What age was your current GSD when you added the new puppy?

[Germanshepherdlova]

I know that I want to get another GSD, and that I want it to be a puppy-but I don't want to get one until my dogs are older. I would like to have the puppy for a couple years BEFORE my other GSD crosses the bridge. I think that having the new dog for 2 years or so will ensure that me and the new pup will have already formed a bond, and so hopefully, that will bring me comfort when my current GSD passes.

This is, hopefully, a long time away because my GSD will only be 3 yo in January, but I am the type of person who likes to plan ahead-as much as possible. I know there may be unforeseeable events, and I hope and pray that there isn't, but I have always thought that 8 yo would be the ideal age for my current GSD to be before I get a new puppy-but then again, I am not sure what the average age for a GSD is. I put up a poll on my German Shepherds Rule page and some dogs lived to be 16 and others to the age of 10, so there was a big difference there. What age was you GSD when you got a new puppy, and why did you think that it was the right time?

[Emoore]

Rocky was 5 when we got Cash, who was about 1 year old. To me that was perfect. Rocky was young enough and spry enough to play with Cash but old enough that Cash submitted to him. We had Cash for 3 years and then he died at 4 years old.

Rocky was 8, nearly 9 when we brought Kopper home. To me this was too big of a spread. Rocky's not really interested in doing anything with Kopper and I feel bad for subjecting him to puppy antics in his golden years.

I really feel like a 4-6 year spread is ideal.

Like you, I've known GSDs that grew old and died at 9 or 10, and GSDs that lived to be 14 or 15.

[KZoppa]

When Shasta came home last year at 12 weeks old, Riley had just celebrated his 6th birthday in January. I really cant be a good judge on whether it was good or not because Riley is a grouchy guy and gets more so as he gets older. It took him 6 or 7 months to warm up to Shasta and now they will play but he starts getting cranky pretty quick, probably because he just cant win. We were hoping to add a pup in 2012 but its actually looking more like 2013 now. Thats ideal for us is a year or 2-3 years difference

[mysweetkaos]

Kaos was 8 1/2 when we brought Sherman home. Let's see there are so many plusses/minuses.
+
Kaos helps teach basic manners
Sherman helps us by being able to play/walk do all of the things K is not able to do so much anymore
By the time K goes, we will have bonded with S and hopefully it will make the transition easier
S has reawakened a playful side of K
I didn't want to deal with training a puppy while grieving K, yet I knew our house would be so empty without a dog that I would probably not do well
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Kaos is what you'd call ahem *dominant*, not with people, but with other dogs...if it's not his idea, it doesn't happen kind of thing. So the transition to a 2 dog household was/is huge amounts of work
I let myself feel guilty for making K put up with S sometimes, although I limit it a lot
Puppies are expensive.....senior dogs with health problems are even more expensive

All in all, I'd do it again...although if we decide to add another after K passes I will wait until S is around 3-4 no older than 6

[onyx'girl]

Puppy Onxy came home when Clover(non-gsd) was 11.

I adopted 21 month old Kacie when Onyx was only 5 months.
Not planned, I was impulsive when I met Kacie and fell in love with her at first sight.
Wish I didn't do that to Onyx, she should have had more of my one on one attention in her forming puppy-hood. But they got along well and neither one were good subjects for sportwork or competitive obedience due to their temperaments. I did try with both and Kacies elbow limited her, and Onyx's reactivity to other dogs and some people had to be managed in training centers. She has come a long way since then, but still is unpredictable with her aggressive behavior.
After Clover died at almost 15, I started my search for a puppy to do SchH with.
Puppy Karlo came when Onyx was 2 and Kacie was 3. I love having 3 dogs....two just isn't enough.

[Jack's Dad]

Originally Posted by Emoore

Rocky was 5 when we got Cash, who was about 1 year old. To me that was perfect. Rocky was young enough and spry enough to play with Cash but old enough that Cash submitted to him. We had Cash for 3 years and then he died at 4 years old.

Rocky was 8, nearly 9 when we brought Kopper home. To me this was too big of a spread. Rocky's not really interested in doing anything with Kopper and I feel bad for subjecting him to puppy antics in his golden years.

I really feel like a 4-6 year spread is ideal.

Like you, I've known GSDs that grew old and died at 9 or 10, and GSDs that lived to be 14 or 15.

I agree with emoore on the spread.

We got Jack when Ginger was almost ten but she had some arthritis and hip problems.
She tolerated Jack but it didn't really work for her. As she aged the arthritis got worse so she had a lot of pain and didn't want him around much. Then she got cancer causing more pain and she died at about 13.

Zena our pup is almost 14 weeks and Jack will be 5 next month. They already play well together and he is good with her. Once in awhile he needs to shut her down a bit but has never hurt her.
If they both stay healthy I think it is an ideal spread. When he is ten she will be 5

[Germanshepherdlova]

So by 8 years old most GSD's are not very active anymore?

[Jack's Dad]

Originally Posted by Germanshepherdlova

So by 8 years old most GSD's are not very active anymore?

Even if both are healthy there will probably be a big differenc in energy level. If not immediately within a couple of years.

[Germanshepherdlova]

Originally Posted by Jack's Dad

Even if both are healthy there will probably be a big differenc in energy level. If not immediately within a couple of years.

Six years old is starting to look better than 8. I have 2 dogs already that are about the same age, and I'd rather not have 3 dogs at the same time for a long period of time. Then again, if my GSD calmed down with age, then 3 dogs would be easier to envision. I will have to think about this one.

[Whiteshepherds]

Originally Posted by Germanshepherdlova

What age was you GSD when you got a new puppy, and why did you think that it was the right time?

Harley was 9 months old when we brought Annie home. (she was 3 mths old at the time)