Hello!

Not sure what I’m really after here besides maybe just the opinions/experiences from others who have been in a similar situation.

Axel has just turned 9 months old, and later in the year we are looking at expanding our pack and getting a second male husky puppy. Axel is a great dog… while he definitely has many of the husky traits and is such a little character, he is pretty well behaved. He doesn’t dig holes, he’s never really destroyed anything (and if he has, it’s been our fault for allowing him to get these things lol), he doesn’t bark… He doesn’t try escaping, he’s good with other dogs and kids. While he had some minor food guarding issues when we first got him, we worked on the issue a lot and it seems to have settled. He is easily trained and eager to please. While he does get the zoomies often and can be crazy, he’s pretty chilled majority of the time. To say the least, I wonder sometimes if we just got lucky :Por if his naughty teenage phase is still to come!

We have been talking about getting a second one since almost the day we bought him home (they’re addictive aren’t they!), our only concern is if we bring home a second puppy he will be a monster!! Haha while we are alright with this, we are curious if he IS naughty, will this rub off on Axel orrr will he go more towards Axel’s way and be well behaved?

I know there’s lots of ‘what if’s’ in there and there’s no set answers, I’m just curious about other’s experiences when bringing home a second dog.

This wouldn’t be for a while. We are getting married next month and going away on our honeymoon, so it would be later in the year.

Anyways, any responses/thoughts would be much appreciated

First, congrats on your upcoming wedding!

I feel like we have the same dog, only yours is male and ours is female. After reading lots of horror stories about things huskies have destroyed, holes they've dug, troubles with training, times they've run away, etc., I consider myself very lucky. Layla will be eight months old this Saturday and is also pretty laid-back at home. She loves running and going exploring outdoors, but inside she is happy to relax most of the time. She knows what's hers and what's not and has never destroyed anything other than her own toys. She's very smart and takes to training very quickly.

I posted something about wanting a second dog a while back as well, when Layla was around five or six months old. The answers I got were basically that you can't predict what will happen when you get a new puppy but as long as you are confident and comfortable with where your dog is now in behavior and training, go for it! You will need to separate the two dogs from time to time to work individually with them on training, but for the most part training and acclimating the new pup will be easier with an older one to help show them the ropes. There may be some jealousy at first but as long as you work with both of them individually and together (as it seems you have with your dog's minor guarding behaviors), the new pup should fit in in no time.

We've been working on getting our second for a few months now and have had some bad luck with breedings not working out (one didn't take and another produced only one pup that was already spoken for), but we are definitely going to add to our pack this year. Keep us updated on what you decide, and good luck!

I didn't add a second husky until my first, Shaqua, was quite old (read "11 years") so I didn't have the problem of it rubbing off. I know that when I get my 3rd husky (YES, they ARE addictive, lol) I will be waiting until my little Journey is at least 2 years old. The younger they are the more influence they have on each other from what I have seen.

I got Nikko as a puppy when he was about 9 weeks old, and knew a few months later that I wanted another one. When Nikko was 9 months old, I got Yukon (he was 8 weeks old). Now, Nikko is the typical husky, destructive, hyper, etc. Although Nikko went through 3 training classes and passed his CGC, at home was a different story. I hoped for the best and prepared for the worst.

Although you can't really predict how it will go, and which dog will rub off one which one, you can only hear stories of other people's experiences. Fortunately, most of Nikko's good habits rubbed off on Yukon LOL. Nikko became a much better dog afterwards since he had Yukon to play with. Although he is still hyper, he has become less destructive. Your results may differ, especially since it seems you already have a well behaved dog (but beware of the teenage years!).

And yes they are addictive! Just over 2 years ago I never had a dog before, and now I have 3!   

I know this is an old tread but I have to agree they are very addictive, I am constantly looking for breeders and thinking about a second husky, the funny part is Cora is only 15 weeks right now. I know I wont be getting another dog until I get a stable job but it doesn't stop me from wanting and dreaming