Wanting a 2nd Dog

zaksmum

I have two dogs and they just adore each other. They are always together and defend each other if a strange dog starts any trouble with either of them.

When the girl dog goes to the groomers for the afternoon the boy is inconsolable...curls up into a little tight ball of misery till she comes home, then goes crazy with joy!

I do worry though how they will cope when one of them passes away. That's the only drawback, in my opinion, of having two.

Paradigm

krlyr wrote: »

You can train the dogs to deal with being seperate, much like you train a dog with seperation anxiety to be OK on its own - lots of babysteps, but worth doing now before anything happens that takes the choice out of it. Encouraging some seperate time in the house, e.g. giving them a Kong in seperate rooms, having a special time when one dog is taken by a walk by someone else in the house (or a dog walker if you're on your own) while the dog at home gets loads of fuss and games - basically make being home alone a thing for them to look forward to.

Already done through necessity but I think we do dogs some disservice when it comes to this kind of thing.. we think we understand them but do we really?

zaksmum wrote: »

I have two dogs and they just adore each other. They are always together and defend each other if a strange dog starts any trouble with either of them.

When the girl dog goes to the groomers for the afternoon the boy is inconsolable...curls up into a little tight ball of misery till she comes home, then goes crazy with joy!

I do worry though how they will cope when one of them passes away. That's the only drawback, in my opinion, of having two.

My experience exactly

mountainofdebt

Hi

Just thought I would let you know we've decided that (in principle !) in principle we're going to look to get another one in the New Year but we're going to see how Spot (the pup we've already got) reacts to the puppies (can't imagine anything worse than bringing a new pup home and them not getting on!)

Of course this means OH has 4 months to talk me out of it !

Caroline_a

I got dog number 2 when dog number one was about 2 yrs 3 months old. Dog number one had been a proper teenager for 2 full years so it was with a big intake of breath I got dog no 2. However.... dog no 1 has taught dog no 2 how to behave, so I'm really glad now that I waited until dog no 1 was fully mature so that he could teach the young pup adult ways.

Had I not waited... I would have had 2 ASBO dogs.....

mountainofdebt

Bit of an update:

Still looking to get another beagle but having done some reading I'm confused.

Basically what I was reading was that whilst two beagles was theoretically a good idea, the article was saying that it was a bad idea to get 2 male beagles as whilst they would be ok with each other initially,at about 18 months they would be fighting each other to become top dog.

Is this true?

The article then went onto say that if there was a dog and a b1tch then obviously, if you didn't want pups, either the dog would have to be neutered or the b1tch spayed but that the former should only be done for medical reasons ......implication it would be better to have the b1tch spayed. Now I know that beagles have a tendency to put on weight if neutered but is true you should only have a dog neutered for medical reasons only?

krlyr

There's no set rule on whether 2 males or 2 females get along, it can vary from dog to dog. I know of many people with multiple males or females (or both) who have no problems. However, I know of many who've had problems - experienced it myself with two females, they hit the year mark and fell out and would have fought to the death had we not rehomed one.
If you approach rescues (there are breed rescues who will deal specifically in Beagles if your mind is dead set on a Beagle) then you can see how your dog gets along with the rescue dog and they'll offer support with any issues. I wouldn't say rule out another male just because one article said it can't work, I'd go by how your dog is with other males. Like I said previously, personally I'd wait until he was slightly older, and that way you can avoid the problem of having two dogs who hit that hormonal stage at 9-12 months at similar times (which could cause a falling out)
As for neutering/spaying, again, opinions and experiences will vary. I would probably almost always get a female dog spayed because of the health implications - mammary cancers, ovarian cancer, pyometra, etc. as well as the possiblity of pregnance. Whether I'd get a male neutered, I'm not entirely sure - the decision wasn't mine to make with my male dog as he was already done by the rescue. There are pros and cons, neutering and spaying has health benefits but also can affect the health negatively, the lack of hormones can make some cancers less likely but other cancers more likely - I think neutered dogs are more likely to get prostate cancer than entire males, though obviously the latter could get testicular cancer. Neutering and spaying can also have an effect on behaviour because you're moving hormones, and hormones can have a big effect on behaviour. I've heard people suggest that you shouldn't neuter a nervous/fearful male dog for example, as the lack of testosterone can worsen their fear. It's a decision you'll have to make yourself and I suggest reading many dog forums, many articles (but don't take them all as gospel - anyone can publish anything on the internet), speak to behaviourists and vets, and perhaps the breeder your dog came from, and decide what's best for your dog. As far as weight gain goes, neutering/spaying can alter a dog's metabolism but you can control your dog's diet and it's not too hard to reduce the amount you feed if the dog seems to gain weight - bulking out their food with veggies, for example, can help fill the dog up without adding to the calories.

mountainofdebt

thanks Krlyr for such a full response.

We're very lucky with Spot in the sense that he has always had such a good temperament with all the other dogs (both make and female) he's met and plays with on a regular basis although I fully understand what you are saying about leaving it until he is slightly older to introduce a new pup to the mix.

I did ask about a male beagle pup from a rescue centre a few days ago but he had already been adopted and they would have insisted on everyone in the house, as well as spot, coming to see the pup before they would finally consider us, which is good really.

In one way perhaps it was a good thing that he was already adopted......I know if he'd been available then I know we would have had him there and then (if we'd been accepted obviously) and perhaps it would be better to have a new pup in the New Year when not only Spot is older, but the better weather will be here (hopefully) when house training will be alot easier.

Caroline_a

I've had 2 dogs probably about 4 times or so, every time both male dogs. Never had a fight yet. Lots of play fighting though, snapping teeth and noise, but always have been able to stop it one a word (of varying volume ) and even the children could do it too.

However I've had several friends with multiple dog households that have had to separate two b1tches and keep them permanently apart.

Do love having two dogs though... and I now walk regularly with a pack of up to 8 dogs.... my shep is the boss and the spin is lowest of the low.... but hey, he's happy!!:T

Sagaris

Update from us - our second beagle arrived last Saturday! He's had 5 homes and 3 goes in rescue - and not quite 2 years old

He's a happy little soul - well I say little, he's taller than our 6 1/2 year old female! They got on really well although she has growled a couple of times - and he's run away like a big girl! They are both now on the sofa, well I didn't want to sit down really! He's scared of anything and everything outside the house, not been socialised properly but we have experience of that with No 1 they are both out everywhere with us where possible.

One dog is good fun - 2 are even better!

rising_from_the_ashes

Sagaris wrote: »

Update from us - our second beagle arrived last Saturday! He's had 5 homes and 3 goes in rescue - and not quite 2 years old

Awwww, poor wee lamb - so glad he's now found a forever home... many congratulations!:D