What Is The Age Difference Between Your Dogs?

[Pretty Miss Emma]

So I tried to make the poll with what I've come across as common age gaps, I know there are more divisions I could have put in but you have to draw the line somewhere!!!

Anyway, just interested in the age difference between your dogs. What are the pros and cons of having this age difference? Was it a conscious decision to have the age difference you have? And if it was, were there certain criteria leading to that decision?

Some of you know I lost my old dog last year. There was almost an 11 year age gap between her and Kenzie. But it was ok. I got Kenz because I knew Emma wouldn't live forever (and she went way before I was even close to ready for that to be a possibility), I wanted another dog that I could do the activities I liked doing with and I wanted some company for Em. Thank goodness they ended up loving each other heaps in the short time they had together so the company bit worked out well!!! And now that I'm a one dog household (only for another 5 days or so!!) I do have a dog that is now starting to be ready to compete in the activites I like doing with her, and while she still needs some work, I'm ready for another furry to join us and I think Kenz will be ok with that also (I think she misses having dog company in the house). But there have been some people that are suprised I've considered getting a dog while she is the age she is and because she's not completely ready to be competing. I guess for me the dogs are my companions fisrt and foremost and then following from that I hope they will be able to compete and do activities that I like doing. Maybe it's a different mindset that makes me ready when someone else wouldn't be !!

So anyway, interested in how it's all worked in your household!

[Mason_Gibbs]

My 2 are just over 2 years in age gap, is a pretty good gap they play loads together but I know one day I'm going to have 2 old dogs

[Bjelkier]

I didn't vote because I have a number of dogs.

Eldest is 9, I lost my 4 year old a few months ago, my next is 3, then 1 and my newest two are 3 weeks old.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

I didn't vote because I have a number of dogs.

Eldest is 9, I lost my 4 year old a few months ago, my next is 3, then 1 and my newest two are 3 weeks old.

I feel like you should be able to choose more than one response if you want to go back and vote (and I could also be wrong!!)!

Sorry about your 4 year old you have a busy house from the sounds of it!!! How do you manage the age differences?

[Remarkabull]

I have 4 dogs so the age gap varies too. Eldest is 5, next one is 3, then 2 and youngest is almost 5 months old. The smaller dogs are the oldest two and I am aware that all four of them will be old at around the same time, which is sad but it's just the way it worked out for us. We won't be getting another one for quite some time!

[tlc]

I have Born, May 2006, Dec 2006, June 2007 and Jan 2008 So current ages 6, 5, 4 and 4. I did a lot of toilet training in 2 years. :laugh: The age gaps with my four have suited me all trained and found their own spots in the pack and are all great mates.

I am guessing when mine all hit old age I might not be so pleased with the age gaps, but I think I will cope with 4 oldies at once!

[KOE]

11 year old

8 year old

3 year old

the 3 year old is a pain in the ass lol the 2 oldies like to sleep and she wants to play so I was going to get her a playmate but son bought his dog home so she can just play with him.

[Guest Clover]

2 x 8.5 year old Border Collies (Litter mates), 1 x 5.5 year old JRT and 1 x 8 month old Border Collie. I know i will have old dogs at the same time and am not looking forward to that, but it is the way things worked out. My next dog wont be for a good couple of years now i'd say.

Edited May 27, 2012 by Clover

[Leema]

I have a 4.5 year old, a 3 year old, and a .5 year old. I really like this current combination, but I think it's more about the personalities involved than the age gaps.

[Bjelkier]

I didn't vote because I have a number of dogs.

Eldest is 9, I lost my 4 year old a few months ago, my next is 3, then 1 and my newest two are 3 weeks old.

I feel like you should be able to choose more than one response if you want to go back and vote (and I could also be wrong!!)!

Sorry about your 4 year old you have a busy house from the sounds of it!!! How do you manage the age differences?

I can't say I do much to manage them at all they seem to have it sorted between them. The dogs run as a pack and all get along great.

My Lab ( the 9 year old) isn't as active as the younger Samoyeds but they don't annoy him when he wants to be left alone. The only issue I know we will have with the youngest dog and bitch in the show ring in baby puppy and they will compete against one another but after that we can put them in different classes.

[Dame Aussie]

I have a 4 yo and a 3.5 yo and wouldn't change anything :) we didn't plan it that way, we got her and then he came up as a rescue and we couldn't say no :)

[gsdog2]

I have Born, May 2006, Dec 2006, June 2007 and Jan 2008 So current ages 6, 5, 4 and 4. I did a lot of toilet training in 2 years. :laugh: The age gaps with my four have suited me all trained and found their own spots in the pack and are all great mates.

I am guessing when mine all hit old age I might not be so pleased with the age gaps, but I think I will cope with 4 oldies at once!

I lost my first two dogs (German Shepherds) within a month of each other and promised myself I would never have two dogs so close in age again

I now have a Golden Retriever 7 yrs and a German Shepherd 3 1/2 yrs and I am already worried history may be repeated

[Zug Zug]

I had 2 oldies until mid last year, when one of them died.

I now have a 6.5 month old pup, and a 13 year old girl.

I think the ideal (for me) would be a 5 year age gap. But real life seems to have other ideas. And in the end I tend to go along with that.

I suppose when we lose Zamba I'll need to decide how long to wait before getting the next one. So I'm hoping she'll live another 4.5 years exactly, to make my decision an easy one :)

[Weasels]

Mine are about 6 months different in age, plus I only got them 2 months apart so I did everthing wrong! :laugh: But I knew I only had a limited window where I was working from home and wanted to get my dogs then so I could settle them in and make sure they learnt their house manners under constant supervision.

Having 2 dogs old at the same time doesn't worry me so much, we'll probably get another dog in 5 years or so, and I've never been one to live life based on problems which may or may not occur a decade or more down the track. They are both just over 2years now and they get along well, have similar energy levels etc. and I wouldn't have it any other way :)

[ness]

I have a nearly 12 year old BC and Kenz has just turned 4 recently. I would have preferred less of an age gap but its ok because they are both more bonded to me then they are to each other.

[shmoo]

Under a year apart. I have two bloody ageing dogs!! The vet bills just get higher and higher :laugh: So worried about them dying at similar times, even with their massive size difference (4kgs and 25kgs)

ETA: Sweep turned 9yrs in March and Hazel turns 10yrs in July.

Edited May 27, 2012 by shmoo

[Zombie Bait]

There was a 14 month gap between Brembo and Sierra and it worked really well :)

Since my ex and I have split up and he kept Sierra she is now an only dog.

Brembo and I have moved back home to my parents where he cohabitates with an 8 year old BC and a 5 year old mini mutt.

Brembo is currently 5.5 years old. When we move from here he will be an only dog which will actually make him happier.

I liked having a 1.5 - 2 year age gap between them, meant I was finished with Brembo's basic training and he helped train Sierra.

[Mim]

I didn't vote in the poll as I have 4 dogs so that's a lot of boxes to tick :laugh:

12.5 year old

6.5 year old

4 year old

3 year old

Works well for us :) I don't mind have 2 so close together in age. They are the best of friends and I am glad they will be able to be old friends together :) If I lose them close together, I will be upset of course, but the joy I get from seeing them being so happy together makes it worth it. I could have two dogs with a large age gap and lose them close together anyway, large age gap doesn't avoid heartbreak of losing dogs close together.

Edited May 27, 2012 by Mim

[xena98]

I have a 13.5 coolie and 10.5 border collie which wouldnt have come at that time but she was a birthday present to my mum when my dad died but I basically train her and do things with her and than a 4.5 year old coolie. I usually have a 5-6 year age bracket. One normally old dog that would be retired from competition a middle age dog that is competing and than normally a pup. Usually when I have the pup the competition dog has usually all her titles and I only do quick run throughs etc so when I do have the pup I have lots of time for her so usually depends how far the competition dog is before I get one

[luvsdogs]

When my son brought home his pup Sooty, in 2000, April was 7.5 y/o. She wasn't too keen on a little pup following her around whenever Sooty saw her. Four days on they became the best of friends, Sooty adored April & they used to play all the time until April got too old.

When I got Tilba Sooty was 7.5 y/o. They are friends but didn't play as much as with April. I wanted another dog for Tilba to play with as Sooty became arthritic & didn't want to play too much. Tilba was 3.5 y/i when we got Panda & although there's a size difference Panda just adores playing or should I say annoying Tilba & she lets him do it.