Do you ever regret getting a second dog?

[Zisso]

When I first brought Nadia home, I was quite overwhelmed. Zisso was the first dog I adopted as an older dog, and he was 16 months old when I brought him home. Just a few short months later, I brought Nadia home who was 16 months old at that time. There is 3.5 months difference between them. So I agree that age difference could have played a role. But Nadia had so many issues when I brought her home, from not being housebroken, having severe separation anxiety, and acting like a wild child all the time. I was probably more than overwhelmed. So many times I wanted to give up, or at least sit down and cry.

But I dug my heels in, and was determined to figure out what makes her tick.

I am happy to report that she settled down-some, I figured out what makes her tick, and she wiggled her happy way right into the deepest crevices of my heart. Turns out what really makes her tick is pleasing me! Now this is not to say that she is not still a wild child....she definitely is...But she is a Happy wild child! Zisso just turned 4 years, and Nadia will be 4 years next month! The pair of them are my life and my love and my passion. There is no way in the world that anything could EVER change that

[Freestep]

I had one dog for several years, and really enjoyed the one-dog lifestyle. Now I have three, and while I do not regret it, I sometimes feel that I could do better by them as a handler... when I'm low on energy or having a bad pain day, I feel guilty for not giving each dog the attention, exercise, and training they need.

When all three of them are barking at something, it's a lot harder to quiet them, as they tend to egg each other on.

When I want to leave town, it's hard and/or expensive to find a reliable person to board or watch all these critters. But I have cats, goats, and poultry also, so it's not like it's the dogs' fault that it's hard to get away.

So while I don't really have regrets, I sometimes feel nostalgic for the days that I had a little house in town, one dog, two cats, and no livestock.

[arycrest]

Let me state beforehand that I've never regretted getting any of the Hooligans ... they all added a great deal of joy to my life, I love/loved them all dearly.

With that said, I've never regretted getting No's 1, 2, 3 or 4 but something happened where I also added No's 5, 6 & 7 which were too many as far as finances and being able to spend a lot of quality time with each one individually.

I currently live with 4. Sadly, I'm at the age where I won't be adding any more to my family until I'm down to 1 and that will be an older guy or gal who needs a home and has a "back-up home" if something should happen to me.

[bad_news07]

Thank you all for your comments. I think I'm just paranoid of leaving my maltipoo outside with my GSD while we are gone. I KNOW that my GSD won't hurt her purposely, but he is VERY playful and very heavy. Just last week I saw him JUMPING OVER HER OVER AND OVER AGAIN! LOL I just don't want him to accidentally hurt her so I keep them separated while I'm gone. This is why they get so hyper when they see each other.

P.S. Yesterday I heard my GSD fart for the first time! LOL He looked back wondering where that noise came from! LOL

[MaggieRoseLee]

POLL ADDED, what with it being in the Poll section it seemed to make sense....

People may want to go back and VOTE!!

[mjbgsd]

Never, I love my dogs.

[_Crystal_]

I've never regretted having 2 dogs in the household. Although once in a while I feel overwhelmed, I just take a step back. I love my dogs. Hopefully when I'm financially ready, (and Nour has gotten old enough...) we'll add a 3rd to the household. I always want at least 2+ dogs in my house, and at least 1 when I get... old.

[selzer]

I said no.

Arwen was my last second dog. I had just Frodo, and then I got Arwen. I loved every minute of having Arwen. She was my heart dog, and I still feel awful thinking that she is gone.

When I put Frodo down, I had Arwen, I gave Mina back to her former owners and had just Arwen until my brother dropped Jazzy off with me. I might regret that considering I still don't have an antenna for my tv, and my bedroom window remains boarded up, and my leg has a hole in it. But having watched her have a life, living on until she was over eleven at my brother's and knowing that would never have happened if I did not step up to the plate, there is no regret.

I still had Jazzy when I got Dubya, so he was a third. Babs and Jenna came together, and were a third and fourth, Rushie a fifth.

There are days when I wish Babsy was an only. But then I start running them through my head and there is not one of them that I would want to give up.

[HeyJude]

Originally Posted by chelle

Regret isn't the right word. I feel very stretched at times with three dogs, though. I try hard to provide for ALL their needs and I know sometimes I fail and one gets more and another doesn't. I simply try to make up for it the next day.

My life revolves completely around dogs. They need to eat, need their exercise, training, medication, vet visits, gotta get a bag of food, need this-that-or-the-other. It's very time consuming, tiring and expensive. Every GREAT once in awhile, when I'm tired, or feeling a little sick, I think GEESH, I'd like to have a dog day OFF.! But of course I couldn't do that, because I couldn't trust anyone to take care of them like I do.

Regret, No. A break every once in awhile? WOULD BE NICE! )

I feel this way too sometimes since we adopted Uschi.

[deldridge72]

Have five ranging in ages 2-5; just put the old man down last month-he might have been happier with fewer-but as long as he got his attention he was happy.