minxy Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Have been considering getting a second dog for quite some time but hadn't really done anything about it. Now the opportunity has come up where a dog of my breed needs a home. I've been thinking about the pros and cons of all of it, but I'd really appreciate it if people who have multiple dogs could think of anything I need to be asking myself (or the breeder) before I take the plunge of going from one dog to two. Thanks in advance :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whippetsmum Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I have a 5 year old and 2 year old. Things are going OK most of the time, but some things I should have considered more were: Will you be able to walk both together? Will you be able to walk them individually at other times? What happens if the 2nd dog bonds to the first more than you? Can you provide individual time to each, play time in the back yard for example, how do you stop one from monstering in on the other's time and play? If there is a peronality clash between the 2, will the breeder rehome the newbie (wasn't an issue for mine)? Practicalities to consider: being able to feed the 2 seperately, and having seperate zones for alone time for each dog to be away from the other when need be, as well as managing seperate training times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weasels Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Do you have an emergency plan in place to cope with shedding season?? Seriously tho it's awsome, I recommend it :D So cute to watch dogs interact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Don't know if anyone else finds this but mine are absolute ferals when together, compared to when apart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyWal Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I don't know much about Akita's but I do know you and hubby's dedication to Kyojin.I also know you would not consider this lightly so good on you for asking the questions Minxy.I have always only had one dog and when I adopted Stan I just thought that would be it but half a dozen foster greys later along came Miss Madeline.I love having two now and would never go back to one.They have very different personalities and yes there are some trying times but they are really a joy and they love each others company.Good luck and if you do take the plunge it will be another lucky doggie in the Minxy household :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 My "sweet" number for dogs is 4... but I currently only have 3 - so I foster for rescue to make up the numbers... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannibalgoldfish Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Is the other dog the same sex? Best avoided with Akitas (and many other breeds) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I enjoy having 2 but it is more time consuming as you need to spend time with each individually. My Mason is my special dog and I dd not know how he would react to having another dog live with us. He was very jello us of Gibbs at first but soon warmed up to him. They love each other so much and they both love thir humans too :) I would say Gibbs has bonded more with my hubby I think, but he does enjoy spending time with me too :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remarkabull Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I have 4 dogs and I have never had a problem with any of the dogs bonding more with each other than me. Not all of the dogs like each other a lot but they all co exist with no major problems. My 2 little dogs are not that interested in playing all that much, especially with a 40kg Dobermann who can be pretty rough at times. Thankfully the new pup loves the rough play and she and the Dobe have become great friends so everyone is happy as he no longer bothers the smaller dogs to play :) . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 (edited) To be honest it has been so long since I have lived in a single dog household (almost ten years now!) that I can't remember what it is like to just own one :laugh: ETA: I often take my dogs out on their own and do things with them separately. I think one on one time is good for them and it's good for them to learn to be on their own. Edited April 12, 2012 by huski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mim Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 (edited) Having multiple dogs is the greatest, my dogs get so much joy from each other. The only cons I can think of are that food costs increase but I feed raw so it's cheap as chips anyway, and flea/worming treatments add up (but I find them cheap on ebay). The jump from 2 dogs to 3 is hard because you need an extra arm when they all want pats at the same time :laugh: Edited April 12, 2012 by Mim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minxy Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 Thank you to everyone for your replies so far. Some really great points and suggestions have been raised. We'll definitely try and do some one-on-one things with both of them. I'm home a lot (unemployed since about 2 weeks ago, so now would be a very good time wise for me to bring a new dog home). I should mention that for the first 21 years of my life I've always lived in a two dog household, but this will be the first time that I am completely responsible for these dogs. So while it's not completely new, it definitely means a lot more now than it did when I was living at home. I have a 5 year old and 2 year old. Things are going OK most of the time, but some things I should have considered more were: Will you be able to walk both together? Will you be able to walk them individually at other times? What happens if the 2nd dog bonds to the first more than you? Can you provide individual time to each, play time in the back yard for example, how do you stop one from monstering in on the other's time and play? If there is a peronality clash between the 2, will the breeder rehome the newbie (wasn't an issue for mine)? Practicalities to consider: being able to feed the 2 seperately, and having seperate zones for alone time for each dog to be away from the other when need be, as well as managing seperate training times. Mr M and I always go for walks together, so that would be fine, we'd just walk one each. But I think we'd probably also do some occasional walks/jogs with the dogs separately too so that they get some time away from each other. I haven't yet asked the breeder about whether they'd take the bitch back if need be, but it is on my list of questions to ask. Thank you for including that one, it's going to be very important to know before we make any decisions. I have a crate for Kyojin, so I'll get one for the new girl as well so that they can have some quiet time away from each other. You've raised some great points to think about :) Do you have an emergency plan in place to cope with shedding season?? Seriously tho it's awsome, I recommend it :D So cute to watch dogs interact. :laugh: :laugh: Yup, I bet they'll always blow coat at the same time. Just my luck! Fortunately though I LOVE coat blows. I think it's the coolest thing ever to be using the force dryer on Kyojin while locked in the garage - it's like being in a snow globe. The amount of hair we get off him always blows my mind. Don't know if anyone else finds this but mine are absolute ferals when together, compared to when apart :laugh: Yea, I think I could very well end up with partners in crime! I don't know much about Akita's but I do know you and hubby's dedication to Kyojin.I also know you would not consider this lightly so good on you for asking the questions Minxy.I have always only had one dog and when I adopted Stan I just thought that would be it but half a dozen foster greys later along came Miss Madeline.I love having two now and would never go back to one.They have very different personalities and yes there are some trying times but they are really a joy and they love each others company.Good luck and if you do take the plunge it will be another lucky doggie in the Minxy household :) Naww, thank you SM. Whether we get this bitch or another one some day, she'll be very loved. Is the other dog the same sex? Best avoided with Akitas (and many other breeds) Nup, getting a bitch. I generally prefer dogs, but I just wouldn't risk having two of the same sex when it comes to Akitas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizT Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Having multiple dogs is great and I was just thinking the other day what it would be like to have an "only child". I haven't had just one dog since I was 15 years old. So it's been multiple dogs for 35 years. Somedays I wish I just had one to devote all my attention to, but most days I like the way our pack runs. :) It's always a risk when introducting an Adult dog into an esablished home. So much easier to bring in a puppy, though not necessarily more work, just different work. What you need to ask yourself is, is your breed a breed that will adapt to a multiple dog dynamic and what is Plan B should, down the track you find the dogs do not get along, as has sadly happened to many people before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Don't know if anyone else finds this but mine are absolute ferals when together, compared to when apart YES. (Rolly eye man) Minxy, try not to worry too much about it, I know when we got Mo I was worried Lili would feel neglected and for the first week or two I was still unsure, but now they're best mates. It is more work and sometimes I think of how peaceful it would be if we only had one....but I wouldn't change it for the world. And I want more Do it! :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Fox Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 One thing I think you need to consider with two large dogs living in the same household: If they don't get along do you have the time and facilities to keep them separate? Or alternatively would you be willing to return the puppy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwynwen Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Two akitas is cuddlier than one :-) Cooper & Suki on Flickr (add a bigger car to the list...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca.a Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I debated adding a second as well, although in the past I had two at the same time. For me I was more worried about the extra work (exercising, training). I really don't think Molly could be without her little partner in crime now. Yesterday Cooper spent the day at the vet and she sulked, wouldn't eat her breakfast :laugh: But there is the additional costs too, food, wormer's, vets etc. And also if you have a vehicle big enough for 2? Good luck with your decision :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply Grand Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Everyone has made great points, and most more experienced than me, but I think the best thing I ever did was get my second dog! I personally didn't find it a whole lot more work, though I was lucky that mine got along (2nd was only a baby when he came home though, older one nearly 2). They're both small breeds too so I found getting a larger breed as the 3rd more of a challenge. However you're already equipped to deal with big dogs so you shouldn't have that learning curve (ie. Oh you can reach that, and knock that over, and pull that, and jump up there etc etc). I would probably consider how accepting Kyojin is of other dogs in general, is he cool with other dogs visiting your house, playing with his toys, eating and sleeping near him etc? I knew that Saxon was fine with all that from having friends' dog's visit so I didn't think he'd have a problem with a new puppy, which he didn't at all. As far as separate time, I do try and I give them short separate training and cuddle times at home but their main separate time is at obedience class (I take them each to a separate class). I walk them together and take them to the park together and haven't had any major dramas. Each is definitely more bonded to me than each other, but again all were baby puppies when they came home. My biggest challenges with a multi dog household are the constant cleaning up and the noise! And yes they are a bad influence on each other, but the good far outweighs the bad :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply Grand Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 ETA they are also bonded to each other and are protective of each other when out in public, if Saxon or Riley thinks the other one or Quinn (the baby who's twice the size of either of them) is in trouble with another dog they'll rush over and "try to help". It's sweet but tends to escalate things and is something to be aware of if you're out with multiple dogs together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minxy Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 One thing I think you need to consider with two large dogs living in the same household: If they don't get along do you have the time and facilities to keep them separate? Or alternatively would you be willing to return the puppy? At the moment if there were any issues I could separate them with crates or by having Kyojin inside and the other one outside etc until something better could be sorted out. But ultimately if it was clear that they would never get along (I'd seek help first), I would look into returning the new dog if everything else had been tried. I wouldn't want either dog to miss out on spending time with us because they couldn't be around each other. Lovely photo dwynwen, two Akitas is definitely cuddlier than one! An x-trail is on the cards sometime this year. At the moment things would be a bit squishy but I think it would okay to get by for in the meantime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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