Soooooo I don't need a second dog correct?

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

I recently got a fish tank, so the last two sundays I've gone to the local petsmart to begin stocking/decorating my tank. The last two times I've been there, there has been a little terrier mix up for adoption by a local adoption agency...

He seems well behaved and his already vetted and house trained and 3 ish years old. However, I already got a pooch and live in a one bedroom apartment... Talk me out of this guys.... My dog would really dig having a brother around, but I don't know how easy it'll be to walk two dogs at once. My current dog is around 40 lbs, and this guy looks to be around the low 30s.

jwk94 · Nov 6, 2017

If you live in a one-bedroom and are trying to get us to talk you out of it, you probably don't need the dog.

BearPawB · Nov 6, 2017

I have 2 dogs and 4 cats.
Its a lot, but at least i live in a house.

But if you couldn't pay for both dogs to have an emergency operation, I wouldn't get it (one of my dogs just had a $3,000 ACL repair)

Animals are expensive, even if not always in the moment

Gustaf · Nov 6, 2017

so long you actually take them out regularly and you can afford having them both, yes you need the second doggo

ElectricBlanketFire · Nov 6, 2017

No, you do not need a second dog.

EngenZerO · Nov 6, 2017

Walking multiple dogs is easy if the are trained correctly (e.g. no pulling and listen to voice commands).

The real question is does your apartment allow two dogs? Will they have enough space to play in the apartment? Can you financially support two dogs (e.g food, vet, etc)?

Clay · Nov 6, 2017

Two dogs in a 1 bedroom sounds like a nightmare. I have a dog and a cat in a one bedroom apartment and it feels cramped. You need a yard for multiple dogs IMO, unless they're very small or you prefer dogs to people.

Fart Master · Nov 6, 2017

Get another

Mr. X · Nov 6, 2017

Hit the gym

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

BearPawB said:
I have 2 dogs and 4 cats.
Its a lot, but at least i live in a house.

But if you couldn't pay for both dogs to have an emergency operation, I wouldn't get it (one of my dogs just had a $3,000 ACL repair)

Animals are expensive, even if not always in the moment

I can afford that sort of stuff in an emergencey. I make good money, and both dogs are young enough so there shouldn't be anything on going for a few more years.

Gustaf said:
so long you actually take them out regularly and you can afford having them both, yes you need the second doggo

I don't see why I wouldn't.... Ive never had two dogs to walk at once on a leash though. That's my biggest concern. My apartment isn't too small, but big enough to play fetch in and roughhouse with the current dog. Plus she gets atleast an hour of walks a day. Not including just going out before/after work to go to the bathroom.

Vagabond · Nov 6, 2017

Invest in a rooftop deck then go for the second dog, OP.

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

Does anyone have any info on walking two dogs at once on a leash? Possibly using one of those little splitters?

EngenZerO said:
Walking multiple dogs is easy if the are trained correctly (e.g. no pulling and listen to voice commands).

The real question is does your apartment allow two dogs? Will they have enough space to play in the apartment? Can you financially support two dogs (e.g food, vet, etc)?

I'm allowed a second dog, both are weigh like... 1/2 the weight limit too. Financially it shouldn't be an issue at all. My current dog is okay. On the leash. she's a bit tooeager when she sees squirrels or wants to say hi to other dogs.

Clay said:
Two dogs in a 1 bedroom sounds like a nightmare. I have a dog and a cat in a one bedroom apartment and it feels cramped. You need a yard for multiple dogs IMO, unless they're very small or you prefer dogs to people.

That's the other thing I'm concerned about... Idk how long i'll be in this apartment though. May try to rent a part of a duplex or something next year for a bit more space... Won't have a yard for awhile though.

Lopez said:
Get another

ugh. I might...

Gustaf · Nov 6, 2017

Ultima_5 said:
I can afford that sort of stuff in an emergencey. I make good money, and both dogs are young enough so there shouldn't be anything on going for a few more years.

I don't see why I wouldn't.... Ive never had two dogs to walk at once on a leash though. That's my biggest concern. My apartment isn't too small, but big enough to play fetch in and roughhouse with the current dog. Plus she gets atleast an hour of walks a day. Not including just going out before/after work to go to the bathroom.

go for it then, and post picture of both doggos

borghe · Nov 6, 2017

for what it's worth, a second dog is not much more work to take care of than one dog. They both basically do the same thing, work on the same schedule, follow each other around, behave similarly, etc.

really it just comes down to expense.. which CAN add up with healthcare.

we had three dogs (currently two :() and there was no extra work ever given. well.. aside from the 3 seconds it takes to fill up two more food dishes... and maybe like... 5-10 extra minutes per week in the yard.

edit - as for walking them... it wasn't too bad. One of them pulls REALLY bad. The other two were fine. So I walk all on separate leashes.. Two on one hand and the pulling one on the other hand. Then I move the one over to the one hand to clean up their business.

As they got older (and pulled less) I just walked all three on one hand. Medium dogs.. like 150lbs combined.

2Blackcats · Nov 6, 2017

I don't think I'd own a single pet again. They're so much happier when there's 2 of them.

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

Gustaf said:
go for it then, and post picture of both doggos

Here's the pics of the current dog :). As you can see she is well loved. Lemme go about finding a pic of the potential addition...

Guile On A Tricycle · Nov 6, 2017

You should get him...

Christine · Nov 6, 2017

It's much nicer for dogs to have each other for company than to be alone all day while you're at work. Walking them together probably won't be an issue so if that's the biggest obstacle I would say go ahead and adopt the other dog.

Santiako · Nov 6, 2017

Rescue that dog and give it the loving life it deserves :)

Username1198 · Nov 6, 2017

If it's not a burden, do it!

Occam · Nov 6, 2017

Maybe what you really need is another human?

UnholyChocolate · Nov 6, 2017

Get it.

Septimus Prime · Nov 6, 2017

Correct.

Okay, now let me go and read your post.

For real, though, if you can, try to have your dog meet with the new dog on neutral ground and see their interaction.

Gustaf · Nov 6, 2017

Ultima_5 said:
Lets see em

Here's the pics of the current dog :). As you can see she is well loved. Lemme go about finding a pic of the potential addition...

what a lovely doggo :)!!!

UnholyChocolate · Nov 6, 2017

Occam said:
Maybe what you really need is another human?

Nah, but a persons weight in dogs would be fine.

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

Here's the new guy...

ProbablyRobbie · Nov 6, 2017

having a second dog isn't that much different that having one. I think its good to have a second dog for the other to play with. If you can afford the costs and still give them the attention then yes. This is also coming from a guy with 4 dogs.

Gustaf · Nov 6, 2017

Ultima_5 said:
Here's the new guy...

i love his color palette, reminds me of a german shepard and a barnese

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

Occam said:
Maybe what you really need is another human?

I have a girlfriend.... she's not really that opposed to the idea of me getting another pooch.

jjreamPop · Nov 6, 2017

Sometimes dogs just talk to us, but you should consider your circumstances and the pups. If they're low-energy dogs, then the apartment may not be a big deal. Walking two dogs isn't that much harder than walking one if they're well trained.

At least bring your dog to meet the potential new one and see if they even click. Ask the adoption agency if they can play together for a while. You'd be leaving them alone a lot of the time if you work outside of your home, so making sure they won't attack each other is really important. And even then, you won't know for sure until they're both at home: your dog could get territorial of the newcomer, and in a small apartment they may not have space to separate and cool off away from each other. I've seen how dogs get when they're crammed together with nowhere to get away to.

The space issue is the primary concern, but that being said, spaces change, come, and go; If you intend to move somewhere bigger in the near future, I wouldn't inherently pass on the pup. But you're going to want to take them to a greenspace/dogpark pretty often: once a day or a few times a week.

Otherwise, make sure your finances are in order. I keep a good grand on standby for each large animal I own (just a cat for now, but I'll be getting a dog myself in a few months).

Krakatoa · Nov 6, 2017

If you don't have a backyard. Then I wouldn't get another dog.

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

MiddeSummer said:
Sometimes dogs just talk to us, but you should consider your circumstances and the pups. If they're low-energy dogs, then the apartment may not be a big deal. Walking two dogs isn't that much harder than walking one if they're well trained.

At least bring your dog to meet the potential new one and see if they even click. Ask the adoption agency if they can play together for a while. You'd be leaving them alone a lot of the time if you work outside of your home, so making sure they won't attack each other is really important.

The space issue is the primary concern, but spaces change, come, and go; If you intend to move somewhere bigger in the near future, I wouldn't pass on the pup.

Otherwise, make sure your finances are in order. I keep a good grand on standby for each large animal I own (just a cat for now, but I'll be getting a dog myself in a few months).

The new guy seems lower energy than my current dog. I don't have people living below me so them playing shouldn't be an issue. The current dog loves everyone and the new guy is apparently good with all dogs and cats. I would get them meet first of course. First month or so I'd keep em separated while I'm away (crate the new guy, leave my dog in the bedroom).

I'm a bit concerned about space, but like you said... that's something I can change. It hasn't been an issue with my single dog. Even if I had more room I'd still walk her everyday. Mon-Friday about an hour, weekends atleast one two hour walk... sometimes more, sometimes less.

Gustaf said:
i love his color palette, reminds me of a german shepard and a barnese

yeah the adoption lady said he was a border terrier mix.

Torpedo Vegas · Nov 6, 2017

You don't need any pets. If you can afford it and give it a good home, and want it, why not?

ReAxion · Nov 6, 2017

I can't make rational decisions having seen the pics of the pups.

HardTimesFamilyPride · Nov 6, 2017

awww he a qt!

Everything I was going to bring up seems to have been addressed - you can afford another dog, he is lower energy than your current dog (louiedog makes a great point & suggestion a few posts down tho), having a friend will help both of 'em not die of boredom in a one-bedroom, your current doggo looks happy and you seem to really care about her, and you obviously know what you're doing in terms of training a pupper and understanding its needs. Sounds fine to me!

casey_contra · Nov 6, 2017

Okay... this is tough. When I was with my ex we got a second dog and it was ENTIRELY too much for me. I don't think it was based on the dogs themselves, but just the logistics. It's a lot harder to transport, find care for, afford two dogs. When we broke up we each took one (we consulted with some animal peeps to make sure it was okay, both are doing great!) and it's honestly so much better.

I remember once walking them one started barking and another dog and then the other went crazy and the old man walking the other dog shouted "you have too many dogs, they're out of control" and, holding back tears, I just screamed "I KNOW!"

I say stick to one, but it is nice just having a bed full of doggies.

louiedog · Nov 6, 2017

Ultima_5 said:
The new guy seems lower energy than my current dog. I don't have people living below me so them playing shouldn't be an issue. The current dog loves everyone and the new guy is apparently good with all dogs and cats. I would get them meet first of course. First month or so I'd keep em separated while I'm away (crate the new guy, leave my dog in the bedroom).

I'm a bit concerned about space, but like you said... that's something I can change. It hasn't been an issue with my single dog. Even if I had more room I'd still walk her everyday. Mon-Friday about an hour, weekends atleast one two hour walk... sometimes more, sometimes less.

yeah the adoption lady said he was a border terrier mix.

Ask if you can take the dog on a walk to get a sense of its activity level. We do this at the shelter where I volunteer so people can see what the dog is like. Also see if they'll do a dog introduction at the store. We've had dogs come back after 24 hours who didn't get along with the current resident dog even though they were easy going and had multiple roommates at the shelter and never had a problem with any others.

Sarah The Great · Nov 6, 2017

Why not get a raccoon

Steel · Nov 6, 2017

Dogs are a lot easier to deal with in pairs. A solo dog will want a lot more of your attention. But, yeah, if space is a problem you already know the answer.

julia crawford · Nov 6, 2017

I mean do we really need anything at all

Futureman · Nov 6, 2017

will these dogs be having sex? Or will they just be friends?

Walking two dogs isn't a big deal. Kind of annoying when they poop but no biggie. I don't always walk both our dogs at the same time. Sometimes I'll just take the higher energy one if my fiance isn't home.

John Kowalski said:
I mean do we really need anything at all

Blood.

BennyWhatever · Nov 6, 2017

If it were a puppy or a senior dog, I'd say no.

The fact that it's 3 years old, vetted, and house trained - you just hit the jackpot with a perfect apartment dog as long as there are no behavior issues.

Arrange a meet and greet to make sure your dog gets along with it. If they are fine together, then absolutely take it in!

Tiopes · Nov 6, 2017

I currently have a rabbit and everytime I go to the petstore I always have to control myself to not leave with another one lol. But getting a pet is a huge responsibility, so don't do anything without thinking through.

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

Tiopes said:
I currently have a rabbit and everytime I go to the petstore I always have to control myself to not leave with another one lol. But getting a pet is a huge responsibility, so don't do anything without thinking through.

It took me like a week to stop having panic attacks about getting the current dog. I'm aware of the responsibility lol. Still have no regrets.

Tiopes · Nov 6, 2017

Ultima_5 said:
It took me like a week to stop having panic attacks about getting the current dog. I'm aware of the responsibility lol. Still have no regrets.

Well, are you sure you're able to give them the required attention and care? If so, you can buy another dog. But you don't NEED another one, to answer your question.

Carfo · Nov 6, 2017

Going to make this short: Good on you for looking at rescue dogs, but do not adopt a terrier unless you have the time and energy to wear him or her out every day, otherwise you'll have a shit ton of problems in your house and you'll be doing a great disservice to the dog.

Westbahnhof · Nov 6, 2017

As long as you can say "I have the time, money, space and patience for another dog", you should get another dog.

Some people might say you don't "need" it.
I am not those people.

hombremalo · Nov 6, 2017

Yes you do, adopt him.

Agkel · Nov 6, 2017

Ultima_5 · Nov 6, 2017

Carfo said:
Going to make this short: Good on you for looking at rescue dogs, but do not adopt a terrier unless you have the time and energy to wear him or her out every day, otherwise you'll have a shit ton of problems in your house and you'll be doing a great disservice to the dog.

I mean. My current dogs a terrier, and she's been doing fine with me. I'm hoping another older one would make it a bit easier as they'd play with each other a bit. just concerned about walking both at once.

Soooooo I don't need a second dog correct?

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