We had two black lab sisters. They were a handful! Twice the expense is only the start...we had twice as much destruction - they worked together! - twice as much fun and honestly twice as much love. It was a lot of work, but they were part of the family so you just do what you have to. I will say, when they blew there coats I did not enjoy all that fur !!

Well no one knows what dog the OP's might like. Why mess with a successful family dog? Why risk a potential behavior problem dog in your household? Our lab loves to meet and greet purebred labs on walks. Indifferent but kind and gentle to little pom poms.

We got a dog at the shelter who was described as likely to do best with an older dog (presumably to show her the ropes). Since our older dog had never played beta around other dogs, we assumed that she would be able to manage a younger dog. But the older dog's response was to avoid the younger dog -- I guess that's kind of alpha behavior in that she chooses whether or not to socialize. And the younger dog is like a movie star and has taken over the center of attention -- sleeps with us and hangs out while we watch tv while the older dog is off somewhere else in the house.

I feel a little sad for the older dog but we try to give her extra attention and I feed her first, put her leash on first, etc. Other than that regret, I've grown to like having two dogs. But then we always get dogsitters to stay at our house when we go out of town so it wasn't that much more expensive to add another dog.

We have two dogs. The second was added to give the older one company. They took a while to adjust to adjust to each other and are not best friends, but seem happier with the company. One is male and the other is female, as the breed is prone to same-sex aggression. They are both rescues, 4 years apart in age. The financial commitment is high, but otherwise it's not much more work.

Anonymous wrote:benefits of two dogs: they keep each other company.

drawbacks: twice (or more) of the expense. Harder to find someone to take them when you travel. Twice the pulling power when they want to chase a cat. Twice the chaos when the doorbell rings.

For better or worse, they keep each other company. My dog (beagle/golden mix) was 4ish when we got a 12 month-ish husky mix. What I have since learned is that when adding a second dog, you want one with the same or lower energy level. That would certainly make your house much more chill.

The expense. Yes. The food, the vet bills, the boarding. Many friends will keep one dog but it is hard to find someone who is willing to keep two.

If I had a do-over, I would probably just have my original dog and foster older dogs.

Anonymous wrote:Do not get a second dog for the sole purpose of keeping the other one company. It's twice the work and the two dogs might not get along or be great friends.

My older dog did not like the new dog we got as a companion for him. The new dog was a total a-hole, and would chase the older dog away from his food, and never let him have any attention. Then he developed a seizure disorder, cost us several thousand dollars and we had to put him down.

Obviously this isn't a common occurrence, but I won't have two dogs again.

benefits of two dogs: they keep each other company.

drawbacks: twice (or more) of the expense. Harder to find someone to take them when you travel. Twice the pulling power when they want to chase a cat. Twice the chaos when the doorbell rings.

Ours are lab mixes, mother and daughter.

Do not get a second dog for the sole purpose of keeping the other one company. It's twice the work and the two dogs might not get along or be great friends.

Anonymous wrote:We have a 2 year old lab, who is still full of energy and loves to play. This year, only one of my children is in school full time, so there is always someone around the house. Next year, both of my kids will be in school all day, so he will be left alone more often. He doesn't seem to have separation issues, but it's hard to say because being alone is not part of his current routine. Anyway, I'm thinking about what it would be like to get a second dog. If you have two dogs, what are your thoughts? Are they the same breed? What is the age difference? Any regrets?

Twice as much lab-sized poop.

We have two dogs. Would you like one? I'll drop him off at your place today!

We have a 2 year old lab, who is still full of energy and loves to play. This year, only one of my children is in school full time, so there is always someone around the house. Next year, both of my kids will be in school all day, so he will be left alone more often. He doesn't seem to have separation issues, but it's hard to say because being alone is not part of his current routine. Anyway, I'm thinking about what it would be like to get a second dog. If you have two dogs, what are your thoughts? Are they the same breed? What is the age difference? Any regrets?