More than one dog?

8 replies

chonky · 27/07/2005 08:20

We currently have a lovely eleven year old collie x, who is very easy going and friendly, but sadly is not getting any younger. Dh and I have mused over getting another younger dog whilst we still have our current dog, however is owning two dogs as opposed to one a huge amount of extra work?
I know it would depend on what sort of dog we got as our second (I have my beady eye on a 2 year old collie x lurcher with a smiley face )
TIA

OP posts:

Nemo1977 · 27/07/2005 08:27

It depends entirely on dogs temprement. We have a 10yr old terrier cross who is lovely but we were given a 8mth old springer spaniel last year. She was a nightmare...literally used to reduce me to tears. After about 7tmhs of trying with her we gave her back to the people who had asked us to have her as she was just too much work. I am home all day so even being here didnt help. If i went to a toddler group guarenteed i would come home to something having been destroyed..at one point she ate our house phone and dhs mobile....so it really does depend on the dog

Fio2 · 27/07/2005 08:56

how weird!

we have a collie x lurcher who is 11 and a welsh collie who is 3. We had the little one because our dog wasnt getting any younger too. they do keep other company, but I have to walk our seperate, plus they set each other off barking. They do get on well though. the best thing to do is to take your dog to the kennel to meet the new one. I must admit at first i regretted having the 2nd one but now I am glad I did.

munz · 27/07/2005 08:59

we have two (got them both at 8 weeks 6 months apart) not too much extra work except i've noticesd if we try to split them up for the vets or I take one home with me to mum's they pine for each other, and the girl doesn't eat until she's back with the other one. as we got them at both the same time the house training/chewing was not too bad.

in honesty thou it's a case of me and my shadow with them. it's sweet to watch them playing together.

Original poster

chonky · 27/07/2005 09:05

Munz - I know the feeling of me and my shadow, our dog follows me EVERYWHERE around the house! I think in her case it's a collie trait.

Fio, I was thinking about taking Molly to meet Murphy at the weekend and just see how it goes. Part of me thinks I must be mad considering all the other things we have going on , but on balance
I always wanted dogs and I hate the thought of an empty basket down the line...

OP posts:

Fio2 · 27/07/2005 09:07

apparently aswell if you introduce a dog to a bitch it works better. I have two bitches but the little one is very passive and the older dog isnt really possesive, thats why i think it worked tbh. it all to do with their tempraments. Yes they do pine for each other when you split them up

Original poster

chonky · 27/07/2005 09:10

I can believe that, Molly can be awful with other bitches, but has lived quite happily with another dog whilst we dog sat for someone.

OP posts:

munz · 27/07/2005 09:21

that's what we have a bitch and a dog the dog was first, we had a few probs to begin with u knownhe'd bite her etc and get v v jelouse when we gave her attention and not him but he soon learnt that if he sat nicely he got some as well. it was easier to train sas as well as the other one knew what to do to get his treats so all she had to do was copy him.

the GSD is my shadow esp when DH is away (althou he likes to sit behind me in the kitchen hoping i'll trip over him and drop the food - but he does slop off to his bed when told. the staff is his shadow and she literally is like the annoying little sister who won't leave him alone. he'll be trying to sleep and she finds the smallest spot between him and the wall and curl up into it then work her way around so she s comfy bless her he just puts up with it, I think that stems from when she was a pup thou and shw wailed when she was on her own but didn't with him.

sim's not good with other dogs, but in turn sas doesn't like bitches either so bit of a stumbling block. neither of them like small dogs but seem OK with big dogs/children.

Chandra · 28/07/2005 00:37

It depends in the dog but I would add that that is independent fromm having a single one or two. If the new one is meant to be a calamity it will be on its own or not.

We got a second dog because fist dog was a bit depressed when I went back to work. I asked the breeder for a bitch, at least 6 m old as I didn't have time for much training at the time. Good heavens, we got a tazmanian devil!. In her first week at home he destroyed the dining room chairs, the table's legs, two doors and she dug a hole in a wall (and she is a tiny yorkshire). 3 years and lots of trainers later she is such a lovely dog that most our visits want to take her with them when they leave. And regarding her relationship with first dog, they can't live without eachother and no, not much extra work, quite the oposite as they entertain themselves

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