[reynosa_k9's]

For those of you who ask yourself if you should get a second, or third, or fourth dog, or for those of you have multiple dogs and your family/friends thinks you're crazy, here's justification for it:

http://shine.yahoo.com/5-benefits-multiple-pets-172400369.html

I know for me personally, having multiple dogs is easier. They do entertain each other. Those who have separation anxiety always do better with a buddy around, not to mention it is entertaining for me to watch them interact. My wild bunch always cracks me up.

 

[Abbylynn]

I love having multiple dogs ... each likes to do something different ... and I get to do different activities with them. One likes hiking ... one likes games ... one likes rodent hunting ... It keeps me busy and on my toes ..... and a health benefit as well ....

 

[3doglady]

While I don't think that multiple dog households are for everyone and every dog, I do find it's much easier to have more than less. It helps me structure a consistent routine, provides valuable companionship for them and definitely (in our case) reduces anxiety. They have learned so much from each other including good social skills.

 

[spotted nikes]

Having grown up with mostly one dog, and having had multipe dogs since 87, I don't think I would ever go back to having just one. They enjoy the company of another dog(s), and never seem bored. I have 3 and the oldest is 12, and still races around the yard playing chase. They all have distinct personalities, and get individual attention, but are very bonded to each other. I've never had one have SA. I walk all 3 together, and we have a routine down, for who gets which side. It's pretty easy to care for multiple dogs.

 

[GottaLuvMutts]

I just have the one...and probably will for many years to come.

Would she like a buddy? Sure she would. But she doesn't need one. Time, money, and my temporary geographic instability kinda prevent me from getting another dog. I like to think that the extra attention she gets from me can partially make up for lack of a playmate - she doesn't get bored too much. And she doesn't have SA.

I'm not convinced that adding another dog would add much to my life. I get everything I need from the one I have - she's a great companion, and up for anything (and I mean anything!) I want to do from cuddling to long hikes to agility and disc, nosework, swimming, tricks, whatever. I'd want any dog of mine to enjoy the same sort of stuff, and I definitely don't have the time/money to do all of this with another one.

ETA: Looking at the author's reasons in particular...
1) Social interaction. I take Kit to the dog park occasionally. She gets along fine with the other dogs, but mostly she wants to meet all the humans, see how many treats she can beg off people, and chase the ball.
2) Boredom. Kit gets a stuffed treat toy in her crate. She will chew on it for a couple of hours and then go to sleep. She has never been a destroyer of things.
3) Exercise/fitness. If you exercise you dog, this doesn't apply.
4) Sleep cycle. Again, if the dog is exercised when the human gets home from work, it's a non-issue, because the dog is tired by the time bed time rolls around.
5) Health benefits for humans. Study after study shows that pet ownership improves mood, blood pressure, and health in general. But I've certainly never seen any scientific evidence that there's a greater benefit if you own multiple pets.

I'm not trying to poo-poo having multiple dogs; if you want to own multiple dogs and can successfully pull it off in terms of time/money, then great. But I don't think there's something necessarily missing from the life of an only-dog. When I get another (and yes, that's when and not if), I'll do it because I want another, and not because my current dog is bored, fat, anxious, or anti-social.

 

[lil_fuzzy]

I enjoy having two dogs, but when one of them is away somewhere it's so nice to just have one too. One of them is very placid and laid back, and the other is a JRT x and very active and needs a lot of attention, which the placid one doesn't provide because she gets worn out much sooner. So I still have to spend a lot of time entertaining him, and I spend twice as long doing any training with them, and of course pay twice as much for vet, training, food and treats.

So I think I would be quite happy having just one dog in the future.

 

[WTFCas]

I don't know how I feel about it. My dogs generally don't like each other.lol. However, I didn't get other dogs to entertain my first dog. They all have very different personalities and it can be hard to orchestrate things like who can be let out with who on a particular day. I find it much more challenging with multiple dogs versus just one dog. Because you have to think about each dog's particular needs and quirks.

For example:Kaida and Domo get along most of the time unless Domo has something Kaida doesn't. Which is anything he has because she only wants it because he has it...not because it interests her. So, when those two are together you have to pick up ALL the toys and pieces of fluff off the floor.etc.

Or Saint and Kaida can't be together when I'm sitting down because more than likely Kaida will come over to get attention and Saint goes apeshit because I'm HER human and her's alone...but only when Kaida is around.

Saint and Domo get along fine until Domo starts to try and play with her in the most obnoxious way. Play bouncing, not play bowing but bouncing into her. While growling and barking trying to entice her to play. She will turn her nose up at this behavior since he is clearly beneath her and will eventually lash out to stop the beast from making such a fool of himself.

Basically, if my dogs are out at the same time then they are under heavy supervision. It can be a real pain in the ass sometimes.

 

[reynosa_k9's]

... I don't think I would ever go back to having just one. They enjoy the company of another dog(s), and never seem bored. I have 3 and the oldest is 12, and still races around the yard playing chase. They all have distinct personalities, and get individual attention, but are very bonded to each other. I've never had one have SA. I walk all 3 together, and we have a routine down, for who gets which side. It's pretty easy to care for multiple dogs.

I'm with you on this. I don't think I would ever go back to having just one. And it does help with any SA - since having multiples I've not had a problem with that at all. It was actually one of my GSD's, many years back, that had severe S/A that got me to really get into having multiples. Getting him a buddy cleared that up real quick.
Then like some others here say: It may not be for everyone. Living space issues, money, etc... can make it difficult at best.
I don't want to continue having as many as I do now (8) but hope to always have at least 2 or 3 in the future, at any given time.

 

[MusherChic]

... I don't think I would ever go back to having just one. They enjoy the company of another dog(s), and never seem bored. I have 3 and the oldest is 12, and still races around the yard playing chase. They all have distinct personalities, and get individual attention, but are very bonded to each other. I've never had one have SA. I walk all 3 together, and we have a routine down, for who gets which side. It's pretty easy to care for multiple dogs.

Ditto

I've never lived a day in my life without a dog and I've never had less than two dogs--I probably wouldn't know what to do with myself if I only had one dog! lol

I love the mixed personalities you get having multiple dogs. I always have a dog that can join me on whatever outdoor activity I want to do on a certain day whether it be hiking, snowshoeing, sledding, swimming, canicross, etc.
If someone I knew were to see me without a dog, they might think there was something wrong with me! :laugh:

 

[Moxie]

I just have the one...and probably will for many years to come.

Would she like a buddy? Sure she would. But she doesn't need one. Time, money, and my temporary geographic instability kinda prevent me from getting another dog. I like to think that the extra attention she gets from me can partially make up for lack of a playmate - she doesn't get bored too much. And she doesn't have SA.

I'm not convinced that adding another dog would add much to my life. I get everything I need from the one I have - she's a great companion, and up for anything (and I mean anything!) I want to do from cuddling to long hikes to agility and disc, nosework, swimming, tricks, whatever. I'd want any dog of mine to enjoy the same sort of stuff, and I definitely don't have the time/money to do all of this with another one.

ETA: Looking at the author's reasons in particular...
1) Social interaction. I take Kit to the dog park occasionally. She gets along fine with the other dogs, but mostly she wants to meet all the humans, see how many treats she can beg off people, and chase the ball.
2) Boredom. Kit gets a stuffed treat toy in her crate. She will chew on it for a couple of hours and then go to sleep. She has never been a destroyer of things.
3) Exercise/fitness. If you exercise you dog, this doesn't apply.
4) Sleep cycle. Again, if the dog is exercised when the human gets home from work, it's a non-issue, because the dog is tired by the time bed time rolls around.
5) Health benefits for humans. Study after study shows that pet ownership improves mood, blood pressure, and health in general. But I've certainly never seen any scientific evidence that there's a greater benefit if you own multiple pets.

I'm not trying to poo-poo having multiple dogs; if you want to own multiple dogs and can successfully pull it off in terms of time/money, then great. But I don't think there's something necessarily missing from the life of an only-dog. When I get another (and yes, that's when and not if), I'll do it because I want another, and not because my current dog is bored, fat, anxious, or anti-social.

BBM. This is completely true. I have two, and probably always will, but they sleep all day. Sure, they could go out and play if they wanted, I'm here all day, but they're so tired after the morning run and ball/disc that they barely move until we go again after dinner. I can only assume that the author is referring to dogs that would otherwise get no exercise at all - in which case I might advise that someone not own dogs, rather than acquiring more of them, KWIM?

 

[LenaCara]

We just got a second dog about two months ago. I will say that exercise was one of the reasons we got Rory but they were both 11 months old at the time. Walking Josie was just not enough and we have a fenced in yard that we wanted them to use. Before Rory she would walk around a bit, maybe get the zoomies for 10-15 min then come inside and look for something naughty to do. Now that we have them, they spend hours outside playing and the rest of the time inside sleeping or chewing on toys. Since we got Rory partially for Josie, we made sure they got along before bringing Rory home and they haven’t stopped playing since. Sometimes I think they are telepathic, Rory will come in and Josie stays out. A few minutes later she barks to be let back in and when I open the door, she stares are Rory for a few seconds and he runs out to play with her again.

The only down side is the damage they have done to my yard. It went from a beautiful green lawn to dead grass and mud everywhere. Their hours of case has worn actually dirt tracks around my picnic table and killed pretty much everything. This summer we are going to have a lot of landscaping to do. Never the less, the happiness Rory brings us and Josie is well worth it.

 

[Vicky88]

I used to have two dogs, my other dog had problems, and yeah well i do not want to go down that road again it's a long story!, since then i have thought about getting a second dog, but i do not want to have to go through what i went through again, plus i have to think of Holly, and she is quite happy being an only dog, she gets everything she needs, and she does sleep through the night.

 

[Jenlyn9483]

Most of the time when i've had dogs I've had two at a time. so they could have someone to wrestle around with to burn off more energy. Right now I just own one dog whos 6 months but he has had our room mates 2 yr old Piti to play with since we got him at 10 weeks. And playing is a HUGE part of his life still. By the end of the year Im looking to buy a house (a bigger one with at least a couple acreas) and when he's a little older and completly trained i do intend to get another dog. im hoping to rescue a 2 ish or so yr old female rott. I dont think he would do well with
another male because he's a bully and dominant. Been thinking alot about GSDs too. I've never had one before but the bomb dogs at my work
really endear me.

 

[Nike80germany]

I just made good experience having 2 dogs.
I brought Molly home last year in March, when she was 8 month old, 2 month later 11week old forster puppy Shelby came to us.. and she stayed. I never regret getting her.
Even they dont get along all the time ( Molly is a little bossy), its really hard to seperate them. Shelby wont go anywhere without her Molly. When off the leash, both are really social. I always thought having 2 dogs means double work.. but its actually not, well at least not here.
We are really thinking about getting a third dog, when Shelby is "ready". There are a few things i have to work on, like she gets overexcited when she sees another dog.

 

[Greater Swiss]

The only dog we have is Caeda (though we do have two cats as well). I'll admit, I've pondered the idea of a second dog. Caeda I'm SURE would love the company. Oddly enough I think she might be less of a handful if we had a second dog. If we didn't rent, I'd probably be entertaining the thought even more.
There do seem to be lots of great advantages BUT, for those of us who do think about the possibility of multiple dogs, what about the downsides? The upsides so far are pretty convincing, and I'd hate for someone reading this thread (ahem....me:redface to read something that only talks about the virtues.
Of course there is the obvious cost of vet bills. I've read a few stories here where the "crate and rotate" system had to be set up (not something I'd want to have to do). Are there other downsides, how often do the downsides happen?

 

[luv mi pets]

Multiple dog owner here. Between dog sitting, foster, rescues the idea of only having one dog seems out of the question. There are downsides. Gone is a beautiful manicured lawn. Daily yard clean ups becomes a necessity, Can not have a little class time on one dog without the other dogs climbing and begging for attentinon too. Pet food bill is increased. Not a problem here in this house, but toys/treats, will sometimes have to disappear because it causes fights. I tend not to take my dogs to as many places as I did when I had only one.

Plus side. Seeing dogs running and playing is better than watching tv or reading a book at times. They do keep each other company during the day when I am gone. Freddy, my foster dog, found a forever home today! To be able to take in a foster from a bad situation and give them a safe house to reside while waiting adoption is well worth having more than one dog.

 

[GottaLuvMutts]

Of course there is the obvious cost of vet bills. I've read a few stories here where the "crate and rotate" system had to be set up (not something I'd want to have to do). Are there other downsides, how often do the downsides happen?

Cost: Vet bills, as you said. And food. Those would be the two big ones, I think. Also dog sports, if you're into that kinda thing - not cheap!
Getting along: Crate and rotate sounds really hard. I'd be worried about the hierarchy for sure, even though my current dog loves everybody.
Walks: I hate walking two at a time, let alone more. Mostly that's because Kit wants to check out everything and doesn't care how tangled the leashes get.
The off switch: Kit's is great, unless there's something interesting going on, and then all bets are off. Another dog in the house definitely counts as interesting.
Training: I love doing stuff with Kit: agility, disc, tricks, ball, whatever. Mostly these things are done one dog at a time. If I had another, I'd want to do the same activities with them. I anticipate that there would be much jealousy.

I occasionally dog-sit for friends when they're out of town. I don't mind it once in a while, but I'm generally ready to be done by the time they get back to town. And Kit breathes a sigh of relief when the other dog goes back home, too, even though he's like her BFF.

 

[luvmyfurballs]

I have always had 2 plus dogs and always bigger dogs!! I spend a good majority of my time walking, playing, and training them individually and together. They all play well together so sometimes that alone gives me a break. I have 3 right now and I'm thinking that I would like to add at least one more when the puppy is fully trained...I just don't know what breed I want to dabble in next..Of course I'm sure the next one will find me when the time is right:wink:

 

[osdbmom]

I think that Zoey is happier with another dog in the house. She's just that kind of dog...always wants another one around to play. When she was an only dog, she would pout around the house while the kids were gone to school through the day....flopping around, sighing, being pitiful. all that stopped when we brought another dog in.

Ziva, on the other hand, I think would be just as happy being an only dog. She plays with Zoey all the time, but she's also jsut as content sitting on a lap (any lap, she's not particular), playing with toys by herself, or just watching the world out the window.

Vet bills are more, as are grooming bills, since both of mine have longish hair. Also, when we went on vacation last fall, most hotels charged a dog fee PER dog..some as much as $50 PER DOG! which is something I hadn't previously considered. But mine are small dogs, so food isnt a super big issue. And we have 6 people here, so its not a problem to have enough people to care for them daily or spend time playing and walking. I walk both dogs at once all the time and enjoy it.

If we had to do the "crate and rotate" thing, that would be awful for us. My two get along great, and did even when they first met, otherwise I wouldnt have brought in another dog.

 

[Laurelin]

For the most part we've always had dogs. We had one for only very short amounts of time and have had up to 6 (twice) in the house. Right now I have two and it's great. They compliment each other really well- one calm older dog and then one younger more fun dog.

I hate having only one dog and Summer hated it too. Yeah we did agility and classes and walks but she has SA and that is completely gone now that Mia's around. My dogs don't play all that often with each other but they interact all the time and snuggle and enjoy each other generally. I will absolutely never have only one dog again.

6 dogs is way too many for me, though. I can do it and it's fine but it just takes so much more time. Grooming becomes a several hour ordeal. If I trained one pap, the others all want to be trained too. So just one 10-15 min sessions a day per dog can be tedious. It IS very fun to get them all out together to play and they love it. And I've gone hiking with all five paps and had a blast doing it.

I think 2-3 is my ideal. In a couple years I want a third dog. Something a little bigger and something that I can start off as a pup from day 1 with foundation work and agility in mind. I have learned SO much by having Mia and I crave another fun dog like her so that I can implement all that I've learned. But I want 4-6 years between dogs. Mia is just now getting to the point where she's behaved enough to even think of another dog. I think my ideal is only 2 dogs training at one time. By then, Summer will be in the double digits and Mia will be 5 and hopefully be trialing in agility. Also money. Classes are expensive and having 3 dogs in classes would be too much. If I had all the time in the world, I'd love to train and hopefully trial quite a few dogs. But I don't. So 2 is definitely the max for me. It's much easier to have a lot of dogs if you just have them as pets. But I foresee me always wanting to do more than that.