For owners of 2 dogs are more

snuggles09

Our springer spaniel is 9 months old now..we had him neutered 2 weeks ago and he has recovered great he's brilliant after it

We bring him off every day either to the beach or to he park and he loves it..as soon as he sees another dog he's mad to play, ears perk up and he will run around for ages playing, any dog, any size he's not bothered he just loves the interaction

I've been thinking about getting another dog to keep him company..i'm looking at it from the point of view that if we can manage 1 dog then 2 shouldnt be too much of an issue or am i totally naieve? Any advice?

**Vai**

Its more difficulty (and expense) having 2 dogs obviously but I couldnt imagine only having 1. My eldest dog basically thought the youngest toilet training as well as manners in the house. With help from myself of course! Im sure your springer would love the company of one of his own, I know mine wouldnt be without each other.

are you serious

Having two is more work but I wouldnt say more difficult though. Toilet training as Vai has said is helped a lot by the older dog.

More expense of course comes hand in hand with another dog, they will be great company for each other and you will see their friendship build by the day when you first get your new addition!!

I cant separate my two at all now and when I do its like I've cut off one of their legs!!

Inexile

I cant imagine having just one dog - I used to have four but now am down to 3 with occasional fosters to boost the numbers.

Once you can afford the expense and energy another dog needs I would go for it. Remember to calculate additional kennel fees for holidays, insurance and vet fees. Just make sure that your current dog is as well trained as you want it to be. As with a second dog it could magnify any areas where there are lapses eg. if a dog has poor recall you end up with two dogs running off over the horizon as they have each other for company

Dirk Gently

having 2 dogs is a much bigger deal than having one dog but ultimately worth it as they will be great company for each other. Try get a second dog with the same size / energy levels as the first as you can exercise and feed them the same amounts which means they will follow the same patterns and sleep at the same times.

With one dog I managed grand, with two it requires more organisation but once you get use to it its grand. I did use to have grass out the back with one, not a blade left now that I have two.

Like Inexile said, make sure the first dog is well trained, recall, lead walking etc. Take it from someone who hadn't got the first well trained, the second will pick up on the firsts behaviour, requiring you to train two dogs then at the same time which is a challenge.

All in all though, I couldn't imagine having just the one anymore. They'd be lost without each other.

Mr. Manager

Having 2 dogs is great I think. I don't feel so bad now if I have to leave them for a few hours. They have great run of the house/pool and knock a fair bit of craic out of each other.

The only problem is, there's a lot more organising involved. If you go on holidays for example, it's not so easy to ask a friend or family member to watch 2 dogs as it is with 1.

Just be sure you can afford the second dog and are committed (which I'm sure you are!)

borderlinemeath

Went from 1 to 2 last year and it's brilliant.

They've bonded really well and the new guy was a rescue and has really benefited from our first dog, learning and building confidence and just learning how to enjoy himself.

Also, looking back, our first dog was a spoilt little madam:D. Very clever, very confident and while quite good on commands she knew what she wanted and how to get it! Having two has helped reign her in a little bit and she doesn't get away with as much as she used to.

jessica conlan

snuggles09 wrote: »

Our springer spaniel is 9 months old now..we had him neutered 2 weeks ago and he has recovered great he's brilliant after it

We bring him off every day either to the beach or to he park and he loves it..as soon as he sees another dog he's mad to play, ears perk up and he will run around for ages playing, any dog, any size he's not bothered he just loves the interaction

I've been thinking about getting another dog to keep him company..i'm looking at it from the point of view that if we can manage 1 dog then 2 shouldnt be too much of an issue or am i totally naieve? Any advice?

Hi I have 3 dogs and it is hard and a lot of work but I love them all the advice I would give is maybe try rescue an older dog maybe a year or so as a calmer influence always helps with springers so that they won't wreck the garden/house when playing unsupervised the most important thing though is introduce ur dogs before u commit to one as them fighting can be very traumatic and dangerous!!! The other advice is 2 bitches tend to fight a lot in my experience so 2 boys would be best (neutered of course) or a spayed female and a boy hope this helps

We have 3 dogs and its not so bad. We fostered one dog for 8 months and he was more work then all 3 together. The expense is the only thing.

Discodog

As a dog lover the biggest mistake that I have ever made was to only have one dog for the first 10 years of dog ownership. Then I saw the light & I got a second dog. Now, many years later, I have three rescue dogs. Each one arrived suddenly, it wasn't planned & they all get on brilliantly.

Having two (or three ) is so much easier. They keep each other company, they play together & walks are more fun. But the best bit is the interaction between them. When I came home with my youngster my female Greyhound decided that she would show him the ways of the world. They played for hours on end & still do.

The secret is to chill & let them sort out their relationship. Mine all sleep curled up together.

unclebill98

Agree with beens said so far.

All my dogs are rescues. One thing that's helped keep everyone happy is pack walks and installing a proper pack culture with the human being the leader. Had help from a local dog trainer at the start but it's made life easy.

planetX

my dog's around the same age and the rescue I got him from told me to wait till he's around 18 months before thinking of another. Is that typical advice?

Millem

planetX wrote: »

my dog's around the same age and the rescue I got him from told me to wait till he's around 18 months before thinking of another. Is that typical advice?

I think the reason that they said this is that by 18months your dog will have settled down, be "trained" and have bonded with you. Therefore the older dog will show new dogs the ropes. One my friends got two pups together 5 years later they are still the gruesome twosome and do as they please when off the lead on the beach! They are besotted with each other though. I got my first dog from the pound at 9 months old, 3 months later we adopted a puppy from the rescue who works with the pound! So we didn't exactly do things the "right" way!

jupiterjack

have two rotties and three small ones and dont find it difficult. once you get into a routine its no bother..

magentas

The more the merrier! Seriously though, I find it just as easy to have 2 (actually have 3 now!) but I would highly recommend getting a second dog. The cost is minimal, you'll have the expensive initial supplies like kennel etc and after few small expenses like another collar/tag/bed etc all you'll be paying more for on a regular basis will be extra food, assuming there's no big vet bills.

The pros far outweigh the cons IMO. It'll be great for his socialization, a playmate for him, of course there's the companionship plus you get to give another dog a loving home. ...a new buddy for you and your puppy...it's a win-win situation!

Blogger50

I think I will print this thread off to show my husband. It will make the perfect arguement for me relieving a rescue of a fur baby!

On a serious note though I would presume it makes sense to bring a new dog into a house when I have holidays from work and can supervise their interaction for a couple of weeks?

Discodog

Blogger50 wrote: »

On a serious note though I would presume it makes sense to bring a new dog into a house when I have holidays from work and can supervise their interaction for a couple of weeks?

The easiest way to do it is to take your dog to where the new dog is & then walk them together - so they meet on neutral ground. Most rescues will be happy for you to do this. You do need to supervise for a while before you leave them but try not to interfere. It is natural for dogs to live together & they are very good at sorting out any issues.

Blogger50

Discodog wrote: »

The easiest way to do it is to take your dog to where the new dog is & then walk them together - so they meet on neutral ground. Most rescues will be happy for you to do this. You do need to supervise for a while before you leave them but try not to interfere. It is natural for dogs to live together & they are very good at sorting out any issues.

Thanks DD

Yes, the first meeting will definitely be on neutral ground. I have a lot of work to do on hubby first but I know I can bring him round

Discodog

Blogger50 wrote: »

Thanks DD

Yes, the first meeting will definitely be on neutral ground. I have a lot of work to do on hubby first but I know I can bring him round

The dogs are always easy to train - the humans are a little harder.