So, you have an adorable little pooch that you love to the moon and back, and you’re thinking – Why not double the love? After all, it won’t be a lot of extra work, right? You can walk two dogs together and take them to the groomer together.
But getting a second dog is not a decision to be made lightly. It’s important to properly plan for a second pet and to carefully weigh the pros and cons.
As always, Puppy Hero is here to help! In this post, we’re going to talk about some of the pros and cons of getting a second dog. The goal is to help you decide whether a second dog will be a good addition to your home and work for your lifestyle.
Having another dog in your home means double the fun! You can enjoy unconditional love from two lovable four-legged friends instead of one.
Two dogs in your home means your furry friends always have someone to chase around the yard or kitchen. This is especially important if you’re away from home for long hours.
If you choose a dog of the right breed and temperament to be a guard dog, having two dogs instead of one can secure your home even better.
Adding a second dog to your household may lead to better behavior in both pets. It’s important to choose carefully, though. Experts say getting a dog of the opposite sex is better as two male dogs are more likely to be competitive with each other. Also, bringing a younger dog into your household is less likely to challenge your older doggy.
Nothing can replace the void left by a pet, but having another doggo in your home can help you get through a difficult time when you lose one of your dogs.
When you have two dogs in your family instead of one, the expenses can add up pretty quickly. You need to budged for dog food, vet visits, obedience training, etc., before you bring an additional dog into your home.
You might find that having two dogs creates far more mess in your home than one and you’re spend way more time cleaning up after them than you did when you had just the one pooch. For example, if both your dogs are heavy shedders, you might have days when you feel there’s enough fur around the house to build a third dog.
While it appears that having two dogs instead of one won’t take up all that much extra time, two dogs do come with extra responsibilities. For example, if your first dog has low exercise and grooming needs and your second dog needs more activity or grooming, you might suddenly find you need a great deal more time to groom and walk your pets.
Although breed characteristics can give you an idea of which dogs are likely to get along well with others, it is impossible to predict how two pooches will react to each other. Remember, your first dog is used to your undivided love and attention and may not react well to the introduction of a new four-legged member to the family, leading to behavior problems in a previously well-behaved pooch.
You may find that an unruly puppy is causing behavior problems with your older dog who used to be well behaved. It can also be harder to train a younger dog when another one is on the scene causing distractions.
There’s no doubt that two dogs are double the love, but they can also mean double the expense and double the mess. Think carefully about the pros and cons of getting a second dog before you introduce a new four-legged member into your household. A little awareness of the possible problems can help you make the right decisions and result in a happy you and happy doggos.
28 March, 2022