What is it REALLY like having 2 dogs??

[cansleepanywhere]

Our lab bitch is 9 months now and we'd love another. We were thinking of next Jan when my youngest is at nursery weekday mornings so I can do the 'big walk' without the pushchair/backpack. I can handle 1 dog and a pushchair but not 2!

She'd be nearly 2 then....is that a good age?? Bit like having kids in that I don't want to leave too long between them as I'd like them to play together.

If you have 2 dogs, do yours tend to sleep together or will I have to get separate beds? Would I HAVE to do separate walks with a new pup?? I'm happy to take new pup training separately and do little sessions alone in the garden but not sure I can do long walks for current dog and then more for pup....how do you find the time? I was planning on taking pup along and then carrying her/him.

Also is it a bit like having more than 1 kid in that the workload doesn't just double, it goes up tenfold??

Would a smaller dog (i'm thinking cocker/springer) work well? Whatever we get would need to keep up with lab length walks when it's ready. I'd love another lab but not sure we have the space. This morning there were 2 kids, 2 adults and 1 dog on my bed!!! Also would it be better to get a male? Would this increase the chances of them getting along?

Am I mad to want another??

[cansleepanywhere]

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has responded. It's certainly not a decision I'll be taking lightly. If I don't feel that my lab is 100% by January then I have no problem waiting a while longer.

I'm maybe looking through rose tinted glasses at those families with 2 (or more) dogs and it's always good to get the reality check.

My house is a madhouse anyway so noise/mess etc isn't putting me off, just making me chuckle

[Blistory]

I posted on here a while back about getting a second dog and decided against it in the end.

Not because of the extra work or expense but because I realised that my dog would hate it. She loves other dogs but I've noticed that she also needs her space and her time with her humans. My fault really as she's with me all day, every day and whilst she does play with other dogs and acts like a puppy, she needs to be around people more. I also realised that I would feel guilty at changing her life to satisfy dog broodiness in me. But then I may also be overinvested in this particular dog because whilst she's not perfect, she's worked some magic on me and is the dog of a lifetime.

Sorry, that doesn't help much OP, I guess it really boils down to what your existing dog is like and whether you believe a second dog would enhance all of your lives or not.

[hennipenni]

We are a 2 dog household, a 19month old cocker with issues and 2 months ago we got a lab from a rescue who is now 10 months old who belongs to my eldest daughter who still lives at home.

The lab needs lots of basic training which she is getting and is learning very quickly so we have to train them separately, the cocker is (or was until the lab came along) very well trained but we've had to up his training to stop it slipping. At the moment they have to be walked seperatly if 2 people aren't available at the same time and also have to take into consideration that the lab can't be walked as far as the cocker due to the amount of time she spent in the rescue kennels before we got her (3 months +)

It is double the amount of mud, dust, water trailed across the floor from their water bowls, muddy footprints, hair, vets bills, insurance, kennel/dog sitter costs, washing of muddy towels and smelly bedding, food, equipment etc, etc, the lab has to go in her crate when we're out or at night or left alone as she can be distructive which was an extra expense as well as taking up a lot of room.

They have both picked up each others bad habits but at the same time their good habits are rubbing of on each other. Both dogs get on well with each other, lots of playing which is lovely to see as they both look very happy if not sounding very vocal!

In hindsight, if it was just me I wouldn't have had another dog just yet (would eventually) but would have waited a couple of years as I wouldn't mange 2 dogs alone despite working from home. It is made possible as my daughter does the majority of the work with the dogs as she only works part time, however we have only had the lab a couple of months and we can see that things are getting better and it is especially nice to see them both cuddled up together in the evening.

[NumptyNameChange]

that read so wrong! i did not mean that i'm looking forward to my dog dying!!!! i meant looking into the future when she does i can't see me getting a second dog again. i so am NOT looking forward to my baby dying

[NumptyNameChange]

i can concur actually with the guilt bit actually. i wasn't kidding when i said it has put me off having a second child because they can be so different and so hard to give equal attention to and it's hard not to compare and compound annoyance for one with preference for the other. though these days the roles are interchangeable depending on who is being the most irksome

to be entirely honest much as i love both of my dogs it was easier, simpler and less guilt inducing when i had one and the one was perfectly happy as a solo. my solo was impeccably well behaved and sociable and good with other dogs so i had a headstart and yet still maybe in my heart of hearts i wish i'd stuck at one.
if you're still thinking of it by january let me know but i honestly would give it plenty of time and wait for your first dog to be really well trained and into a mature phase and to be well settled in with your new baby and life in that new dynamic before adding more to the mix.

i have one child only but 2 dogs, a cat and two chickens and some days i wonder why on earth i took on so much (single parent) but ds loves having them all around and it compensates in some ways for the lack of siblings so it's ok but looking forward to the end of my older dogs life i don't think i would get another. it's likely that by the time my son is ready to head off to uni or otherwise the dogs will be gone or nearing the end and i suspect i won't get another dog until my dotage then so that i have more freedom back.

[Noodles123]

I'm also going to go slightly against the majority and agree that actually I much prefer having one dog. I had my original dog, a rottie, for 9 years one on one and he was my best friend and companion. He liked other dogs, most of the time, but certainly wasn't ever desperate for their company. He had his 'quirks' (I didn't have him from 12 weeks so a few less than ideal habits were ingrained already!) and was a b*gger for begging for food and also not good on a short lead - pulled all the time. He was diagnosed with cancer last December (2012) and given a life expectancy of 3-5 months so we started the process of selecting our next breed and tracking down a litter etc, and as we were going for something a little out of the ordinary it did take us 4 months, so we eventually got our puppy in April, not expecting that the old boy would be with us by then but he was. And he actually lived right through 2013 til we lost him on Christmas Day. Having the two of them was hard, I found. The pup bothered the old boy a bit to start with, not maliciously just wanting to play, but to be fair he soon put him in his place. The mess was definately significantly increased, was also expensive to feed two, but I admit I do buy top end dog food so probably could have cut that cost if I really needed too. The main thing was managing when walking to a) hold them both (although I learnt from old boy and pup is exceptional on lead, we insisted on that from day 1) b) training pup without older boy trying to get involved! And c) just physically keeping an eye on them both all the time!!

Having lost the old boy, much as I miss him, it is easier with just one. Although - I think part of that was the fact I learnt from mistakes and the youngster doesn't pull on lead, wander off in the park or beg when we are eating, so admittedly is an easier dog all round. He's also much more focused on us - he's of a working breed and is totally human-oriented, he is perfectly polite when meets other dogs and will greet them but then straight away defers back to me. It might be that we are just fortunate in that or it might be his breed, I don't know, but it does make for easy relaxing walks and also means he can literally go almost anywhere with me, nipping to the shops, lunch out, friends houses, anywhere, as he's so easy.
Anyway, that's us far longer than needed, sorry Op. I would just say, if you do get another, be 110% happy with every aspect of current dog's behaviour before you do, and then be warned that you may get one with more irritating/difficult to train temperament next time round - that's why I am sticking with one for now, couldn't be this lucky twice I don't think!!

[cathpip]

I used to have 2 black labs (litter brothers)' they were fab. When I lost one of the labs we got a cocker and again it was fab, we lost our last lab a couple of years ago and got another cocker (both are working) and yet again they are fab! I am pregnant with no 3, both dogs are superb with the children and walking next to a buggy, they are very much my dogs not my dh's (apart from when there is a vets bill). The cost is doubled with two and they do have separate beds but prefer to share. Not all working strain cockers are high maintenance by the way :)

[TheKitchenWitch]

Yy to noisy, and if we have people round who aren't used to dogs they do sometimes look aghast :o

[HotPanda]

dally = Dalmatian.
I was being lazy. :-)

[TheKitchenWitch]

I can't find anything about Coppinger papers, though there are numerous books on amazon by a Raymond Coppinger - is that what you mean?

[HotPanda]

I'm the lone voice I think.

We had a 5 year old male dally and earlier this year got a puppy bitch weimeraner.
My poor dally has been plagued by the pup, and so our time is spent refereeing to make sure he gets a break. The pup is 9 months old now and utterly adores our older boy, but he really isn't keen on her.
He loved playing with other dogs, which is why we thought he would like a pup but we were wrong.

I feel terribly, horribly guilty all the time.

Plus, it is so much harder. I found training the dally to be a dream, but with the pup if I take her out to the garden or in another room to do training the dally gets upset that he's been left out yet it is impossible to work on her training when he is there as he will do everything I ask and then mug for treats like a performing monkey.

As someone else said, twice as many bad habits, they don't have the same bad habits as each other.

I don't regret getting the pup as such, she is such an adorable baggage but I do feel bad about the stress it has placed on our older boy. We are having regular meetings with a behaviourist to help manage the situation.

[NuttyMuttie]

The Kitchen Witch Tis a scientific fact read coppinger papers for evidence if you need it.

Not saying it need make any difference to the decision to get another dog but just to say that dogs do not need other dog relationships - no biggy

[TheKitchenWitch]

Sorry, but I really don't think you can make a blanket statement like that, Nutty as if it's an undisputed fact.
Dogs can have relationships with both humans and other dogs; each relationship will be different and yes, some dogs may prefer one over the other.

[cansleepanywhere]

numpty I can't get another until next Jan when funds and time allow, although I would love one now - we're not ready yet.

[NumptyNameChange]

OP if you were serious about taking an older dog it might be worth us having a chat. feel free to pm.

[cinnamongreyhound]

I've never had two dogs before now but mine greet each other every morning, they curl up together, run together, nibble each other under their chins, play together and I believe genuinely enjoy each other's company. I can't speak for doggy kind but my two are as pleased to see each other if they've been apart as they are to see us if we've been out. I think they get different things from each other than they do from us but benefit from both relationships.

[chocolatelime]

I think that mistlethrush makes a good point about obtaining a rescue dog that has been in a foster home. That allows them to be fully assessed & when they are rehomed to their forever home, they will integrate far more easily. Particularly important if you have young children.

There are so many amazing dogs in rescue. January is always a busy time for most rescues, so please consider it when the time comes.

[NuttyMuttie]

Human company is way better than dogs for a dog.

Humans throw balls, give treats, feed them, groom them, stroke them, play chase with them, cuddle them, praise them, train them, maybe does agility or dog sports with them, takes them on walks the list goes on.......

Another dog will maybe chase them in play or sniff them gets boring after a while

Not to say that is not a reason to have multiple dogs just that your dog does not "need" a doggy friend

[Bowlersarm]

I think the human company v dog company depends on the dog.

Ddog1 really has no interest in other dogs at all. He isn't interested in meeting new dogs, he tolerates ddog2 but can take or leave her. He adores all humans, would spend his day being cuddled by anyone who would oblige.

Ddog2 dotes on ddog1, and other dogs, quite likes her humans but doesn't like other humans.