Getting second dog.

[Fashionesta]

I have a one year old female small dog who is lovely and gentle. She adds a lot to our house. I currently work from home full-time and will for the foreseeable.

An opportunity has come up with a rescue looking for a new home. It is the breed we considered when getting current dog, same age and also female. I had not planned to get a second dog right now but certainly considered two down the line.

Part of me thinks that two small dogs won't be much harder than one. It will also be a lovely companion to our dog and hopefully add more joy to our lives. Or am I crazy for considering 2 dogs?

If you have gone from one to two, what is your experience?

Similar experience. We found that the incoming rescue girl started trying to assert her dominance over our easy going existing girl. It was tricky for a while.

We had to show new dog that she wasn’t the boss by feeding the other dog first and telling her off etc. Firm rules and we couldn’t leave them alone together for a while as we didn’t trust her not to attack her.

But they are now great friends and we love having 2!

I found 2 much easier than one. They keep each other company, dogs are pack animals after all.

I also found two much easier than one. They entertain each other and have no interest in meeting other dogs as they prefer to stick together. I also have no problems leaving them as they are happy together.

I now have 3 though and that’s too many!

The only thing I would be careful about is two bitches together, it can work but it can also be a huge problem if they clash.

I have 2 girl collies.I think, you have to be prepared to invest a bit of time when you get the 2.(rescue) girl.I think,the only time,you realise you have two dogs is,when you go on holiday.Finding places that allow 2 dogs,home boarding obviously more expensive etc. It is well worth it,having 2 girls.I never had any problems with 2 girls,they become best mates and have so much more fun during their lifetime.enjoy it!

Thanks so much. Yes the dogs will need to meet a few times to make sure they get on. I love the idea of them having each other to keep company.

By biggest worry is finding somewhere to board them as pp mentioned harder with two.

You have all put my mind a bit more at rest.

Ours were fine when they met for the first time, they seemed to bond perfectly well for the first couple of months and it was a bit of a shock to us when the new rescue turned on our first dog.

In hindsight, the rescue was finally settling in and feeling more confident in our home and this was when she decided to start establishing her dominance over our easy going submissive dog.

We have had to work on it and she’s learnt that she’s not top dog in our house.

Even now she occasionally growls if she’s on the sofa having a cuddle and the other dog tries to join us.

Apart from that, they are great company for each other and play like a couple of puppies and we have no regrets!

I don't agree with keeping two or more dogs unless you separate them when you leave them alone.

I had two fight and one was nearly killed and since this has happened to me and I've spoken about it I now know of it happening more than you think and I know of some that have been killed

Learn from my mistake I'd you do get another dog do not leave them alone together.

Should of added my dogs lived happily together for 5 years before the fight happened , to this day I've no idea what caused it.

We've just brought home a second dog into our house this month and it's been amazing. It's been a verrrrrrryyyy full on month just getting them used to each other, but they're best of buddies and keep each other company! Two mini dachshund males - our first is 2 and new pup is 17 weeks. They're sharing food, a bed, our cuddles all without any issues

Our two always shared a kennel when boarding you pay the same but they're happier together.

Personally, I would be very wary of getting two bitches if you plan on leaving them loose together when you go out.

When bitches fight, they fight to the death.

I've brought it up on here before, but a lady on here went out to the shops and, as she always had done, she left two of her three dogs in a room together. The other was always left separate.

The two bitches that she left together fought, and she came home not even an hour later to a bloodbath and a dead dog.

Personally, on the back of that thread (and from further research) I would not own two bitches.

That’s interesting, I wasn’t aware of that.

The lady at the rescue centre did say that she wouldn’t normally home 2 bitches together.

We were just fostering temporarily and they seemed fine when we introduced them (we had gone to foster her brother but the rescue lady felt that his sister was a better match for our bitch.)

Obviously the foster failed as she’s ours now!

We had three bitches at one stage a mature springer a youngish Labrador and a springer puppy. Nary a cross word, but they were all working dogs we had a few acres, poultry, geese and ducks they never bothered with them either

@justasking111

We had three bitches at one stage a mature springer a youngish Labrador and a springer puppy. Nary a cross word, but they were all working dogs we had a few acres, poultry, geese and ducks they never bothered with them either

I grew up with 4 bitches in a house and they would fall out but nothing two serious when I was a child growing up.

I then had 3 bitches myself, they lived happily together for 5 years and then one day I walked into a bloody bath and my boxer dog lying on the floor dying.

Is it worth taking the risk.? That's all I'm trying to say.

It was the most horrific sight I've ever seen, her face was ripped clean open and her ears hanging off alone with bite marks all over her body and legs.

12 days in vet intensive type care and £2000 later she was lucky to survive.

Horrific experience and something I always warn others about now. Don't risk it

My friends had dachshunds and came home to find one dead, very traumatic and again no idea why or what happened just that a fight broke out some how and with no one around to stop it, one was killed