Going from 1 dog to 2?

kaitylin

How is it going from 1 dog to 2? We have a 3 year old dog right now and we are considering adopting a second dog. We just moved to a bigger place with a small yard so we have the space for them to play but I'm a little nervous about the added workload. Is going from 1 dog to 2 double the work or is it a smooth transition? Our dog is nervous around other dogs at first but then once he's comfortable will play for hours. He goes to doggy daycare when we travel and has a blast running around all day with other dogs but I'm a little nervous taking on another pet since I've never had 2 dogs before. We love animals and recently lost one of our cats to kidney failure and have been looking for a new member of our family and when we were at the shelter visiting cats decided we might be open to the idea of another dog instead. DH and I are still talking about it and definitely will wait until we meet the right fit for our family but I'd be interested to hear some opinions since neither of us have had more than 1 dog at a time.

sgautschi

I got my second dog when Milo, my first dog, was 2 years old. He was having a lot of anxiety, so we decided to get another so he'd have someone to play with. We went to the shelter and fell in love with a 1 yr old Chihuahua mix, Riley. We adopted him, then brought him to a nearby park to introduce the two. Milo sniffed him a little, but then took off to smell other things. When we got in the car to go home, milo looked at us with this look like "WTF is he doing in this car??". When we got home though, they both got really excited and were best friends almost immediately. It made Milo's anxiety go away and I didn't feel so bad leaving them at home while I was at work.

I will say that it is more expensive for one. You will now have double the vet bills for not only vaccines, but for when/if they get sick, which happened to us. I will also say that you have to learn how to divide your attention. You will need to make sure that you spend enough time with both of them. It also takes some getting used to walking two dogs versus one, especially if they want to go different directions. Also, anytime you get a new dog you have to do some degree of training, regardless of their age. 

Is it worth it? Absolutely in my opinion. I now get twice, well actually three times in my case, the love from all my dogs, and I am much more relaxed knowing they are happy and comfortable when I'm at work. And training is pretty easy, as they tend to pick up on what the other dog is doing (be careful, as this can be a bad thing also). Also, I feel great knowing I have rescued three dogs, who may not have otherwise found a good home.

I think you will have no problem with two dogs. Just make sure to do your research on breeds, and I would suggest not getting a puppy. Good luck.

gingerfeathers

Our dog was about 9 when we introduced a little brother. We introduced them outside on neutral ground. Old dog was really excited at first, but then after an hour or so he was looking at us like, "Okay, you can send this new guy away now.."

For several months the two of them were working out their dominance issues. It wasn't anything bad--just old dog growling on occasion to get the new kid to back off. Now, they'll play on occasion. I love having two dogs. It's definitely nice knowing I'm not leaving one of them home alone.

It is a little bit more expensive. We switched to a slightly more inexpensive (but still very high quality) dog food. But overall no regrets (though shedding seasons can be a beast!). We've had two for about 11 months now.

cs026a

We have two boxers - we adopted a 2nd when our first was about 3 years old. It's going on 6 months or so now, and they still adore each other. They play and entertain each other for hours - it's great. We have had zero issues between the two of them. It is more work - obviously! It's also more expensive - as well. But I believe it's absolutely worth it. Our first had some separation anxiety issues, which are now a lot better as well. She is more content in her crate with him in his next to her. 

So yes - more training, more work, more time, more money. But the amount of fun they have together, their ability to entertain each other, and their ability to tire each other out is priceless! There are times when we don't get a walk in for a few days, and these two are no worse for the wear.  

youngun

We have a Boston Terrier who is 6 and a Boxer who is 4. We got our Boxer about 4 years ago, he was about 9 mos. old when we adopted him. (we had also just moved into our new house). Mattie was a little jealous at first, however they love each other. They play together all the time, and it's pretty easy with two. It is more expensive. Our Boxer eats significantly more food than our Boston Terrier, so food, vaccines, HW pills, etc. are more, but there is also more fun and more love. It's great!