A question for people with more than one dog...?

Question

My family already has one dog who is very well behaved (2-year old beagle mix) and soon we will be moving to a house with a big yard and generally more space. After we get settled into that house and the dog is settled, I might consider getting another dog (since we will have the big yard and more space). My question is, how much more difficult is it to care for 2 dogs instead of 1? What issues would I have to be concerned about (besides making sure the two dogs got along)? Any advice/experiences appreciated.

Forgot to say I would be looking at getting the same kind of beagle mix as our current dog is.

Answer 1

I actually have three dogs. I started out with one little female dog and then got a little male companion for her. It actually was easier for me to have two dogs because they helped keep each other company when I couldn't take the dogs with me. They play together, sleep together and comfort each other. Even though they get along, they do bicker over my affection. Each dog wants equal lap time! (The third dog is my husband's hunting dog).

You already recognize the obvious...you want to make sure that they get along. Feeding and maintaining two dogs is obviously a little more expensive.

Keeping that in mind, you should consider getting a dog of the opposite sex to help eliminate territorial issues. Two intact (un-neutered) males will fight viciously and can never truly become friends. Two un-spayed females bicker frequently.

All dogs establish territory, which is a totally acceptable behavior in pack animals. I have found the most harmonious combination to be two spayed females or a neutered male and female. Spaying and neutering your pets prolongs their lives and makes your life much easier when you have multiple pets.

It is also a very nice advantage that you are considering the same breed. You can immediately eliminate the issues caused by having extreme differences in size. You can feed them both the same food. Also, there are definitely personality differences between breeds so two dogs of the same breed basically have a lot in common which increases their compatibility.

Beagle mix dogs are a very nice size if you are considering having two. You don't have major space issues like if you were getting two St. Bernards or something!

I honestly believe that the benefits of having two dogs outweighs the disadvantages (of which I have found few).

Good luck. I hope you soon have a new furry one to love!

Answer 2

That all depends on the breed. I own 4 dogs and foster 2.

Three can be considered "Pit Bulls." And with everybody being scared of them, I can never stop training them, IF by any chance they were to bite somebody, I would have them all taken away, which I would hate.

It might not be much harder with two, but with 6 it sure is. I can only take 2 at a time for walks, and I have to give them all seperate baths, I also have to check them for fleas and make sure they're not sick and don't fight. Taking them to the vet is a hassle also. I have to watch them when they're eating to make sure nobody tries to steal somebody elses food, and I have to make sure they don't get out of hand when they're playing. Also, that they don't tear up the house when we're gone. ;) But, the worst part is, since 3 are Pit Bulls, one is a Boxer and 2 are Dobermans, I have to have a 6 1/2' fence, 3+ locks on the gate, chicken wire so they don't try to dig out, and keeping the garden clean is hard. My neighbors also have a dog and it always tries to climb over my fence, they keep it on a chain so one time it jumped the fence and almost choked to death.

If your dog and that dog get along, then I'd say go for it.

Answer 3

it might be a good idea to get a diffrent kind of sex from the one you have now. i too have a big yard and have 4 little dogs. they are 2 chihuahua females, 1 female pug, and 1 male poodle. the females used to fight so much in the begining but would not fight with the male. the only thing is to make sure you neuter the dog unless you want the to have puppies later on. taking care of 2 dogs instead of one is not much of a diffrence accept that you have to do double cleaning and feeding. if the dogs are trained, then it will be alot more easier. good luck and best wishes.

Answer 4

It is important that you have your dog with you when you go out to look at a new dog. Your current dog should "choose" his new companion. It will be easier if they are opposite sexes. It really isn't any more difficult to take care of two if you have good habits with the first. You have to remember that the second will have it's own personality etc. And of course there is that yard to clean up! lol We had adopted a retired Greyhound (female) and had her for two years before we decided to add another (we moved to a bigger house too!) . We took Joy with us to the local reunion picnic and saw Boomer, they took to each other right away and he stole our hearts! So we went with one, came home with two. He is very different that our girl. She is the perfect, quiet, well-behaved Greyhound. He is like a typical boy...loud, messy, has to run around the house all the time, follows me everywhere & never keeps his nose out of the trashcans! He is a blast and a handfull!! I will never regret adpoting either one! Have you ever heard the old saying: Greyhounds are like potato chips, you can't have just one! lol

Answer 5

If your first dog is well adjusted and happy it will not be a problem getting a puppy. We've had two dogs for the past 15 years and it isn't any more difficult with two than it is with one. Of course it costs more money, double the vet bill and such. But you ge twice the love.

Answer 6

at first its more difficult i just a month ago got another dog i have a 3yr old one and got a 7month old pup... at first they didnt get along at all the older one tried to bite the pup but now they get along fine.... if you get a puppy just remember the potty training thing has got to happen again lol that takes a little getting used to after a while of having a housebroke dog lol..... all in all DO NOT leave them unsupervised for the first few weeks together to make sure there are NO dog fights goin on ... i had to gate mine into different rooms to make sure it wouldnt happen... but now they get along... just make sure you still make time for the first dog give it extra attention so it doesnt get jealous and you should be fine........ hope this helps

Answer 7

Unlike a lot of other breeds Beagles actually become better pets with another dog. This is because they were originally bred to hunt in a pack.

Answer 8

oh to have the simplicity of two dogs again lol
i have six, and i find it a chore but a rewarding one, two dogs is a breeze, its better than one i think because they rough house together and tire eachother out

keep in mind that beagles happy meter goes up in accordance with the number of dogs they are sharing space with, its a pack thang, beagles are bred to hunt in pack sof 30-ish dogs,

i think if you can afford it financially you should do it

Answer 9

I think two dogs is a bit easier, as they can play with each other.

If it's a puppy, the gender won't matter, but if it's older then you might want opposite sexes (and have them fixed, of course); there'd be more conflict if they're same age and gender.

We've got five dogs ourselves, but would like to wean our way down to two.

Answer 10

Two dogs is really no harder than one. I got a puppy when my 9 year old dog seemed out of sorts! The vet suggested a puppy might liven him up al little, and it worked. My dog is now 11 and still going strong, as is "his" puppy"