One Dog or Two? (Do dogs need company content)

[cruisemates]

We have a truly beautiful dog we love - a Pappillon of just 5 pounds named Sophie. She is smart and loving and seems to be happy all the time. She interacts with us day & night and is equally devoted to both my wife & myself.

I am not a dog person so I don't know. My wife thinks we should get her another dog so she'll have a playmate. We really love this dog and want it to be happy - but I just do not know - do dogs need and crave the company of other dogs or are they perfectly happy being just one part of an otherwise human family?

I know cats are perfectly happy to be the sole cat - and many of them actually prefer that. But dogs are pack animals - so are they truly happier having another dog in the house for company?

[hank57]

I wish we had a second because ours does get lonesome during the days... Don't know what is best.

[Midnight Lady]

It depends on the kind of dog I think. We had a Westie and got another one as a companion dog. This is quite common with this breed.

If your dog is happy with both of you and you are happy with her, then leave things as they are (only exception to this is if you have to leave her alone all day - then a companion would be nice).

The issue with a 2nd or 3rd dog is that then your attention is divided, there is jealousy - just as there would be with human siblings.

Have you seen how she interacts with other dogs?

[RSRD]

Feel free to email me if you would like since dogs have been my business for over 20 years (thats a lot of dog hair!)

Most dogs have a much happier and mentally healthier life with a partner. If they get along and if you know how to detect problems if they are headed towards conflict.

I STRONGLY urge you to consider adopting if you do get a second dog. Check out rescue groups, petfinder.com and your local shelter first and foremost. You will get a much better range of good and bad behavior and thus able to pick a much better match.

Think for a good long time about what energy and behavioral traits your dog has before making the plunge into #2. for example, If he/she is low energy and you get a wild dog.....youre in for trouble.

Lastly, and most importantly, if you and your wife allow your dog on the couch, in bed, on chairs, etc... at your dogs whim, you are most likely in for a longer 'getting to know you period' for the new dog. AKA a spoiled dog often thinks themselves more person then dog. He/she may not tolerate another dog to just come into the house and get the attention he once had.

Oh, and if there is going to be a problem with who is higher on the ladder then who, it usual comes to a head about 7-10 days after introduction.

[rowdyyates]

I've got a Golden Retreiver who is 6 years old. He was the only dog until about a year ago when we adopted another dog, mostly Golden male. This dog came in as a puppy which kept the tensions to a minimum. They get into it every now and then, but nobody gets hurt, and they are buddies. The younger dog has been neutered, the older one not. I believe that as much as dogs love us, they really enjoy their own kind.

[smcgov]

Our puppy pit, well 9 months old now, really just likes to wrestle, fight other dogs. Seems he likes people a whole lot more fwiw.

I would also recommend adoption...I got Rudie through a shelter and there were soo many dogs that needed homes....

[Phoebe]

Dogs and their owners benefit in a big way by doubling up. Two (or multiple) dogs aren't harder to care for than one, nor are they twice the cost.

Everybody wins. More love, more happiness, more wags. Just keep 'em out of the studio.

[MVrider]

It depends on the breed as well as the individual dogs. It also depends on what you want; two dogs is clearly a different dynamic, both for the dogs and the owner. I like beagles. Hounds are social animals. They do better in pairs at least if not packs. I've got two. They keep each other occupied and have an absolute blast together. Fun for them, easier for me. Tougher to find a sitter for two when I vacation, which is fairly often.

[Blue Light]

This is my exact dilemma tonight. A friend of ours places dogs. She found this great dog at an Atlanta shelter -- minutes away from execution. It's long, rangy Rhodesian Ridgeback type dog. Mellow, family oriented, year and a half old.
We agreed to take it for a day just to hold it before designated owner showed up.
One day became two days. Now we're very fond of this dog.
We have a ten year old Jack Russell whose looking on with concern, but seemed sanguine about it all.

Now we're debating whether to keep him.

Big commitment here. Don't know what to do. In three or four years we're probably downsizing.

[nitehawk55]

We have had only one dog each time over the years and they do fine . Get lots of attention when we get home .

[jaycee]

With some exceptions, how can a dog be happy without another pack member of the same ilk?

[mrmurph]

We have always had at least 2 Labs, usually 2-3 years apart in age.(Currently 2 100Lb+ Chocolate Labs) My wife is certain that it helps keep the older dogs more active and "younger acting". All of ours have gotten along well and genuinely seem to love each other.http://mrmurph.smugmug.com/Other/Dog-Pics/IMG1271/686533819_cq63x-M.jpg

[RSRD]

F' it. Just go all out and get 9 like me (all adopted)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/rsrd/Baby%20dogs%20family%20garden/IMG_0776.jpg

ps- labs are great as I have a few as seen above. But they are also the most frequent breed I get for behavioral problems with on leash aggression.

[smiert spionam]

I'm a one dog at a time guy, but my wife and I both work from home a lot, and we've also got a well-loved pack next door that our dog spends a lot of time with. Works out fine.

I strongly advise against getting two puppies at a time (not the OP's situation, I know). I'm sure it works great for some people, but I've seen multiple situations where the dogs bonded with one another, and never developed good social skills with humans. It's ultimately a training issue that could be avoided, but it seems to trip up some people nonetheless.

[pedalcr8z]

In my experience 2 dogs are actually easier than a single as they become life long playmates.

[silvertone1481]

I'll take two, please. With mustard.


Oh...those dogs....

[wstsidela]

Gotta have two

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v4923/12/16/646983381/n646983381_1914625_277025.jpg

[MatZen]

Very cool but how in god's name do you get any peace?

F' it. Just go all out and get 9 like me (all adopted)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/rsrd/Baby%20dogs%20family%20garden/IMG_0776.jpg

ps- labs are great as I have a few as seen above. But they are also the most frequent breed I get for behavioral problems with on leash aggression.

[urizen]

We have two, one is 11, the other 9. We decided to get the second because we think the pack thing is important to/for the dogs' well-being, especially because for approximately 8 1/2 to 9 months a year they're on their own (in the yard and spare garage that has become their "apartment") for 7-8 hours a day 4 to 5 days a week while we're at work. They are definitely bonded to each other, though the elder (male) is the second alpha (I'm the first) to the younger (female).

I'm hoping they're both healthy through the next 2 years because I'll either go on a half-day schedule or retire totally by then... however, though the elder dog is still in darn good shape and spirits, there have been some health issues for him which has us thinking about getting a much younger rescue as a third dog, who'll be another companion for them (and us) and serve as a "transition" for when the inevitable happens to one of them.

[Dickie Fredericks]

We have 4. They look out for each other too.

[cruisemates]

Thank you all for the answers - Sorry I just got back here.We are both pretty much home all day and our dog is very socialized to both of us - but that being said I guess she will be happier with another dog in the house as well - same breed.

I am not convinced it was a necessary move, but it will be fun to have a puppy in the house and I am sure Sophie will get along - she loves every person and dog she ever meets (except kids - for some reason she just doesn't trust them - funny).

[Polynitro]

except for maybe Moutain Gorillas most animals are social creatures.

I heard a good way to introduce 2 dogs is not in the home but in a neutral area like a park, where the new dog wont threaten the other dog by invading their territory.

[firebird1999us]

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/firebird1999us/ba4d3139.jpg

This one is a stray that I'm nursing back to health to be with the other two:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/firebird1999us/7a586bda.jpg

So the correct answer is 3:beer

[ronmail65]

We went down the path of getting 2 dogs. Right or wrong, I got the following guidance / input on the 2 dog route:
1) The 2 dogs will become companions and occupy one another while we're both at work.
2) Get them at least 6 months apart (as opposed to puppies from the same litter). Otherwise they bond with each other and could care less about you and your family.
3) Train the first one well; the second one will pick up the first one's good habits.
4) 2 dogs are just as easy as 1.

Regarding 1) and 2) above, we did get the dogs 6 months apart. They both have bonded well with us and each other. I'm not sure how much they interact or feel comfort with one another when we're away. It is a lot of fun to see them play together. They are both Shelties. Regarding item 3), while we did train the first dog fairly well (as much as we could in 6 months), our experience was contrary to the above -- the older dog reverted to puppy behavior so we had to revisit house breaking and basic obedience all over. Not sure how common this is, but it was brutal. With regard to the last point, 4), the experience noted in the previous two sentences negated this point for us. Even longer term, everything is essentially double -- so I consider the advice above in item 4) to be false. In addition, 2 dogs can be quite expensive.

I'm glad we have these 2 dogs and I wouldn't trade them for anything. But I'm not sure I would own 2 dogs again. That's our experience and my $0.02.

[fisticuffs]

I don't find two to be any more work than one. They poo at the same time, eat at the same time, sleep, play, etc. They are 5 months apart and the younger certainly learned form the older even though he is roughly half as bright. The younger is a Frenchie and they can tend to get extremely attached to one person and not the other and can be very very needy. He hasn't been. He loves the other dog and my wife and I equally. not sure if that was luck or the result of a two dog household. You do get double the vet bills and it was a rough year when they were both pups but now it's not too bad.

[Heritage 80]

I beleive in an old adage my grandfather taught me:

One dog = whole dog,
Two dogs = half a dog,
Three dogs = no dogs at all.

[CharAznable]

My pup loves people but at best, tolerates other dogs. She's not aggressive towards them or anything.. she's just aloof, like she's above them. She'd rather be with people.

We're considering getting a second dog, but they'd have to get along, and that's a limiting factor.

[fetishfrog]

It depends on the breed as well as the individual dogs. It also depends on what you want; two dogs is clearly a different dynamic, both for the dogs and the owner. I like beagles. Hounds are social animals. They do better in pairs at least if not packs. I've got two. They keep each other occupied and have an absolute blast together. Fun for them, easier for me. Tougher to find a sitter for two when I vacation, which is fairly often.

The day I got my beagle, the breeder offered me an older pup (3 months older than mine) at a great price. I regret passing on it about 3x a week.

[Jetrow]

You should ask your dog.

[sws1]

I couldn't imagine raising another Bernese Mtn Dog at the same time. It's a full time job as it is with my 7 month old. Requires constant attention.

[/13guitarman]

We had 2 dogs and one had died, so we got another to keep it company. Same breed. It was a terrible mistake. Constant fighting. We had to keep them seperated by baby gates. The first 2 dogs got along great. The new dog is very agressive toward other dogs. It did not work out well. The other dog recently died. So, now we will remain a one dog household.

[Jerrod]

No matter your dog's preference, if two dogs is too many for the owners then that's the answer.

[Bluedawg]

We started with 2 litter mate male Westies ... no problems with them ignoring us

Then adopted a female Scottie ... easy assimiliation ... probably since she was female ... she quickly claimed alpha position as well .. she is 2 years older than the Westies

Loved the Scottie so much we got another female Scottie to make it an even 4. The first Scottie was a little depressed when we brough the 2nd one home, but we loved on her (the 1st one) extra and she finally adapted to having another female in the house.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/Bluedawg/Dogs/Floodanddogsaug20040019.jpg


They get rather upset when you take one or two out of the house without the others.

:banana

[MemphisCR]

We've had a great little long hired Dachshund named Rudi for the past 7 years, our only dog. Last summer before her senior year, my daughter while away at college, decided to secretly buy a puppy. She surprised us shortly after on a weekend visit. It really was a cute little fiesty black and white Pomperanian that she named Charlie. After about 2 months of summer school, stress, middle of the night pee runs, finding puppy sitters when she needed them etc. she made the very difficult decision to sell him. We had no intention of adopting him, partly because while Charlie was visiting us the first time our Dachshund made numerous attempts to murder him, literally. I guess at the time because of his size (he really was cute, like a little furry oreo ball) he more resembled prey than a partner. She brought him back to us in early fall so that we could attempt to sell him, where we were obviously faced with the problem of keeping him from being mauled by our family pet. We had a reasonable offer right off the bat from some friends but my daughter refused to accept it on the grounds that it wasn't enough. Then something happened. After about two or three days Charlie's playful demeaner began to soften up old Rudi, so we decided to keep him and now they are best buds. They wrestle, hang together, annoy the hell out of visitors together, and have just become inseperable. Charlie sleeps with the wife and I, while Rudi normally finds someone else in the family to sleep with and every morning when Rudi rolls out of bed, from some dark corner, Charlie ambushes him in manner that would make Kato proud. Until this time we were always a one dog family, but after watching them together, well, I guess in the future we'll always have two.

[tiktok]

Dogs and their owners benefit in a big way by doubling up. Two (or multiple) dogs aren't harder to care for than one, nor are they twice the cost.

Not sure how that works: my dog expenses are food, grooming and vet bills. I'm not seeing how to get that as less than 2x for two dogs.

That said, I'd say two dogs are worth it.

[ronmail65]

I don't find two to be any more work than one. They poo at the same time, eat at the same time, sleep, play, etc. They are 5 months apart and the younger certainly learned form the older even though he is roughly half as bright. The younger is a Frenchie and they can tend to get extremely attached to one person and not the other and can be very very needy. He hasn't been. He loves the other dog and my wife and I equally. not sure if that was luck or the result of a two dog household. You do get double the vet bills and it was a rough year when they were both pups but now it's not too bad.

There are some economies of scale, but not in all areas. You still have twice the food to purchase and bowls to fill, twice the poo to clean up, twice the vet bills to pay, twice the coats to brush, twice the boarding when you travel, etc....

So maybe it's 1.5 as much work for 2 dogs that are well-behaved and get along. If they are poorly behaved, untrained, and don't get along... then maybe the 2 dogs are 3 times as much work. Not trying to be negative, just realistic.

[trainwrecker]

Yea two is nice if you can handle it, they seem to learn from each other in a good way.

[eupbin]

We have three Golden (large, happy), Springer (medium,crazy) and Cockapoo (small, just plain weird).
Don't worry when we leave them becuase they ahve each other....but, they still all need their own individual attenation and vet bills are insane!!!
Final analysis.....could've have just kept Golden and been happy

[Rockinrob86]

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee224/rosenton/BooandLucy.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee224/rosenton/booandlucysleeping.jpg

Like most things with dogs, I think it has alot to do with the individual dog and the amount of discipline they have. We have had belle (The white shi-tzu) for 6 years, and she couldn't be more behaved or have a better personality. She is a blast, but when I finished college and got a fulltime job, we knew she would get lonely, so we got a puppy. The puppy has made belle act half her age, and they were basically instantly attached. If belle has a problem with the puppy, she lets her know really quick. It is important to let the dogs handle this kind of stuff between themselves, as long as they aren't really hurting each other, which mine are not. Lucy (the puppy) has merged into our family very well. It is important that dogs never have to question who is in charge. They either want to know who the leader is, or they will do it themselves, but either way, there has to be a leader. I wish we wouldve gotten a 2nd dog sooner, as they have alot of fun playing together. They will chase each other in circles around our living room for HOURS, and then sleep until they have the energy to chase each other again!

[alberob]

I have a 13 lb Jack Russel Terrier who is 3 years old and her best bud is a 10 month old hound dog pit bull mix that was a rescue.Do I have to tell you who's in charge?

[Jan Folkson]

Buddies for life!

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww44/jfolkson/FisherandDemi-1.jpg

[RSRD]

Buddies for life!

http://i704.photobucket.com/albums/ww44/jfolkson/FisherandDemi-1.jpg

haha they look like really great dogs! Love the expressions. Where did you find them?

[jkbird59]

we had three bassets but last summer molly the older female passed.the boys really were great with her in her senior years. these two guys are best friends,twice the love with two,we are planning to adopt a third.
http://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab108/jkbird5959/the%20boys/obg2003.jpg

[Jan Folkson]

haha they look like really great dogs! Love the expressions. Where did you find them?

Both rescues. The guy on the right was a local rescue, friend of a friend was moving and couldn't take him with her. The girl on the left we got from http://www.labs4rescue.com. I'm trying to convince my wife that we need a third :)

[silvertone1481]

We started with 2 litter mate male Westies ... no problems with them ignoring us

Then adopted a female Scottie ... easy assimiliation ... probably since she was female ... she quickly claimed alpha position as well .. she is 2 years older than the Westies

Loved the Scottie so much we got another female Scottie to make it an even 4. The first Scottie was a little depressed when we brough the 2nd one home, but we loved on her (the 1st one) extra and she finally adapted to having another female in the house.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v62/Bluedawg/Dogs/Floodanddogsaug20040019.jpg


They get rather upset when you take one or two out of the house without the others.

:banana

Cool photo. It's good to have some contrast in life, isn't it? :D

[pokey]

In my experience any dog would prefer to be the only dog. I have two German Shepherds (M & F) and while they get along I get the distinct feeling either would prefer no other dog if you could ask them. Maybe it's the breed.

[Blue Light]

I let the Rhodesian ridgeback go. We all fell in love with the fellow but when I thought about the ten year commitment, I realized we couldn't do it.
You've got to think about that commitment.

[cruisemates]

OP here -

Yup, I was just reminded I am going to have to clean up my music room & office. Dog #1 turned out to be brilliant in terms of NOT chewing cables or eating guitar picks. I can leave stuff out and it doesn't disappear. I just remembered we haqd to train her that way.

So, we have to put up the puppy pen again, watch her non-stop to catch her when she's ready to pee...

I kind of wish I had put my foot down - but I will get through this.

[clintb]

We have siblings. At least we think we do. They were two of three injured dogs found along the highway. The third dog died from its injuries.

They are best buds but they love people too. So there haven't been any issues of them bonding with each other and not their owners.

They give each other companionship and exercise. They sometimes destroy things when we leave them home together, but they behave much worse when they are each home alone.

I will say that it is difficult to train two dogs at the same time. If only one dog is present, they'll behave and obey. But if both are present, forget about it.