DH thinks one dogs enough.

[goldenlabs]

Aibu to want another dog. We have one already who we adore, but she is all for him really, kind of ignores me, lol, and tbh I think she’s bored with her own company sometimes. I would just love another dog, who do you think should get their own way here. Should I just get one, even though dh thinks another one would be too much trouble.

The thing is, I love dogs so much, the one we have is brilliant, we hardly go anywhere without her, so it’s not as though we don’t do enough for her to stop her getting bored. Long beach walks every day. Evening walks without fail. I actually play with her more than DH, more time on my hands. But she’s definitely his dog itms.

Its much harder to get someone to look after 2 dogs for you. Also you might end up with one that's hard work

You should have got two at the start, then you’d have one each. We have two, one is definitely mime, the other my DH’s. We chose one each.

My original dog hates everything about the two subsequent ones and would love them to disappear, they are nervous of her and it makes life harder for us - we adore them all!!

Bran Yes thats a good point and one dh says.

Teddybearbaby How adorable.

It's a gamble getting another dog.

It could go brilliantly, your dogs could get on really well, the new dog would just slot in to your family, it wouldn't feel like extra work and all would be great. This happened when I got my second dog

However it could go horribly wrong. Dogs not getting on, too much extra work for you (think double the poo, double the shedding, having to think of the needs of two different dogs etc) , the family feeling overcrowded and just generally making life more difficult. This happened when I got dog number 3, she was the most beautiful and loveliest dog ever, but she did just not fit with our family and I had to return her to the rescue she came from (obviously there was more to it than her just not fitting in)
I tried for a year and a half to make it work but I couldn't. It has been heartbreaking giving her up and I really wish I hadn't brought her home in the first place. But at the time my experience was adding another dog worked.

So it really is a gamble, even if you do lots of research on breed compatibility etc.

If both of you are not onboard with a second I wouldn't do it

Over the years we've had anything between 1 and 4 dogs at a time, I don't find two harder work than 1, I still do the same walks, vacuum the same rooms etc.

The plus points are not feeling guilty when I go out and leave 1 dog alone, I love being surrounded by dogs, I enjoy watching them together.
Only minus point I can think of is the vet bills.

Obviously you can't just get another dog without your DH being on board with it.

Why do you think your dog is bored with her own company? Dog's do a lot of staring into the distance thinking dog thoughts. If she's walked enough played with enough and has attention from you then she's probably fine. Perhaps she's just chilled and calm and happy to sit quietly.

My dog would be absolutely horrified if I brought another dog into the house.

She's also very calm and loves her own space. She doesn't follow me around - there's just the two of us - in fact at the moment she's upstairs asleep in one of the bedrooms, which is what she likes to do in the evening - no one's told her she supposed to be a companion dog, well I have but I don't think she cares.

How is your dog with other dogs when you're out and about? Unless she seems to want to be every other dog's friend, I'd be a bit careful about assuming she's bored with her own company.

Our second was harder work because he was a puppy when he moved in, while the original dog was a year old and past all of the poopoo/peepee/chewing thing. The puppy is 10 months now and through the worst; he keeps her company and walks etc are as lovely as they ever were, but I suspect she'd have been just as happy by herself because she's just not a dogs dog (the puppy was an emergency rescue rather than a well-thought-out addition).

The DC love having two, though, and they're so much fun. It's got to be something everyone wants, though, and your dog has got to be able to cope with the new addition.

I know she’d be great with another dog if I got one from a puppy, because she loves them, so it would grow with her. So from her point of view i know it’d be fine. However the points some of you have made are valid ones, double the poo, the shedding etc. Also if it was a barky dog. So I think I’ll hold back for now, see how things are in the future.

I have 4 dogs at the moment (got them all individually), they're definitely a lot happier when they have each others company. Your DH should agree with you before getting another dog though.

Most importantly, you shouldn't "just get a dog", you need to find a proper breeder or rescue, and plan training classes/socialising, ideally take some days off work when you pick it up so you can help it settle in etc. Plan thoroughly, you made it sound like you were thinking about just getting a random dog from a random place on a whim - big no no!

No if I did get one it would be a rescue......but anyway have took on board all the comments. thanks all.