From: emily@azariah.tamu.edu (Emily Glass)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Re: 2 dogs vs 1 dog
Date: 22 Jan 1993 14:55:54 GMT
Organization: Texas A&M University, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
NNTP-Posting-Host: azariah.tamu.edu

In article <1993Jan21.193821.14709@nas.nasa.gov> blake@wk60.nas.nasa.gov (Matthew W. Blake) writes:
>
>We have a 1 year old Catahoula hound (45lbs, short hair) named Gaucho. He is 
>well trained for his age, loves people and dogs.  The family includes myself, 
...
>My question:  What are the advantages/disadvantages to 2 dogs?  How about
>comments on these:
>
>Advantages
>----------
>-Dog companionship during weekdays(or evenings) when humans gone

 Yes! yes! yes!  (especially if your first dog has a "social" personality.)
 My first dog, Annabelle, is a lab/setter mix, and I had her for 2.5 
 years before getting my second dog.  Annabelle is a *very* social dog,
 and a very *active* one.  Having a second dog has had a long term 
 stabilizing effect on her, since she can use up some her excess energy
 rough-housing with my other dog.  Also, I can tell that she is much happier
 now that she has companionship during the day.  There were some jealously
 problems at first (mostly just moping on her part), but these went away
 after while.  

>-Could leave the 2 dogs a bit longer (overnight?) than one dog 
  
  It depends.  I am not real clear about what you mean here.  The dogs
 will still have to be let out to potty just as often.

>-More dog exercise with less human required time

  Two dogs will tend to exercise each other some.  However, you will
still need to spend *human* time with each dog to maintain the bonding
between you and your dog, and possibly your status as "alpha."

>
>Disadvantages
>-------------
>-Double all costs (food, medical, kennel, etc)

 yes.

>-Double work (more poop, 
   Get a pooper scooper for your yard.  That is one of the best 
 investments I have made concerning dog equipment.  (an essential with
 two large dogs, unless you have a huge yard!) 

>2 baths, 
   yes!

>double flea battle)
  not necessarily.  Treating the dog's environment is more important than
 treating the dog.  This will be the same whether you have one or many
dogs.

  
>-harder to take 2 dogs for a walk,run, rollerblade

  Not so for walking or running (get a coupler).  Possibly for rollerblading.

>-Harder to take 2 dogs on trips in car, visit art/wine festivals, etc.
  perhaps ... depending on the size of your car, and how much help your
 family is in handling the dogs. 
>
>Questionable
>------------
>-Dogs more in tune with each other than humans, ignore humans?

  This won't be a problem, if you spend time with each dog individually.
I take my dogs out a couple times a week for obedience practice.  I work
with each individually (one watches in the crate, while I work the other;
and then I switch.)  I also make sure each day, I spend time 
petting each dog one at a time. They are also allowed in the house, when 
I am home (and when I am not), so they are spending time with me even 
when I am not giving them direct attention.

>-More destruction by playing together and banging into things in house?

Possibly.  I keep my dogs confined in the kitchen when I am not home, and
if I have left them in the house.  I have also trained them not to 
rough-house in the house.  (They are both big dogs (55 and 70 lbs), and 
I live in a duplex, so if I were to let them play rough in the house, 
the place would be trashed.)

>-Less destruction since they play instead of dig/chew?

  Don't count on it!  Puppies will chew anyway. 
 
>-Happier regularly, less worried about being left behind?

For my dogs, yes!  On the otherhand, if I have to take one dog without 
the other, they do get upset!  This is especially true for my second
dog, who grew up having a companion.
>
>
>What do people that have had 1 and 2 dogs think?  Which is more convenient
>for the humans and how much happier are the dogs with a dog companion?
>
>Matt
>blake@nas.nasa.gov
>
>

Hope this helps.

Emily