Question for multiple dog owners.

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Toby

137592

Barked: Thu Feb 24, '11 7:06am PST


	As you are probably learning, it depends on your dog. If you haven't socialized your pom with other dogs, then I suggest you start trying too. Start with low key, opposite sex, same size dogs, and nothing too rambunctious. Then start paying attention to your dogs signs that she likes or dislikes dogs, and if she plays, pay attention to what her play style is. Two dogs can both be playful with other dogs, but have different play styles, so they arent a play match. But they may still be buddies and able to live together just fine. I adopted (failed foster 101) a malti/poodle, Cassidy, a few years back. She was est. to be 13, and a year later we added Toby, a 5 month old bichon. He was adopted from the same shelter. Cassie wasnt thrilled at first but Toby was an incredibly submissive puppy. Cassie could push him around till her heart was content, and Toby just thought she was too funny. Over time they had their own special bond. They slept together, shared bones, and never had an issue. They were never ever going to play, but were companions. But then Toby was adopted for us, not as a playmate to Cassidy so that was okay. Then I adopted Kodie when Toby was 4.5, he was a 6 year old abused standard poodle. Cassidy put Kodie in his place and they were fine. Toby and Kodie ended up best of buds. Toby is such a carefree, emotionally secure dog, that Kodie followed him around for months, and paid attention to all the things Toby was allowed to do. They really formed their bond not through playing, but through Kodie trusting Toby, and following his lead that everything he did was safe. I wholeheartedly believe that Kodie would have taken double or triple the time to rehab if not for Toby. It been 2.5 years now since I adopted Kodie, and they play tug of war with toys, but they dont play physically. They follow each other around, sleep on the same bed, share their raw hides, and are best of buds. Toby will play with other dogs easily so I could have found a better match then Kodie, but I adopted Kodie for his sake, not with a playmate intention. So, I share these stories because you really can end up with different types of relationships between your dog and an adopted dog. It depends on what you are looking for, and your dog's personality.

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Opel- Hefeweissen

woof.

Barked: Fri Feb 25, '11 10:34am PST


	I agree with all who have said it depends on the dog(s) in question and how well they socialize with other dogs. My oldest was an only dog until she was 1 year. She would have been fine as an only dog but adjusted well when I added an 8 week old pup when she was 1 year and another 8 week old pup when she was 3 years. All three of them are Min. Schnauzers and vary in size from 15lbs to 30lbs. The three of them went through puppy K, basic obedience and CGC classes and achieved a minimum of CGC (two were TDI, also) because I wanted to be sure they were socialized with people and with other dogs. In December we moved in with my fiance and his 100+ lb, 3-1/2 yr old St. Bernard. The St. Bernard hasn't had any formal training but is social and, thankfully, gentle. My vet instructed me on introducing both dog packs to each other gradually. The little dogs weren't fond of the big dog, but they've adjusted to him and they've adjusted to the new feeding, inside/outside, play, and sleeping routines that include him. They haven't yet figured out that sleeping with him would be a heck of a lot warmer than sleeping without him but they have been fascinated by some rousing rounds of See Who Barks the Loudest. Good luck!

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Ann -- CGC

Where's my ball?

Barked: Sat Feb 26, '11 1:17pm PST


	I just added a puppy to our house a few months ago; Ann is 12 and has never had a companion. I was nervous about this, as she is grouchy with other dogs; some days she likes to play, other days she is defensive and standoffish. I was worried that she would be jealous of the new dog (which happens when I pet other dogs or cats) or would snap like she sometimes does with dogs that jump on her. I shouldn't have worried. She loves the new addition so much that I feel guilty for depriving her of a companion for 12 years.

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Sasha

Miss Diva to- you!!

Barked: Sat Feb 26, '11 2:01pm PST


	I think it depends on the dog thats already in your household & the dog that you bring in. You need to make sure that you bring in a dog that will fit with YOUR dog, you are really picking one for your dog not for you. Sasha never really got along with other dogs & we now have 4 total & a cat so it is doable, just takes work. We have 3 different energy levels as well Sasha is a couch potato with the occasional zoomies, then we have Gizmo who is more hyper but not crazy hyper, then I have my AKK girls who are insanely hyper ALLLLLL the time with like 5 minute naps 2 times a day When looking for your next dog think of your current dog & what would fit best with her, we got Gizmo because he had a little more energy, but is totally laid back which is what we needed because Sasha is dominant & needed someone to bring her out of her shell & it has worked great Good luck on your newest addition if you decide to bring one in & keep us updated

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Bingley,- Emmett &- Martika

Little Ewoks

Barked: Sat Feb 26, '11 5:17pm PST


	Totally depends on the dog. Bingley loved meeting doggy friends in the park on walks. He loved it so much he'd try his best to keep up with them to walk with them. He was almost 2 when Emmett came home. Emmett will be 1 year old in April, and Bingley still hasn't quite forgiven me. Emmett thinks Bingley is the best thing around, I don't know what he'd be like without him, he loves his big brother. Bingley... tolerates him at best. He will play a little, but mostly just gets annoyed at his puppy antics. Doesn't mind him as a walking buddy, though, and occasionally he will accidentally take a nap with him, lol. Mostly the days are like this: The two happily eat together out of the same bowl (by choice, because 2 bowls are set down). Bingley picks out a toy. Emmett steals toy. Bingley gets another toy, Emmett steals that toy, while somehow hanging onto the first one. Bingley decides to give up and nap, Emmett comes and flaps his feet at him and bark like a little kid throwing a tantrum. Bingley barks to tell him to go away until Emmett gives up and they both nap. Repeat until bedtime Maybe when Emmett settles down a little more Bingley will like him better. I think he secretly likes him, just doesn't like that he steals all his toys

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Makaveli PSDIT

I Can Has Lovin'- Nao?

Barked: Sat Feb 26, '11 6:25pm PST


	Yes, it does depend greatly upon the individual dog. But a well socialized, well adjusted dog will have no problem accepting another member of the pack. Casper is a spoiled brat, so we didn't know how he would react to Mak. Especially since we had introduced Mak into the house when Casper was much older. The only thing Casper does not like is sharing his toys. If we buy Mak something Casper will occasionally throw a fit and hold Mak's toy hostage . But Mak is really good with sharing, he knows how his older brother is and he knows his boundaries. Other than that, they are inseparable. On Mak's page I've got a few pictures of the two of them cuddling together on the sofa

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Dieta

AKA Baby Face

Barked: Sun Feb 27, '11 11:26am PST


	Well, for us. Getting a dog for him to walk with me and to love of course, was a rocky road. It takes time for them to adjust. Not always is it the best thing to do. For us, we have multiple ppl also, our love is all spread out. Other then that I would of never got another dog because I have my dog and she is very jealous of me. So, his dog is his. And my dog is mine. It works for us that way. Then poor Baxter he is my baby for sure. But, he was actually a dog bought for my daughters. He kind of had the "My dog skip" syndrome for a spell there. He was sad and lathargic when they left him behind. But, he gets lots of love. He cries when I talk about my daughters. Or if he sees them coming to visit he goes nana's.

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The Wee- Beasties

The Wee 3 are- now the Wee 7!!!

Barked: Sun Feb 27, '11 7:48pm PST


	As most others have said, it depends on the dogs in question. We have 6 dogs, all acquired in a 5 year time span. Had we known how our first dog, Logan would react to his first sibling (Daisy) then we might not have gotten a second dog. But we worked through their issues and now have a large, happy family. We raised Logan from birth (well, 7 weeks) and had him as an only dog for the first year of his life. We socialized him very well with people, but not other dogs since we didn't know anyone else with small dogs at the time. He was very spoiled and bonded to us. He was a little over a year old when we got Daisy (she was 12 weeks). He didn't really understand why she was there, why she was taking his toys, his bed, his attention from us, etc. When we put her in her crate that first night, he even sat outside it doing some sort of not-quite-barking/talking to her for about 15 minutes. It cracked us up. We don't know if he was thinking that was his bed and he wanted her out, if he was telling her the rules or what. He went through a fairly long period of adjustment and some aspects of his personality changed quite a bit. But they got along well and as long as he gets the attention he wants, all seemed to be fine after a while. Daisy, ont the other hand, bonded to Logan right away and adored her big brother from the very first day. We added Peaches the next year. Being an older dog (she was 7 or 8 at the time) they mostly ignored her and she them. She did try to bully Daisy for a while and Daisy just avoided her for the most part. Logan didn't seem to care at all and after a few weeks, everyone was co-existing well. They weren't all buddies, but there were no issues. Two years later, we added Sam and Rufus. Sam is a needy dog, loves everyone (human or canine) and fell in love with Daisy - they are about the same age. She doesn't quite feel the same and prefers Logan but she and Sam do get along well and will often cuddle or play. But...Daisy sets the terms for that and Sam goes along with whatever she wants. Peaches switched her attention from Daisy to Sam and often gets onto him, trying to keep him in line. Luckily, Peaches has no bottom jaw and very few teeth, so she's not able to do anything to hurt him and Sam always defers to her authority anyway. Logan really didn't pay much attention to Sam joining the household...by this time, he seemed to be accustomed to us adding new dogs to the home. A month after we got Sam, we got Rufus (13-14 years old at the time). Ru doesn't really care at all about the other dogs in the house as long as he's got his bed and his food. As he's gotten older (16 or so now), he's less interested in anything they do and they all just give him a wide berth. It's like they understand that he's the grandfather of the group and they give him the respect he's due. Last year (a year after getting Sam and Rufus) we got Jax. Jax was a pretty big disruption to our household due to his energy level, his trust issues and the way he plays with the other dogs. He's about the same age as Daisy and Sam and seems to like them best...it's kind of like they're a little clique most of the time. As he's settled down and become more comfortable over the last year here, the other dogs have taken to him quite a bit better and they all get along well. So here's how our pack seems to break down, based on how I think they interact... --Rufus (16 yrs) - not really the leader of the pack but they all respect him and let him be. --Peaches (12 yrs) - put herself in charge and gets onto the other dogs if they're too rowdy or get out of line. They all seem to respect her authority. --Logan (7 yrs) - our little watchdog is head of the "younger" set of our pups. If he barks at something, they follow his lead. --Daisy (6 yrs) - is our little princess....much like Scarlett O'Hara with her own set of little beaux. She sets the terms of her interactions with Sam and Jax. --Jax (6 yrs) - Jax is a bit more dominant that Sam is...he initates play with Sam, walks away when he's done even if Sam is not. Very buddy-buddy with Sam and Daisy, primarily. --Sam (6-7 yrs)- Sam is submissive to everyone and just goes with the flow...loves all the other dogs, even if they don't love him. All in all, I wouldn't have done anything different and love having multiple dogs.

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Mrs.- Beatrice- Beasley

1179137

Barked: Sun Feb 27, '11 8:25pm PST


	My Yorkie is 9 years old, she is very attached to me. Recently I have been thinking about getting another Yorkie. I am looking at a senior dog, possibly a rescue. What do you think? What are the chances Mrs. Beasley will woarm up to and like the new addition?

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Carmina

1178672

Barked: Sun Feb 27, '11 8:40pm PST


	I have four dogs, my first dog was highly dog aggressive 70lb mix and seemed to 'hate' other dogs. After a lot of work, she now lives with three others. Two are papillons one is a Shepherd. She is like any other normal, healthy dog now and enjoys being with the others in the pack.

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