[My Isela]

Long story short....my husband and I have a one year old lhasa/bichon puppy. She "seems" to love other dogs, when my in-laws bring their puppy over our dog wants to run and play.
I have always wanted 2 dogs, but before this puppy my husband and I had a purebred lhasa for 12 years and she could be the ONLY dog in our home. Sadly, she developed breast cancer and we finally had to put her to sleep (which was one of the HARDEST things I have ever had to do) Anyway, that is how we came to have our current dog.
My question is...does having 2 dogs really keep them entertained. Do they usually enjoy having eachothers company? I know personalities are different, so there may not be an "answer". I am just really torn. There is another puppy that is now 12 weeks old that is the same breed as the puppy we have now. I really want to add her to our family, but my husband is not really all that excited about it (money wise, puppy training etc)
If anyone has advice...the pros, cons, anything I would be so grateful to hear it. I'm not sure why I am wanting to add more craziness to our house (I have a 3.5 and 2.5 year old at home as well as the other dog), but I do.

[MamaS]

I have always been a multi-dog person. At present, I have a 17-year-old Shih Tzu (Sugar) who wants to be left alone, a 2-year-old miniature Shih Tzu (Bella), and her 11-month-old half brother (Thunder, aka Stinker).
We got Bella because we did not want to be dog-less when Sugar passed. But Bella was a puppy -- too playful for Sugar and demanding a lot of our attention -- so getting Thunder gave her a playmate and companion. It has been good for Bella to have a playmate and good for Sugar because they now leave her alone. Bichons are a very friendly and sociable breed -- I think you little one would welcome a playmate, especially at this age.
Just remember to neuter him first and spay her at six months at six months or you and your husband will have a "marking problem" in no time.

[shelbydog]

We have 2 dogs and used to have 3. Our 2 are best friends. They sleep together/near each other, play. I agree - I think you'd like it. I also feel less guilty when we travel or even if I am away for 1/2 a day. I know they have each other. I say go for it!

[Melina's Mom]

I love having two dogs, I have boxers they are rather large & they keep each other company & play w/each other when we are to busy to play w/them. When we leave for work I do not feel bad because they are together. I say go for it... From a house that has 2 kids, 2 dogs & 3 cats & I would not change a thing..
Good Luck.

[becky]

My two Cavaliers are best buddies. My older one was 2 years old when we got the younger one...so they were not puppies together. They really do seem to love each other.

[kerriv]

I have 2 bassets and a silky (kind of an overgrown yorkie). I think one of my bassets would be fine being an only dog but the other and the silky really do better having the others around.

[2xaround]

It really does depend on the breed. We have two Keeshond and I would never have just one. They like attention and unless their humans are able to provide them with the attention they need/desire, they will cause all kinds of trouble. They love having each other around. Not all breeds are like this though.

The other thing to consider is the personality of the two dogs. No matter what the breed, you really don't want to dominant dogs in your house

[My Isela]

Thank-you guys so much for all of the input...and it really just confirms what I have been thinking.
Both dogs are females....I'm not sure if one will be more "dominant", but I guess that's something they will work out. They will only be a year apart in age (just like my daughters), so better to do it while they are both young
I'm so glad to see all of the happy stories about your dogs getting along and being friends....that is exactly why I want a friend for our current dog (Millie).
Guess I'm in for some sleepless nights with the new puppy (my girls have already named her Molly), but I'm SO excited. Oh...and my girls are excited for a new puppy too.
Thanks again!!!

[dance_muffin]

Three dogs here! German Shepherd, Choc. Lab, and a King Charles Cavalier. They all get along famously! My lab is very old so doesn't play as much but it's a riot to watch my Shepherd and KC play together. The younger your dog is; the easier it will be to bring in a new dog. My shepherd is parents are from Germany; (there is a difference in the breeding line from American bred Shepherds) very strong prey drive; dominant one in the pack; the other two are females so it works. I could never have another male dog in the house with my shepherd. Only bring in the opposite sex with an existing dog iving in the house. Make sure everyone is neutered.

If you had a Dobie; Shepherd or Rottie; it would require alot more training and careful socialization in bringing in a new dog regardless if it were the opposite sex of the current pet.

[2xaround]

Originally Posted by My Isela

Thank-you guys so much for all of the input...and it really just confirms what I have been thinking.
Both dogs are females....I'm not sure if one will be more "dominant", but I guess that's something they will work out. They will only be a year apart in age (just like my daughters), so better to do it while they are both young
I'm so glad to see all of the happy stories about your dogs getting along and being friends....that is exactly why I want a friend for our current dog (Millie).
Guess I'm in for some sleepless nights with the new puppy (my girls have already named her Molly), but I'm SO excited. Oh...and my girls are excited for a new puppy too.
Thanks again!!!

Hopefully you won't have any sleepless nights. When we brought our second Keeshond home, we put her in a crate right next to our other Keeshond and she never made a peep. She was very content to be with her new sister.

[happykosmo]

We had our two for over 10 years, they were so close and loved each other so much when one passed, the other shortly followed. Just broke our hearts.

We are huge animal adoption supporters, so cost hasn't been a factor, which is nice, plus you are saving an animal that may otherwise be disguarded. All adoption centers will allow you to bring in your current animal (dog) to see how they would interact together with the potential new one.

If you are considering adoption, you may also consider an older dog. I've always had my heart on older dogs (over one year), they are so much easier and you don't have the crazy puppyness to deal with (chewing, peeing, biting). People hesitate to adopt older dogs, yet if there are problems the center will tell you (ie, not liking other animals or cat). An older animal can bring you so much joy and are so much easier to integrate into your family....at least this has been my experience.

We added a new family member last Fall and I can't wait to bring another one. You won't regret it.

[Tammy2005]

2Xaround, boy your not kidding about having two who are dominant, we have 3 dogs, a saint bernard, a chow and a shih Tzu. The Saint Bernard is the only female, the other two got along really well when the Shh Tzu was just a puppy. When he was about a year old forget it, the Chow and the Shih Tzu are like anemy`s. My Chow gets along with any female dog, but not males. If you decide to get another one maybe choose the same sex as the one you have. i`m not saying this happens all the time, but it happens allot. I have talked to many experience dog people and they told me this is very common. Both of my male dogs want to be the Pack leader. I have to keep them seperated 24/7, this is so hard, but I hate to get rid of either one, so this is what we do daily. Wish you luck. Tammy

[My Isela]

Ok....now I am a bit worried about having 2 female dogs.
How will I know if one is more dominant right now? I did take my dog with me the other day to meet the "new puppy", but she didn't really pay all that much attention to her. The new puppy actually seemed interested in my dog. I will say that Millie, our current dog, is easy going and isn't posessive with her food or toys at this point. She is really a great dog....I want her to have a friend, but I am getting nervous about "causing" trouble adding another dog.
Uhhhh, I have until this afternoon to decide if we want this new puppy, or not. I am planning on taking the kids and the dog back to meet the dog again (hoping that it won't be as crazy and busy as this past weekend) to see how they interact again.
I did want to say that my family "tried: to adopt a dog from a rescue group and we have been denied simply because I have 2 children under the aga of 5 in my house. I think this rule is REDICULIOUS!!! I understand that if a dog is in foster care and doesn't get along with children then it shouldn't go to a home with young children. However, it should be case by case....not just a general rule (in my opinion) We are small dog people and rescue groups are VERY protective about their dogs. It's sad really....I could provide a loving, safe home for an animal that NEEDS a home. We bought our dog from a vet owned puppy store. I was concerned about the "puppy mill" dogs and what they go through. This store has a small number of breeders and I have the name, address of the breeder. This newest puppy has the same mom and dad as my current dog.....so I am happy about that.
So....as much I would LOVE to rescue a dog (also it is MUCH cheaper) that just isn't an option ;-(

[Tammy2005]

I think the dominant issue tends to be in male dogs. I might be wrong though, anyone know for sure. Tammy

[amylynn3]

I don't want to be a debbie downer or sound negative...I just want to share our experience...

We used to have two dogs...a female black lab and a male huskey. Our lab was the dominant dog in the house and eventually we had some issues with her and our children, so we had to make some difficult choices. Moving on to today...we still have the male huskey and recently tried to add another male huskey to the house. It was wonderful for a while...probably a nice honeymoon period. But, then all of the sudden, the new dog started attacking our current dog. We had to keep them completely separate and I was scared the kids would get caught in it. I am guessing the new dog was trying to show dominance. I honestly do not know what happend, but we were fortunate enough to be able to return the new dog to the original owners. From this point on, we will maintain only one dog. I think our huskey is enjoying being the only dog. Our huskey is 6 and the dog we tried to add to our home was 2. It probably would be easier to add a young puppy as opposed to a grown dog.

I would definitely see what options there are if the dog does not fit your family after adjusting. I don't know what we would have done if giving the new huskey back had not been an option.

Good luck with your decision.

Edited...I just want to add that we did try lots of suggestions on how to smoothly introduce a new dog into the home. We worked on obedience training with both of them..even though they were both already trained. We truly believe that both dogs probably are just meant to be in one dog households.