Adding another dog to the family - pros and cons?

[Monkeypuzzletreat]

Hi all,
Have you recently gone from 1 dog to 2 dogs in your family? How was it?

Would love to hear positive or negative experiences....

We have a lovely Golden Retriever and I was thinking of getting a miniature schnauzer too...

Thanks!

If you’re happy with how things are don’t rock the boat. We adopted a second rescue dog in October and we are only just starting to enjoy having him and I don’t think I would have more than one dog at a time again

Thanks, FleueDeLizz.
Our Golden is super social (so I can see her loving a dog companion too) and my son fell in love with a relative's mini schnauzer and can see the benefits for everyone... but good point too. :) Thanks!

When ddog was 3 we got a dpuppy. Different breed..
A month later another. Different breed again.
Worked out amazingly.. Dpuppies picked up great habits and no bad ones!
Added an adult ddog several years later...
A great pack of 4!!
Lost ddog1 just over 2 years ago and added another dpuppy. Different breed again.
Holidays we take 2 and put 2 in kennels.

We've had either two or three dogs for almost 15 years. They've always got on, ranging from 'okay' to 'totally love each other'.

IME a confident, happy dog is a good influence on the others, whether they are older or younger. We always introduce puppies on neutral ground and then play it by ear.

Get your current dog(s) trained how you want before you bring another one in.

Our older dog adores her little brother, she initiates play with him, bathes him, checks on him if he hiccups. Older dog is good natured and cherished.
Other dog is a very very different breed and size. They have to be walked separately because the older one gets so hyped that she runs away/ignores us/gets stuck in hedges.
Cons-more shit and hairs to pick up.

Every mini schnauzer I’ve ever encountered has been psychotically aggressive to other dogs and incredibly yappy. I’ve never met one who can simply walk past another dog, or not yap loads.

Thanks all. Really great points raised. Loads to think about :)

My 2 get on great. 2 labs, 4 ish years between them. Older dog was trained and pretty chilled before we added the female.
He really helped her settle, she helps keep him younger - engages him in play, chases him, they compete to retrieve etc.
Cons - expense. They each have their dietary issues/ needs, insurance goes up exponentially after age 8 or 9; boarding, dog walking etc is all more expensive for 2, plus I needed a bigger car..
Slight con - they sometimes need separate walks as older one slows down and younger 1 needs a bit more.

As to miniature schnauzers- we know a few. Bitches are very friendly , playful and happy; males can be a bit grumpy towards my bigger dogs, but not aggressive . They all bark a lot.

Am going through adding a second dog now! Brought 8 week border terrier home last weekend. Have a 14 mnth lab who just wants to play with new pup ALL THE TIME. Thankfully we have a house big enough to give them their own space to calm things down.

I’ve not even bothered to calculate how much they’ll both cost me. Probably more than I spend on the kids! But I love ‘em!

MS’s are yappy. Also need to be hand stripped. We almost went for one for a second dog.

Our oldest ddog 11 and dpuppy 2.

We added a second dog last November. He is now a 9 month old pup, older dog is about 3 (rescue). They have gone through phases with one another, at the moment the puppy is an annoying little humping teenage terror so older dog is giving him a wide berth. It’s taking a lot of time to keep them both feeling secure while we navigate this part of his development. Hoping when he calms down they get on a little better as they have done in the past. There was a lovely period where they were very sweet together and I wish for it to return. Separate walks while we work on loose leash is also kind of a pain. Otherwise he (when he is not in crazy mode) seems to look to her for direction which is good as she behaves as we would like both in the house and out and about. We had dogs visit our home first as well to make sure older dog seemed happy with other pooches in her space. Even really social dogs sometimes like their own place!

Can I ask why you want another dog?

I don't have a dog but I read a lovely post on this from a blogger you might find useful.

house-nerd.com/2022/02/24/our-new-puppy/

I'm having this exact dilemma. We've got a 16 month female labrador and she loves other dogs I feel guilty that she's on her own, will it be double trouble or will they keep each other entertained? I don't fancy the puppy stage again though, but bringing in an older dog is too much of an unknown (we also have a 7 year old boy).

Dont get another dog for your existing dog.

If you want another dog for a valid reason then get another dog but your dog will be fine without one (as long as they are getting all he things they need - if not getting another dog will make this harder!)

Another dog should not entertainment your existing dog - that is the owners responsibility. If you have more time to give to a puppy consider giving this time to the existing dog.

Two dogs. Large breeds. One 2 and a half. One six months. Been absolutely brilliant so far. No more work with two, as they play together. I train them separately and they have a strong individual bond with me and the rest of the family. Walks are absolutely amazing, with my pack. Double the expense, though. Plus we’ve had to change cars to fit all the dogs and kids in. You do become a complete dog lady though. I now have a dog coat and permanently muddy boots; I also have a whole set of dog walking friends, with whom I walk and talk dogs. Holidays take more planning and some visitors don’t like dealing with two resident dogs. But I love having two. Wish I’d done it years ago. We both work largely from home though, so I think we can be very dog focused. Costs a fortune, but they’re worth it. The puppy stage was a breeze second time around, as well, as she just watched the older one (and I was better prepared!)

If they get along, they can be great company and good play mates for each other. An older, calmer dog can also help teach the puppy good habits.

However, some things to think about:

Double the expense - insurance, vet fees, flea/worm treatment, jabs, food, beds, bowls, crates, harnesses, collars, leads....
What will you do if they don't get along? Do you have the space to keep them separated safely when you go out?
What if the pup picks up bad habits from your resident dog?
Can you safely control two dogs on walks, both on and off lead?
Do you have enough vehicle space for two dogs?

If you want another dog, of course you should get another dog, but it needs to be for you, not because you think it will provide company or friendship for your existing pup.

So interesting. Loads of different experiences - thanks all. Really helpful, lots of points I hadn't thought about too.

I guess it also depends on the dogs themselves and their temperaments together...

We live in a detached house, so I'm not concerned with the yappiness of MSs, and our girl has a lovely, friendly temperament so would be a fab older sister I would imagine.

I've been toying with the idea lately, though I haven't done it yet. My pup is almost 10 months old, but I wouldn't bring a new dog home until he is at least 2 or 3.

My previous dog wasn't a fan of other dogs. He tolerated them but really wasn't interested in much interaction. So I felt he was better off as an only dog. It's possible he would have adjusted easily, but I didn't want to take the risk. He lived to the age of 14, happy to be the only dog in the family.

The pup is a social butterfly so I think having a second dog could potentially work well for him and us. But he is still very young and his attitude to the rest of the canine world may change. I'd like a second dog but I'm also very happy with one.

@mintbiscuit

Am going through adding a second dog now! Brought 8 week border terrier home last weekend. Have a 14 mnth lab who just wants to play with new pup ALL THE TIME. Thankfully we have a house big enough to give them their own space to calm things down.

I’ve not even bothered to calculate how much they’ll both cost me. Probably more than I spend on the kids! But I love ‘em!

MS’s are yappy. Also need to be hand stripped. We almost went for one for a second dog.

ah!!! how exciting!! what was it that swayed you towards the border terrier? just curious... :)

We fell in love with my relative's MS and just thought it would be a lovely addition to the family, but I'm always open to other options :)

@PollyRoulllson

Dont get another dog for your existing dog.

If you want another dog for a valid reason then get another dog but your dog will be fine without one (as long as they are getting all he things they need - if not getting another dog will make this harder!)

Another dog should not entertainment your existing dog - that is the owners responsibility. If you have more time to give to a puppy consider giving this time to the existing dog.

Hi PollyRoulllson, Just wondering what you would consider a 'valid reason', out of curiosity? Thanks :)

@EdithStourton

We've had either two or three dogs for almost 15 years. They've always got on, ranging from 'okay' to 'totally love each other'.

IME a confident, happy dog is a good influence on the others, whether they are older or younger. We always introduce puppies on neutral ground and then play it by ear.

Get your current dog(s) trained how you want before you bring another one in.

Great tip, I was planning on getting another within about a year - so our GR would be about 2 and a half... and hopefully through any adolescence phases! Although, she's been pretty good even on her 'rebellious' days!

We have a 12 year old lab and a 6 month dachshund puppy. We got the puppy because we wanted the breed, nothing to do with companionship for our other dog. He probably would have been happier without the pup. Older dog is extremely well trained, docile and calm. New pup is, well, a pup! But they are so cute together, cuddle up, play, sleep together. I love it.

It is more expensive and everything is slightly more difficult (eg going out etc) but I wouldn't change it.

Another thing to think about is going away on holiday.

Some dog-friendly accommodation limits you to one dog, for example, and if you go abroad, you'll want to factor in the cost of kennels or home boarding for two dogs. Similarly, if you use a dog walker, those costs will double as well.

Hi, we've added the second GR to our family last year, so now have a 9 yr old and a 1yr old girls. It's been joyful for all involved, puppy training a breeze ( as others mentioned puppy learned off the big sister), and watching them play together is best thing ever for mental health. We did it for succession planning, not as a 'friend' for a new dog. I was really worried how the older dog would take to the puppy, having been a spoilt 'baby' of the family, but it worked out brilliantly

We're also pondering going from 1 to 2.
Ddog is a happy, content but somewhat clingy Iggy cross, who loves to run and play with other dogs, but has no one he can do so reliably with purely because we don't meet up with others regularly.

So we're looking at adding a spitz type to the mix. Either a Keeshond or a German Spitz.

My only worry ids his clingyness, he's very bonded to me and sharing with the cats tends to mean he rushes over for attention too.
But he's 5 in July, and calmed down a lot so I think it's the right time.