Considering a second dog? Pros and Cons

[Mikala43]

I would prefer one dog... but we have two, because in our situation it is the right thing to do.

We got our puppy (Dante) before when our Border Collie started aging, because an existing (good) dog can help train a puppy.

Then the Border Collie passed away, and Dante was noticeably depressed. Like crazy depressed.

So we started looking for an older rescue dog so Dante could have a dog.

We got Steve and Dante is happy again.

But Dante is obviously a dog's dog, he likes dogs to play with, and if he didn't, we wouldn't have brought in Steve.


Cons

90 lb dogs eat a lot
They make twice the mess
Twice the attention/time
Twice the vet bills


Pros

they play together and entertain each other
different personalities which is nice (Dante is PLAY! Steve is LOVE!)

[Dashdog]

Originally Posted by lkb0714

This has not been my experience.

Oh and my three

Girls


Boy

What beautiful dogs you have!

[lkb0714]

Originally Posted by Dashdog

What beautiful dogs you have!

Thanks. They are a little more grimy than those pics show since they have never met a kid puddle that they didn’t love at first sight.

[CTaxolotl]

We have two pugs, ages 13 (female) and 10 (male). We got both as puppies from their respective families. Our first pug was three when we brought our second into our home and she was not happy. It took her about a year to get acclimated and probably another year after that for our dogs to become close. Of course now, they are inseparable. It may be breed dependent, but I think it would be difficult to have just one pug. Now that they are getting older, we are contemplating how to integrate another dog into the family and whether it is best to do it now or to wait until one of our pugs passes. We can anticipate that either of them will deeply grieve the loss of the other. I think the key to having two (or more) is making sure they are compatible breed, gender and personality-wise. We have been told that our female is alpha and would not tolerate the addition of another alpha female into the household.

[STL74]

I like having two. Some things are harder and others are easier, so it balances out. I tend to choose smart, family friendly breeds that are sociable and they enjoy having each other. They make a difference in each other’s lives. We had 2 pugs for a long time. They are not exactly a breed that needs serious training they listened, were polite, and were gentle and playful. And they loved each other. They really stuck together. They are a perfect case of two is easier.

Now we have a rough collie who was well trained and about 2, but she loves other dogs and she needed a playmate. We ended up with a doodle mix (bernedoodle) who is also smart and sociable. They are more work to train as a pair but they are better behaved when I have other things to do as a pair as well. Evenings are easier because they wear each other out. The puppy is still learning to walk on a leash the way I want, so I have to walk them separately still...which is more work...but the collie can handle long hikes and the puppy can’t at this point so I tend to work it out that way.

Anyway, I love 2 and prefer it to one, but it is harder in some ways and easier in others. It is twice the cuddles and love and adoration though (I’m a SAHM so I am their favorite person since I’m around the most)