What’s it like going from 1 dog to 2?

What’s it like going from 1 dog to 2?

So things have been going amazing with my current dog and now that I’ve had him for almost a year (can’t believe how fast time flies), I’m starting to feel like I’m ready to add a second dog.

What’s it like going from 1 dog to 2? I would really like to hear from people who work full time and bring their dogs with them when they travel on the weekends ect so I can get an idea of what it’s like to take on the responsibility of another dog.

Thank you!

2 isn't much more work than one imo. 3 is the big leap.

Of course there's more vet bills, more food costs, etc. But overall it's not that much harder to do things with 2 dogs. Everything I did just Summer and me is now Summer, Mia, and me.

Then again I've rarely ever had less than 2 dogs so having one was really weird for me. As soon as I could get another, I did. If possible I'll always have multiple dogs.

Two's not much different from one, really. A little more call on the resources, but not a huge difference.

Three, now---hoo, boy, three's a killer!

And now that I think about it, adding number four doesn't seem to change things much either.

I thought two was twice the work and a big difference and that once you get to three its not much more work





.......and now we have five

Agreed. Two isn't a big deal besides double the expense... Goodluck!

I've never had two on my own at the same time..but my cousin had two for a while and i remember it not being too difficult for her. I would imagine they would befriend one another. Three would be tough i would think though.

I thought it was a piece of cake.. but I have 2 easy going dogs for the most part. But if I had 2 hyperactive dogs it would probably still be easier having 2 than 1 because they could wear each other out. I think it's more fun having 2. If your dogs get along well, then I think they're happier in the long run as well. I work full time, so I feel more comfortable leaving them at home knowing at least they have each other. When we went camping with them last fall it was a bit more work having 2 than 1 but it was doable AND way fun.

I've never had 2! I went from 1 (for 8 years) to 3, then a few years later to 5. Now we're at four and it just seems much more manageable than five did. Maybe because at 5 we had a female JRT wanting to kill the female Rottie, and it was stressful. Plus, now the largest is 40 pounds.

One thing I noticed with our oldest (RB) Shadow after being an only child for 8 years and then bringing in more is that she developed some bad habits. The JRTs taught her that sleeping on the couch is okay and that tearing up stuffed animals is fun. I'd make sure the first is well behaved and all major issues are taken care of before introducing a second dog, that'd be my only advice.

Wow, I think having 2 is a lot more work. I think there are probably a lot of factors though:

Living situation - We were in an apartment, which is a pain in the butt. You have to go out more often for walks/potty breaks (anytime one asked to go out, we went, because we couldn't risk them messing in a rental unit!). They rile each other up, meaning you have to be extra careful about noise complaints. Space wise, I felt like I was always tripping over one. Now that I'm in a house, I feel like I could handle a second dog much easier (we have a lot more space).

Size/energy level of dogs - Two small dogs or two calm dogs is going to be relatively easy. My dog is a medium sized, high energy dog, so doubling that was chaos.

Trained-ness of dogs - Lucy has leash reactivity on walks, so it meant that walking both dogs required two people (I lived in a very busy area, where I didn't trust her not to lunch at cars or buses on our walks, and needed to put my full attention on her). I couldn't run with two dogs, because my fosters (the 2nd dogs) didn't have the leash manners.

Places you want to go - We visit my in-laws a lot, but they already have 1 dog. It was too much to put three dogs and 5 people in a small house, so we couldn't bring both dogs any more.

And of course, what other people have already talked about with money. Double vet bills, double day care or dog walker costs, double training costs, etc. Our lease has a pet deposit and pet rent built into it, which doubles with another dog (yikes).

Just some things to think about. I'd love a second dog (I think it could keep Lucy company!), but it really was a lot of work for me.

It must not be that bad....because we have 4 now. :lol-sign:

3 and then 6 were the big leaps for us. I dunno that I'll have more than 5 at a time again.

Most of my life, I've had at least two, sometimes 3 or 4....a few years where I had just one. I love having at least two. They love having each other too and that's important to me. I'm fortunate that my dogs all get along...never had any problems that way. But yeah....more expense, a little more time spent on them when there are more. So, it just depends on each individual....how much they want to do. I know I'll never have more than two again unless it's a foster situation. I have 3 at the moment. But two, I think will be my magic number when Tokie goes back with my son in a few months. *cries* I'll miss her though. Two is relatively easy, especially when they're little dogs. If you feel like you're ready and everything is pretty well settled with your dog you have now, go for it. Good luck.

I like having one, the only difference ive seen from when I had 2 was its SO much easier to take my dog everywhere, find someone to dog-sit, etc...

for me, going from one to two was huge. i love having multiple dogs, but it was a big adjustment.

For the first month or so, we had to keep the two dogs seperate because they hated eachother. If they had gotten along from the start, I think the only different things (aside from the increased bills, etc) is that now there's two sets of bowls. Also, you have to get used to the new dog's personality and quirks.

Everyday is pretty much the same.

Expenses are obviously increased and traveling becomes more of a hassle.

It is harder to take two dogs then one... for example, there is only ONE airline that I can fly alone on with two dogs, it is harder to find someone to take care of them, carrying them in the bag is heavier with two then one.

But on an everyday basis there really isnt much of a difference.

One thing I noticed about having two boy dogs is they team up on not listening. lol. We have to make sure to spend a little time working with each individually.

Threw a girl into the mix and she has them both wrapped around her little dewclaw. Even with three it is really easy. Robert was just saying yesterday that when we buy a much larger house (ours is about 800 sq. ft.) he could totally see having 3or 4 borzoi, charlie, and a deerhound and a wolfhound. *does the victory arm pump*

I think it depends a great deal on your current dog. Argon is DR, and I have to be very careful who I consider bringing in. When I agreed to foster Neon, my first foster, I was a little afraid that it wouldn't work out, and I was either going to have to return Neon, or practice crate and rotate in a 400sq foot apartment with no doors, except in the bathroom and the front/back doors :yikes:
It worked out in the end, and I can't wait to foster again. If Argon had been more dog friendly, I would have worried less.
I didn't find cost to be that much more, and I was lucky that they were close in size, so I didnt' have to make up two different meals every day.
However, Neon had aggression issues, and Argon had aggression issues and I did sometimes feel that Argon got shortchanged, as he could be left alone in the apartment and Neon couldn't. Taking them out together worked fine for walks, but forget about it in some place like Petsmart. They both needed to be constantly supervised in polite company.
Of course, it isn't always like that. I took both of them knowing their issues and agreeing to commit to them. If they were both easier dogs, I don't think Neon would have affected the dynamic at all.

As long as they get along, it is, I think, easier than having just one.

You will find yourself wondering if you're slighting one over the other at times, even though you aren't. Try to remember that they're different dogs and need different kinds and amounts of attention.

Sometimes you have to remember things like not leaving one's favorite toy or bone out if you aren't right there, and the bed can get a little crowded if you don't set down the rules about how much room you get from the beginning

I have two Jack Russell’s and I have to say double trouble. They are sisters, the only real problem I have is when people come over they just love people and jump on them. It’s hard to control both dogs. Personally I think there is a difference BUT only with high strung dogs. With Yorkies and poodles, ect, I don’t think there would be much difference other then expense. But I do know it is tougher to handle two jack russells then one for sure. That’s just my experience. It just depends on the breed of dog your getting.