Two dogs...one too many?

[Anonymous]

Is having 2 dogs a whole lot more work than having one? Right now, we have a big black lab. She's a good dog, very gentle and well behaved. She is not a cuddler though. She is also much more attached to DH than to DS and me. So, DS and I have decided we want another dog, a medium sized one who will get up on the sofa with us and snuggle. The one we have found is very sweet and very affectionate. She is not a puppy-she is almost 2, house trained and not too rambunctious. I am getting cold feet now that we are supposed to pick her up in 2 days. For those of you who have 2, how much more difficult is it than just having one?

[Anonymous]

I think by picking a dog that isn't a puppy, you're making a very smart decision.

I only have one dog, so I can't help much. But it is smart to get a dog that is already house trained.

[Anonymous]

We have three dogs - that's one too many. I think two is ideal because they usually end up being buddies. It's not a lot more work with another adult dog. Introduce them and if they get along, I say go for it!

[Anonymous]

Twice as expensive, not that much more work. The biggest pain my dogs are for me is when traveling and finding someone to watch them, and you already gotta do that with just one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have three dogs - that's one too many. I think two is ideal because they usually end up being buddies. It's not a lot more work with another adult dog. Introduce them and if they get along, I say go for it!

I agree.

If you were getting a puppy, THEN, I would say two dogs is 4x as much work. But older is easier.

[Anonymous]

When I had two dogs (one just recently passed away), I always thought it would be so much easier to travel if we only had one dog.

We almost always took them with us and having two just seemed like too much baggage. I liked that they could play together but I don't think I'll be getting another dog anytime soon. One is fine.

[Anonymous]

We recently got a second dog, a 2 year old rescue. It was challenging at first, but they are now best friends. One will hang with my husband in his man cave, the other will hang with me.

It is more expensive (flea medication/food/vet bills). but it's worth it. and when you do travel, they have each other to keep company. We always felt horrible leaving our dog. Now they have each other.

Go for it. you won't regret it.

[Anonymous]

Two weeks ago, we adopted a brother/sister duo. We had one dog previously which I thought was perfect. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of two dogs. However, I had a hard time breaking up the duo. At this moment, I think we made the right decision.

It is quite a bit more money. They both have to be groomed. We need double the food, treats, beds, collars, etc. I also cannot imagine travelling in the car with both of them! They are huge. The male is 100lbs. The female is 65.

Having said all that, they play really well together and dependent on each other. We are really enjoying two. I suppose the first trip will be quite the adventure.

[Anonymous]

We have 2 adopted westies. The first one was 4 when we got him and he had a sister someone adopted the day before. When we heard about a 3 year old girl we decided he might like it. The first 2 weeks were hell. He has very good manners she was an unreceptive breader that was given up and just wild. Well, she turned into the sweetest thing on earth and they adore each other. It makes it easier to leave them when going to work. It is expensive though. The frontline, heartguard. boarding, grooming and vet bills add up quickly but I love having two dogs. There will be some issues until they decide who the alpha dog is. Usually only a week or two three at most. You have to butt out and let them work it out.

[Anonymous]

two doge is the way to go, they play together, keep each other company etc.

[Anonymous]

Our dogs are NOT friends. We had hoped they would be but it just didn't happen. After 7 years together they've learned to tolerate each other, but they don't hang out together and occasionally they fight, which is very unpleasant. There is twice as much dog hair, twice the wear and tear on our floors, and twice the expense. It's harder to walk two at a time and I can't do it while pushing a stroller. Traveling is a huge pain in the ass. We adore both of our dogs but after they are gone we wouldn't do two at a time again.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the responses. In general, I am feeling better and ready for my new little girl.

[Anonymous]

We have one dog and then serve as fosters for a rescue org, so sometimes we're a one dog family and sometimes we're a two dog family. I love having two. The dog hair is doubled, and esp if the dogs are different colors, it means that the hair shows not only on black pants but also on the light floor. The food, meds, vet, etc costs are doubled when we're two, and simple things like feeding get complicated if the two dogs can't be fed together (our dog is very mellow but is not happy about another dog coming near his bowl). But overall, we have found that two dogs tend to complement each other. Our dog always makes friends with our fosters, and he looks after them esp in the first couple of days when they are settling in. Although our dog is afraid of thunder, in a storm if we have a foster, he becomes the brave one and goes to comfort the visiting dog. It's very cute, and I love watching the interaction between them.

If you're not sure, you may want to think about fostering...this way you could try out having two and see how it feels?
Good luck either way.

[Anonymous]

Twice the dogs= twice the filth in the house.

[Anonymous]

One dog is too many and three is too many. Two is the RIGHT amount. (Says the woman with three dogs, who has has one, two or three at any given time for the past 38 years)