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I'm judging proper housing on a number of factors not the least of which is the extreme dominance in the pack dynamic and the dogs controlling the owners and these dogs do not appear to be a compatible mix. If you don't have that and then, you pile on the confined space for such a period of time as something else. It's not just one thing I'm looking at here it's the whole picture.
I never said he was a hoarder, I said, "Animal hoarding may be one explanation." it's right up there in my post. Not the only explanation but may be one and may be limited to a smaller scale of this type of things as I addressed in my previous post about the words 'ability' and 'denial.' Don't put words in my mouth. I am simply presenting some things to be considered is all. Just like myself keeping the one dog for my own happiness was making all the rest of them miserable. I lacked the 'ability' to properly care for their needs. They were well fed, played with, have 24 hour access in and out of the house, are never kenneled and have significant playtime and walking and training. The dynamic was not working and I was in denial. So, it comes in many levels and strenghts. I thought I was doing the right thing by both dogs by keeping them only to find out I was seriously wrong. It's not an option for everyone, but one which should be looked at is all and provided two options to 'test' the waters before making a rash decision like that, a temporary re-home and calling in a professional trainer to come to the home and give them a professional assessment. So, ease up.
I also raised the idea of finding another home for the big puppy...only because (as I stated in my earlier post) I, as an experienced dog owner with a house and humungous fenced yard, would find the task of raising two puppies along with an untrained adult and getting them to the point where they are all living in harmony, somewhat overwhelming. For people with three same-sex dogs, little experience and insight, possibly planning on starting a family, and living in a two-bedroom apartment with no yard....this is quite a task. Do-able? Quite possibly. A metric ton of work and committment? Definitely.
And if it doesn't work out (I gave examples in my post) - what then? I'm thinking about the welfare of these dogs, not the feelings of the owners, mind you. If it doesn't work out - the dogs continue to hate each other and the situation gets untenable - it's easy to dispose of the most inconvenient dog. The owners and the convenient dog get to go on with their lives...
The tiniest, tiniest bit of research and thought before getting puppy number two would have made it very clear that getting her was a very bad idea on many levels. That the OP's fiancee did notdo the tiniest bit of research and cannot train the two little dogs she has now does not bode well...unless they man up and really commit to changing things.
Many, if not most, ethical breeders and many rescues will not sell two puppies, especially two same-sex puppies, to anyone. Certainly not renters, certainly not to uneducated dog owners, certainly not people who don't have a fenced yard, and probably not to people who have a current adult dog that isn't even house-trained yet. I work with a couple of rescues, ones that are quite lax about their adopting requirements...and honestly, there is no way I would let a dog I'd been fostering go to this home. There are way too many red flags.
For the record nothing in the OP's post suggested hoarding tendencies to me. Then again I am in a tiny 650 square foot house (albeit on almost half an acre, most of it fenced) with three of my own dogs, one foster dog and four cats. Ruh-roh!
I think the OP's girlfriend is irresponsible. Her first two dogs aren't trained. Then she buys a third dog as a "surprise" for the OP.
Pet 101: Never buy a pet as a surprise gift! The OP had a right to be consulted about getting an additional pet.
I agree with this completely.
Size of your place alone is not the only factor -as an example of "proper housing' and 'ability' I recently picked out another dog as a companion for my larger dog as the oldest one is not going to make it much longer. I did a 'Foster-to-Adopt' for two weeks before I adopted her because if my own dog didn't want her around and had no interest in having a new playmate I wasn't about to adopt her and make both their lives miserable just because I liked her (proper housing). A lot of changes took place in those two weeks and at first I thought maybe it wouldn't work then they played and got along fabulously and I eventually finalized the adoption.
I had to work with that new dog in two ways every single day for two weeks - alone and with the other dog. It was a lot of time and effort. I took time from work to do it.
The new dog came to the house after being fostered for 7 months and had some severe submission issues and fear and housebreaking issues. But because the existing dog was well behaved and well trained and had the disposition she does with other dogs, she did most of the training with that dog, particularly in the housebreaking department. Again, my existing house had to be in order before I introduced a new pet to the situation if it hadn't been there was no way I was going to put another dog and my own through a bad dynamic. Compatibility was a HUGE deciding factor in 'proper housing' and the 'ability' to care for a new dog. If they did not get along and I kept her anyway, because I liked her and wanted her - that is a small sign of hoarding. It doesn't just mean hundreds of animals in a small space.
Many, if not most, ethical breeders and many rescues will not sell two puppies, especially two same-sex puppies, to anyone. Certainly not renters, certainly not to uneducated dog owners, certainly not people who don't have a fenced yard, and probably not to people who have a current adult dog that isn't even house-trained yet. I work with a couple of rescues, ones that are quite lax about their adopting requirements...and honestly, there is no way I would let a dog I'd been fostering go to this home. There are way too many red flags.
For the record nothing in the OP's post suggested hoarding tendencies to me. Then again I am in a tiny 650 square foot house (albeit on almost half an acre, most of it fenced) with three of my own dogs, one foster dog and four cats. Ruh-roh!
My house is not huge either, the fenced yard is, but the house isn't and it's winter here most of the year. The difference in your situation is you have the 'Ability' to have these pets and properly care for not just their basic survival means, but thier mental well being as well and are not in 'denial' that you can't. That's the difference in hoading.
I been trying for 3 MONTHS to find 1 breeder that would sell me a Pap! Or 1 Rescue that would let me buy a pap from them! WHY I keep getting turned down.... 1 I live in a 1 bedroom apt! 2 I have another bigger dog... GEEE Katies a Corgi shes 35 pounds!!!
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Ruh-roh!
