Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Is Getting One Dog or Two Dogs At a Time Better?

The question posed is "Are two puppies twice the
fun or five times the work?". Short
answer/question…If given the choice at the
hospital, would you take home a single child or a
set of twins? :))

It's done with the best of intentions:

1) It's time to add a puppy to your family and
you want the best for your new furry friend. You
have gotten the bed, bowls, and toys...everything
for your new friend. You go to pick up your
puppy and find that there is one puppy left in
the litter that no one has taken home. You watch
your puppy playing with his littermate. They are
rolling and tussling back and forth, wearing each
other out, and a light bulb clicks on in your
head. "Our family is busy and there will be
times when our puppy is left by himself. I don't
want him to get lonely. I want him to grow into
a happy dog". You want to take home both dogs!"
with a big smile on your face...after all isn't
having two puppies twice the fun? ...

2) You've had Fido for a week or so. Life has
caught up to you and you've been really busy!
When you get home from your long day at work,
your buddy is so happy to see you and wants to
play, play, play! You're tired and think, " I
could get another puppy and they could play
together all day so they'll tire each other out
and then when I get home it will be "lovin"
time." You start looking for a playmate that
night as your puppy chews on your shoelaces. ...

3) You have a good dog that has a lot of
energy! Whew, he wears you out trying to keep up
with him! What you need is a doggy buddy for him
to play with all day and burn off his extra
energy...You'll get a puppy for him. Your older
dog is a good dog and can "help" you raise the
new puppy by showing it how to behave...

Whatever the reason for a multi-dog household, we
have to take our feelings out of the picture and
look for the best for our dogs from their point
of view. Puppies at the age of 7-8 weeks have,
hopefully, had the opportunity to learn valuable
life lessons from their mother and their
siblings. At this age, they are developing
personalities and looking for relationships.
They are ready to leave their pack and build a
bond with you. This is the easiest window of
time for that bond to form. When you have a
multi-dog household, this bond can be damaged, if
not handled correctly.

It is much easier for a puppy to look to another
puppy or dog for the bond of companionship. They
speak the same language. It takes more effort
for the puppy to connect with something that
doesn't look like him, smell like him, or speak
his native tongue. Bonding with a human and
learning the human society rules can sometimes be
a little difficult. Dogs left alone "to be dogs"
are going to do just that... be dogs. They are
also going to bond closely, sometimes becoming
two halves of a whole instead of 2 individual
dogs.

With this situation, we see an increased level of
anxiety in the dogs. They become agitated when
separated from the other dog, even a distance as
close as across the room. They cry when their
litter mate is not around. They become manic if
one has to go to the vet for an overnight stay.
It can lead to constant fighting between the
siblings and increased dog aggression. It may
even manifest as human aggression because the
trust and bond with a human has never been
formed. These behaviors are detrimental for the
dogs. Some of them will land in a humane society
where they will be un-adoptable due to their
problems. Most people do not realize that this
could be a death sentence for the dog. No one
wants this for his or her dog's future, so now,
what to do? We must decide what is going to be
the best quality of life for the dog.

The "Unthinkable" for most people...Re-home one
of the dogs. No one wants to part with a dog that
they have fallen in love with. It's painful and
heartbreaking for both you and your dogs. If
you have difficulties with the dog already,
waiting to see if they outgrow the behaviors can
make it VERY hard to find a home. It takes a
special person to try to fix a problem dog.

The responsible option is easier on the heart but
harder on the owner....spend individual time with
your dog. We understand this goes against why you
got two dogs in the first place, but in the long
run it can be absolute bliss for your family and
your dogs! To treat the dogs as individuals
means twice the "dog work" for you but also twice
the love and devotion. Train each dog
separately. Spend time with each one. Let them
play together occasionally but you make sure you
have more play time with them than they have with
each other. They must have their own space to
grow and develop that dog/human bond of
companionship. You DO NOT have to keep them
apart forever but they will need this individual
attention for at least the first year of their
lives or coming into your world so they look to
you for their love and leadership.

Please don't misunderstand. We are not
advocating one-dog households, we each live in
multi-dog homes and most of our clients have more
than one dog. You can have as many dogs as you
want but remember that owning a dog is privilege
and to live up to that you have to do what's best
for those that you care for. If you choose to
keep both dogs and feel you're over your head at
any point, contact us. The best option is simply
to train your dogs so they may live, love, play
together and look to you and your family first
and foremost for all their needs.

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We specialize at In-Home training. Coming into
your home, getting the whole family involved to
address all behavioral issues in the dogs'
enviroment. We give you the tools and knowledge
to have a well behaved friend for life.

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