How did you know you were ready for another dog?

[arivecchi]

We've been thinking about getting another dog lately. I really want to but want to make sure I've thought this through. We'd get another great dane. My biggest concern is transportation. We would not be able to transport two danes at once unless we got a van!

Would love to hear what others have considered when making this decision.

[elektra]

I think you really thought through everything with getting your first dog and now that you know what you are in for, I think if you feel the time is right, it probably is!
Part of the reason I got my SUV was because when pregnant with DD, a vehicle with that amount of cargo space was required to transport both dogs along with DD, and my sedan was not going to cut it anymore . So while it does seem slightly crazy to get some big van, I personally did purchase a vehicle with my dogs in mind- it just happened to be a more "regular" type of car.
We did not think things through a ton when we got our second dog TBH. I had just lost a pregnancy and DH really wanted the second dog. It was like a sort of replacement to the lost baby or something. He was the one really pushing for it. I do feel like things are a little too crazy with two dogs sometimes, but overall, I think it was good for our first dog to have a companion as he has a nervous personality and had some minor separation anxiety.
We had both dogs before the kids came along.

[trales]

This is not necessarily a helpful answers but . . . . YOU JUST KNOW. :wink2: If it feels right and you know the time is right, it is.

[elliput]

Puppy/Dog fever is a lot like baby fever, isn't it?

[acmom]

We thought about another dog a few years ago (we have a lab), but decided against it then mainly bc of travel. At the time we lived far from both family and traveled to see them a fair amount. It seemed hard to take 2 dogs (plus a baby and a toddler) on long car rides. We also don't board our current lab bc she gets really anxious about it (she rubbed her nose raw the one night she was in a kennel!). We have friends and family who take care of her for us when we go away and it seemed like a lot more to ask them to take 2 dogs, especially since some of them already had pets of their own. My mom also has some allergies to dogs and it isnt too bad for her at our house with one, but when she goes to a house with multiple dogs, it is much harder for her allergy and asthma wise. If those things weren't issues for us, we probably would have done it. Our dog is older now and she doesn't need the playmate as much as she did several years ago when she was a lot more active. I think if your whole family is on board for two dogs and it seems like your current dog would enjoy it and handle it well, then go for it! When we were looking at it, I did read that it is important to find a good personality match for both dogs.

[maestramommy]

I was actually about to jump off that cliff and get another dog. I even had a foster lined up to do a meet and greet. The reason I decided against it were a couple of reasons 1) I wanted one partly as a companion for Shep, who was starting to nibble on his mattress again, a symptom of boredom. Yet, he hates running and I wanted a real running partner. BUT Dh was unconvinced that this second dog wouldn't make Shep feel like a total 3rd wheel, esp. if the kids really took to her (they're not all that crazy about him). 2) The kids are obsessed with getting a cat and/or bunny. Getting Shep was really for ME, so I feel like the next time we bring an animal into our home we should consider the kids and what they want. They never asked to get a dog, *I* wanted a dog. So I feel like it's not fair to them to get yet another dog, leaving the possibility of getting a cat or bunny even more remote.
3) Yeah, travel is a big one. We have to leave Shep with Dh's aunt when we go on road trips, and we're lucky we can do that instead of boarding. Adding another dog might be more of a burden than she can handle (she already has a dog, who stays with us when she travels). We are talking about going camping and stuff in the near future, and right now we are having trouble logisticating even one dog, because of the limitations of our cars. Do you have a minivan or 3rd row SUV? Then maybe that's not so much an issue.

After making this decision I started watching Shep more closely and it's clear that while he loves playing with other dogs, what he really loves is people. He loves playing with them, but esp. being petted and fawned over, lol. So I've decided instead to try get him his Canine Good Citizen cert, then enroll him in a therapy dog program. It would be great if he could visit nursing homes and such. he's pretty mellow most of the time, and when people are scratching his years he practically faints with ecstasy.

[Tanya]

I'm sticking with one dog this time.

Last time, I thought our dog needed another dog. Well, it turns out she would have preferred being an only dog. They got along okay, but they were not best buddies or even close. We learned that the first dog just liked people better and while she loved puppies, she wasn't interested after that.
It was harder to travel with two. It was harder to walk two (especially once we had kids and were dealing with holding hands and pushing strollers, etc.). It was harder to feed two.

So, those two dogs have been gone for awhile. We got a puppy this summer and I just keep reminding myself that one is enough for us. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that though!

[cvanbrunt]

You are ready. Now go get that big sweetie!

[sophiesmom03]

We got the bigger SUV to accommodate 2 Newfs. Now we wish we'd done a van instead so we didn't need the ramp.

I just knew. But it has been hard. First dog has been very trouble free and healthy (knock wood). Second dog had $8K in surgery her first year, multiple maintenance issues (acupuncture, chiropractic, Adequan, supplements) her second year, then her third finally completely blew out both knees and now, 15 months, six surgeries, maxed out insurance benefits, maxed out credit cards later, she got a clean bill of health. I truly could have covered a year of college for what we spent on her so far. This is not to mention the emotional toll and stress of wondering if she's all right, if she's limping again, if we can really leave the house for 6 hours, if we should (and did) postpone vacation because we can't leave a lame dog in kennel, etc. etc.

I do love her and can't imagine life without her but I wonder if we'd have gotten two if we'd gotten her first? Just a thought I guess....

Good luck!

[R2sweetboys]

This is not necessarily a helpful answers but . . . . YOU JUST KNOW. If it feels right and you know the time is right, it is.


:yeahthat: It seems like you know so go for it! We have three. We got our first(of our current three) four years ago from a shelter, six months after losing our first dog. Five months later, DH mentioned getting a second dog out of the blue. I was nervous but on board. We quickly found a sweet lab/hound mix on Petfinder from a woman who does rescue in our town. The rescue woman is wonderful and truly cared that this was the right home for Abby. If there were any problems with the dogs or otherwise she would find Abby a new home. Our dogs get along beautifully so she was a keeper. :love-retry: It happened very fast but we did go into it just knowing there were certain criteria-gets along with Luke, our first dog, friendly, and not a puppy.(been there, too much work for us!) In May, we adopted our third(and last!) dog. She's our first little dog and she completes our pack perfectly. I would say the biggest factor in our decision each time was "would it upset the balance we already had?" We were fortunate that this was never the case.

One thing to keep in mind is that two alpha personalities may not jibe. OR, your first dog may submit to the new dog and that is OK. That was the case with us. Our second dog is the alpha and our first dog is happy with that. It's easy to be defensive of your first dog because s/he "came first" but dogs don't work that way. They create their own pack order and you can't change that. Our third dog fits right in the middle and all dogs are happy. In your shoes, I'd only go with someone who will take the dog back if it doesn't work out with your existing dog.

I'm sorry if my advice is jumbled, long day! I hope it is helpful in some way. We do pay more for boarding, etc but they always have each other. It's totally worth it.

[TwinFoxes]

We got our first second dog when he followed DH home. He died a year later, and left my poor Boxer lonely. So we got another dog, who's been a lovable rascal. Really, two isn't much harder than one. But neither of our dogs is all that big (72 lbs and 22 lbs) so transport isn't a big deal.

[twowhat?]

We got our first second dog when he followed DH home. He died a year later, and left my poor Boxer lonely. So we got another dog, who's been a lovable rascal. Really, two isn't much harder than one. But neither of our dogs is all that big (72 lbs and 22 lbs) so transport isn't a big deal.

Two is MUCH harder than one AT FIRST:) Once you get past the adjustment, training and house manners, refereeing dog-dog interactions, coming up with a routine that works for 2, then 2 isn't much harder than one.

We got our second dog because we felt that our first dog needed a companion. Well, turns out dog #2 and dog #1 couldn't care less about each other, hahahaha. They barely even play together and when they do play, it's more of a power struggle type of play than really playing. It all worked out fine because we adore both dogs - they are so different. But I have to say I'm glad we got the second dog pre-kids so we could devote that time towards the adjustment.

Sooooo, given that, I would say that "because our first dog needs a companion" is not a good reason.

If YOU, however, want the companionship of more than one dog, then yes, I'd say you're ready to get a second!!!

[dogmom]

When you spend more time on Petfinder than all other web sites combined. Not there....yet.

I also look into my hound dog's eyes and I don't see "I want a friend" more like "don't you dare".

[elephantmeg]

we got a second dog this summer because our dog is pretty old and I wanted a dog that would play, go for walks/runs and be active. Well, I got it with a vengeance! We ended up with an almost 1 year old boxer/beagle from the SPCA and he's been a handful! But still fun and he did get us out of the house all summer! But our existing dog has taken to hiding because he keeps bouncing her. So we're working on that. He starts training classes this month-he is SO stubborn!

[westwoodmom04]

As someone in the throes of new puppydom, I would advise getting a slighter older dog like you did last time. Puppies are so much work (of course, every one tells you this, but similar to kids, you don't really believe it until you find out its true), and I can't imagine juggling a new puppy, a dog, kids, and a f/t job.

[weech]

We fostered and finally got one that we couldn't let go of! I don't have the transportation issue (mini schnauzers) but in most other instances, going from one dog to two is super easy IMO! Do it! :)

[KLD313]

What pushed us to get a second dog was for protection. Out house got broken into and I wanted a larger dog to watch the house. I totally make vehicle purchasing decisions based on the dogs. Adding a second dog wasn't much more work and it was so much fun. Now, ask me why we got a third dog and all I can say is temporary insanity on the part of my ex-husband.

[arivecchi]

Thanks for all the interesting feedback! We all want a second dog. Our GD loves playing with other dogs, so I think she would enjoy it, but she's quite a diva as well and very clingy so sometimes we think she would not like another dog getting all of her attention. :) I think our biggest issue would be transportation - no more traveling with the dogs unless we take two cars. Our GD takes up the entire trunk of our SUV, so the only way we could fit another dog in there would be by taking the car seats out and putting the second row seats down.

Our rescue called. They have two GDs that could be a great fit for our dog and us. We would take her to meet the dogs with us. Besides the trasportation logistics, I am concerned of altering the dymanics for our current dog. I do think we are ready though. We have a great vet, doggy daycare and a trainer that we really trust. We also have the room, the giant doggy door, the car doggy stairs and an invisible fence, so the basics are there. :)

We have been so lucky with our dog though that I feel like I might be tempting fate here. She was trained and used to kids so it was a pretty easy transition and things are pretty much perfect with her right now.

But the bottom line is:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41hGmITFulL._SY300_.jpg

I bet no one would mess with our house with two GDs! ;)

[maestramommy]

What pushed us to get a second dog was for protection. Out house got broken into and I wanted a larger dog to watch the house. I totally make vehicle purchasing decisions based on the dogs. Adding a second dog wasn't much more work and it was so much fun. Now, ask me why we got a third dog and all I can say is temporary insanity on the part of my ex-husband.

This is what pushed me to get a first dog lol. Last week Shep really came into his own as a watchdog. Woke us up at 2am because our insomniac and confused neighbor was wandering in our front yard. Since then he's been in a more heightened state, esp. now that our front door is open during the day (we have a storm door on the outside). He starts to bark even before the doorbell rings. It's nice now that I no longer have napping children. I feel a LOT more secure with him around :) He'd probably never hurt anyone but he is big and LOUD.

[arivecchi]

This is what pushed me to get a first dog lol. Last week Shep really came into his own as a watchdog. Woke us up at 2am because our insomniac and confused neighbor was wandering in our front yard. Since then he's been in a more heightened state, esp. now that our front door is open during the day (we have a storm door on the outside). He starts to bark even before the doorbell rings. It's nice now that I no longer have napping children. I feel a LOT more secure with him around :) He'd probably never hurt anyone but he is big and LOUD.I'd love to see a recent picture of Shep if you have one. :)

[maestramommy]

I'd love to see a recent picture of Shep if you have one. :)
arivecchi, you crack me up. Shep must be all over BBB by now. But here's one I've posted recently

Sorry, I'll try to post something from photobucket later tonight!

[hellokitty]

Well, if you are ready to buy a bigger vehicle to accomodate another GD, in my book, I would say that you are ready and pretty realistically serious. I agree that if you already have a dog, adding another dog (well, you have the issues with a really big dog, so needing a new vehicle) isn't that much harder. However, I too would be nervous about the dynamics btwn the two dogs. As long as the rescue lets you do a trial, in case things don't work out, I don't see the harm in trying it out. It seems as if you seem realistically prepared for what it will be like. Our dog would love to have another dog in the household, and I sometimes wonder how that would be. I always grew up in a household with only one dog, so I guess I'm just not used to the idea of having two yet. However, it wouldn't be that much more difficult. It would cost more though for boarding, grooming, food, vet costs, etc..

[mikala]

arivecchi, you crack me up. Shep must be all over BBB by now. But here's one I've posted recently

[/URL]

Adorable!!

Heads up, this shows your name.

[maestramommy]

Adorable!!

Heads up, this shows your name.

Rats! I'll have to figure out another way. Thanks!

[daisysmom]

We had 2 dogs before we had a child and drove an Expedition for the dogs. When ourbdd was 9 months old, the older dog (a Chesapeake) died. After about a month of depression,mourn yellow lab (the chassis had been the alpha) settled into "only dog-Dom" which ws pretty great because baby became a toddler and nanny was at the house all the time so our lab was pretty constantly included. Fast forward to last year and our hello lab (who turned 12 today) slipped into depression. We thought it must be her arthritis as she was really slow, slept a ton... But this all coincided with no more nanny and our dd in kindergarten and then afters school care. Last march we took her to the vet, honestly afraid they would find a cancer or something.

Low and behold, the vet said she actually doesn't have bad arthritis but he thinks she is lonely. So at 11.5 years, we decided to think about getting another dog. In a week, we had a 2 year old chocolate lab girl.

For our yello lab girl, it was the best thing in the world. While the yellow girl doesn't play, she does REALLY appreciate the company. Her whole demeanor is different. The chocolate girl is a rascal and it is hard work. They aren't grat walking together on leashes, the chocolate lab is an attention hound, she is a counter surfer etc. But it was worth it. Our daily dog walkers say that our older dog is much much happier. We see it too hands down.

And now we are getting ready to move - so with a big yard, walking our dogs won't be as much of an issue.

I don't think I ever knew we were ready for another dog. I just know that we took a gamble and it turned out excellent for our old yellow girl. It could have sent her over the edge tho. But I never want to be without a dog- I love what they add to our family. I don't think I will ever have just one again.

[maestramommy]

I'd love to see a recent picture of Shep if you have one. :)

Okay, this one I took back in May. Can't decide which part grabbed me more the dog or the kid.

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n6/maestramommy/20130507_120205_zps03dfa52b.jpg (http://s108.photobucket.com/user/maestramommy/media/20130507_120205_zps03dfa52b.jpg.html)

[dogmom]

Thanks for all the interesting feedback! We all want a second dog. Our GD loves playing with other dogs, so I think she would enjoy it, but she's quite a diva as well and very clingy so sometimes we think she would not like another dog getting all of her attention. :) I think our biggest issue would be transportation - no more traveling with the dogs unless we take two cars. Our GD takes up the entire trunk of our SUV, so the only way we could fit another dog in there would be by taking the car seats out and putting the second row seats down.

Before meeting my DH I had a 5-6 yo Lab I adopted that was completely bonded to me. He has abandonment issues, he clearly was left alone for to much time. He used to actually perch of the the back of the sofa over my head to be closer to me, a 85 Lab basically sitting on my shoulder. He would paw me if I was on the couch paying attention to the the TV. He actually got good at hanging up the phone when I was one with my DH when we were dating. My DH thought I was nuts getting another dog for "Momma's boy" as he called him. Well the puppy, although it did irritate him at times, completely helped with his anxiety. He was much less clingy and eventually moved out of our bed to the floor. It was a good call for us.