing together well the first night, Tucker wanted nothing to do with Copper after realizing he wasn’t leaving. They had some food and toy aggression, but they’re getting along much better now. I can fill Tucker’s food bowl first, and Copper will wait for his and knows to leave Tucker’s alone. As for toys, Copper’s the annoying little brother who wants to always play with the toy his big brother has. While we would like to get to a point where he doesn’t steal toys from Tucker, Tucker has continuously obliged. They’ve started playing together again a couple of times each day, and we closely monitor them — so far, so good.
So that’s what’s keeping us busy lately. Any new puppy tips or adjusting to two-dog household tips? Please share them all with me in the comments! xo
Copper is precious! Congratulations on the new addition!
Aw, he’s so cute! It sounds like things are going as well as you’d expect with a new puppy. Hopefully some of the things you’re working on with Copper will stick sooner or later. I’ve never had two pets at the same time, so I don’t really have advice in that regard!
Lauren
So fun to add another pup to your family!! I am so happy the two dogs are getting along now!
He’s adorable. I love dogs. I have two dogs as well. I totally get potty training going slowly. Congrats!
~Michelle
https://michellescrazybusylife.net
That is an exciting change! Good luck with the crate & potty training (never have owned a dog, I have no advice for you though).
Cooper is adorable! Wonderful training tips that I will share with my friend who just adopted a puppy…
Aww the new puppy is so cute! A new puppy is always the answer!
He is so adorable!
What a beautiful post, and those dogs are so cute!
Awww, your little pups are adorable!
Niky @ Sundays on Silverado
We have a dog and are thinking about a second but I’m concerned also about them getting along. But she’s a boxer and a puppy so maybe if we get another puppy they could grow up together.
Congrats on your new family member! Cooper is so adorable and stunning! Love his coat.
Great tips for how to train a dog, and I always believe also to adopt and dont shop❤️
Awe how cute!! Congrats on the new puppy!! They are a lot of work but so great!
Aww, congrats on the new pup! I love that they’ll have each other! So adorable!
Congrats on the new addition! Copper is adorable! I was the same way when I added a second dog to the family! I never thought my partner and I would add more to our family! Here we are 3 years later with two Siberian huskies!
OMG, Cooper is the cutest! Congratulations <3
What a cute dog! Good luck with your recent addition!
Oh gosh so cute!
So cute 😍. Thanks for the tips
Copper is 100 percent darling. It’ll take time, but they’ll get along.
Once I adopted a kitten and my more mature cat couldn’t be bothered. So I squirted a bit of milk onto the kitten and my older cat licked and licked it off!
Totally worked. Hugs for rescuing!!
Wendy http://theinspiredeater.com/
Dogs & cats are my weak point and I’m so happy that there are more people who still help them. I have over 10 stray cats as well and 🙂
Thank you for sharing your journey. There is so many more options for new dog owners. My daughter would love a dog and we are always trying to convince my hubby to get one. So many tips here if we had one! Fingers and toes crossed.
Great article, we have 4 dogs and love them, Cooper is a cutie!