Positives and negatives of getting a 2nd dog.....

[GertrudeCB]

Have a 5yr old lab cross, great dog, well socialised, loves other dogs , have recently moved as DH has fully retired and we are considering rescuing a greyhound ( foreign country, many hunting dogs abandoned).
So can anyone tell me the positives and negatives of getting a 2nd dog if you already have a well settled ddog ? TIA

I only have one dog but I do know a couple who bought a second dog and really regretted it.
Second dog steals and destroys toys which means current dog can’t have any and the younger toy stealing one is a bit of a bully towards the older one though they generally get on fine.

Cons:
Dogs have different needs
Dogs don't get on
You need more time if you have two dogs
They are expensive, more food and insurance at a minimum
They pick up each others bad habits (not good!)
More poo to deal with
May need a bigger car
Harder (alhough not that hard) to find holiday accommodation that will take two dogs - will limit your choice
More mud.
More dog hair
May be noisier
You will feel guilty you are not giving enough individual time to each dog.
Walking two dogs may be harder

Pros
It is fun

Multi dog household here

Thanks , lots to think about, but I'm reading out @ViperBugloss list to DH and we are both coming up with answers to the cons list 😃🐶

Yep there is generally a solution. I have 6 so I am the wrong person to ask

just a thing to add about greyhounds.. they tend to be not very 'doglike' whereas a labrador is about as 'doggy' as you can get iyswim. greyhounds are typically quite reserved whereas labradors are very in your face and playful generally. of course this doesn't mean it can't work out just thought it would be worth mentioning good luck whatever you decide.

We have two rescue dogs and they are the best of buddies. The only concern that i would have with getting a dog from abroad is the dogs dont have a chance to meet beforehand to see how they get on. Good luck

I have 6
Wow!
Do you find they have a ‘pack mentality’/strong hierarchy?

Buzzer3555 that is a really important point - much better to go to UK rescue where the dogs can meet first. Could save a lot of heartache.

We have two dogs (both labs) - we got dog #2 as dog #1 was incredibly nervous and it's the best thing we've ever done.
They're the best of friends and dog #1 has become a lot more confident.
It's been no extra work at all as we were always walking one dog. Personally, I would definitely recommend it if it's the right dog!

We have 2 who are half-siblings & wouldn't be without either of them. They get on really well together, so a big advantage is they always have another dog to chase/play with when we take them out. They are also good company for each other if we leave them at home. Main disadvantage is finding someone to look after them if we go away. Family were happy to have one dog for a few days but not 2. We do occasionally have to resort to putting them in kennels but they put them both in together so at least they have each other.

We got a second of same breed 3 years after our first - both adoptees- good fit as second dog young spayed female joining non-castrated (v gentle) older male.

Absolutely no cons save for a bit more mud and dog hair wafting about! After an initial week of a few squabbles over food (since when we have fed them a good few metres apart) they have really settled down and get on very well, play together and sleep curled up together.

Suggest allowing your resident dog to effectively "choose" the newcomer by introducing them outdoors on neutral unfamiliar territory and doing a bit of parallel walking. Good luck! We'd never go back to just one now.

You do need to be able to give each dog its own time, especially when training. But IME they generally get on, and provide comfort and company for each other.

Also IME while a new dog can learn bad habits from an old dog, good habits can also spread. Our middle dog is very confident, had been since puppyhood, and has been a wonderfully positive influence on our rather nervous, grumpy older dog.

2 labs here. Added a female to the family when male was 4 . She was 1. We got to try out a couple of walks and see them together in our house before deciding.
Best thing we ever did. They love each other, but I echo the idea of having them meet first .
It is expensive, and they are both cuddly so we tend to wake up with labs on our pillows but I wouldn’t change it.
As it happens one of ddog1s best pals is a rescue greyhound but apparently that’s unusual for the greyhound.

We've just been talking about this tonight! We have a Yorkie, he is 1.5yrs. He's so friendly, we have a family members dog over for sleepovers, they are best friends.
He loves the company so I have been thinking of getting another Yorkie.
I really don't mind if we get a rescue but Yorkie rescue's seem to be few and far between.

I much prefer multiple dogs. They play together, sleep together, enjoy walks together. They are happy being left as they aren’t alone. I also find my dogs are unbothered by dogs on walks as they are used to being around others.
I think it also must be nicer to have someone of your own species to interact with

There are obviously cons- money, mess, hair. With 2 I find walking very easy but any more than 2 becomes more challenging.

I’ve never had arguments between mine but I am also strict with behaviour. I also do a lot of training, more than most people do with 1!

I have two dogs.

I have regretted it for the last 8-9 years quite honestly.

@hellolittlebaby

I have two dogs.

I have regretted it for the last 8-9 years quite honestly.

Why? Are there any positives at all or do they just not get on?

I've two dogs - two cavaliers. They get on great - tend to seek each other out, happy to share a bed, no aggression between them. However, we briefly had a cavalier and a staffie mix and it was an utter disaster. the cavalier was totally overwhelmed and avoided the staffie as much as she could. So it def depends on the mix you get. My two cavs are very different temperaments but it works.

@Buzzer3555 sorry for the confusion- we have moved abroad and would be volunteering as dog walkers at the rescue so dogs will have a chance to meet.

We had two dogs at one point.
They got on great but it did totally change the dynamic.
We had two large bouncy breeds and together they could be quite boisterous. Our garden never did recover.
Saying that they had a lot of fun together and it was a joy to see them play.
Aside from the money, mess, needing a bigger car the other con was finding people to watch them if we had to go away for the day. One dog a lot of friends/family would help with but two was difficult.

I'd ask is it a dog or a bitch? Our staffy bitch tolerated the introduction of 2 males (inadvertent adoption), but she was always queen bee pack leader. She mixed a lot with a close relatives mastiff too, and whilst very friendly would often run alongside in the park and 'take him down' 😳. Both my boys idolised her, but skulked round if she 'told them off'. A bitch is always queen of a domesticated pack imho

@VacMan We have a yorkie that was originally bought as a companion for another yorkie (within family). He came to us as they never settled together. He's been a far better mix with our other breeds tbh. Yorkies are so much themselves I don't think they always thrive well with other yorkies imo. But that's maybe just my experience of them. It's such a shame they're out of fashion since the advent of small mixed breeds. They're such a lovely dog.

[quote Catsup]@VacMan We have a yorkie that was originally bought as a companion for another yorkie (within family). He came to us as they never settled together. He's been a far better mix with our other breeds tbh. Yorkies are so much themselves I don't think they always thrive well with other yorkies imo. But that's maybe just my experience of them. It's such a shame they're out of fashion since the advent of small mixed breeds. They're such a lovely dog. [/quote]
That's interesting to know Catsup thanks. It's something to think about, when his pal sleeps over they run around like lunatics and neither get much sleep. The logistics of holidays has to come into it aswell.
There's a lot to think about.
I agree they are lovely dogs

We got a second dog in November and have no regrets whatsoever - we deliberated for ages about it for all the usual negatives, but went via a greyhound rescue centre on our way to a holiday, met a dog we loved, discussed it all holiday then adopted him on our return. He's the polar opposite in personality to our other greyhound, who is nervous and shy. She was getting so anxious we couldn't walk her, so wanted a braver grey to help her out. It worked a treat, and seeing them race each other through the woods near us, and seeing her so happy again has been great.

Inside the house though they don't get on as much. He has a habit of standing on her when he gets excited ( he acts more like a lab than a grey) and she nips him when he does, so they avoid each other. There's also some jealousy so we have to be careful to give them both attention.

We’ve had periods with two dogs, then one, then none, and now two again.

When one does you still have another. It’s not as devastating. In fact, with my first dogs, when dog 1 died dog 2 was delighted!

Pros:

If they get on they have a playmate. My current dogs enjoy play fighting, chasing each other round the garden and dry humping each other.

Company if you go out or have to put them in kennels or dog day care

Fun

More dogs for people to play with and cuddle

Cons:

They may hate each other. My first two never got on and it was horrendous. We had to keep them apart when we went out - childgates between the. We had to transport them in separate cars. We couldn’t leave them with anyone else.

Hair, mud, wet dog smell.

People will invite you round with one dog, less so with two.

Harder to find holiday accommodation

They may have different exercise needs. My dogs are 9 and 11. The 9 yo still likes a good hour plus of walking round the fields. The 11 yo can’t do that and needs a very slow trudge around the village. Two walks takes up most of the morning!