Jeremy Ordan
Major Contributor
Males get neutered.
...the moment they say "I do"
Totally Random Advice - 1 or 2 dogs?
- Thread starter Luis Caffesse
- Start date
...the moment they say "I do"
Moseph
Veteran
very true. my dogs used to wrestle all the time to keep themselves entertained but one of them got hit by a car and is no longer with us.
heres a pic of him, i took this on my phone a wile ago with the "aqua" filter.
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
:cheesy: :thumbsup:
Terry_Lasater
All about the Caption
The Price is Wrong, Bee-otch!
Luis Caffesse
Admin
We are currently a two dog, two cat household.
We have a studio.
We turned the breakfast nook in our kitchen into a bedroom.
We are foster caring for this guy:
(click for bigger versions and captions)
(luckily one of the best parks in the world is our backyard)
"Junkyard" lived on the streets in Brooklyn for 10 years (he's 10) and a good samaritan in his neighborhood put things in motion so he could stay with us while he waits for someone like Luis to adopt him. He'd never been on a leash, never had a home, never had vet care. Obviously he is smart to live on the streets of Bed Stuy for 10 years. ... I guess I should start a thread for him, rather than jack other people's
Anyway, he gets along fine with our Beagle and one of our cats. The other is in hiding and has thus made herself mysterious and engaged Junky's prey instincts. Hopefully they will work it out soon.
But anyhonkle, here's mine and my GF's (the real animal activist SPCA volunteer etc.) thoughts (opinions) on the two pups:
The Negatives:
Two final factors to consider
- the personality - if they are mellow or medium energy, then to me it is a now brainer, but if they are hyper, well that's something to consider
- dogs are HIGHLY adaptable. You need not feel any guilt if you do in fact decide to split them up. They (eventually) don't experience it as loss quite the way we do. They live in the moment and in good homes they will be very happy one day either together or apart.
We have a studio.
We turned the breakfast nook in our kitchen into a bedroom.
We are foster caring for this guy:
(click for bigger versions and captions)
(luckily one of the best parks in the world is our backyard)
"Junkyard" lived on the streets in Brooklyn for 10 years (he's 10) and a good samaritan in his neighborhood put things in motion so he could stay with us while he waits for someone like Luis to adopt him. He'd never been on a leash, never had a home, never had vet care. Obviously he is smart to live on the streets of Bed Stuy for 10 years. ... I guess I should start a thread for him, rather than jack other people's
Anyway, he gets along fine with our Beagle and one of our cats. The other is in hiding and has thus made herself mysterious and engaged Junky's prey instincts. Hopefully they will work it out soon.
But anyhonkle, here's mine and my GF's (the real animal activist SPCA volunteer etc.) thoughts (opinions) on the two pups:
The Negatives:
- More poop and pee in the house (if they are not house trained yet). More poop to pick up on walks.
- More "Blap" to pick up. House Trained dogs will always blap, some once or twice in a lifetime, others almost daily. See The Fun Guide to Dog Vomit for an explanation of Blap.
- Financial. More food, and more vet bills. But you will be smart and get pet insurance to offset this anyway.
- Annoyance factor: Will two yippy dogs begging for your attention while you are trying to take care of some business be more annoying than one? Probably not but maybe.
- Dogs have prey, pack, and fight or flight drives in varying intensities depending on the breed and the individual. But all are pack animals. Having another dog around can go along way to ease stress, etc. which may (or may not) come from feeling separated from the pack.
- You are not going to have problems with these guys getting along. They are litter mates and have already been living together, so just forget about that. Maybe some mild dominance issues or food agrression down the line, but not very likely. It also helps greatly that they are opposite genders. So there could not be more factors aligning which so strongly suggest that they will be cool with each other for the rest of their days.
- They will still bond with you. While it's true that in most cases (but not all) a dog will prefer the company of another hound to you, that is not such a bad thing (see point #4) and does not mean they won't bond with you. Packs are made up pf more than two individuals and each has a something like military rank from Alpha to Omega. They will see their dog buddy as part of that pack and protect and care for it, but you will still be the Alpha (assuming you raise them properly and don't let them run all over you). The other dog may be the Vice-Alpha, but you are the one that opens the dinner can, you are the one that opens the doors for them so they can go to the bathroom or for a glorious walk. Also. Dog's cannot pet, message, or caress each other. They do cuddle on occasion, and while they could scratch each others hard to get places, they seem to have no interest in doing so. While it is true that a dog would rather smell you than have a cuddle fest on a first encounter, at least at first, they do in fact really enjoy these things from their human pack members. Another dog cannot use it's finger nails to really get in their and scratch a dog between the shoulders. All of this is an important part of the dog / human bonding relationship and they will still look to you for it, even though they are bonded with the other dog.
- They will be less likely to bond with you too much. Think about the kind of relationships you want with humans. Clingy, needy, and obsessive are probably not adjectives that come to mind. While there are countless single dog families where the dog is not unhealthily or annoyingly fixated on it's owners, another living creature to focus on or bother just lessens the likelyhood that that situation would develop, or that your dog would be bummed by not getting attention from you 100% of the time even if they are not acting out about it. Again, not saying bad things will occur with only one dog. While the dogs will still welcome a good belly scratch and time spent on the couch (if you allow that) they will be less likely to go bonkers for want of a belly scratch
- You go through the hard part (puppiehood, house training) all at once (though in a more intense way) than doing it now, then in a couple of years doing it again with a new dog.
- Piggybacking off #5, you guys have the bug, you love dogs, you are already making plans about having more in the future, might as well get two now, enjoy the benefits of #5 and #2 while not splitting up the sibs
Two final factors to consider
- the personality - if they are mellow or medium energy, then to me it is a now brainer, but if they are hyper, well that's something to consider
- dogs are HIGHLY adaptable. You need not feel any guilt if you do in fact decide to split them up. They (eventually) don't experience it as loss quite the way we do. They live in the moment and in good homes they will be very happy one day either together or apart.
Luis Caffesse
Admin
Wow - thanks to everyone that took the time to really think this through and give me all the detailed feedback. As always you guys have brought up points that I never would have thought of.
All in all this just strenghtens my decision to adopt both of them.
The financial issues shouldn't be a big concern - as long as I can keep working with 2 dogs in the house
I am surprised to hear so many of you talk about pet insurance. I had always heard that it wasn't worth the money - but then again, I never seriously looked into it.
Any suggestions on where to go for that?
All in all this just strenghtens my decision to adopt both of them.
The financial issues shouldn't be a big concern - as long as I can keep working with 2 dogs in the house
I am surprised to hear so many of you talk about pet insurance. I had always heard that it wasn't worth the money - but then again, I never seriously looked into it.
Any suggestions on where to go for that?
Dahopafilms
Well-known member
Ahhh. Pet insurance.
My experience may be unique. It may be a good idea for some. In my case, I strongly decided against it.
My plan (which I was with for several years) looked great on the surface but was crap when needed the most. My premiums for the "gold plan" were in the range of (approx.) CAD120/mo. for three dogs. I was gambling on the broken leg or the serious injury or illness.
When the big vet bill came (Mexican dog diagnosed with Parvo virus - something usually fatal - but not in her case), the insurance co denied all coverage on the basis of an exclusion (to the effect of) "illness of unknown origin". That bill was in the thousands and having the insurance guys deny coverage after years of paying their premiums resulted in me cancelling all the policies in about three seconds.
Also, the way they're structured (at least in my case), there is a deductable each year. So until you reach the threshold, you get no reimbursements at all. Then after you reach the threshold, they reimburse on a percentage basis.
Based on my calculations, since I cancelled the three-dog insurance, I have saved far more than I would ever have recovered on the insurance (but there have been no broken legs or the like - just the usual stuff with aging dogs including joint and spinal issues). I suppose the only case where it would have paid off for me would have been for a broken leg or some other afflication so obvious that denial of coverage would have been difficult for them.
Just remember, the pet insurance companies are in business to make money. That means taking in more than paying out (duh).
My experience may be unique. It may be a good idea for some. In my case, I strongly decided against it.
My plan (which I was with for several years) looked great on the surface but was crap when needed the most. My premiums for the "gold plan" were in the range of (approx.) CAD120/mo. for three dogs. I was gambling on the broken leg or the serious injury or illness.
When the big vet bill came (Mexican dog diagnosed with Parvo virus - something usually fatal - but not in her case), the insurance co denied all coverage on the basis of an exclusion (to the effect of) "illness of unknown origin". That bill was in the thousands and having the insurance guys deny coverage after years of paying their premiums resulted in me cancelling all the policies in about three seconds.
Also, the way they're structured (at least in my case), there is a deductable each year. So until you reach the threshold, you get no reimbursements at all. Then after you reach the threshold, they reimburse on a percentage basis.
Based on my calculations, since I cancelled the three-dog insurance, I have saved far more than I would ever have recovered on the insurance (but there have been no broken legs or the like - just the usual stuff with aging dogs including joint and spinal issues). I suppose the only case where it would have paid off for me would have been for a broken leg or some other afflication so obvious that denial of coverage would have been difficult for them.
Just remember, the pet insurance companies are in business to make money. That means taking in more than paying out (duh).
JasonFox
Internet Sensation
The need for insurance is somewhat dependent on the breed of dog you have. Sure, any dog could end up with a big bill, but certain breeds are more prone to problems than others. We don't have insurance for our dog, but the breed is typically very hearty.
And to prove what a dog dork I am, here's his Dogster page: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/186056/in/stroll/
And to prove what a dog dork I am, here's his Dogster page: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/186056/in/stroll/
Mrs. Caffesse
Member
wow, thanks everyone!
not only do i feel so much better about the whole 1 dog/ 2 dog thing. . .i'm incredibly happy to see so many animal lovers on the board. . .and ones who clearly care a lot about their four-legged family members.
not only do i feel so much better about the whole 1 dog/ 2 dog thing. . .i'm incredibly happy to see so many animal lovers on the board. . .and ones who clearly care a lot about their four-legged family members.
We actually don't have insurance but have been considering getting it. But we have only heard stories from people who say they've been screwed by the insurance companies. Probably less mention it when it works OK, but it does seem to be even shadier than people insurance, probably because the stakes are considered to be lower.
Heheh here is the dogster page for our beagle, expect a "pup pal" invite from my GF shortly.
http://www.dogster.com/dogs/226886/in/stroll/
yes those are "Doggles" folks "Doggles" link
JasonFox said:
Heheh here is the dogster page for our beagle, expect a "pup pal" invite from my GF shortly.
http://www.dogster.com/dogs/226886/in/stroll/
yes those are "Doggles" folks "Doggles" link
Luis Caffesse
Admin
Your dog is awesome.
How can anyone not think beagles are the best dogs in the world?
How can anyone not think beagles are the best dogs in the world?
ugafan
Looking for a woman
i like the doggles, they make him appear more intelligent. the only problem with this pic is that there is some guy blocking the view of the girlfriend.
Yeah my 230lbs 5'10" frame kind of eclipses her 110lb 5' 1.75" frame.
Hey Jason, I didn't even see this in Pancake's profile before I posted the pic of Bernie with the Doggles
Pancake: "Hopes to someday sport goggles and cruise in the sidecar of Dad's motorcycle. As soon as Mom lets Dad buy a motorcycle."
You can get a helmet too, but it hadn't come in the mail yet when this pic was taken.
The goggles actually serve a purposes - anti wind and bugs and gravel, but I don't know if the helmet would do much.
(random dog)
(link)
Hey Jason, I didn't even see this in Pancake's profile before I posted the pic of Bernie with the Doggles
Pancake: "Hopes to someday sport goggles and cruise in the sidecar of Dad's motorcycle. As soon as Mom lets Dad buy a motorcycle."
You can get a helmet too, but it hadn't come in the mail yet when this pic was taken.
The goggles actually serve a purposes - anti wind and bugs and gravel, but I don't know if the helmet would do much.
(random dog)
(link)
Dahopafilms
Well-known member
When I say the word "Beagle" to my buddy, he always has this reaction:
LOL
What kind of dog is he? He looks like a cousin to our current house guest (which we will probably wind up keeping) Shepherd Rotweiller mix we think.
What kind of dog is he? He looks like a cousin to our current house guest (which we will probably wind up keeping) Shepherd Rotweiller mix we think.
Jason Ramsey
Admin
The wife and I had two dogs... That became 10 dogs, that is now one dog after death, poisonings, and two of the pups got good homes...
One went into her first heat right when we move out into the country and got knocked up by a dalmation before we could get her fixed...
The other died mysteriously in her sleep the week before my wife and I got married.
The one that was pregnant, gave birth to 8 puppies the night my wife and I were married. One of those died as a runt. One got rejected and died as a result of injuries received. Another got rejected around the same time, but got to a good home and was bottle fed. One got run over. Another got a good home. Then the mother died of massive intestinal and somach cancer (only 1 year old).
Then, there were three... I think... If I got it all... Those three were mysteriously poisoned by an unknown person (likely poison is temik). 2 of those were never found. The last one (the submissive baby of the group) drug herself home in the middle of the night, covered in maggots, and unable to walk. She spent 4 days in the vet, and then one day hopped on her feet and has been fine and spoiled rotten ever since.
Oh, and my wife was pregnant with our first child during all of this (except for the recent poisonings. Our daughter is almost 15 and a half months now). And now we are having another baby in November... We be some baby making machines round here... something in the water, I guess.
So, get yourself, your dogs and your cats fixed...
Anyways...
Luis - get both... The onliest thing is that (especially at that age) they can antagonize each other, and eg each other on, which can make it harder to train them. But, other than that, it's mostly all positives... for you and for them... Provided you have the space, attention, etc that the particular breed needs to be comfortable.
Later,
Jason
One went into her first heat right when we move out into the country and got knocked up by a dalmation before we could get her fixed...
The other died mysteriously in her sleep the week before my wife and I got married.
The one that was pregnant, gave birth to 8 puppies the night my wife and I were married. One of those died as a runt. One got rejected and died as a result of injuries received. Another got rejected around the same time, but got to a good home and was bottle fed. One got run over. Another got a good home. Then the mother died of massive intestinal and somach cancer (only 1 year old).
Then, there were three... I think... If I got it all... Those three were mysteriously poisoned by an unknown person (likely poison is temik). 2 of those were never found. The last one (the submissive baby of the group) drug herself home in the middle of the night, covered in maggots, and unable to walk. She spent 4 days in the vet, and then one day hopped on her feet and has been fine and spoiled rotten ever since.
Oh, and my wife was pregnant with our first child during all of this (except for the recent poisonings. Our daughter is almost 15 and a half months now). And now we are having another baby in November... We be some baby making machines round here... something in the water, I guess.
So, get yourself, your dogs and your cats fixed...
Anyways...
Luis - get both... The onliest thing is that (especially at that age) they can antagonize each other, and eg each other on, which can make it harder to train them. But, other than that, it's mostly all positives... for you and for them... Provided you have the space, attention, etc that the particular breed needs to be comfortable.
Later,
Jason
Drew Ott
Wish I were banned.
The wife and I had two dogs... That became 10 dogs, that is now one dog after death, poisonings, and two of the pups got good homes...
One went into her first heat right when we move out into the country and got knocked up by a dalmation before we could get her fixed...
The other died mysteriously in her sleep the week before my wife and I got married.
The one that was pregnant, gave birth to 8 puppies the night my wife and I were married. One of those died as a runt. One got rejected and died as a result of injuries received. Another got rejected around the same time, but got to a good home and was bottle fed. One got run over. Another got a good home. Then the mother died of massive intestinal and somach cancer (only 1 year old).
Then, there were three... I think... If I got it all... Those three were mysteriously poisoned by an unknown person (likely poison is temik). 2 of those were never found. The last one (the submissive baby of the group) drug herself home in the middle of the night, covered in maggots, and unable to walk. She spent 4 days in the vet, and then one day hopped on her feet and has been fine and spoiled rotten ever since.
Oh, and my wife was pregnant with our first child during all of this (except for the recent poisonings. Our daughter is almost 15 and a half months now). And now we are having another baby in November... We be some baby making machines round here... something in the water, I guess.
So, get yourself, your dogs and your cats fixed...
Does this all sound ridiculously tragic to anybody else?