DH thinks we should get a 2nd dog....UPDATE!

[lilpritch04]

OK, we have a 10 mo puppy, Q. She is a sweetheart--but very hyper. We do play with her in the evenings and on weekends--in addition to her walks--but DH feels that the real solution would be to get another dog for her to play with. Right now she is still chewing quite a few things and he thinks that if we had another dog, she wouldn't be as bored and therefor wouldn't chew.

I had 2 dogs when I was growing up and one of them was a chewer and the other wasn't; so I don't think his logic is completely valid (although I know that dogs tend to chew out of bordom).

Does anyone have experience with this? Any advice?

Here are my problems:
--Q is in a kennel during the day--so the 2nd dog would presumably be in a kennel too. Would this cause them stress?? Q was quite distructive to our home before we kenneled her, so I'm afraid of letting her run loose in the house, especially with another dog. Also, Q has had accidents in the house before she was kenneled, but no problems since. DH thinks that the 2 dogs should have run of the house when we're not there and it makes me nervous.

--Our yard is fences, but not well. The sellers just put up a wire fence so it is not completely sturdy. Q isn't a digger and doesn't even try to go through it or under/over it. What if the other dog does?

--Q is a Humane Society Pedigree (read: mutt) and we would probably get another dog from the Humane Society as well. I know that they allow you to bring a dog back if they don't get along with your other pets, but I don't know if I could bring myself to do that. Q is good with other animals, but she is also an Alpha dog. What if things don't work out with her, or if something else goes wrong in the house. Then what??

As you can see, I am very concerned about this. In the beginning we had contemplated getting 2 puppies, but we didn't want to have to potty train 2 dogs (I still don't want to potty train another dog) and we weren't sure how large Q would get to be. She is now 55lbs, and while she may gain weight, is full grown.

I would love to have another dog, but I am worried.
What do you all think?

 

[gallaj0]

Consider getting an older dog.
The pounds have plenty of older, calmer dogs that would love a good home, and may be a good example for a young pup.

They are already house trained, and usually won't chew unless something is really wrong.

 

[puffkin]

We were in a similar situation. Murphy is a beagle, and I have had beagles my whole life, so I am used to that type of dog. Well, Murphy needed a ridiculous amount of attention. He was nuts, constantly wanting to play, fight, bark and carry on. We were starting to lose our sanity! We considered getting another dog, but the thought of getting one that acted just like Murphy outweighed any benefits another dog might bring.

We decided to go the cat route. I have never had cats and didn't particularly like them, but we thought perhaps Murphy would get along with a cat. Well, our plan worked BRILLIANTLY. We got a 14 week old female kitten (adopted her from a pet foster care organization). After a few tense days of hissing and barking, they get along great. They are best friends. Instead of attacking us, the dog fights with Lilly. And, she dishes it right back.

For a cat, Lilly is pretty affectionate, but it is nowhere near what a dog can be. She pretty much takes care of herself. We kennel Murphy when we are away, but Lilly has free access to the rest of the house. We keep her litter and food in the basement, and we have a catflap for her. This works out well, because she can go down there when she needs time to herself. I never thought I would like a cat, but I really like Lilly. The dog and cat are constantly together and it has worked out great for our family.

Just a suggestion, but this worked out great for us.

 

[skuttle]

We brought home our Yorkie, Maggie, when she was very young. Two years later, we brought home our Corgi, Milo, when he was 6 months old (Maggie was almost 2 at the time).

Maggie is still very hyper when we first get home or when people come visit. Milo has not helped calm her in those situations at all!

For a while both dogs were each in their own kennel during the day and I don't think this has bothered them at all. Now, they both stay in our bedroom all day.

I'm not sure if they really like each other....it's more that Maggie tolerates Milo. She's so spoiled!!

 

[lilpritch04]

If we had cats in the house, both DH and I would be driven out LOL!

DH thinks that we should get another dog about the same age as Q. I don't think either of us would do a pup again--but there is a 3 mo lab/collie and a 4 mo lab/heeler at the humane society right now. Q is a shephard/collie/lab mix so I'm not sure if we should get another herding breed or go in the complete opposite direction. I would love to have another dog, but I am so worried!

Any other thoughts/words of wisdom/advice??

 

[Luckymommyx2]

If you choose to adopt another dog, especially from the Humane Society, they will more than likely insist that you take your puppy to meet the new dog you intend to adopt. You should ask about returning the dog if you're concerned.
We had a puppy that chewed and crated. Some dogs actually like to be crated because they feel secure. If you crate the puppy, maybe you can find a seperate room where she won't see the new dog (uncrated.)
We have an older dog with our puppy and it has worked out very well. I think it would be great if you could find room in your heart and home for an older dog that needs adopting. Good luck and keep us posted on your decision.

 

[lilpritch04]

Originally posted by skuttle

I'm not sure if they really like each other....it's more that Maggie tolerates Milo. She's so spoiled!!

This is how it was at my parent's house when we had 2 dogs. Brownie was our first and we got him as a pup. We adopted Rosie when she was 6 and Brownie was 5. I don't think they ever befriended each other, but simply tolerated one another.

Although Q is very good with other dogs (better with dogs than people ) she is a herding breed and I'm not sure if that would be a problem or not. When she is with a group of dogs one of her favorite games is to herd them all in the corner.

I'm just at such a loss. There are times when she is so frusterating because she has so much energy and needs so much attention (I've NEVER had a dog like this before) and sometimes I think that she does just really need a playmate; but then I worry that if we get another dog that they will have the same behavior and we will absolutely lose our minds!

 

[Crankyshank]

I would go with an older dog as well. The ASPCA should be able to tell you if an older dog is a digger or escape artist as well.

We have 2. Our older one had serious problems with separation anxiety and we brought a male puppy home. They aggravate each other but a second dog calmed our older one a lot. They also play together quite a bit and I feel less guilty leaving them home alone because they amuse each other.

The male is very protective of his big sister. It's very cute to see him checking out other dogs that pay attention to her.

The little one is away today having surgery and his "sister" really misses him and is lonely without him.

As far as hyperactivity, another dog won't help with that. I have the same problem with mine getting excited when I come home or they meet new people. That's my fault for not socializing them enough

 

[Amy]

I'm sure most humane societies work the same way. We've had a mutt (Shepherd/husky mix) that we got from the Animal Rescue League about 6-7 years ago. She's a barker, and not very playful with the boys. So last fall, we decided to get another dog, and we adopted Charlie (lab mix) 2 days after Christmas. He's only 2 and extremely playful, high energy. Anyway, when we went to pick out Charlie, we found 3 dogs that we all liked. They had us come back the next day and bring Sheba so we could see how she reacted to each of the 3 dogs. One was older and didn't really care too much, another had Sheba hiding under the chair, and Charlie seemed to do ok. I know the pound isn't the best environment to introduce the dogs, but at least you don't take a dog home and then have to bring it back.

 

[lilpritch04]

I'll have to check with the Golden Valley/Coon Rapids Humane Society here to see if they allow meeting on their property pre-adoption. When we adopted Rosie (12 years ago) they suggested that we introduce her to Brownie in a neutral area, so we brought them to the park. We had 30 days to return her if things weren't working out. They may have changed their policy, so I'll check.

I know not all older dogs are the same, but in our experience Q just wants to play too much and older dogs seem to get fed up with her and a few have actually hidden. I know they are not all the same. I'm still not sold on getting another dog, but I am considering it. If we decide to, hopefully we can bring Q along to help us with our decision.

 

[Crankyshank]

An older dog- around 2 or 3 would be good. Young enough to play and passed the puppy stage

 

[Dee & Greg]

I volunteered at the Humane Society for 10 years where we used to live...
I highly recommend a 2nd dog. Our girl was lonely, so I brought home another "baby". Our older dog slept with her nose against the crate; touching the "baby's" nose. It was very sweet. She also pretty much house-trainer our newcomer. That was 8 years ago! They are very close. I think we could have kept both of them in seperate crates next to each other and they would have been fine. I highly recommend a little older dog; someone who can keep up with your current fur baby.
Most humane societies will encourage you to bring in your current dog and do some introducing. Yes, it's stressful, but you will have an idea of how well they will get along right away.
Two are easier than one!!

 

[MerryPoppins]

We have 3 dogs and a cat. 2 dogs and 1 cat live inside with us and 1 is an outdoor dog. They get along famously and they do entertain each other. I can't claim that they play together all that much, but they do everything together. The 2 indoor bichons can't even go outside alone. They are great company for each other. The cat also thinks he's a dog, so he instigates play with them frequently.

We bought the second bichon when we had to put down another dog. Sasha went into deep depression. The vet said she was lonely. She missed her old friend. She wasn't thrilled with the pup, but I must say that within a few days they were fast friends. In fact, I think Sasha thinks she's the mama. She still washes Holly's face and Holly is about 7 years old now!

Oh, I almost forgot. We have a large cage in the laundry room and we crate them together at night and when we are away. They prefer to be together. (Maybe not as much at first when the youngest was a puppy, but definitely now.) So much so that when we travel and kennel them, we ask to put them together for security.

 

[lilpritch04]

Hmmm...I'm starting to sway....
I really do love dogs, so this is very hard for me. I just don't know if it is in everyone's best interest to adopt another dog.

As for crating them together, I don't know if there would be a large enough kennel---Q is already in an XL kennel. She's a very tall 55lbs.

I will definitely show this thread to DH. We will have to have some serious conversations soon if he really wants to do this. We'll see.

 

[MerryPoppins]

Well the two that we crate together are lap dogs. I can see that the size of the dog could be a challenge in that regard. Mine can both stretch out and there's still plenty of room left over.

I'm sure there would be some jealousy if you adopt another, but they do get a lot of joy out of the company of another dog. Good luck in your decision.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Here's what I'm doing. We have a very hyper 6 month old lab mix. I really want to adopt an older golden from a rescue agency, perhaps one that is 2 or 3. We have never had 2 dogs, so over Thanksgiving we are "petsitting" our friends' 18 month old lab while they go to Georgia. Both will be crated at night and if we are gone. If that works out we will get another dog. Do you have a friends' dog you could "borrow" for a while?
Robin M.

 

[lilpritch04]

Robin,
Unfortunately there isn't really a dog we can borrow. My friend has a pit bull that she plays with on occasion, but Kiara also chews on everything, so I would never bring her into the house for an extended period of time--but she has spent the day with us. Other than her, all my friends own small dogs and Q herds them like sheep. She also plays a bit too rough for them.

She is great with dogs that are around her size and larger.

I am slightly worried about the jealousy issue. Right now she is our baby, but if we have another dog she will have to share face time with them. I don't know.

I just talked to DH and he was looking at the ahshc.org website too and saw a few of the same dogs that I did. He wants to go tonight! So, I think we are going to pack up Q and take her to the ahs to meet and greet some other dogs.

I'm still skeptical, but I love dogs so much that it is hard to say "No."

Thanks for all your advice--keep it coming!
I still don't know if we get another dog if s/he will be crated at night or not (Q sleeps with us). We'll see.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Good luck if you go tonight. I know if I would go and see all those dogs it would be next to impossible to come home with (at least) one more!! Keep us posted....

 

[Rozzie]

hats off to you for being the kind person to adopt from the Humane Society. My Dh and I have 3 adopted dogs, err...quiet, they don't know they are dogs....lol... we have 2 rescued greyhounds. We got the first and then "chipped" as we say in our rescue group, (can never have one chip) well the difference it made when we brought home our #2 dog. They became the best of friends. We rescued a border collie later, and even though she sticks close to me, we have no problems at all. We always have dogs over, we have dog friendly home, bible studies is "bring your dog", birthday parties for dogs, etc... my experience is exactly what you said earlier, let the introductions be made in neutral territory....now the cat is another matter....our cat rules the 3 dogs!
If the dogs you see don't work out, consider a greyhound. They are the most docile, wonderful dogs we have ever owned. (we have done dobies to poodles) very child safe and come housetrained and crate trained. (of course there are always exceptions). very trusting, and hardly bark.
good luck with your decision, and bless you for rescuing. I wish everyone knew what wonderful bonds are made between rescues and their adopted parents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lilpritch04]

OK, this is what happened. What a roller coaster of emotions!

We adopted Thor, 11mo lab mix, on Monday night and brought him home to meet Q, 10 mo shephard/border collie. Q is very much so the Alpha dog in every situation, so we introduced them while on a walk and let them play in the baseball field. Then we went to our back yard and eventually into the house. Everything was great. They were having a great time!

Tuesday they played even more, but we noticed Thor hopping up the stairs and thought that was odd. He didn't seem to be in any pain and still wanted to play, so off they went. Wednesday was more of the same, but that night he was moving quite slowly and would sometimes seem stiff after laying down.

On Thursday we brought him to our vet for a check up. We told her about our observations and she went to test his range of motion. Without Xrays she couldn't confirm anything, but she was 99% sure that he had hip dysplasia and that it was severe. I think I started to cry in her office. We were both devestated.

DH and I discussed our options with her and she was certain that he would be on life long meds and need surgery, he would also need to be able to rest a lot.

After our appointment we called the vet at the Humane Society and told her what we found out. I was crying so hard that I made her cry. She had said that they only do blood work and check for flees and other skin conditions and that they previous owners said nothing of physical limitations or health conditions. Our vet said that he probably started showing symptoms 5 or 6 months ago.

Anyway, we have Q who is a very active 10 mo puppy and the truth is that if we were to keep Thor, he would never get the amount of rest he would need and because he is still young it would be hard to stop him from playing. The AHS vet started calling rescue homes for him on Thursday night and we brought him back on Friday afternoon. We are heartbroken.

Thor was a wonderful dog. He was happy and just wanted to please. We know that our home would not be a good environment for him, but having to bring him back was one of the hardest decisions we have ever made. The AHS vet is fairly certain that he will place in a rescue home, but if not, our Humane Society is a no kill shelter and unless he gets a life threatening illness or bites somebody he will stay up for adoption (unless he is placed). They will also get him the Xrays to determine the course of action they need to take and so his heath condition can be fully disclosed to either the rescue home or potential adopters.

Our poor Q keeps looking for him. For 2 days she sat in our foyer barking at the garage door because that is the last time she saw him. She also took his blanket and pulled it under the bed and stayed there for 2 hours. We are all just beside ourselves.

Thor was a great dog and truly one of a kind. We miss him greatly. I know that he will make another family very happy. As for us, we aren't ready to look again, but we will get another pal for Q. She was a much better dog when she had a companion and we so much loved having another pup in the house.

Thank you for everything.