one dog, or two?

[vash]

we adopted a mutt 6 months ago, well, my live in girlfriend adopted the mutt. she hit mutt lotto, because i housebroke her instantly, and she doesnt chase the cat. really well behaved for a one year old shep/chow mix. it only takes one stern lesson for her never to do whatever again.

now my gfriend is up to it again. she wants another dog so DOG#1 wont be lonely. jeez! what do you guys think? do you think a single dog gets lonely? keep in mind that i am the official crap patrol. she does let me work on the car obsessively

[Paul T]

I'd say 2 if you can handle it. I'm in the process of trying to adopting a Saint Bernard, but I'm not sure I can handle 2 of them right now....that's 300+ pounds of dog!

[Neilk]

If your letting your girlfriend make all the decisions, shouldn't you change your name from unfixed? j/k

It really depends on the dog. Some dogs like being independent others like having company. My brother brings his dog to my parent's house, but the dog doesn't really care to have 3 other dogs around him.

Then again, we shouldn't really attribute human emotions to dogs.

[juanbenae]

the whole keeping them "company" is over rated in my opinion. generally it means that they both get a little less attention. one dog in the house is just that one dog. two dogs in the house is a zoo, so more often then not they both stay out.

when i had two dogs i was less likely to take them both places that i would have for sure taken solo dog. my dog current goes everywhere i can take him. he hangs in my truck or waits outside the bar, friends houses, or in trees. was not like that when i had two.

twice as much vet $, food $, poo to pick up, hair, stink and etc. it seems you have gotten lucky with the 1st one and her behavior, dont push your luck with a second one. get her a teddy bear, or tell her theres only room for four in the house and who goes if another dog comes on board.....

[juanbenae]

oh yeah thats mcqueen in a tree at my folks ranch

[BlueSkyJaunte]

If the cat and the dog get along don't push your luck.

[vash]

Originally posted by Neilk
If your letting your girlfriend make all the decisions, shouldn't you change your name from unfixed? j/k

It really depends on the dog. Some dogs like being independent others like having company. My brother brings his dog to my parent's house, but the dog doesn't really care to have 3 other dogs around him.

Then again, we shouldn't really attribute human emotions to dogs.

haha, that is funny. for the record, i got to pick out the couches

k911, thanks for some good arguement points.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

[BlueSkyJaunte]

[SpeedracerIndy]

Originally posted by Neilk
It really depends on the dog. Some dogs like being independent others like having company. My brother brings his dog to my parent's house, but the dog doesn't really care to have 3 other dogs around him.

Then again, we shouldn't really attribute human emotions to dogs.

I agree. My brother has two dogs. The couldn't live without each other. I have one dog, and when I take her over to my brothers house, they all play non stop. My parents have a dog also, and when I take my dog over there, their dog wants nothging to do with my dog. Here's a pic of my dog. Her name is Marley, she's a miniature Alaskan Huskey (aka Alaskan Klee Kai). I love the cance to show her off!

[emcon5]

Originally posted by unfixed
now my gfriend is up to it again. she wants another dog so DOG#1 wont be lonely.

I don't know if lonely as much as bored. Dogs are pack animals. Two dogs are often better than one in that they can keep each other entertained, and are therefore less likely to do destructive stuff like chewing things. That being said, "Neilk" is correct in that it really depeds on the dog.

In your situation, it would probably be best to work with a rescue group that can bring over prospective dogs to make sure that the new dog gets along with the current dog. Someone who knows a bit about dog behavior, and can minimize ponential problems. For example, if your dog shows dominant behavior, you probably wouldn't want another dominant dog.

Tom

[jstgermaine]

One 13 year old tiny mutt (Whitney) = good.

One 3 month old doberman (Aphrodite) = good

One doberman + one mutt = old dog getting @ss kicked.

One 2 month old doberman (Zeus) = good

Aphrodite ( 3 months) + Zeus (2 months) = Left old dog alone.

Aphrodite (11 months @ 75#) + Zeus (10 months @ 85#) = HELL!!

But I love 'em!

[vash]

that dog in the tree is the best! great and now she wants a mini husky...great.

you guys are a bunch of softies! haha you guys are great!

[Jack Olsen]

It depends on the dogs, but two is still not a pack. One dog will think he's a human, more or less. With two, they'll 'know they're dogs.'

Get three, and you've got a whole other set of issues.

[nostatic]

one dog, three cats. We had 2 dogs for awhile, but it was just too much.

[vash]

forget anything more than one cat. anything that comes out of a cat stinks or is just plain gross.

[tabs]

I got a cat...Tuddy....I thought well...how much trouble can a dog be...I got a female Airdale... Misty...They grew up together, never a problem between them...one 15 second argument in 8 years...7 years later Misty gets lost on 4th of July...after 9 days I get her back...two months later I get an 8 year old hotel for fleas George from Airdale rescue. Misty and George get along, the cat goes to the garage for 2 months, before she decides George is OK. I move to LV...Tuddy gets sick and is put to sleep.

Who seems to miss the the cat the most ...George..he cries moans ...howls just after he wakes up at night. At the beauty parlor for dogs the groomer told me when she seperated Misty from George, Misty cried.

Misty has always bin he!! on wheels, she wants to play with George, and George obliges her...then when George nips at her in return Misty gets mad, barks and snaps back. Then as quick as it gets started they both stop look at each other and touch noses and thats it.

I say 2 dogs and a cat are OK...they will all recognize that the others belong there too. I have bin very conscience to treat them equally...I made sure George felt welcome in my home and was slow to introduce him to the routine in my home..so that he gradually got adjusted to me and the way things are done.

Dogs have emotions that are very simple, and their feelings/sensibilities get hurt easily. I used to come home late from playing poker and I would find my garden hose chewed into foot long pieces. After the second time or so I apologized to her for leaving her alone for so long, since then I never had another garden hose chewed into pieces, I did find it uncoiled and stretched out across the yard once a few years later though.

These creatures want nothing more than for you to be happy with them....they truly want to please you. In return all they want to be given is a little dignity. They give us their all, they trust us with their lives and well being and in return we have the responsibilty to live up to that trust.

[Zeke]

Dogs (and cats) are like humans in the way that they might get along, or they might not. You takes your chances bringing in another animal.

I've always believed there are 12 personalities and their derivatives. I've always believed that one in 12 will not be torlerable to one's self. So, in my world, the odds are good. I believe this applies to animals.

[MarkP]

We have two and they get along great, but I think we're lucky.

Twice as much of everything - good and bad. Vet bills, poop, food, chewing things, playing, etc, etc.

Don't let your girlfriend fool herself or you into thinking it will be less work because they will entertain each other.

Again, twice as much of EVERYTHING.

[Sarah]

This is a very good topic and you have gotten a lot of good feed back so far.

We have had anywhere from 1-4 dogs at a time. And based on their personalities, I could tell you which ones needed a dog friend and which ones would have been perfectly happy being the only dog in the house.

I would say for the most peace in your household...get a second dog if your current dog loves both dogs and people. If your current dog is an "alpha" type...then pick a dog friend that is the submissive type. You don't want a "top of the dog chain" power struggle. We have had that situation a few times and it was anything but fun.

We currently have a passive male sharpei (4 1/2), an "alpha" type male bulldog (3 yr), and we just took in a 9 month old lab/hound mix female that a family member was not able to keep. She is cute & full of puppy energy, bad manners, a loud barker & a he** of a lot of work (we started training classes which is helping). She eggs on the two boys to play with her which they don't want to do...then out of no where the bulldog will pounce on the sharpei because he thinks he is taking away some of his attention from the "new girl."

So...whatever you do...please really put a lot of thought and time into the decision...because you want getting the dog to be a good thing for you guys and your current pet. The saddest thing is when people get rid of an animal because things did not turn out as they planned. It is a lot of work...but you get a lot of positives in return.

(p.s. do these 2 dogs look like they want to play with a puppy...ummm...no...well...she is staying so they will have to find a way to all get along).

GOOD LUCK!