[mashlee08]

So I have a new puppy on my radar as I feel my girl needs a buddy, and she is now old enough and I am happy with her obedience and training to take on a new one in a few months or so.

But I have always had the one.

What I really wanna know from people who have had two or more is whats it like?
Are two dogs really better then one? Do they feed off each other? Whats it like exercising two? Do they keep each other company? Do you have enough love for two dogs??
I love my girl to death, she is my heart dog. But I cant imagine loving two just as much as I love one. Sounds silly but I think that's my biggest worry. I want there to be enough love to go around!

Please share how you think the dynamic is having two dogs compared to one. My girl indie is pretty anxious but she just lights up with other dogs around.

I would post the links of the dam and sire I am looking at, but I am not sure if this is allowed??(still new here)
Anyway, please share your two dog experiences

 

[Abbylynn]

So I have a new puppy on my radar as I feel my girl needs a buddy, and she is now old enough and I am happy with her obedience and training to take on a new one in a few months or so.

But I have always had the one.

What I really wanna know from people who have had two or more is whats it like?
Are two dogs really better then one? Do they feed off each other? Whats it like exercising two? Do they keep each other company? Do you have enough love for two dogs??
I love my girl to death, she is my heart dog. But I cant imagine loving two just as much as I love one. Sounds silly but I think that's my biggest worry. I want there to be enough love to go around!

Please share how you think the dynamic is having two dogs compared to one. My girl indie is pretty anxious but she just lights up with other dogs around.

I would post the links of the dam and sire I am looking at, but I am not sure if this is allowed??(still new here)
Anyway, please share your two dog experiences

This is my story ... short as possible.

Leeo and Blu Boy are/were siblings. I got them at 12 weeks old. They were more than triple the work ... but once trained ... it is like they were just always there without a care in the world. I love them both in different ways. There is always room for love in your heart ... just different places.

Yes ... they do feed off of one another too .... sometimes my dogs learn from watching each other. Eddee is my newest rescue and he has learned to sit in a certain place in the LR if he wants a treat ... and I never taught him ... he has seen the other two do it at my request.

I rescue a lot ..... sometimes for others ... But now I have three dogs ... each with different personalities. I love them each for their individual ways.

You must remember that with multiple dogs the monetary issues increase ... vet costs ... food costs ... toys, beds, crates ... etc. ... As well as some extra time for potty runs, walks, training, exercise, ... any other activities you would like to do. I personally love the extra work. It is very rewarding when your dogs are there to comfort you ... or to just look into your eyes ... or with that great big old slobbery kiss ....

Our dogs will all meet at The Rainbow Bridge some day ...... none of them can be replaced ....
No dog will ever "replace" my "Little Heart Boy Leeo" .... but I found that loving another is possible and a great way to honor Leeo's memory and helps with the healing process with the grief of losing your best friend.

Yes ... IMHO ... feel we all have enough room in our hearts to love multiple dogs.

 

[juliemule]

I have several. Currently 8. Time with this many is an issue. Expenses are huge. I spend every minute not at work, training, exercising, playing and cleaning lol. One afternoon a week is dedicated to dog baths, ear cleaning, nail trims alone.

The hard part is dividing enough one on one training and socialization of young dogs. I always have at least one with me, usually three or four, anywhere I go.
The good part is, they do play together, love the pack walks we have daily, and increase each others drives, competitiveness, and exercise each other some.

Some dont get along so well with certain ones, so management is key. I couldn't imagine having only one. They pretty well pair up with best buds, and I love watching them wrestle and play.

I think you can love many, and equally. Though each one is individual, and will have their own endearing qualities, as well as some that aren't so much lol.

It's much easier to stagger the ages, for example, waiting to get a puppy when the other dog is one or two years old. Young puppies together present another challenge, especially siblings (not always)

 

[sassafras]

Personally, I have always felt that going from one to two is not all that different than having one but going from two to three is a lot more work and expense.

I've only ever had three dogs, but I've had up to five cats at once and I find that held true going from four to five as well. For whatever reason, adding the "odds" alway seem to be more noticeable for me.

 

[melundie]

I spend every minute not at work, training, exercising, playing and cleaning

YES, THIS EXACTLY.

It's much easier to stagger the ages, for example, waiting to get a puppy when the other dog is one or two years old. Young puppies together present another challenge, especially siblings (not always)

IME going from one to two dogs is much different than just having one, especially if you get a puppy. Both of our dogs are young and they remind me of their youth on a daily basis... We staggered the ages just a little bit (we waited until Colby was about a year before we got Ace), but if I could go back, I'd probably wait a little longer before we got our second dog. Ace couldn't keep up with Colby on our walks and since she required so much more exercise than him initially, it was difficult. It was definitely more than twice the work, especially starting out.

My dogs definitely do feed off each others energy. It's a rare day when one gets excited about something an the other doesn't. It's also important to realize that getting a second dog as a buddy for your first may not pan out exactly as you thought it would. The dogs might not be BFFs off the bat (or ever). Food, vet costs, boarding and obedience classes are going to be twice as expensive. If I'm being totally honest, I have a favorite, but that doesn't mean I don't love the other one.

 

[RCloud]

If it's the right dog, and is totally compatible with your current dog, it's a lot of fun. We had Charlotte for about 2 years before we decided on getting a second dog. Charlotte is a "no BS" dog, and doesn't make friends very easily, but the few she did have seemed to brighten her day and make her very, very happy. Problem is, we live in an RV and travel a lot, so it always seemed we would be leaving the area just as she was getting to love her new friends. I've been told that Pit Bulls "don't need dog friends" but... I can't say I totally buy that. Atleast not in Charlotte's case. We made the choice to get a second dog primarily to enhance Charlotte's life quality, so she could always have a companion.

We went through the planning and steps to ensure we adopted the right dog, as the wrong dog would lead to disaster with Charlotte. It needed to be a male, close to her age, about her size, well socialized, and would be able to avoid confrontation. We started on Craigslist, looking around and emailing a few different people that had dogs that seemed like they'd be good candidates, but we always hit a dead end. Then one day I came across an ad for a male ACD that was about Charlotte's age. He was an ex-stock driver that grew up on a ranch around LOTS of other dogs and animals. I emailed the owner and asked her some questions and everything seemed to line up. We decided to meet with our dogs and see how they'd get along. I was extremely nervous about it, but upon meeting, it was love at first sight. They took to each other right away. We then took him home to see how they would get along in a home environment, and sure enough there was absolutely no problems there.

Ma'ii, the dog we adopted is still with us now, and is very much treasured and loved by all of us. He seems to understand Charlotte and knows her quirks as well as what makes her happy. He's also helped her immensely with some little issues, such as her fear of water. Use to be she'd drop dead before even so much as getting her paws wet. Now when visiting lakes and ponds, she'll dive head first into the water after him when we throw sticks. Charlotte often get's gunk in her eyes, and prior to getting Ma'ii, we'd take a damp rag and clean them for her. We don't have to do that anymore, because now Ma'ii cleans her eyes for us - and she LOVES it!

As far as how easy it is, it's got it's difficult moments, because each dog has their own faults and quirks that we have to work around/with, but the benefits greatly out weigh the bad. Since getting Ma'ii, Charlotte has grown fiercely protective of him in the presence of other dogs, and will act out a lot more then she use to, especially if the other dog acts in any way threatening towards him. We're working on this with her, but we know she's only doing it because she loves him to death, so to us it's worth working through. So despite the food/vet costs, and minor behavior issues we've had to work on, it's been a very positive experience for us.

 

[kadylady]

We added a second dog in February of this year when our first dog Luke was 2 years old. We felt that the time was right, we could afford the extra expense of food, meds, vet bills, supplies, etc., and that Luke would be happier with a second dog in the house. The thing I was most worried about was being able to give two dogs enough attention and not take away from Luke, who is 100% my heart dog. It was a little bit of an adjustment at first but I think we are doing great now. When we were looking for dog #2 our main focus was finding a dog that would be compatible with Luke. When we went to the shelter we brought him with us and narrowed it down to two puppies and Luke got to meet each of them and kind of "picked" Zoey. She was 5 months old and he was a month shy of 2 years old.

Now that Zoey has been with us for awhile and it growing up it is becoming more apparent to me which dog thrives and benefits most with different types of activities. Zoey is pretty active and very interested in things, always thinking and observing. Where Luke is more of a laid back, loving goofball. So as much as I hate to leave the house with one dog while the other one is giving me sad eyes, I'm learning which dog to take where and do what with. For example, I'm going to more training classes with Zoey because she loves it! Luke was great in class but didn't seem to enjoy it the same way Zoey did. Zoey isn't the best dog park candidate right now because she has issues listening when she is overstimulated, Luke does amazing at the dog park.

My dogs do feed off each other a little bit, they chase and play in the backyard together. They get walked together. Zoey learns so much from Luke. Luke is very protective of her though. He used to be the biggest wuss ever, very submisive to other dogs. But now if he thinks another dog is getting too rough with her he will breakup the play, my parents joke and say he's the sheriff lol.

Overall having two dogs vs one, I agree with the others that have said it's not that much more work. And I really enjoy having 2. Their personalities are so different that it's easy to love them both.

 

[mashlee08]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to share, money was a big factor for us in the decision. I am lucky enough to work at a vet clinic so get discounts and my hubby has just got a super well paying job in our new location so that I feel pretty secure in that fact.
I am happy to hear about the love thing I guess its just like how I love my dog and my cat, I love them both, just differently.
Going through the puppy thing again is getting to me a bit, but I know how rewarding it is to come out with an amazing dog and companion on the other side. My girl will be nearly two by the time we get another so it wont be as hard as having two puppies
Thanks again everyone

 

[melundie]

But now if he thinks another dog is getting too rough with her he will breakup the play, my parents joke and say he's the sheriff lol.

We nicknamed Colby "Warden" because she does the same thing when Ace plays with my parents' dog. I don't know if it's a protective thing or just her control freak tendencies, though...lol

 

[Eden & Mason]

We added a second dog around christmas. I wish we had done it sooner though! Our 'original' is nine, turning 10 next month, still has the energy of a 5 year old but is over being the 'mother' figure. She played with him the first few months but now lets him do 'what ever'. I love having the both of them though, walking two hounds are a challenge but the puppy is doing very well.

I definately recommended doing obedience class though if you get a young one. Gives you time to work with just that one.

Their personalities are soo different, Mason is so affectionate and demanding, Eden is the keep to herself quiet one. Its a nice balance!

 

[lil_fuzzy]

I have two dogs, but I won't have two dogs again. Except maybe if one is old and I then introduce a new puppy to make the transition easier. But I don't think I will have two dogs of similar age at the same time again.

I love them both, they're great and everything, but there is nothing I get from having two that I wouldn't get from having just one. And there are advantages to having just one, such as more focused training, and if there's an issue on walks there is only one dog to walk and train. With two they would then have to be walked separately (which I did twice a day for about a year after Obi became reactive).

It's cheaper and easier to have one. Adding another one doesn't mean twice the doggy joy (at least not for me). They do provide companionship for each other, but I work from home and I take them out to training clubs anyway so they don't really need a doggy companion at home. I do enjoy watching them both run around and play at the riverbank though....

 

[W. Field's]

I adore my 2 doggies and there is plenty of love to go around, but life was easier with only one. Going places and traveling with 1 was easier. I do my own grooming, so twice as much work grooming. They definitely feed off of each other, so we have had a couple of training challenges -- mainly barking. Otherwise, the mutual influence has been positive. More work and few challenges, but twice the love. It's worth it to me.