We’re going to take a closer look at the beginning of the adoption journey which starts with the decision to adopt. More specifically today, the decision people make to adopt a second dog.

There’s many reasons people choose to do this. When we decided to add Rory to the mix, we were looking for a companion for my dog Geller. We thought he’d appreciate having another dog around for when we started having kids and that another dog might encourage him to play or be more active as he was pretty happy being a couch potato at the time.

Getting a companion is one of the most popular reasons people get a second dog. Otherwise, some people do so because they want something that their first dog isn’t providing, or because they have more love to share and room to spare and want to help a homeless dog. Heck, I’ve heard lots of people get a second dog because their first dog is older now and they never want to be without one.

So many motivators for getting a second dog, but I want you to know that two dogs is not always better than one. It’s really easy to picture all the good that can come from having two dogs but we don’t often think about the hardships or the difficulties that can arise.

I’m going to offer you a littler perspective on this, so that you have both sides of the story when considering this decision. Here are the 5 things you should know before getting a second dog:

DYNAMIC CHANGE: All animals have social structures, even if that structure is existing independently. So when you go from having 1 dog to having 2 dogs there is a dynamic that is created. This dynamic can have an effect change dog dynamics outside of the home too or with previously known dog playmates. For instance, our resident dog Geller w had been pretty easy going with new dogs in the past, we would visit dog parks and in general he kept to himself or associate with one or two other dogs. He was mainly there for unlimited roaming! Rory was very social and easy going with other dogs when we got her. She easily met and got along with other family dogs. However, we visited the dog park once or twice after getting Rory and immediately they behaved differently with the other dogs at the park. They acted like a pack. Geller was the first to display some aggression towards another dog and with that Rory quickly provided back up with barking and growling. We gained control of our dogs before any harm could come to the other dogs and attempted another visit like this before realizing that they now acted like a team, Geller would instigate if he felt threatened and Rory would join in. We immediately stopped taking them to dog parks or off leash areas following this. This dog aggression extended to our walks and became something we had to undo - with no sign of it having existed before we added a second dog to our household.

NEW NUISANCE BEHAVIOURS IN RESIDENT DOG: Another challenge can be that your second dog brings with it some less desirable behaviours that require training. That’s not surprising - you expect to work on some things with them but what can be upsetting is if the resident dog starts to follow the new dog’s example. Most often, barking can be one of those undesirable behaviours that is contagious. You see it in shelters or kennels all of the time where one dog starts barking and the rest follow.

Unfortunately, it can go both ways, if your current dog exhibits some negative behaviour, let’s say separation anxiety, it’s possible the new dog may follow their lead. In our household we had a great deal of difficulty walking Rory for the first while after adoption, once we started walking them together, we didn’t have a great handle on Rory’s training yet and she would still pull, this encouraged Geller to start pulling when he had previously been an easy going dog on walks.

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COMPLICATES TRAINING: Training often needs to be done on a one-on-one basis as your responsiveness to the behaviour being offered will help dictate how fast your dog learns. With two dogs you’ll have to split your training sessions and separate your dogs so that you can focus on one at a time. This often adds another barrier to training and just reduces how likely you are to follow through with it. If you do attempt to train both dogs at once you will find you’re often torn between your dogs differing needs and giving them what they need at that moment. For instance, if your dog is a bit reactive on walks you may have to cut your walk short whilst the other dog has been good and is deserving of the longer walk. I certainly felt this in my household. I know the amount of training I can do with my dogs is reduced because it’s more of a hassle to focus on one and not the other and I will ping pong between training one at a time and training two at a time because I want to satisfy both of their needs at the same time. 

TRAVEL CAPACITY: You might plan to take your dog with you everywhere and anywhere but this might not always be the case with two. The size of your dogs can certainly factor into this but also the items they require for you to take along such as their food, beds, crates, toys etc.. Another factor in your travel plans is that the change in dynamic or the differing behaviour needs between the two can mean that they’re no longer easy travel companions. For instance, we took Geller camping prior to getting our dog Rory, he was a perfect camping dog. However, Rory was most certainly not, rather than taking one and not the other or possibly dealing with some dog reactivity that Geller gained after getting Rory, we chose to leave them both with the pet sitter for future camp trips.

CARE MULTIPLIES: Lastly, twice the love also equals twice the vet bills, food bills and grooming. We’d have some clients come into the vet clinic with both of their dogs for annual vaccines, exams, heartworm testing, as well as getting their heartworm prevention and tick prevention prescriptions for the year. When all was said and done, they could be dropping $1000. That’s not a problem for some and if you’ve got an emergency fund or pet insurance you might be more comfortable knowing this is expected and surprises will be covered. Just a reminder that these annual or monthly costs can really add up. Looking at a few studies, the yearly cost of owning a dog is anywhere from $1500-$2500 - you will be doubling that! Another important way that your care multiplies is in the pet sitting services you require. If you have a family member or friend watching your dogs when you travel or go away, that could be more difficult with two dogs instead of one. Do they have enough space for two, is there a change in the dynamic that would make it hard for them to care for your dogs now (for instance walking them or if they have a dog at their home already)? You may find your previous pet sitter can’t help you out anymore or that you need someone to come stay at your house to watch the dogs now. If you require them to go to a kennel overnight you can expect to pay upwards of $62/night or upwards of $40 for a pet sitter. 

I don’t want this to all sound doom and gloom. I just know how easy it is to think about the good that can come when you adopt another dog but there is often some less desirable changes that occur too.

This episode is a cautionary tale that more is not necessarily merrier. If you’ve never had two dogs before you likely wouldn’t know and that was the case for me (especially as it was pretty early on in my vet tech career when I got Rory). Even if you’ve had a second dog, no two dogs are the same so it’s not likely you’ll get the same dynamic as you have experienced before.

Although I caution you, I would not change my decision to get another dog and I don’t regret it - that’s not to say I never felt that way even if just for a moment or two. I know I was meant to be their owner and I have worked so hard and still do to keep our family unit happy. However, I am not the average dog owner, I put more effort into finding training solutions, enrichment and environmental management then most would because of my career. I also am willing to spend more on my dogs because they are a top priority in my life. 

I really just want dog owners to know that getting a second dog is not a decision you should take lightly and that new family members are bound to change things (for the better and possibly the worst). You will need to be prepared to work harder and address scenarios you haven’t had to before yet it can be incredibly worthwhile.