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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Two dogs this time?

27 replies

RosesandRugby · 02/07/2015 16:56

My beloved English setter was put to sleep recently at 14 years old.

I miss him dreadfully but now feel ready to have another dog.

I am considering getting 2 dogs this time but as I have only ever had 1 at a time I'm not entirely sure what I'm letting myself in for.

Tell me your tales of having 2 dogs so I can be well prepared for what may come.

Are 2 dogs happier/more noisy/crazy/chilled out/relaxed etc Should I stick with 1?

OP posts:

barkingtreefrog · 02/07/2015 17:03

Go for it! Two dogs are twice the fun, twice the love, and they keep each other company.
We only have one dog, the only reason we don't have two is that we regularly leave our dog with friends (and they regularly leave their dogs with us). If we had two, we'd struggle to find someone to take them when we're away and can't take them with us, as it would be asking someone to have three.... I'm not sure I'd want to be walking a collie, an airedale terrier and an overactive cocker spaniel by myself.....
We regularly have two dogs though, when our friends' dogs come to stay, I love it .

CMOTDibbler · 02/07/2015 17:06

I have two - the first came to us at 6 months old, the other at 16 weeks (both are rescue), and theres a 2 year gap between them.
They really enjoy being together, and as lurchers, running round really fast is important play to them - which is hard to get from random dogs you meet.

Overall, I think they are happier as a twosome, and the age gap works

StarsInTheNightSky · 02/07/2015 17:07

Really sorry to hear about your dog.

I prefer having two dogs. There have been times when we've had just one, and on one crazy time we had five. I like having two as they have some doggy companionship (we have a breed which hate other dogs), and it just feels like the right number for us. I don't find it much more work than having just the one actually, as all the things I do for ddog2 I'm doing for ddog1 anyway, if that makes sense.

Hope that helps .

bikeandrun · 02/07/2015 17:09

I have a lovely lurcher and we are dog sitting his best girl lurcher pal for two weeks, me and DD are already plotting( lighthearted) how to keep her forever, as they are so sweet together.

Original poster

RosesandRugby · 02/07/2015 17:12

I'm very tempted. Maybe siblings?

OP posts:

WeAllHaveWings · 02/07/2015 17:15

I'd love 2 dogs, the only thing that puts me off is money (dog insurance gets very expensive as they get older, especially for our lab).

Otherwise I'd go for it, but not sure I'd get two at the same time. Would rather get one settled and trained and the next one 1-2 years later.

Twooter · 02/07/2015 17:18

It's much harder training two at once - much easier to train one first then get number two.

CandyAppleFudge · 02/07/2015 17:39

We've got 2, we got male dog first then added female dog into the mix. To be honest I don't notice that much of a difference, they keep each other entertained when no one is home. Apart from the slight increase in food bill for them and insurance.

SmartAlecMetalGit · 02/07/2015 17:39

I've got four dogs at the moment (can hardly remember what it was like only having two ) and it's lovely, they all clearly adore each other.

Before you consider getting siblings research "littermate syndrome". Raising two puppies from the same litter can be done, and some people do seem to manage it with very little effort, however you should pretty much expect it to be more than double the work of one pup.

I got two puppies only a year apart and even that was far too small an age gap and was much harder work than puppies normally are.

daisydotandgertie · 02/07/2015 17:50

A good breeder won't sell you more than one puppy.

Two from the same litter, or even two less than a year apart in age are very, very hard work and usually training and the bond with their humans suffers as a result.

However, two dogs with about 2 years between them are a complete joy.

StarsInTheNightSky · 02/07/2015 17:57

Yes, sorry should have said that ours are rescues and our dogs have always had a least a year between them.

villainousbroodmare · 02/07/2015 18:15

Sorry to hear about your lovely dog. Will you go with a setter again? We have an Irish setter and for us the setter really is bloody near perfect.
I think we will stick with one as we are and have always been in the very lucky position to live on busy farms and have next door neighbours with lovely dogs who have been mates for ours. Also he is anyway a slightly aloof dog who enjoys a walking mate but doesn't seem to NEED a colleague.
I would say at least a year between dogs is ideal, preferably two depending on how high a standard of training you want to achieve. I would say my lad was all of two before I really had him where I wanted him in terms of reliability with livestock, wildlife etc.
My ILs are South African and have ridgebacks, currently four. Their last two times to get puppies, they got two littermates, two bitches first and then a dog and a bitch. They are nice dogs, all get on well and are happy but if you want 'em trained and manageable, do not do that.

ender · 02/07/2015 18:27

Don't get 2 puppies at the same time, nightmare to train.
My dog was originally bought with his sister as a puppy, by previous owners. When he was 7 months old was given to rescue because he was "too dominant" with his littermate. Most likely just lack of training. Anyway he's turned into a lovely dog.
Rescues often have 2 dogs that are used to each other and best rehomed together - that would be a lovely thing to do.

Lolimax · 02/07/2015 18:31

We have 2. She is coming up 4, he is 2. They are inseparable and adore each other. I agree, have one, get that through puppyhood then introduce the other in about a year, 18 months.

Costacoffeeplease · 02/07/2015 18:45

We currently have 2 dogs, both rescues, and have had up to 4. One is 4, the other 18 months, and they have great fun chasing each other round the garden and 'wrestling', they keep each other entertained and exercised better than we could with just one, so I would go for it - but get one at a time if they're pups - or maybe look at two from a rescue that get on particularly well together?

Original poster

RosesandRugby · 02/07/2015 18:50

So 2 dogs are great but better with an age gap thank you.

I won't have a setter again as I would feel I was replacing him and I don't want to do that.

I'm considering English Pointers this time. It's a breed I worked with previously and I only ended up with a setter as someone persuaded me to have him being the last of the litter. I fell in love with him instantly but I have always had a soft spot for Pointers.

Thanks for the advice

OP posts:

tomatodizzymum · 02/07/2015 18:53

We have two. One very big and one very little which makes life easy (except the little one thinks he's a rotweiler and the big one thinks he's a lap-mouse).

They are 9 months apart, both came to us as small puppies. They are the best of friends, the little one sleeps on top of the big one!

Difficultdora · 02/07/2015 19:07

I lost my lab at 14 months and was distraught. I got another but he while calm and quiet, was no replacement for my previous lovely Velcro dog. My dh suggested that we got a second puppy and so we have big pup 16 months and little pup 6 months. We are having so much fun! If I had only known I would have had two long ago. It really helps that the older pup is super well behaved and I would not have two from the same litter.

Original poster

RosesandRugby · 02/07/2015 20:02

They look lovely dora

OP posts:

entredeuxmers · 02/07/2015 21:05

I've recently gone from one dog to two, having only ever had one at a time, and it's so lovely I wish I'd done it before! The transition from one to two is SO much easier than going from no dogs to one dog was. I suppose it does depend on the dogs - I have an 18 month old Springer Spaniel bitch and got another ESS bitch at 8 1/2 weeks. She's only 11 weeks now so it's still very early days, but they are having heaps of fun playing- the 18 month old is still very puppyish and playful so the age gap is working well. I definitely agree getting one and training it, then adding another in later if you're going to have them from puppies is the way forward.

Bubble2bubble · 02/07/2015 22:46

Having done it, nearly nine years ago now, I would never,ever get two puppies!
Occasionally rescues have dogs they want to home together, because perhaps they have come from a home where they always loved together and are very bonded - could be worth considering.

AMcoffeeLover · 02/07/2015 22:58

I got my boys (Staffies) as pups . Twice the wee, poo, bitting....and when your training one the other is creating merry hell in the wardrobe (goodbye Gucci, Jimmy choo, irregular choice, Ted baker and all other lovely clothes and shoes)......they run in different directions, tangle your legs in the leads. Double the vets bills, insurance, food, kennel costs......
BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT. Couldn't imagine life without my two star boys. Be strong and firm and you'll get two lovely dogs. Having said that I felt I missed out a bit in the puppy/teenager phase as I was busy with the two and couldn't sit back and enjoy like my friends with single pups could.

AMcoffeeLover · 02/07/2015 23:00

Should add that mine are brothers from the same litter, they were inseparable so got them both

MazyCrummy · 02/07/2015 23:01

I'm going to be the lone voice of dissent then. We've got nearly 15 month old litter mate males that we've had for a year and it's been a complete joy - much easier than my past experiences with one puppy (that one puppy is now a 14year old senior who despite being small tells the giant puppies what for). They've got different personalities so have responded differently to training but it's been enjoyably challenging rather than difficult. I'd definitely do it again, and my sister was so convinced she got litter mates (m/f) of a similar breed and is equally happy.

MazyCrummy · 02/07/2015 23:02

Ooh, x posted with AM and now not a lone voice!

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