Should I Get A Second Dog?

[Red Dirt Dobie]

Hi,

This is my first post, so please be gentle :-)

I've read a few topics similar to this, but there were a few specific things I was hoping for some advice on...

I have an 18 month old female dobermann. She is extremely energetic (very high drive) and also loves to be around humans and other dogs. Since I the day she come home with me I've been predominantly working out of my home office. So she's always had me around for most of the day and it seems like we've established a pretty strong bond.

However, my work arrangements have recently changed. I'm now working 9am to 6pm from an office away from home. I still make the time to walk/exercise with her at least once a day (usually twice a day), as well as some mental stimluation to keep her happy. But she seems to not be quite as happy as she was when I was around all the time. I'm pretty sure she just spends most of the day chilling out in her doggie bed. I've also been told by my housemates and neighbors that she has not been crying at all during the day, but when I pull into the driveway she's usually having a decent cry until I let her inside (only once she's settled - as not to reward the crying).

In another topic, there were a number of posts by people who only had one dog. Many of these seemed to by by people whose circumstances prevented having multiple dogs, or their dogs didn't get along with others. My dog loves the company of other dogs, and has never paid any attention to me petting and/or playing with other dogs, so I doubt there would be any major issues.

So that's a summary of my situation, and my questions are:

Is there a real benefit to her general happiness if a k9 friend was to join the family? (ie. Should I get another dog?)

Or, would it be better for her not having to share the shorter amount of time we have together?

Or am I just being paranoid? And she is probably just as happy as she's always been.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and I look forward to some different points of view :-)

[pie]

Welcome to DOL

I went from one dog to two about 2 years ago.

The most important point is that you have to get the dog because you want to, not because you think your other dog will like company.

Honestly I think my first dog was fine by himself, he never fretted, didn't mind being left alone, was never destructive. We worked full time then and still do now. The second dog however has some separation anxiety issues despite always having the other dog around.

Two dogs are harder to deal with than one for sure, and cost more.

I don't regret getting my second dog at all because she is very very special to me, but I do accept that my first dog was quite happy to be solo, although he does love her now.

Good luck with it :D

[persephone]

Hi

questions:

would there be a real benefit to you if another dog joined the family?

are you happy to have twice the walking/training/grooming/vet bills?

are the family/housemates happy to have another dog in the house?

are you prepared for you nice settled dog to maybe learn bad habits/become more active and perhaps noisier (when playing) ?

[blitz3]

how about doggy daycare

[mita]

Welcome, RDD! I hope you enjoy your time on DOL.

Such a coincidence about your question re a 2nd dog. Only yesterday, I had a visit from a friend who adopted a 2nd dog a few weeks ago....after a huge amount of thought.

The first & only dog was a beautiful boy, but he could get very anxious & defensive around other dogs. He was a lovely house dog, tho, & very protective and watchful over his family.. When he came to visit a while back, his body language was anxious in high alert. He really couldn't relax.

A dog behaviourist suggested that just the right kind of 2nd dog would help him. His owner agreed....a 2nd dog that would take some of those feelings of having to be responsible all the time, off him.

Well, after great thought, a female dog of the same breed was adopted from a registered breeder. She was known for her rock-solid confidence, loving nature and being cruisy in the face of everyone & everything.

I saw the 2 of them together yesterday. After only a few weeks of 'bonding', I couldn't believe the difference in the male dog.

All the anxious body language had drained away & there was no constant alert defensiveness. He obvously adores his new 'sister' & has actually taken on a lot of her confidence & cruisiness.

And the new 'sister' was thoroughly enjoying being loved by all in her new forever home.

The trick here was not just getting a second dog, but working to get the right match between the 2.

Best wishes if you go the same route!

Edited October 20, 2011 by mita

[HazyWal]

Welcome to DOL

I went from one dog to two about 2 years ago.

The most important point is that you have to get the dog because you want to, not because you think your other dog will like company.

Honestly I think my first dog was fine by himself, he never fretted, didn't mind being left alone, was never destructive. We worked full time then and still do now. The second dog however has some separation anxiety issues despite always having the other dog around.

Two dogs are harder to deal with than one for sure, and cost more.

I don't regret getting my second dog at all because she is very very special to me, but I do accept that my first dog was quite happy to be solo, although he does love her now.

Good luck with it :D

I could swear you were talking about my two amypie you have just described them to a tee.Welcome to DOL RDD.I was always a solo dog owner but have been lucky to only work part time and am home a lot so I fostered greyhounds.When my girl came along I adopted her as well.I never thought I would have two dogs and now I have I've never been happier.Good luck.

[lovemyrottie]

i'm also considering getting my rottie a sister sometime in the near future but does anyone know what age gap between the two would be the most suitable (for those of you who own more than one dog)? i don't want to buy one just yet maybe in a year or so until my current one's well trained and matured but i'm curious whether such a huge age gap (a year or more) will be a problem?

[Dame Aussie]

I see no real issue from what you have said, it sounds like she would love to have a mate.

As others have said though, you need to be sure it's what you want and you have the time/money to deal with two.

I got my second dog only a few months after my first dog, I'm sure she couldn't have cared less whether there was another dog around but they're best mates now and I have no regrets

[Pollywaffle]

from my own experience, I believe that getting our second (and equally fantastic) dog was both the making of our other dog and an additional delight to OH and I. Both dogs have flourished with the new arrangements and have now lived and played together for four years.

[Guest english.ivy]

I added another dog when my first was 18 months old and I think she would have been fine on her own, I wanted another dog, so I did just that.

I don't regret it at all. Pure delight watching them play together and having the two different personalities around.

[anna]

We got our second dog when our first was about 12 months old. She was fine as a single dog and I'm sure would have continued to be fine, but we wanted a second dog! OH was training our first dog and I liked the idea of having a second dog that *I* could train and show. We love having two dogs, they are such excellent company :D

[BC Crazy]

I got my 2nd dog when my first one was 2 & a bit. Sonny was very happy on his own I think but I wanted another dog & I got her cause I had space in my heart for 2. Our experience has been a wonderful transition. They get along

famously well. I have to wake them up to walk them cause from the time I let them out in the morning all they do is play together & then they just conk out. Training the younger one is a bit of a challange ATM but we

are getting there with the help I am receiving from fellow DOLER'S. No regrets at all though. I am loving it & so are my furry kids. Good luck with what ever you decide.

Edited October 21, 2011 by BC Crazy

[dandybrush]

i have to say lovemyrottie you do want to wait until your dog is a bit older, my age gap is about 2 years between my pair, and prob in all honesty isnt big enough a gap, i still want to put heaps of work into my older boy, now i have to divide my time to another dog. but that said they get on famously, play all the time (when im to lazy to play with them ) and i do love my baby girl to bits and its quite fun learning to train a different natured dog

now red dirt dobe. only get another dog like everyone has said if YOU want one, not for a friend for your current one. my boy was quite content on his own and very well behaved (im having barking complaints from my neighbours because of my pup atm) you will face different challenges to the ones you faced with your first pet, are you ready to put in more time and effort into another pup?

good luck whatever you decide, i bet your girl is just happy being at home knowing you will return every day to her

[pie]

Yep I agree with Dandybrush my two are two years apart, a bigger gap would have been better, but the rest just fell into place and I couldn't turn it down.

In the future I will probably have a larger gap, preferably 5 years or so depending on breed

[alpha bet]

Dogs love having another dog however you only need another dog if you want one and can deal with the added expense.

Always try to encourage clients to wait until their dogs are 2.5 to 3 years before getting another dog. Partly because it allows them to bond well with each dog.

Personally, I usually have 3-5 dogs and we generally have about 3 years between each dog (However we get our dogs as pups). This allows us to have and enjoy each dog thru puppyhood and into adulthood before the next pup arrives and the process continues. My youngest dog is an entire male who is now 2.5 years and I now feel he is getting to a stage where he would be relaxed and happy to share his space. I also like our human family members to have a chance to bond individually with each of the dogs before adding another - This also allows the olders dogs to have a great influence over the new pup.

[Esky the husky]

I have a similar scenario to you red dirt dobie.

When we first got Esky I was unemployed so had plenty of time around for bonding.

Things went south and we ended up having to move in with my partners family for far too long.

In that time she had 3 other dogs to play with (and one grumpy chihuahua who didn't like to play)

I unfortunately also remained unemployed until we had moved out of there and into our own place.

Finally I found a job when Esky was 11 months old. Meaning that both my partner and I weren't around very much.

This has been going on for a year now, and although she doesn't have as much company I think she's fine.

I do very much want another dog- for me- but it will have to be the right dog, and that is going to take sooome waiting!

[lovemyrottie]

thanks for the advise guys!

i'm actually glad most of you said a bigger age gap's better cause i wasn't planning to get another one anytime soon but in the future when i save up some money for another one, and everything that comes with it. i just thought all the people that have a few dogs had them all grow up together but i don't think i could manage two puppies at once, too much bloody work! reason i want another one is cause i'm just so freaking in love with rotties. if i could, i'd have 10 of them!

[sandgrubber]

Many years ago I took on a tenant, two unit property, shared backyard. She had a young spayed female dobie. I had a young spayed female Lab (Lab X??? . . . rescue dog). Her dobie beat the sh#t out of my Lab in the first few days, with no worse costs than a little blood and a somewhat macerated ear. After that they were great friends and I'm sure both dogs benefitted. When the tenant eventually moved on to other quarters, my dog mourned the loss of her companion.

I personally -- and there is no science to back this -- think dogs hate being alone and like company, even if it means putting up with a bit of rough adjustment. I have never found that having a second (or third) dog interferes with bonding of the dog to the owner.

Of course, as others have said, it's not ok to take on another dog if you can't manage it. But based on a sample of one, I'd say that dobies like company, may be a bit dominant at first, but in the long term work out well being companions to both another dog and the owner.