Two dogs in the house
Category: Choosing a dog, Reviews from dog breeders
My husband and I really wanted to get a dog, but we couldn’t decide on the choice of breed. It was decided to buy two dogs . Two puppies in the house - what could be more fun? But everything turned out to be not so simple. Let's discuss all the pros and cons of having two dogs in the same house.
Two dogs means twice as much care for them. According to experts, only an experienced dog breeder can have two puppies at once. Beginners cannot do this. If the first dog is already in the house, it is advisable that it be young and active in order to maintain the playful mood of the other dog. If the dog is old, then it can be very painful for the appearance of another dog and there will be added psychological troubles.
If the first dog has problems with obedience or shows dominant aggression, then getting a second dog is absolutely forbidden. The second dog will most likely accept all the conditions of the game of the first one. Therefore, if your first dog chews everything in the house, then be sure that the second one will not stand aside.
Now let's decide on the gender of dogs. Dogs of different sexes live best of all. They can be a couple. If you don't want to bother with puppies, you can spay the female dog. Dogs are pack animals, so they can make friends with a dog of the same sex. Don’t think that if you have bitches, they won’t fight—they will if you don’t create the right conditions for mutual comfort.
What about the size? It is advisable that the dogs are approximately the same size, since a large dog may not calculate the force of its bite or may simply crush a small one.
Now imagine that you decide to buy a puppy. A normal adequate dog will not offend the puppy, but will also show him his place in the hierarchy. But to alleviate the situation, experts advise wiping the puppy with the urine of the older dog or his thing so that the puppy smells a familiar smell. Time passes and the puppy grows. It is at this moment that the owner must be on alert. Everything in the hierarchy can change and conflict is inevitable. It is necessary to monitor the situation and not allow the conflict to develop.
If you decide to buy a second adult dog, then you need to act a little differently. Experts suggest introducing dogs on neutral territory, when both dogs are well-fed and have been walked. And then, after several meetings, you can bring the dog into the house. From the first steps, try to keep the dogs on an equal footing and always show that the leader in this pack is the boss. If the owner’s leadership is lost for some reason, then it can be returned if you start training the dogs at the same time: at the same time the command “sit”, “lie down”, etc.
When a dog is brought into the house, the first dog needs to be shown that he has not been forgotten. It's like with children. It is necessary to increase the amount of food for the first dog for the first time. If you have a puppy who needs to eat often, then you need to feed your older dog the same often, just by reducing the amount of food. They must eat together. The living space of dogs should not be lame. Everyone should have their place.
You must first train your first dog well, and only then take the second one into your home. If the family has a favorable atmosphere, where everything is filled with love and joy, then your home can accommodate more than just two dogs . Two dogs in the house is great. Now, knowing what awaits you when buying a second dog, you can safely introduce it into your home.
If you have positive and not so positive examples of two dogs in the house, please share with us.
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Useful tips
Therefore, before getting a second dog, it is better to discuss with its owner or the owner of the kennel the possibility of returning it in case of problems with adaptation.
IMPORTANT! If you choose a second dog from the shelter, you can take the first dog with you so that it can take part in the selection.
It is better to pay attention in advance to your dog’s predisposition to other animals. That is, observe which dogs yours treats favorably, with whom she likes to play and communicate. Perhaps it will be a certain breed, or dogs of a certain size, or age. There are many options. Also, pay attention to how your dog reacts to the presence of other pets in his home.
Tail of two dogs
Before you adopt a new four-legged friend, think about whether you are ready to bear all the time and money spent on caring for him. Think twice before having two. But in any case, you will succeed if you treat your pets as individuals, train them properly and spend time with them in the company of other people and other dogs. If you follow these tips, you can create lifelong affection for your dogs and lay the foundation that will help them settle into happy, well-established lives as new members of your family. Who knows, you might even become the next expert in training two puppies at once and people will start asking you for help!
Age
You should not get a second dog until the youngest is 2-3 years old - primarily because of the issues of education described above, and also - no matter how hard it is to think about it - it is more difficult to cope with the departure of four-legged friends one after another, and even if The younger dog is also at an advanced age; he will “give up” faster after the loss of his older friend.
You should also not get a puppy when the first dog is already very old: the baby will bother the older one, irritate and anger her, while she needs rest and peace. In addition, you will spend a lot of time with the puppy - and this is jealousy, which is also difficult for an old dog. Of course, everything will be somewhat different if you take not just a baby, but an already grown-up puppy, to an older dog, try not to let the younger one bring the old-timer down, and also pay the same attention to the first dog as to the newcomer.
But this does not mean that if the first dog is already an adult, then you are late in getting a second dog - far from it. If the dog is mature (for different breeds these are different numbers: for large breeds - up to 5-6 years, for medium ones - up to 8-9, for small ones even more) and is not burdened with strong signs of aging - on the contrary, gray hair has just begun to appear - youthful the creature often returns the former youth to such a dog: the excitement in games returns and the dog simply gains a second youth.
Training Strategies
If you have two puppies, these tips will help you deal with their behavior problems and train multiple dogs at the same time. Many of these recommendations require puppies to spend time alone:
- Keep dogs in separate enclosures at night. Crate training will be useful for their safety, monitoring damage to furniture, and teaching them to be clean in the house and when traveling. Your new puppies should be kept in separate crates, but close enough that you can hear them at night if they need your help.
- Train them separately. When training two puppies, they should attend classes at different times. Alternatively, if you are training them at home, work with one dog while the other is in another room. You can also put each puppy on a long, comfortable leash outside so they get used to seeing the other get attention.
- Socialize them and play with them individually. This will help your puppies become independent so that the timid one won't have to compete for your attention during playtime. Try taking them with you one at a time when you go out for a while to run errands, or take one of them with you to a friend's house (if the friend is okay with it) to get to know each other.
- Walk them one at a time. Give each dog your full attention during your daily walk. Even with separate leashes, if you always walk your pups together, "the less confident pup will rely on the presence of the braver pup in real life," writes Pat Miller, training editor for Whole Dog magazine. This will also give each puppy the opportunity to have his own “sniff” and get to know other dogs.
You're not trying to separate two potential best friends by doing this. Rather, you are simply giving each of them the opportunity to be themselves as they grow into well-behaved adult dogs. Once you begin to understand each of them's individual personalities and what they each like to do, you can begin to incorporate more group activities and try training them together. Just always make sure that everyone gets their share of love and attention, otherwise one dog may become dominant over the other or become jealous. Training two puppies will require extra effort to ensure that each puppy receives equal attention.
Making contact
It is recommended to organize the first meeting of two dogs on the street. If the dogs meet each other joyfully, there is a chance for their further peaceful cohabitation. But there may be a catch - it’s not a fact that they will behave the same in the house. Therefore, the successful completion of adaptation can be confirmed after two dogs have lived in the house together for some time without conflicts.
NOTE! It is necessary to choose the right time to bring a second dog into the house. This should be done when all contacts of the first dog with family members have already been established.
If you try to solve the behavior problems of the first by bringing a second dog into your home, you may end up with two dogs that will have behavior problems. This is due to the fact that all dogs adopt each other’s moods and over time, even their hormonal cycles begin to coincide.
Basic rules for establishing a good relationship between two dogs:
- When a second dog appears, the daily routine (walks and feedings) of the first one should not change.
- There should be enough space for both dogs so that they do not harass each other.
- Dogs must have separate bowls of food and water.
- The actions carried out by the owner with the first dog must be preserved (for example, when coming home from work, continue to devote time to the dog, stroking it behind the ear).
There are many cases where the first dog silently tolerates the second, allowing it to use its bowls and things, but secretly hating it with all its heart and suffering very much. Hiding his feelings deep inside, over time the first dog begins to get sick.
To determine how two dogs interact with each other, you need to observe them. So, if after the appearance of the second dog, the first one became ill-groomed, stopped washing itself, licking itself, or its nutrition and sleep were disturbed, or there was no desire to play and study, then it means it is bad. She lives in constant stress and, most likely, left alone, the dogs will fight.
Are two always better than one?
We find it tempting to get a second dog, whether it's for your own pleasure or just so your current dog has company. Two dogs will give you twice the amount of fun and affection, but they will also cause you twice as much trouble and expense. Are you getting another dog in the house? Will the current dog love the new one? Will they become friends or will they end up fighting all the time? It's impossible to know the answers to these questions in advance, but taking the necessary precautions and doing a little homework will make the transition much easier.
