Pros and Cons of multiple dogs

[kendalyn]

I am in need of advice and information from you guys! (not an unusual situation)

My boyfriend and I are pretty serious (6 years serious) and it's probably heading towards marriage. Right now he has a cat but has considered getting a dog. Obviously I have a dog already. I've never had more than one dog before. So what are the pros and cons of having multiple dogs in the house?

[xavierandrea]

I have 3 and this is what I have learned from my guys...
Pros
More play time.
More love from the dogs.
They keep eachother entertained.
More body heat from the dogs.
The joy of seeing them playing is the greatest.
They are like children. You always have an adventure.
When 1 is sick the others talk doggie to them and sniff them back to health.
Cons
I have 2 girls so I have to say, an all out barking match for the male's attention.
When 1 is sick and at the vet's the other's mope around the house until the sick 1 is home.
POOP, POOP and more POOP!!!!!

[pei obssessed]

As you know, I only have Hippo, but I have wanted more dogs and this is what I figured: right now we live in an apartment, and until we can afford to buy owr own house, we can't have more because it's hard to rent an apartment even with one dog.

Biggest pro: Hippo loves other dogs and I'm sure she'd love to have a playmate--but for now, she'll have to play at the doggie park.

Another con: my family and most of my friends are in Europe and I'd like to be able to travel and visit them, in which case I wanna know that Hippo can stay with somebody and not in a kennel. My husband's family would take Hippo in, but I doubt they'd take 2 or more dogs.

I'm sure k, HF, cassie will have lots of things to say, and will probably say that two dogs doesn't even mean multiple dog household :lol:

[imported_Cassie]

[quote]I'm sure k, HF, cassie will have lots of things to say, and will probably say that two dogs doesn't even mean multiple dog household [/quote] :lol: :lol: Quote by pei obssessed

xavierandrea has a very good list of pro's and con's...I think some of my pro's would be:
-When you have company over every one has a dog to make of.
-They keep each other company while you are away from the house for work or shopping etc.
-as xavierandrea mentioned...play time is so much more fun when you have a multi dog house hold...
Con's
-Its really hard to pay attention to all the dogs at one time...if you have only 2 dogs thats not a problem...you have 2 hands...but, more than 2 and the trying to pat all at once is very difficult.
-Making room in your bed for more than one dog.... :roll:
-trying to work around all the dogs...house work becomes an adventure.
-Some times squabbles can break out in a multi dog household learning to deal with them is mandatory.
-good basic training is a must so you can have order in your household...I use the nothing is free policy in my house hold...all of my dogs have order and I can prevent food aggression, jealousy etc. this way.

That is all I can think of right now...

[kendalyn]

Scott is more apprehensive about 2 than I am. He is concerned about being able to give 2 as much attention as 1. I don't think it would be hard since there are 2 of us anyway.

I don't like the idea of having to keep them seperated when we aren't home. I never thought about that... Buck likes his crate and I'm pretty sure he spends most of his time in there when I'm not home, but I like the idea of him being able to wonder around if he wants to. I guess that would depend on the dogs though. How many people here keep their dog's seperated when they aren't home?

[abker17]

I keep my dogs seperated when I'm not home because they've gotten in multiple fights, and although they've learned to get along pretty well now, there's still to much of a risk for me to trust them when I'm gone.
I dunno, I'd be very apprehensive to leave any two dogs alone, just because fights can start so easily..... that's JMO.
Goodluck. :)

[Guest Mutts4Me]

We had our intact male black lab and our fixed female mutt together for 6 years, and they were always left alone together when we left. Neither was crate trained, and I guess it never occured to us that there could be problems. Of course, there never were any issues when we were present that would cause us to be concerned about what could happen when we left.

I really enjoyed having two dogs, and I think I would like to have two dogs again at some point, but it won't be until I have my own place, because now that we have 5 cats, another dog is impossible, and Sasha wouldn't stand for it, anyway. She feels that the cats get way too much attention as it is.

I think that besides any potential behavioral problems with dominance and/or aggression, which I was fortunate enough to escape, money would be the biggest issue because there's twice as much food to buy and twice as many vet bills, plus twice the boarding costs if ever you have to leave. It'll cost you more time with twice the training, twice the attention, twice the cleanup, and even more supervision.

But I think it'd be worth it :)

[imported_Cassie]

I do not seperate my dogs at all...they all get along great together. I currently own 2 intact males-Newfoundlands,Beau my Dobie mix was just neutered today! so 1 neutered dog, 1 intact female(Newf) and 2 spayed females( 1 Rottie and a Newf).
My Newfoundland dogs are very easy going and don't understand aggression, my Rottweiler will bug the other dogs at times...but, not in a serious manner...and my newest Beau does not understand aggression. They all know their place, and although I always thought my Rottie was the dominant bitch of the group it turns out to be my oldest bitch Cassie one of my Newf's...but, she controls in a very suttle way :wink: ...all my males are hen pecked and don't cause any problems. They all play well together and they relax well together. I think I must be just very lucky :wink: all of them are loose in my house together and I have a Kennel they stay in while I am at work...for my Rottie and Dobie in the winter they either stay inside or come to work with me, so that is the extent of seperation for these dogs. All of them sleep in my room at night loose...none of my dogs even own crates...the only crates my Newf's know are the crates the breeder keeps at her house to transport them to the shows.
I've never had any issues with any of my multie dog house holds...I guess I must have struck it lucky each time. :wink:

[abker17]

Oh Cassie I envy u! I cannot even feel comfotable leaving my dogs alone together for a few minutes much less over night! :(

[courtnek]

I have two dogs and a cat.

Pros: the dogs are not destructive in the house because they have each other for company.

They sound more threatening when strangers come by
It's fun watchng the different personalities interact


Cons: it's definitely more expensive. Food, vet bills, etc.
More feet to wipe when it's muddy out

:lol:

[courtnek]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

My house is designed in such a way that they cant do that, and I have hardwood floors because I've gone through 3 vacuums over the years.
The motors dont burn out on the broom....

My house is 140 years old. The kitchen has 4 steps that go down to a
"hallway" where the back door is. at the top of those stairs is another door.
I go through the doorway and close the door. That way, when they come in they either have to wait in the entryway or go to the basement (another set of steps turns left and goes down from the door) The basement is unfinished and has cement floors, so even if they run down there it's just a quick cleanup with a towel. I let them in one at a time, holding a towel, and they know that means either stand still and get your feet wiped, or stay in the entryway or the basement. Since they'd rather be upstairs, they usually allow the feet wiping, although neither of them like it.
Having been cordoned off downstairs for disobedience has taught them that it's in their best interest to just let me wipe them...

:D

[Aroura]

[quote name='K']Thats why I have cheap cord burgundy carpet..and the muddy footprints all meld together after a while and look like it has a pattern :oops:[/quote]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Sounds a bit like our sunroom, the door is left open most of the time, especially when its raining, with 5 dogs you can imagine the mud that gets traipsed in!!! Luckily its tiled so all it needs is a good mopping and its as good as new :wink:

But I definatly say the more the merrier!!!

[quote]I'm sure k, HF, cassie will have lots of things to say, and will probably say that two dogs doesn't even mean multiple dog household[/quote]

Thats just what I was thinking... when I think multiple dog I think no less than say 5 or 6. More dogs only means more babys, more toys to buy, more ways to spoil. It can backfire though, I bought Lily so Tessa would have a friend, now when they fight they are inseperable so I'm having to give Tessa up to Claire (who has always wanted her and spoils her rotton). Its ok now, dad is always home and can break them up with help from me, they don't fight when no one is home, but I wouldn't have a chance trying to break them up on my own. Aside from that we have a very merry house hold!!! Of course Montie and Lily are mine so get spoilt rotten, and although I love living here with 5 dogs I can't wait to move out when it will be just me and my two special babys. It is a good idea though I think is, if you have a big dog, get a small dog, and get oppisite sexed dogs, that way they are less likely to have conflict and I actually find it easier to share my attention with a big dog and a small dog than I do with two big dogs or two small dogs.

Another con is the more dogs you have the harder it is to rent. Thats what I'm dredding when dad sells the house, I need to find somewhere with a yard where I can have the dogs, its so difficult, I've tried before and despite months of hunting not one house turned up that was affordable, in town and that allowed pets. So if you are renting, there is also that to consider.

I think though, with all the pros and cons added up, just to have those extra wet licks and stragely lovable muddy paw prints, it is well worth it. Coming home to multiple wagging tails and doggie grins is the best feeling in the world :wink:

[Horsefeathers!]

I can't remember what it was like to have only two in the house. Right now there are nine and have been as many as ten. Most are permanent residents, but there are the occasional fosters that come through. We always say the more the hairier.

Downside:
1. the obvious extra expense (food, vet care, etc.)
2. more maintenance (bathing, grooming, nail care, first aid)
3. increasing difficulty in finding rental properties that allow pets to begin with, much less multiple pets
4. more noise... one barks, they all (or both) bark
5. more house maintenance (twice the hair, potty training, muddy paws, etc.)
6. if one dog has bad habits, the other(s) can very easily pick those up
7. pack mentality sometimes... I've found that where one dog won't exhibit certain behaviors alone, get them together and they "pack up." For example, none of my dogs would ever individually bother my cats, but they will sometimes all "pack" on them and chase them if we aren't watching (our cats have a safe room... no access to dogs)
8. some dogs will never bond... most can be taught to coexist peacefully, but like people, dogs kind of pick and choose their "friends"... be aware of the possibility that you may bring home a dog that the initial dog never likes (we have a couple that can't stand each other, but they usually coexist peacefully)
9. more potential for property damage (two bored dogs possibly digging, chewing, whatever... just because they have each other doesn't mean they'll keep each other out of trouble... trust me on this)
10. more training... this seems obvious, but I mean that with TWO or more dogs, they are often more easily distracted by what the other is doing. Even if you have a perfectly well trained single dog, when you bring another home, you will need to do remedial training with that dog AND the new one. My dogs are great individually and in small groups, but it takes a lot of diligence (and luck) to get them all to listen... it's too easy to get distracted by what the other one is doing
11. if you have two dogs close in age, then you have to worry about the ordeal of losing two close together... most of mine are within a couple of years of each other and I think about this all the time



What makes it worth it (to me):
1. the company... I immensely enjoy their company and couldn't imagine living any other way
2. amusement... there's never a dull moment
3. the satisfaction (if a bit self serving) of being able to look around and know that you saved a life (in the case of rescues)
4. sense of security, whether it's valid or not (barking dogs often deter intruders... several barking dogs, I would think, would be more intimidating)
5. encourages you to get out... if you have dogs that need to be exercised, you HAVE to get out and do it
6. great for socialization (yours)... you'll be amazed at how many other dog people you will meet in the most unusual places. I'm not much of a people person, myself, but I can stand around and talk dogs for hours :oops:
7. great way for you and significant other to engage in more activities (weekends away with the dogs, hiking, swimming, whatever flips yer switch... dogs just seem to enhance the experience)


These are just things I thought of right off the top of my head. Again, I can't remember the last time I only had two dogs and there are probably some things I'm taking for granted.

[courtnek]

[quote]the satisfaction (if a bit self serving) of being able to look around and know that you saved a life (in the case of rescues) [/quote]

I can go with that. Laurel can be a real pain in the you-know-what,
she is very timid and requires special care and meds, but I think she is worth every minute of it. I saved her, I know it. I wouldnt have it any other way...

[SweetRuiN]

My fiancee and I have, collectively, four cats and one very energetic puppy. Luckily, we have a house big enough to host such a petting zoo! Only two cats roam the upstairs, and all remain strictly indoors - so the backyard belongs entirely to Cole.

The cats all get along rather well, and all but one of them has accepted Cole. (Halley, my kitten..refuses to leave him alone. She follows HIM around growling, and he's oblivious, LOL)

We've decided to get another Dog, ourselves. Growing up, we had two half of the time, one the rest..(Never more than a year growing up without a dog or two..) and I definately prefer having a pair. It's more work, and more expenses...but more fun! Also, if you have a mature dog when you get a puppy...training is often easier, because the baby learns from watching it's older 'sibling.' (Much like human babes)

So, I am bias. If you can afford two, have the space for two, and the love for two...go for it ;)

[KP]

I've found with multiple dogs that when I want to go out of town for a day, week or however long it is, its harder to find someone to watch them having two dogs as opposed to one. My first dog is a piece of cake to take care of but looks can be decieving when you go for the second. My youngest was so sweet, snuggly and seemed like she'd be a loafer....well although she's still sweet and snuggly she's everything but miss lazy bones #1 we have. She has a lot of energy and is a lot of work for someone to watch her. I can always separate between family but my youngest dog goes through extreme anxiety if left alone.

I could take them to a kennel but....I'm not really comfortable leaving them kenneled. Its also expensive and even more so with two dogs. So we don't usually get to leave unless they are with us. Finding a hotel that accepts dogs can be a pain. You usually have to settle for the less nice hotels....where you end up paying just as much for a crappy room, as you would staying in nice hotels many times because of the pet fees. Then you get woken up by them barking all night long because of the strange people, coming and going down the halls at all hours.... (this was an experience we had last week)

If you choose to rent a house or apartment you have less choices as to where will accept dogs and those choices can depend on the size of dog where will accept. You also will have to pay a deposit for EACH pet and sometimes a monthly fee for each pet.

For me it was kind of hard to go from one dog to two...I don't regret it but I felt bad for awhile because my first dog didn't have as much attention as she used to from ME. I had time with her of course but not like it was. I raised her alone for the most part. I bonded with her more than my husband because I had spent the majority of her life alone with her. I felt bad that this new pup swooped in and she was pretty demanding time wise but its worked out so far.

I will definately say that the whole expanding the "pack" thing is a big thing to consider or at least keep in mind. They are right, the next dog you choose may not get along with the one you currently have or visa versa...very well if at all. My youngest likes my oldest more than the oldest likes the youngest. She tends to over step her boundries sometimes and squabbles happen. Doesn't mean its impossible to live with but its just more work and more learning.

[kendalyn]

Scott owns his own home so it wouldn't be a problem if he got a dog. And if we got married we would either buy a new home and move or I would move into his house. So dealing with renting a home wouldn't be a problem.

If Scott got a dog now, we would introduce the dogs to each other before adoption and I'm sure they would see each other a lot but they wouldn't live together since Scott and I wouldn't be living together until we were married. I'm most concerned about them getting along. I really don't want to have to crate one or both while we are gone all the time. (unless there is another reason for the crate)

Thanks for all the info! I guess it would be harder to vacation with 2 dogs. I didn't think of that one KP!

[Aroura]

Montie always goes in the crate when we go out, not because he has to be apart from the other dogs but because my little 2kg Papillon who I have had for 3 months has caused more damage and chewed up more things than my 25kg Boxer has in two years. He is so destructive and whats worse he gets onto the tables and the benches so nothing is safe!!!

The other dogs all run around outside or in the sunroom if its raining, they don't have to be crated, although Tessa has to be chained so she doesn't jump the fence (she looks like a blimp right now from getting into the neighbours cat food!). Most dogs will get along well enough that they don't need to be crated, even Lily and Tessa are fine together, they get along like a house on fire until Lily gets over possessive of me, if I'm not there thats not an issue.

Can I ask one question, whats the temprement of your dog?

[KP]

I also forgot to say that its interesting to see where the bonding goes...

My husband (then b/f) and I rescued my first dog Kuma. He was around for awhile the first few months and went away in the military and he was gone most of her first year and a half in boot camp and training.... We bonded like super glue. She's definately a mama's girl. :D

As for Peeka, we rescued her also...My husband was shipped to Iraq after only having her for a month so I went through all the nitty gritty with her alone for months. He came home and they had to get to know eachother. It sure didn't take much! Now they are attached at the hip almost literally. You can definately tell they just clicked. I never thought he'd love another dog as much as he loves Kuma and Peeka is pretty much his world now and he (for the most part) is hers.

I think a lot of that has to do with personalities too.

Peeka is EXACTLY like my husband. If my husband were a dog....(and well.. female) he would be Peeka. No matter what kind of food you try to feed them, they still have gas... and belching. Very independent and adventurous. They can't sit still, they are always on the go. Always hungry and would eat till they explode if you let them. Always happy. Always wantng to play with their toys and are ALWAYS seeking attention...big time.

Kuma is just like me. Laid back. Likes to just hang out. Doesn't really seem to want or demand a lot of attention but likes to observe and be included. Doesn't eat much. Gets nervous and stressed easily. She's quiet but loves family and company. Affectionate, very docile, mature and loyal.

[KP]

We introduced our girls before we brought Peeka home too it was odd because they got along fine during the meeting. We let them walk around and sniff eachother out. Peeka followed behind Kuma curiously everywhere she went. We had our choice of her or another pup and we chose her because she was so much more laid back than the other pup. The other one was just too hyper but for some reason within 4 days of bringing her home we found Peeka to have dog aggression which also we found becoming aggression... in general. She tore after me, my husband and our friends. Our friends jaws dropped when they saw this. This was not puppy play. I know puppy play when I see it.

This was Reeeally REEEEAAALLLY bad aggression....as well as dominance. It was like watching the incredible hulk. One minute she would be fine and the next she'd be snarling/viciously barking..curled lip and all just like a gremlin and she bit too. There was no indication of this when we went to get her. Vet check was fine....she just had some learning to do.

I had to actually spend a lot of time training her out of it and teaching her how to act around other dogs and people for that matter she still tests her limits at times. It was rough for awhile but its under control now. Dominance in a few ways is her main downfall mainly with Kuma but it's not unmanagable. No biting or snarling although I hear a grumble or small growl occassionally which doesn't go uncorrected. I don't know why she was fine with Kuma at first because she wasn't for a long time with any other dogs and she ripped after Kuma quite a few times. She didn't seem to know what to think. Kuma being so submissive took her awhile to learn to correct her for being out of line and still lets her get away with more than I feel she should sometimes which is of course, where I step in.

Just incase...I just wanted to tell you this so you aren't surprised if something were to happen...

Sometimes it takes longer than a meeting for things to arise. It can take days weeks or possibly even months is not uncommon for something to start up. Maturity can take a toll.

[mouseatthebusstop]

Paddy and Gladis have always been together (brother and sister) when we lost Poppy a few months ago Gladis would run all around the house looking for her -it was sad to watch because you cannot explane to a dog what happened

[kendalyn]

[quote]Can I ask one question, whats the temprement of your dog?[/quote]

Here is as much of Buck's history as I know. We found him when we were on a house boat in Kentucky with two other dogs. They were all about the same age ( 6 months is what the vet said) but probably not from the same litter, but I suppose it's possible. (my aunts and uncles took the two other dogs home with them) Buck was definately the low man on the totem pole. BTW, the two other dogs were females. We made a toy for them and even if the other dog's weren't playing with it, if Buck picked it up it was quickly taken away by one of the two females! Buck was fine with this and there wasn't any squabbling. I kind of expected Buck to be as submissive around other dogs too but it's not really the case. He's friendly first, but if the other dog starts growling and getting really bossy, Buck will fight back. I've never seen him roll over with any other dog except the two we found him with. He is older now, so that may have something to do with it.

Buck is confident around other people and meets strangers very well. He's also good with kids and doesn't get edgy when they're around. Once in a while he'll do a low growl if we're in the car and a man walks past us. Only in the car though so I don't know what's going on there.

I'm thinking it would be best if Scott got a dog that is not naturally alpha and definately a female. He gets along VERY well with female dogs. Males it seems to take a little longer until they are good friends. Anybody else know what would be a good temperment to match Buck with?

[courtnek]

[quote]Buck is confident around other people and meets strangers very well. He's also good with kids and doesn't get edgy when they're around. Once in a while he'll do a low growl if we're in the car and a man walks past us. Only in the car though so I don't know what's going on there.
[/quote]

It seems like even the gentlest dogs go into macho mode when in the car.
I dont know if it's because of all the windows, or the lack of space, or just that people get so close to the car, without ever really meaning to.
I lean towards the closeness to the car. It's like "their space" and it was
just invaded by a stranger....

Is Scott going to get a puppy or full grown dog? If full grown I would definitely go with a non alpha female. I have an alpha female, and she became boss over a male dog that outweighed her by 15 lbs....only because she was here first I think

[Aroura]

His temprement sounds very much like Tessas. Dogs like that generally get along with most dogs, non alpha or alpha, as long as they are not aggressive. If he will "fight back" (as Tessa will also) its best to be sure to get a dog with a more placid nature that will not start on him over anything. Its hard to know what a dog will grow to be like, but my suggestion is if you're getting a pup don't get the one bossing all the others around, no matter how cute it is, and always check out both the parents. Spaniels are generally good tempered and also make lovely pets. :D

[PatriciaT]

When my husband and I first met, he had two dogs, one male and one female. The female being the male's daughter. My dog is an alpha female. That made a total of three dogs, one boy and two girls...oh my little male cat who is actually the real boss of the house. his male and my female got along pretty well. His female, thank god, is a very sweet-natured dog and tolerates my alpha's bitchiness. We had them alone in our houses with no problems when we were dating. I must say that my alpha girl and I went through many dog training classes and went to the dog park every day, and I do my best at making sure I am in charge not her.

Also we take them on long walks in the mornings so they can settle in quite contented when we go to work all day.

and Corey's second sweet-natured girl dog went to live with my mother who is a recent widow and desparately needed some love in her house. It is a good thing b/c we had to buy a place in order to keep the pets we had when we got married and it is super small...only thing we could afford.

lots of luck...have fun with your potential new addition :)