Is a second dog twice as much work?

[WarningOfGails]

For some reason I’ve been thinking about having another dog… currently have a lab/pointer who is 5 years old.

I really didn’t enjoy having a puppy, I found it quite stressful, and I work more than I did when our current dog was a puppy… on the other hand the children are older. I guess the practical reason for another dog would be to keep current dog company. But am I being daft? Would it be twice as much work or does it just slot in? We look after friend’s dog sometimes & it makes no difference, just taking 2 dogs on a walk/letting them out for a goodnight wee instead of one…

Well yes it is more work for the first 12 months because you have a puppy that you need to put basic training into plus an adult dog. It is not much more work once the pup reaches 18 months/2 yrs old but during first 6 months you will need to train pup separately to walking older dog so that pup relies on you/listens to you more than the other dog.

They rarely slot right in tbh, unless you manage to find a well trained adult dog to take in.

So yes, it’s a lot of extra work for the first year or so.

Also realistically keeping your existing dog company isn’t a practical reason to get another one, they may not end up being great friends - I mean they might, but it’s not always the case.

My current two get on ok, they play together etc, but they for instance wouldn’t cuddle up together to sleep and they definitely prefer us over each other. Which is fine, we got the second dog because we wanted him.

Just get an adult dog! I think shelters let you do a meet thing to make sure they'd get along.

Just be aware that the original dog may not take to the new one. Our daughter did this, she thought her Frenchie needed a playmate, hmm. They tolerate each other, but aren’t the best of friends. It is hard work, but from experience two dogs is doable, but 3 is far too much. Our daughter moved back home with the Frenchies, moved out again and didn’t take them with her, 🤦‍♀️. We now have 3, and it’s bloody hard work!

I love all 3 dogs, but I’d much sooner have just 1, it’s so much easier all round, especially on the financial side, and when you want to go away.

I have ten dogs. Of varying ages. You have to be prepared to train each individually to behave- walk, sit, stay etc as well as to tolerate each other / get along with each other before even contemplating taking them out together.
If you're unlucky they may take a complete dislike to each other and then you have to bite returning them to the breeder for no refund as it isn't a fault with the puppy just a poorly informed purchase.

Thing is, unless they’re already well trained and yes some rescue dogs are but it’s not that common - they’ll still need separate training and walks.

I don’t mean rescues all have behavioural issues, but they do usually need some basic training.

Mine are father and son and there is 4 years between them. Eldest is chilled beyond belief and youngest is tumbleweed but they sleep in each others paws and with their heads resting on each other. Where one goes so does the other - they are totally besotted with each other. They are never bored and never alone.

How long is your current dog being left alone while you work? My neighbour has 4 dogs and they are not happier because they have each other IMO. They all wait unhappily staring out the window for him to get home. Maybe yours is only left home for a few hours but if it's left all day then that's not fair and you shouldn't be getting another dog to also leave home all day.

It is not twice the work, but it is twice the expense. Now my dogs are older it is heading towards £2000 a year in insurance alone! Your first dog is also used to being an only dog and may initially be put out. I have two dogs and it is twice the fun and love. They also get on well now, but still like human company best and two can't be left longer than one with a maximum of 5 hours. Only get a second dog if it is what you want and can afford.

takemeawayagain 2 times a week he’s left for up to 6 hours, although sometimes on those days DH can pop home at lunchtime in which case he’s left for 4 hours then a further 1.5 hrs...

Hmm I take your point about the need for separate walks/training etc.

Would love an adult dog, had assumed that that shelters wouldn’t rehome to us with a dog in the house already… youngest child is almost 9…

it’s a bit like the ‘should I have a 3rd’ threads isn’t it!

I have two dogs but wouldn't choose to have two again. They tolerate each day but don't sleep or play together - one is 11, the other one is 14 and they've been together for 11 years. They prefer us to each others company and have very different personalities, one is nervous and quiet, the other one is very active and confident. I have to walk them separately as one wants to go ahead and the other one drags herself... they are a similar breed/size. I guess if they had similar personalities it would't be that hard, but they are so different! Of course I wouldn't swap them for the world now but I'll just get one dog at a time in the future. And yes, it's expensive!

Dog friendly and child friendly limit your options a bit, but not as much as other things (cats, for instance mean very few rescue dogs are available) and 9 isn’t really young.

But yeah, 2 is more work

I mean you also get to have 2 dogs though...

Every time I've brought a second dog into the household, the fist one has been jealous at best and at worst there has been resource guarding of food, leading to fights and ultimately the resource guarding of me. It was a nightmare to let be with at times. I'm now back to one dog and life is peaceful. I have to leave him one day a week for 5 hrs, for which I pay a fantastic dog walker to give him a good walk, so I get a break too. There are many homes that have two or more dogs very successfully, in your situation, I'd probably choose to foster, with a view to adopting. A good breeder return is also a decent option. Just stay away from Pets4Homes. Good luck!

If you’re happy with one then don’t rock the boat. My dogs only tolerate each other and it doesn’t make for a happy household. If your main reason is so your current dog has company then don’t do it.

I chose to look for a 2nd dog when my first one was around a year old, I didn't look too hard and 6 months later I heard about a year old Labrador who needed a home.
For us it was a perfect match and my two girls hit it off upon first meeting and enjoyed playing in the park.

By adopting her I was lucky as she had been to puppy training classes / was lead trained and toilet trained.
( her owner had to give her up due to unexpected change in her health, it was all very sad )

Depends on the dog!

I got my second (adult rescue) when current dog was 7. Nightmare. But I knew it would be - rehoming an adult dog with an adult dog needs to be done very carefully and the blasé attitude on mumsnet about rescue dogs drives me bonkers. Some are lovely. A lot have problems.

I got my third dog (golden puppy aka a shark) when the oldest dog was 9 and rescue was 5. Total dream. BUT I kept them separate for the first year of him being in the house - they only interacted for positive things like walks and play time (which was very short bursts). Didn’t feed them in the same room etc etc. I also took a month of annual leave because it IS tricky to get right.

Two reasons:

1. Puppy’s instincts are to be with the other dog and pester them. This is risky - best case scenario the adult takes to puppy and they bond really closely. You don’t want that. Not straight away. You want puppy to bond with you. The worst case scenario - the first interactions are a poor one and it effects their relationship going forward.

2. Adult dog ALWAYS come first. But that doesn’t mean neglect the puppy. Maintaining that balance is hard. If you give adult too much attention, you risk reinforcing negative association with puppy and dodgy behaviour etc. If you don’t give them enough Attention then jealousy sets in.

My dogs now get on well. They play together, eat together, cuddle together. But it’s taken so much to get them here - even with the puppy who they took to right away. Don’t get a puppy on the assumption it’ll keep your dog company - cos if you just plop the puppy or new dog down in front of adult dog, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

In your case - if puppy or new dog will be left straight away for 4hrs a few days a week, don’t do it. You’ve got through this before so you must remember how much puppies cry/howl/bark when left and how destructive they can be. It’s cruel on them but also the adult dog.

Mine are 6 years apart. They weren't too much more work for the first few years (after the puppy stage) but now that my first dog is nearly 14 they have very different needs and mostly have to walk them separately. Something to bear in mind.

We rescued a second dog when our pup was about 10 months old. They are both labs. To be honest we don't find it double the work! We walk anyway so it's that's no extra, I find them a bit of a handful to walk by myself but I get around that by picking walks where my younger one can be off lead (she's got great recall) and the pickle of a rescue can be on a long lead. My husband walks them together fine. They keep eachother company if we ever leave them and our younger one is very nervous so the bolder rescue does help give her some confidence. We don't regret it at all, they are best friends and now we have a dog each to cuddle on the sofa!

Aww this is lovely! We really wish we'd bought my dog's brother when we got him.

It's more work but not twice as much. Ours are two years apart. Youngest is not quite 1 so they still get some separate walks and training but a lot is done together.

It really helps to introduce the new dog to the old one on neutral ground.

We've had more than one dog for a long time. Sometimes the two dogs have largely ignored each other, other duos are best buddies. But they've always got along well together.

I've got six and often have 9!

The more the merrier I say!

I got a puppy when first dog was eight and it was an utter nightmare. I'll never do it again. And I would say it's three times the work as managing the relationship between them takes up more time than looking after the dogs.

I have 3.

I love them all but I regret getting my 3rd everyday 😑