2 dogs or 1

[ash-jacko]

Is it better to have 2 dogs at the same time or just 1 ?

[bronners]

How much time have u on ure hands ?? i have 3 dogs BUT im home all the time and there well behaved. Some dogs do get lonely on there own and get destructive.
Me personally would always have 2 dogs together i have 2 females and a male at the moment Female dogs seems to be more loving and homely than males but its allacording what u want in a dog but at least when u have 2 dogs together they keep each other company my older 2 a JR and Shiztu are inseperable they sleep, eat and everything together but they were brought up together hope this helps

[LoftyLottie]

For years now I have always had two dogs, and it has turned out that they have been a bitch and a dog together. I have never got any of them at the same time, but we haven't had any problems. Males seem to be more boisterous and funny (and not so intelligent) and as bronners has said the females have been been more loving (and more intelligent). I have always felt happier with two because they are never lonely when left alone.

However, I suppose it depends on the dogs - I have heard though that it is wiser to keep one of each sex. All of our dogs have been neutered.

[jules77]

I have only ever had one dog on its own, when I first got married, since then we have always had at least two, we now have three. I have two bitches and a dog, only one bitch speyed (due to a pyometra), and they all get one famously. In fact I have difficulty taking one out of the house on its own, as they refuse to move until 'miss alpha female' is going out too.

I dont believe females are more loving than males, nor are they more intelligent. My eldest is a 4 year old bitch, and is far more boistrous than the other two put together, one is 2 years old and the other 12 months.

[LoftyLottie]

I can only speak from my own experience about the intelligence Jules, so perhaps I am not right All the boy dogs we have had have been bundles of fun but not very perceptive and harder to train, whilst the girlies have been more astute. They have all been lovely though!

[lankeela]

Why stop at two? I have five at present. If getting two, I would never get two from the same litter. Get one first, then when you have got that one trained to some extent get the second, or else you will have two puppies that bond with each other and not with you, and have difficulty in training them to respond to you. Even if you manage that bit alright, you might find that they don't get on and you end up separating them.

I would not have one dog on its own, unless I was there for most of the time.

[Velvetee]

If you want your house to stink, then have as many as you like, but I suppose as dog lovers, you have to be willing to take the rough with the smooth.

I'm sure if you had 10 dogs, you'd love them with the same intensity, but differently, as they all have their own personalities and are different in their own ways.

[Katie_789987]

I personally enjoy owning two dogs at one time. It really is a matter of if you have patience to train them to stay out of certain areas of the hous and such. If you only have one dog, that dog might get lonely and need another animal to play with. I suggest you get two dogs.

[LoftyLottie]

Houses don't have to stink because you have quite a few dogs Lankeela! It means a bit more work but there is no reason that dogs should stink.

[LoftyLottie]

Sorry, I meant 'Velvetee'!

[LoftyLottie]

NO, most definitely not!! (Where's the sun gone 4get?)

[LoftyLottie]

Think I'll go back to bed, I have now posted in the wrong question................. Obviously, not a good day.

[lankeela]

I expect my house does stink to non doggy people, but so be it. Thats the way we like it and it is run for the benefit of me and my dogs. At least it keeps the rellies away. (Not the 'Neighbours' slang for relatives).

[LoftyLottie]

That's how it should be lankeela - a home is run for the people that live there and never mind what anyone else thinks. I hate showpiece homes anyway - 'love the lived in and loved' homes better.

[sp1214]

Do all those fleas in the house do any harm to young babies?

[LoftyLottie]

All responsible pet owners regularly treat their animals to prevent fleas. Fleas bite people and cause itchy spots, whether they are elderly people or babies.

[LoftyLottie]

Noone in our family - in fact noone I know - has ever caught anything nasty from any of our dogs. We have only ever caught nasty things from other humans.

[lankeela]

Not a problem, wouldn't have a young baby in my house.
Dogs might catch something. And I am frightened of children, I got bitten by one when I was little.

[lankeela]

Just as an aside, our ringcraft club had a complaint that they had found worms in the training hall, but it turned out that they were maggots from the playgroup mats!