Going from one dog to two

[Tatiebee]

We currently have a big soft retired greyhound who is 4 years old, he fit straight into our family from day one and is so low maintenance he's practically a cat! Despite the fact that he is soft, soppy and very attached to me he isn't the kind of dog to snuggle with me on the sofa so I'm considering adopting a smaller dog from a rescue (I've specifically fallen in love with a pug Jack Russel cross which thankfully has avoided the squashed face that pugs generally have).

My question is do you think it's very different having two dogs as opposed to one? Do you find that it noticeably more work? Am I mad for considering a second dog?

My gentle old lady dog changed quite a lot when we added a puppy. They play a lot together but both get a bit woofy when there's food around (puppy is now adult and a greedy bugger)

Do you think things would have been different if you'd added an adult dog rather than a puppy or do you think your little old lady just preferred to be an only dog?

Having gone from 2-3 dogs, but with the first 2 always having been together as a pair, the thing that struck me is that you run the risk of them picking up each others bad habits and it takes work (and luck) for this not to happen.

Oh, and the first 2 were JRTs. They are NOT easy dogs ime. Obviously lots depends on the individual dog and in this case, there is some pug involved which will change things. However, Jacks are a high octane dog with a big need for exercise and stimulation or they will make their own. They are also vocal and obsessive about things they like. Again, that's just my experience.

Finally, having seen how battendog (springer) responds much more to dogs that are like him (gun breeds) I think if I were tempted to add another after the JRTs were gone, it would be something that moved, played and was interested in similar things to battendog so they had more in common. I think the play styles etc are just too different between JRTs and springer so they sometimes struggle to gel.

Don't mean to put you off. There will be loads of people along with lovely stories of how a second dog fitted right in and was a great influence on the household. Just wanted to call out a couple of prewarns.

Thank you I appreciate your honesty reply, I agree that dogs tend to prefer other dogs of the same breed. My greyhound certainly prefers to play with other sighthounds.

If you're thinking of getting another dog for the cuddles just be aware that even small dogs can be non cuddlers - I speak as the owner of a non cuddling small dog, although not a pug, I know they do tend to be cuddly.

And perhaps bear in mind that although your greyhound doesn't cuddle she might still not like you cuddling another dog. I suspect my dog would feel completely pushed out if I sat cuddling a new intruder.

Of course, none of that means the dogs cannot be happy. I think the JRTs and springer are happy. They just don't do a lot of interacting with each other and so cannot be described as good friends. They tolerate each other and occasionally are affectionate with each other - but not often.

Springer gets lots of opportunity to mix with other dogs he prefers and the JRTs have each other so they have a nice life.

It's just that I would choose a different mix, if I got the chance to (family moving in with me brought the JRTs and I was already set on a springer as my own dog).

Oh, and I forgot to say that, provided they get lots of walks and play time to keep them happy, the JRTs are VERY cuddly and affectionate.

My head is telling me that it's possibly not the best decision but my heart is telling me different, a dog is such a huge commitment but then if we already have one is it going to be much different? Our current dog is 100% my responsibility as my husband and children aren't really into animals and I work from home to do walks and stuff anyway. Aargh it's just so hard to know what to do for the best!

I had a border collie, when she was 2 we adopted a sprocker aged around 1yr, they were absolute diamonds together. The collie loved other collies and when we set out for a second dog we were looking for a collie, we met a few but none were a good fit. Eventually the rescue centre we were working with suggested the sprocker, we went out to meet him then introduced him to her and it was friendship at first sight. The collie taught the spaniel all the house rules and more importantly, she taught him how to be a dog. He had had a really rough life, was food possessive, toy possessive and had no idea how to play with dogs or humans but now he is a lovely, cuddly lap dog who sits on your shoulder like a blood parrot. One dog to two dogs was much easier than I expected it to be but I think the rescue played a big part in that by meeting us, meeting our collie then allowing us to meet possible adoptees with our dog.

Thank you Haberpop it sounds like you have two very lucky dogs there.

We got our lab bitch as a puppy when our male Golden Retriever was 2.
It's really no different to us, however lab is the easier dog of the two as Goldie can be reactive with other dogs.
Lab used to be a tyrant to the Goldie, but he put up with her, never put her in her place.
They rub along well together, lab adores the retriever.

If you do get another dog, introduce them on neutral ground and let them play and get to know each other - then your greyhound will think she's bringing her new friend home rather than a stranger invading her turf!

(I have 7 dogs - the more the merrier!)

Old lady dog (small terrier mutt) had always been an only hound, new interloper was a big bouncy collie. I don't think she minds, she's livelier these days tbh. And she's still the only one who gets to sleep upstairs

I would consider whether you could separate them if necessary. An older dog may not appreciate being forced into play.
What about differing exercise needs? Will your grey keep going for as long as the terrier needs?
Training? Can you focus on training this dog as well as looking after other one?

Thanks for your responses. Teddy, our greyhound is 4 and the rescue dog is about 5 and apparently house trained, can sit, stay, roll etc previous owner said happy to be left for 5-6 hours a day (I work from home though so that wouldn't be necessary). I've priced lifetime pet insurance which isn't bad at the moment but I suspect it will increase as the dog ages.

Since my original post I've had a call from school to say my son with ASD has really struggled today, he high functioning but odd occasions like this make me realise how much I have on my plate and as much as I'd dearly love another dog I think I might be being unrealistic.