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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

Has anyone regretted a second dog?

36 replies

messofajess · 19/04/2018 22:31

We would like to get a second dog as a friend for ddog. I'm feeling a little nervous about the decision in case it actually affects his life in a negative way.

What if the new dog bullies him? Or he feels put out? He is the sweetest, most playful and soft natured boy I have ever met.

Has anyone had experience of this?

OP posts:

pigsDOfly · 20/04/2018 19:45

Well, they certainly look like they're have a lovely life.

I think that's mainly what stops me getting another dog, because I know that I would probably regret it. Like you, I wouldn't take on a dog I'm not prepared to keep for life, so I'm afraid mines staying a singleton.

KarmaStar · 20/04/2018 19:53

Our rescue was an adult when we got him,terrified of other dogs.spent much money and many hours helping him with this.
We got another dog to help him,a small puppy.
At first he wanted nothing to do with the little girl and sat upstairs where she couldn't reach.
Over the weeks she persisted in making friends,cuddling up to him.
Now,they are the very best of friends,play,cuddle and chase squirrels together.
My big dog is much more relaxed with other dogs.
Have introduced a pup to another dog I had years ago and they got on great too.
I think getting a younger dog helps and not looking the new one and neglecting the first dog is extremely important.
Good luck🐕

KarmaStar · 20/04/2018 19:54

And not spoiling the new one!

Cracklesfire · 20/04/2018 19:55

Our first was a stray, picked up from police pound and apart from kennel cough & needing a good feed she slotted right into our home like she’d been there forever.

Our second had been removed from a family and came with severe anxiety issues which we were never really told about or given any support from the sspca for.

He pooped in the house if you so much as went to the toilet with the door closed and he couldn’t see you for a minute & was terrified of everything. But from day one he and our first were inseparable and although it took us a year or two to fully settle him and he drove me to tears regularly we’ve never regretted it ever.

Mamaryllis · 20/04/2018 20:02

Ours adore each other. They are labs a year and a half apart. Girl dog sleeps using boy dog as a pillow. Boy dog cries for hours if she has to go to the vet without him.
You don't want to imagine the state of my floors though. Nor the furniture (yes black dog, I'm looking at you. It is pointless pretending that you don't sleep on the cream sofa at night...)
I've said for years that I won't ever have a single dog again, as I can see how much they adore each other's company, but now they are getting older, I'm starting to fret about what happens when one goes...

SwimmingInTheBlueLagoon · 21/04/2018 12:39

I don't regret my second dog and they get on lovely and play nicely in the garden. But I have got a problem, that's making things harder with two at the moment. My original dog is a little sh*t on walks, if pup is there too (pup is now 10months old!) - he plays up on the lead, decides he doesn't need to recall when off lead, etc, despite having 99.9% recall when on own and walking reasonably well on lead when it's just him. Pup on the other hand walks beautifully regardless of whether he is walked alone or with original dog. So at the moment I'm mostly doing separate walks for each dog, with mini training walks together. Which is a lot of walking and time.

GinGeum · 21/04/2018 13:09

I regretted getting the second dog for the first few months, but it just took them a while to settle with each other. First dog was 5, and we rescued the second also aged 5. They are both pretty dominant dogs - we originally wanted a second dog because our first was getting quite controlling and we felt he needed to not be top dog.

It has worked really well. Our first dog has really calmed down, and is much more laid back around the house. Our second dog is a bit crazy, and also has the tendency to take over control, so both dogs seem to even themselves out. Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t besotted with each other and won’t share a bed, but they are polite with each other.

If your dog is more submissive, just be careful not to get a really dominant dog who will take over.

GinGeum · 21/04/2018 13:12

Oh, the other thing to think about is who looks after the dog when you go away - our dog used to go to our lovely neighbour who has two dogs of her own, but I feel bad leaving two dogs with her and her ending up with four. DP’s parents will have ours, but again, they’ve got a dog, and DP’s mum finds it hard to walk all three. So we tend to end up splitting them up so each person only has one at a time, but it just takes a bit more organisation than it used to when we just had one.

BestIsWest · 21/04/2018 18:20

Me!

DDog 1 is a dream, an angel of a dog, the easiest puppy ever so we got no 2 who is a complete PITA.

They do get on luckily although dog 1 would be just as happy as an only dog I think.

Dog 2 is 11 months old and does seem to be improving a bit. We do love him and his home will always be with us but I do regret getting him.

The biggest downside for me is getting someone to look after two dogs when we go away.

typoqueen · 28/04/2018 00:32

unfortunately yes we have a male leonberger and he is amazing he is 3 and when he was 18 months we decided he needed a play mate, we decided on a female Saint Bernard as DH didnt want 2 males, oh what a mistake, she was my first ever female and she is such a diva its all me me me she likes to be heard and sets him off (he never barked before we got her) she jumps on the counters, she opens the fridge and steals food, she has eaten half a sofa, the carpet, dug a hole in the wall and chewed everything that is made of wood, i often sit there looking at the destruction and wish id never got her, but then she looks at me with the stupid droopy eyes and plods over for a cuddle and my heart melts and all is forgiven, DH on the other hand would love her not to be here :)

Lucisky · 28/04/2018 14:30

I have had 2 dogs in the past. I currently have one and she's now 16 months old. I too have been thinking of getting her a friend, and cannot decide. The two main disadvantages in having two dogs was, firstly, the amount of work involved. What with grooming, drying wet dogs, clearing up after them, it can be quite time consuming. The other disadvantage was the cost. We use kennels when we go away, And the cost of kennelling two dogs had to be factored into the budget. Also double cost for everything, from flea treatments to vaccinations and insurance. It was a strain on the pocket. Also, whereas one dog is often welcome somewhere, two dogs are a no no. We used to rent uk holiday cottages and were very resticted as few properties accepted two dogs.
My oh isn't keen on getting another. We are in our sixties and last year I had to have surgery and was on crutches for a while. I think my oh would have been overwhelmed if he had had 2 dogs and me to look after - it was a bit difficult at times with just one.
I think of all the things I have mentioned, the cost is the one that puts me off the most (but I am still thinking my little dog would like a playmate!)

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