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Thinking about getting a second dog. Good/bad idea?

Semi-Tough Deac

Semi-Tough Deac

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Looking for input from those who have gotten a second dog to supplement an already great one. We have a black lab about a year old. Great dog, disciplined, doesn't bark, loves to swim and play with others. Besides being dog lovers, the main reason we're thinking about getting another is that we both work a ton which leaves the lab home alone for most of the day. This would give him a play companion.

I realize the downside is the increased cost, as well as the fact that the lab is very territorial, but I think we could work around that. Most friends tell me I'm making a mistake, so I put it to you, ye ol' Pit.
 
I have two Labs. About a year difference in age. I got the second one for the same reason you are considering...to give my first dog a playmate when I started being gone from the house for work all day. It has worked out wonderfully in my case (going on 8 years now...my dogs are 8.5 and 9.5). My dogs have been best friends from day one and play very well together. The primary downside, as you mentioned, is cost.
 
I've got 6 dogs, so you can guess my advice.

Multiple dogs isn't a lot more work than one. You can mitigate the expense by doing a lot of the routine health care stuff yourself. My wife and I give all vacines we can buy without a prescription, and it's not that difficult.

If you're worried about your dog being territorial, mix the sexes. I'm around a lot of dogs, and the vast majority of the time when two dogs don't get along it's two males or two females.
 
Two dogs are less work as the others have said. They entertain themselves a lot. I have two dogs now and had them most of the time growing up. There are some increased costs but it's not too bad (since you can basically buy more economical sizes of food/heartworm/flea-tick/etc.). The overall increased cost is not too much, especially if you are proactive in their care.

Bring your current dog to the shelter/breeder/rescue group, that will give you a good indication of how willing the two are to accept each other. Introduce the dogs on neutral ground. Your existing dog will be much more welcoming when he is not in the house (less feeling of security or need to protect). And feed them separately initially.
 
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I started this exact thread on the old boards about 1.5 years ago now. We ended up getting the 2nd dog and it was a great call. The dogs get along well and we feel way less guilty leaving them home alone when we go to work.

The biggest drawbacks are (1) much harder to walk 2 dogs than 1 (at least in our case where we have a 40-pounder and an 85-pounder); and (2) doubles the cost of boarding (we just boarded both dogs last weekend for 3 nights while we went out of town and it cost us $200 -- ouch).

The key is just to make sure the dogs are going to get along. We got a female to supplement our male, which we heard was the way to go.
 
This is great stuff. We never considered mixing the sexes, I just assumed we would get another dude.

The boarding thing is a concern especially with how much we travel, but like y'all said it's something you learn to live with and probably evens out in the end.

Our guy is about 80 pounds so I'm thinking it would be best to get a comparable size.
 
We have five dogs, so the biggest issue is boarding when we travel. With that siad, I have a lot of family in NC, so we usually have someone to come housesit.
 
Semi-Tough Deac said:
Our guy is about 80 pounds so I'm thinking it would be best to get a comparable size.
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Not sure what your walking situation is like, but walking an 80 lbs + 40 lbs dog at the same time is often a huge pain in the ass, especially if they see a rabbit bounce by. Can't imagine two 80-pounders. Yowzah.
 
Semi-Tough Deac said:
This is great stuff. We never considered mixing the sexes, I just assumed we would get another dude.

The boarding thing is a concern especially with how much we travel, but like y'all said it's something you learn to live with and probably evens out in the end.

Our guy is about 80 pounds so I'm thinking it would be best to get a comparable size.
Click to expand...

Not sure that everywhere does this, but the kennel my mom put our dogs in when she travelled allowed us to keep both dogs together in one area. It was still more expensive than just one dog, but less expensive then keeping them in 2 individual areas. It also helped them from getting upset with the new environment.
 
Suggestion on the boarding issue: instead of boarding your dogs somewhere, see if one the the assistants at your Vet's office wants to pet sit. We have used a girl at our vet's office for years. She comes twice a day (or once a day the day we are leaving/getting back) to check on everyone (we have two primarily outdoor dogs and an exclusively indoor cat), changes water, litter box, feeds everyone, plays with the dogs. She also brings in the mail, turns lights on and off, checks on the house, etc. She charges $15 per visit. Works well for us because we have a fenced yard, so the Dogs can stay outside. Its much cheaper than boarding, and our animals are happier at home than in a kennel somewhere.
 
Say Hey Deac said:
Not sure what your walking situation is like, but walking an 80 lbs + 40 lbs dog at the same time is often a huge pain in the ass, especially if they see a rabbit bounce by. Can't imagine two 80-pounders. Yowzah.
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Regularly walked two 100 lb goldens. If they are trained to walk without pulling, there should be no issue.

Otherwise, three options I can think of: 1. Walk them at separate times, 2. Get someone else to walk with you, OR 3. playtime outside in the yard or dog park throwing the ball, etc.

Also, I have always had male dogs, and I've never had any issues with introducing dogs. However, I can definitely see a male and female almost guaranteeing no problems mixing.
 
KitchinDeac said:
Suggestion on the boarding issue: instead of boarding your dogs somewhere, see if one the the assistants at your Vet's office wants to pet sit. We have used a girl at our vet's office for years. She comes twice a day (or once a day the day we are leaving/getting back) to check on everyone (we have two primarily outdoor dogs and an exclusively indoor cat), changes water, litter box, feeds everyone, plays with the dogs. She also brings in the mail, turns lights on and off, checks on the house, etc. She charges $15 per visit. Works well for us because we have a fenced yard, so the Dogs can stay outside. Its much cheaper than boarding, and our animals are happier at home than in a kennel somewhere.
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I need her info. We get hit w/ $25/day for one visit and minimal attention to our cats.
 
Do you know what your single dog does while you're at work? He sleeps.

Do you know what your two dogs will do while you're at work? They'll sleep.
 
HeavyPetter said:
Do you know what your single dog does while you're at work? He sleeps.

Do you know what your two dogs will do while you're at work? They'll sleep.
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You could get one of those creepy webcam monitor things and just watch your dogs sleep all day.
 
HeavyPetter said:
Do you know what your single dog does while you're at work? He sleeps.

Do you know what your two dogs will do while you're at work? They'll sleep.
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Three pairs of my shoes, my wife's purse, the edge of our couch, and the window sill say otherwise.
 
HeavyPetter said:
Do you know what your single dog does while you're at work? He sleeps.

Do you know what your two dogs will do while you're at work? They'll sleep.
Click to expand...

Haha. I remember creeping back into my house as a kid and trying to spy on my dog after the house was empty for a few years. Fun times.

I always wondered what they did...
 
We have always gone the two dog route as well. Made a plug for the boxer rescue yesterday, might as well throw another one in here. You can pick and choose your age, sex, size, etc. Come fixed and tested with other dogs, no gamble here.

BTW our Boxers have always loved their Black Lab first cousins, although a little jealous when we are near a pool, ocean or lake. Boxers do not quite have the tail for it.
 
I had a coworker who said two dogs helps when one passes away (especially with her kids) - you're not left totally empty, and when you get a new dog, she says it doesn't feel as much like you're replacing a dog, but rather just adding a new one.
 
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