Pros and cons of having more than one dog (border collie, chihuahua, bite)
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I'm considering adopting a sibling for my little guy. I was just perusing the adoption sites and found one local that had a small, playful 12-week old male Chihuahua mix that looks to have the sweetest demeanor (of course I would have to see him in person too). I was wondering why some of you chose to have the number of dogs (or pets) that you have, whether it be one, two, or more, and what the pros and cons are?
I think the obvious pro for it is that additional joy and company, plus the social benefits. The one con that sticks out to me most is the vet bill and costs to raise two or more dogs. I'm doing a little more research into this and don't plan to make an impulsive decision like I did with my little guy, but now that he's here to stay, I'm considering getting him a playmate through adoption (don't want to get into the adopt vs. shop argument here please). Thanks.
I had two dogs and one passed away a few months ago. Since then, my remaining dog just isn't the same. He seems bored, kind of lost and sleeps a lot more. I feel really bad for him but it's a terrible time for me to adopt another one right now. I give him much more attention and praise him constantly but I can see something is missing in his life and it's another dog. Funny thing is, they were never best of friends but rather co-habitated. Some dogs really like having another with them and it's a positive thing for them.
I had two dogs and one passed away a few months ago. Since then, my remaining dog just isn't the same. He seems bored, kind of lost and sleeps a lot more. I feel really bad for him but it's a terrible time for me to adopt another one right now. I give him much more attention and praise him constantly but I can see something is missing in his life and it's another dog. Funny thing is, they were never best of friends but rather co-habitated. Some dogs really like having another with them and it's a positive thing for them.
That is the hard part of you have two and one goes, so sorry to hear that. It sounds like he's going through somewhat of a depression that I hope he can get out of with the additional love and comfort you're giving him. How did you end up with two originally if you don't mind me asking?
That is the hard part of you have two and one goes, so sorry to hear that. It sounds like he's going through somewhat of a depression that I hope he can get out of with the additional love and comfort you're giving him. How did you end up with two originally if you don't mind me asking?
I don't mind at all, but I don't want to highjack this thread. The dog that passed was 12 years old and I had her for the last 8 years. The dog that is still with me was adopted (as an adult) about 4 years ago. I knew he was going to outlive her by several years but I didn't expect it to hit him so hard. In short, I adopted them a few years apart and she was at least twice his age.
We've always had two dogs since we moved from apartment life to a house that we're buying. Last Fall our oldest, 11 years old, had seizures out of the blue. The grand mal placed her past the point of no return and we had no choice but to make the selfless, painful decision and put her down. The youngster was a year and a half at the time, we were heading into Winter and since I was thinking puppy, I didn't want to deal with housebreaking during our strong Winter.
We waited until I had a chance to see how he did with other dogs at the dog park, he loved it and did fantastic!! So, last month we introduced him to a female six months younger than he is, match made in heaven!! Both being mixes of herding breeds they have the same energy level.
Before making the leap to giving your current dog a friend, I suggest seeing how well he does with others to avoid a disaster
I have 2 dogs have had 3 in the past. PRO is when I am gone at work,or just out or even when I travel and board them they have each other.They share a run when I board them.Another pro was doing agility it is nice to have 2 as I get more play time and after helping set up a course and take it back down and pack it into a trailer it is worth it to have more runs as it is a lot of work.
Cons are expense food ,vet bills and boarding, I have gone on some very nice trips and spent more boarding dogs then I did on the trip Other cons are if you end up with dogs that do not get along, or have two needy dogs you may never have a moment alone.Unless you really love grooming you now have at least double the grooming and double the hair if they are both big shedders.
We went from one dog at a time (over 20 years) to two dogs 2 years ago. They keep each other company, and watch out for each other. Tribbles, the previous only-dog, has gotten over her separation anxiety. It's fun to watch them play! The upsides outweigh the downsides, but I agree that vet bills and insurance for both take a bite out of our budget. Walking them can be a hassle, since they sometimes want to sniff stuff in different directions--but they've gotten much better at walking together lately. Boarding them is out of the question, but instead we have a dog sitter.
But we've also tried adding a third dog, and that was a nightmare...the happy household turned into a battleground! More was definitely less in our case...
We've always had two dogs since we moved from apartment life to a house that we're buying. Last Fall our oldest, 11 years old, had seizures out of the blue. The grand mal placed her past the point of no return and we had no choice but to make the selfless, painful decision and put her down. The youngster was a year and a half at the time, we were heading into Winter and since I was thinking puppy, I didn't want to deal with housebreaking during our strong Winter.
We waited until I had a chance to see how he did with other dogs at the dog park, he loved it and did fantastic!! So, last month we introduced him to a female six months younger than he is, match made in heaven!! Both being mixes of herding breeds they have the same energy level.
Before making the leap to giving your current dog a friend, I suggest seeing how well he does with others to avoid a disaster
Just noticed that this nice post was yours, Cleosmom! Sorry to hear you lost your oldest dog. What a heartbreak. But it's good to know your young dog has a new companion. It does make life better for everyone in the household! And good luck with the house purchase!
My husband had his Border Collie since he was a pup (now 13), and then we added a rescue dog the same age 4 years ago. As the rescue dog started having medical troubles, we added my puppy at 9 weeks, and had to put the rescue down about a month ago. Now our Border Collie is starting to deteriorate with RA, and probably doesn't have as much time as we had hoped.
The dogs seem to do better with a "friend". The Border Collie being so well trained helped with the training of the puppy.
I think we will need a break between the collie passing and a new puppy. Mine is only 7 months, and I need the recovery time, but would probably get him a new brother when he is a year and a half or 2 years.
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We have one dog, a pekingese...he never plays with other family dogs, is not
aggressive, just not interested. I don't think he is lonely, our last peke was the
same, liked being the only dog. We are 70 and one small pet is easier to take
care of, vet bills are not as high as with several. That being said, when we were
younger with children at home we had several dogs along with cats and fish.
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Other cons are if you end up with dogs that do not get along, or have two needy dogs you may never have a moment alone.Unless you really love grooming you now have at least double the grooming and double the hair if they are both big shedders. 
