Are two dogs better than one?

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Gemmasfa

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As title really I have a 14 month old labrador cross bitch and we are looking at getting another dog for company for her and a playmate. Apart from the obvious expense, i'm looking for peoples views as the whether it would be beneficial for our girl! We have been looking at another rescue as she is and an older dog - around 6 years old?

Thanks
 
Yes. I'd never go back to having a lone dog again. It means they have someone to interact with when you aren't around etc. For me it makes everything easier :)
 
Aw Meg will be lively one ha, we are going to go see a male lab tomorrow at the same rescue she is from and take my girl with me so fingers crossed. Yeah me and my partner work she is happy on her own but obviously would be better with a friend
 
Kitsune said:
Yes. I'd never go back to having a lone dog again. It means they have someone to interact with when you aren't around etc. For me it makes everything easier :)
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How interesting, I have been thinking about getting another dog (I have a 6 year old bitch) but had assumed it would make life a lot harder. Company isn't too much of an issue as I'm lucky enough to be able to take Islay to work with me so she is very rarely left alone. I'd love another dog, but thought it would make things like walking and training more difficult and I'm worried it would affect my relationship with my current girl. I'd be interested to hear how it makes things easier? Is it mainly the company thing? Same question to Smiffyimp :D
 
I'm really enjoying just having one dog right now from the 3 i had last month.

Even though my dogs were BFF's when i was home the hardly interacted at all when i was gone.
 
it depends on the dog
i had my first dog for over 3 years on her own before we got another..she was fine,lots of attention and interaction with other dogs..it was me who wanted another

when we lost our first,the second dogs grieved for along time as she had never been on her own..we now have two again

i know a few owners who just have the one,and they are fine as long they get out and about and meeting doggy friends there no reason why you shouldnt just have the one

two pups are hard work togther..but this again depends on the breed and dog
 
I would always want to have 2 dogs together as they have company with each other when we are out for the day etc.

However, not sure about what will happy if/when Daisy goes to doggy heaven before Boris as he isn't very sociable and not sure he would get on with a new dog...
 
Yes! We've had two dogs, sometimes three but that's another story, for the last 30 years or so, and would never go back to just having one. They stimulate each other, calm each other, you don't feel such a heel if you have to go out and leave them, they make bolder guards - and can lick each other's ears out (unless you particularly enjoy doing that!!)

Over the years we've worked out that, for us, the best mix is always a dog and a bitch together, and with one preferably 3-4 years older than the other. We only have rescue dogs and tend not to choose puppies as we feel those get snapped up anyway. There are so many older dogs who can set a great example to a youngster. Our current ones are a GSD x whippet bitch (12) and a foxhound x pointer dog (8). the bitch was greatly missing her late companion and perked up enormously when bouncing Bertie arrived. Good luck with your choice.
 
We got a second dog 18 months ago. Our old lad was about 15 at the time. It gave him a new lease of life and the new dog settled well with the old dog for company. It worked welll for us and i wish we had got a second dog sooner. we did have three for a time before the old dog passed on and that was much harder work.
 
Thanks for everyones replies. I definately think it would be beneficial for my girl.

Just hope meeting tomorrow goes well - he is male and 6 years old so think will be a good mix with my young girl.
 
It's handy for company and for lazy humans who like to watch their dogs chase each other like me :p
I doubt I'd go back to a single dog but I would not get the same age/litter siblings again.
 
lindsayH said:
How interesting, I have been thinking about getting another dog (I have a 6 year old bitch) but had assumed it would make life a lot harder. Company isn't too much of an issue as I'm lucky enough to be able to take Islay to work with me so she is very rarely left alone. I'd love another dog, but thought it would make things like walking and training more difficult and I'm worried it would affect my relationship with my current girl. I'd be interested to hear how it makes things easier? Is it mainly the company thing? Same question to Smiffyimp :D
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It makes my life easier because I don't worry so much if I'm out and about and I'm that little bit later coming home etc - they have each other. Going on holiday - less worry, they can be kennelled or left at home with a sitter and are always together - their life is less interrupted by me not being around.
Walking is really easy with mine (on in each hand :) )
Training was difficult, but I got my bitch Lil quite soon after Roly (I'd had Roly for 3 months) so some things are really lost to her training wise! Do you think I can get one of them to do ONE thing, without being mauled or generally distracted by the other one?! Think doggy version of pulling faces at each other :D

But still, wouldn't change it for the world. Sometimes I'll catch them lying on each other, or nose to nose sleeping and I think that they are two perfect little peas in a pod :D
 
For the first time ever I had two dogs from about August and it worked great. I lost my bulldog on sunday and my other dog really misses him.

I will get another when its not so raw for her benefit as much as mine.
 
We've always had lots of dogs in the family home, up to five at a time. When I got married we initially rescued a single dog and quickly rehomed another so had two with no problems. When they had to be put to sleep we got another rescue who was very demanding, had heaps of energy and was an absolute lunatic. I got another rescue dog to keep him company and I did think it would help to settle him down. In reality though it just got him more hyped and made everything much harder! He is slightly calmer now, but he is twelve years old and a big dog. I think our other rescue missed out on attention sometimes as he is so demanding too. With hindsight he would possibly have been better as a single dog, but I would never part with one once it is through our door.

So I would say that generally it is fine having more than one dog, but in certain cases it is harder work! Worth bearing in mind that it is twice as much hair to hoover up, eight paws to wipe instead of four after they've been out and bad habits can rub off so you've got to be on the ball with training!
 
Well you could say the meeting went well so can i introduce you to Paddy the new addition and Jerry bean

wum9ms.jpg


He really is a lovely boy - he is cheeky, left them in the house for half an hour and had eaten 2 bread buns off the side ha x
 
BBH said:
For the first time ever I had two dogs from about August and it worked great. I lost my bulldog on sunday and my other dog really misses him.

I will get another when its not so raw for her benefit as much as mine.
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Jeez :( sorry to hear that :( hope you're OK.


Paddy looks like he has made himself at home already OP :)
 
Would agree depends on the dogs concerned but my dogs love the company of each other. We have recently got a new dog from Dogs Trust. She had to be rehomed because she had separation anxiety. But she has been coping well with short periods at our home with my other dogs for company if we are out. I don't think she would have done so well without the other dogs being there. Having said that there are lots of dogs at Dogs Trust who are regarded as preferring to be the only dog in the home.
 
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