This meme sums up my feelings...
I'm fairly active in the local dog groups and I've seen quite a number of times people add dogs to their house for reasons I cannot fathom, especially the one where they want to give their puppy a companion.
I'm not going to lie, its pretty difficult and tiring when I added a second dog to the house. In fact, I question myself on a daily basis on whether I should have done it or not. So in this blog post I will discuss about when is it a good time to add another dog, and the cons of making this decision.
1+1=3 This is what I always tell people when they ask me how's having 2 dogs. The amount of work and effort you need to put in increases by a lot. To do things right, I try my best give equal training sessions, I walk them separately, and provide time for one on one bonding sessions with them. The attention they require, especially with puppies, is sky high. As mentioned in the other blog post, puppies will need to be monitored constantly, which will suck up whatever energy you have left after you're home from work.
When Charlie was younger, they both quarrel on a daily basis......
So when will it be a good time?
Now I'm not a certified canine behaviourist, nor I have a lot of experience dealing with many dogs of different personalities, but I will share from my experience on when I think it will be a good time.
I introduced Kettle to Snoopy when he was 10 years old. Kettle was 8 and even though Snoopy was much fitter physically, their energy levels and temperament compliment each other pretty well. Snoopy can be a little demanding but Kettle is very submissive. Both of them would sleep throughout the day, only displaying short bursts of energy during walks.
When I brought Charlie back, Snoopy was 11. Now this is tiring because there is a mismatch of energy levels between the 2 doggos. Charlie, being a puppy back then, wants to play constantly, but at this point Snoopy is starting to slow down. At times I felt unfair to Snoopy and to manage them, I have to crate and rotate to give Snoopy enough time on his own. Luckily for me, Snoopy is a good teacher and he gives fair and firm corrections to that rambunctious puppy behaviour. After a few months Charlie got the idea and respects Snoopy as the top dog.
Synchronized sleeping
Now when I added Marcie to the equation, the management is even harder this time. Although Marcie never bothers Snoopy due to the corrections he give, she is always looking to play with Charlie. Charlie is still a puppy himself at 1 year old when she came to us so they will play and trash the house a few times a day. A lot of attention and distraction techniques are used to get them to focus on me instead, and it absolutely drains my energy. However, they have an ultimate skill which will make me forget all of the troubles.
So based on my experience, there is no correct formula as to when it is a good time to add another dog. But broadly speaking, try not to introduce dogs of different energy levels unless you are willing to put 200% effort into training, do a crate and rotate schedule, and sacrifice your sanity. This means ideally having dogs that are not too far apart in terms of age and exercise requirements as well.
When is it not a good time
Now, I feel that most people do not know about Littermate Syndrome, or they just brush it aside. Let me tell you, Littermate Syndrome is very real. Read more about Littermate Syndrome here. Littermate Syndrome can happen between dogs of similar ages, even if they are not siblings. Most average dog owners are either not equipped, have a lack of knowledge, or are unable/unwilling to put in the effort to handle puppies of a similar age. Puppies, if raised together without considering the effects of LMS and without appropriate training, will turn into dogs with temperamental problems. So ideally, you should only bring in another puppy when your first puppy is at least a year old, and his or her training is pretty solid.
Charlie and Marcie is only 8 months apart in age, so I was very worried about this littermate syndrome, especially when I would say Charlie isn't very well trained yet. Before bringing back Marcie, I quit my full time job, and took on a job that allows me to work from home indefinitely to prepare for this (took a huge pay cut as well). A lot of attention is given to all of them and the effort taken is pretty exhausting; they eat, train, sleep, walk separately. They probably only have around 5-6 hours of interaction with each other daily.
Other things to take note
Other than the effort required to manage them, expenses will now double. Your dogs will eat twice as much, vet fees will be twice as much, preventive medication and care costs will double up as well. Unless you are quite comfortable with your finances, I really wouldn't suggest having more than one dog.
Managing multiple dogs in a household requires a lot of training, a lot of patience, a great sense of humor, and favor from the Gods.
Do you have black labrador