# 2 dogs or 1? Pros and cons please



## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

We did have 2 dogs once, Lilly and Snickers. Maltese and Maltese/Yorkie. They were fun but barked at each other sometimes. 

PROS- 

They have each other when we are at work. (we come home for lunch and kids are home all day friday, Tues and Thurs afternoon)

They bond to each other. 

They are fun to watch and socialize each other

Already have 2 crates!

CONS- 

They bond to each other

Twice the expense

Can't tell who "did" it with accidents etc

Mia is 11 weeks and is having some separation anxiety. Not extreme but she whines when she is left alone in the gated part of the house. We ignore it and she does go in her crate at night and when we are gone okay now.This isn't the only reason we are considering another Tibetan Terrier but I do have working mom guilt. The girls won't be around as much now that school is starting, back to college. 

What to do, what to do...

If we did this, the other pup is not a litter mate. She shares the same dad but has a different mother. Not Mia's breeder but her friend.  A female. She was born on 7-7-07 and the breeder calls her Lilly. Lilly was our Maltese who we lost a 18 months ago.


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## sheplovr (Aug 27, 2006)

I have sold two pups to families, raising them just fine. I see NO harm with two dogs, I have 7 adults running, two males....rest females pure West German dogs that are super tough, but obey. If raised or taught the rights from wrongs, no problem with more than two.


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

7! What fun you must have!

My breeder said that she doesn't know anyone who has just one and she warned us that we'd want another. She refuses to sell 2 from the same litter.

Do you know why that might be?


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## 007Dogs (Aug 22, 2007)

As a breeder, I will very rarely sell two pups into the same home. Littermates or not. I really believe the dogs tend to bond to each other and not the family. I tell people if they are still interested in getting another pup, we will start talking about it in 6-8 months. It is best to get one house trained before bringing in the second pup. If it is a large family with older children, then I will consider the idea. But bonding and training one puppy is a lot of work, two is more than twice as hard.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

I'd wait and get Mia calm and confident in your home first. It's just too hard to socialize two puppies properly, even as fun as it is to see them play together. Wait at least 6-8 months and get the first pup at least PART way through her teenaged phase first. If you like Mia so much, why not get on the waiting list for her mom's next litter? I've found that puppies from the same dam are MUCH more similar than those with the same sire, probably because Mom has so much influence, initially, on the litter's experiences. Mal is very, very much like his half-brother Pluto (from his mum's second litter) but absolutely nothing like his half-brothers Templar and... can't remember the other one- they're by his sire.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> Mia is 11 weeks and is having some separation anxiety. Not extreme but she whines when she is left alone in the gated part of the house. We ignore it and she does go in her crate at night and when we are gone okay now.This isn't the only reason we are considering another Tibetan Terrier but I do have working mom guilt. The girls won't be around as much now that school is starting, back to college.
> 
> What to do, what to do...
> 
> If we did this, the other pup is not a litter mate. She shares the same dad but has a different mother. Not Mia's breeder but her friend.  A female. She was born on 7-7-07 and the breeder calls her Lilly. Lilly was our Maltese who we lost a 18 months ago.



The best time to add a 2nd dog to the household is when the first dog is fully trained, and an adult. To do so during adolescense can be extremely trying, and is not fair to the current dog or the newbie. 

You've got an 11-wk old puppy who needs your time and attention in order to properly socialize, housetrain, and train her, so that she becomes a healthy, well-adjusted family dog who doesn't pee in the house, bark at noises, jump up on people, but who is a joy to have around because she's been taught house rules and manners. It takes a lot of patience and persistence, along with time, effort, and energy to properly raise one puppy. With two or more, you need to provide one-on-one time with each dog to keep the bond with you stronger than with the other dog. 

Make play dates with another dog(s) you know is safe, and/or enroll in a puppy class to socialize Mia, rather than get her another dog. Get a kitten to keep her company! My dogs and cats are great buddies, and sleep together. 

I have a friend who has 3 dogs. Two came as littermates, the third a month or so after the first two. She can't figure out why the littermates ignore her, or why all 3 dogs are rude and obnoxious! Because they're Toy breeds, and my friend loves them, she is oblivious to how obnoxious they are, and how much extra work to clean up after they are! She's always tired, and a prisoner in her own home . . .because the dogs tear up the house whenever she leaves (and all 3 pee and poop in her house), so she stays home. She never crate trained any of them, either. My friend is a wonderful person, but she just doesn't get it! She says when her dogs are gone, no more, ever. How sad.


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## crazydays (Jul 24, 2007)

I so agree with waiting. If you get another young pup, you will have two doing the same bad behaviours. My dog Cagney-Standard Schnauzer had the experience of her littermate (Sydney) moving in with us for a year and a half. Although cute, they shared the same brain. I had exaggerated issues such as barking, increased territorial behaviour. Try walking 2 dogs that are pulling. Try wiping 2 dogs paws at the door--they get into alot because they stir each other up. Love both dogs, but it was a nightmare raising them together. I think the best way to train a puppy is one on one.


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

Thanks for the honest answers. The motivation for this is working mom guilt, I am sure of it. I was lucky enough to not work when my daughters were little and so this is new to me. We will be able to let her out at noon, I am repeating myself!

Puppy class starts next week, I am looking forward to it. We have a few dogs that we make play dates with and we are thinking of taking her to doggy daycare one day a week. Our last dog hated other dogs and it's really important to us that Mia isn't that way.

It's no coincidence that I want another puppy now because the girls go back to college next week. 

Thanks for all of your help, I really appreciate it!


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

Cobalt said:


> Thanks for the honest answers. The motivation for this is working mom guilt, I am sure of it. I was lucky enough to not work when my daughters were little and so this is new to me. We will be able to let her out at noon, I am repeating myself!
> 
> Puppy class starts next week, I am looking forward to it. We have a few dogs that we make play dates with and we are thinking of taking her to doggy daycare one day a week. Our last dog hated other dogs and it's really important to us that Mia isn't that way.
> 
> ...


let me just add..... to the two pups from the same litter thing..... 
its a ton of work and oftentimes training and housebreaking suffers.... while it can be done, it takes alot of effort and commitment to make it work..... the housebreaking itself is a huge challenge.... 

the only other thing to add is that people forget that while having two pups is a ton of fun..... (not in my book but some think that) they are cute and all.... you have to remember that at some point you will have two very old dogs hopefully.... and that is not so fun.... it is expensive and I know in our case my husband had littermates that lived to be almost 17 and they both died within a couple months of each other... it was heartbreaking.... so often people look at the puppyhood and watching them play.... but don't think about the other side of the coin..... 

personally as far as bonding to each other..... that depends on the breed.... I dont find that personally to be a problem with retrievers that are bred to work with people... actually sporting dogs as a whole don't seem to have that issue. However, like I said above.... it requires alot of commitment to make sure that each puppy does things independantly and goes to school and gets the training they need. 

I don't generally sell littermates... could I be convinced probably but it would be a really hard sell and only to someone I knew with lots of experience.... 
s


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

Hey, I was re-reading this and just wanted to add something- Mia doesn't have separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is a specific condition- it's like saying someone who gets down once in a while but rarely has depression- they may be depressed, but they don't have depression. Mia is anxious- she doesn't have SA. It really sounds like her behavior while you're gone is normal puppy stuff- don't worry, she'll be fine.


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

Old dogs, two at a time would be a heartbreak. We didn't think we'd survive losing Lilly and we swore we wouldn't put ourselves through it again. But, we did and now we are so glad that we did.

I am glad that Mia doesn't have SA, thank you!

The breeder emailed to say that the puppy that we had our eye on sold. It's just as well.


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## dogswithnohair (Jul 25, 2007)

Well I have three and I tried to tell myself that I got the second one to keep the first one company. But I think many dog trainers will tell you that really you are getting another dog for yourself. However, if you are going to get another I think that the closer in age they are to each other that they will bond to each other better. I got my second when the first was already 6 and while they get along they never really got as close as the second did with the third.

And I agree with the statements that you should not get two puppies together because they will bond with each other and not with the family.


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