a second dog?

[varja]

I have been thinking for a long time now to get a second dog. well, from the begining I had annie ,or even before that, I wanted 2 cavs. but now I am not sure anymore.
I would lovve a second dog, and for annie it would be great, but 2 Annies would drive me crazy. annie is very depending, like I already wrote and I dont think I could handle 2 dogs like this. Tihis is the one think about cavies that I dont like. And I feel very guilty because of that. But for annie maybe a second dog like herself would be great? what do you all think, a second cavie or something else? my other choice would be a shi tzu or a tibetan terrier. well, best would be a beardied collie, but they are to big, for my apartement and for annie.

Oh my God, I write like I am 10 years old, but I am so confused, I have a headache because of all of that...

[Maxwell&me]

Greetings,

I can only speak to my own personal experience. We just got Hogan Three Weeks ago...our second Cavalier, we waited until Maxwell was two to bring him home, this is how long it took not only for our family to be ready for a second dog but also for us to find the right breeder, waiting lists, ect.

Going from one dog to two has been a challange, a joy becouse we adore Hogan but also many things that I hadnt expeted we have had to problem solve through. For Example, Feeding Time, Different Food, Taking dogs out in shifts becouse puppy is so much smaller than max we cant use a dual leash/ harness yet. Gating Rooms, supervising play times....and for some reason they always want the thing the other one has to at times I feel as the paid nanny....

Having two dogs is double the work....Bathing, blow drying, brushing, ear checking, nail clipping...all the day to day stuff is times two.

Vet expences are times two also~ not to mantion all the additional treats, toys and Stuff we all love to buy...I personally feel guilty if I dont give each the same...Incidently I also do the same with me two daughters...lol

Puppy training was easier the first time....Hogan takes one step forward and a half a step back on training~ Half my own fault becouse I was much more dilligent with max than I am with Hogan.

Like I said, we Love Hogan and wouldnt have it any other way however two dogs is alot more than one and if you have any doubts wait untill you feel its right for you~

[merlinsmum]

Whereas I'm the opposite!

My only problem so far with 2 is feeding time ....... Merlin has suddenly become interesed in food... This morning.. Merlin ate Oakley's kibble and Oakley ate Merlin's weetabix!

They play so well you don't need to be the "other puppy".

But.... as Maxwell and Hogans mummy says you do have double the day to day work and training for two obviously takes up more of your time. I don't have children so I don't find it so hard, I only have the 2 big furbabies and two small furbabies ( the chinchillas) so my life revolves around the boys essentially.

If the time is not right, the time isn't right....wait until it is right- then you know for sure.

best of luck

[Cathy T]

We got Shelby when Jake was 14 months old. Jake is a very clingy boy. Shelby is much more independent. If you are thinking of getting another Cavalier for your Cavalier...think again. It may be that you end up with two clingers rather than 1!! Jake's personality and dependence did not change with the arrival of Shelby. My thought was that the two of them would bond and they have but more to me than to each other. I know this is not always the case...but in my case it is. I adore both of their personalities...so different yet each precious.

I have to say that two is not necessarily double the work but more than double. We were hit two years ago with patella surgery and cancer surgery in the same month!!! The patella was planned and arranged the cancer just popped up. No way was I prepared for the expense...but we made it work. This is truly the main reason we have chosen not to add a third.

[Lindsay]

Adding a second cavalier to our family was not only a joy and a privelidge, it was a necessity!

Josh bought Spencer for me for my 21st birthday and I was still in college and still living with my mom and dad. I have had a lab mix (Abby) since I was 15 and it was great to have them both. Spencer kept Abby up and going in her "old" and LAZY age, and Abby kept Spencer occupied when I couldn't.

This Spring I bought a house and Spencer and I braved the world on our own, leaving Abby at home with my parents as she is just as attached to them as she is me. After one week, we drove to our breeder to get Izzy, as Spencer was unmanageable! He decided he did not like being the only dog and found very destructive ways to occupy his time. The whole week he was (hate to admit this!) on my nerves and needed attention 24/7. On Friday of week 1, I came home from work and he had torn up a 24-roll pack of paper towels and they covered every inch of my new house! Needless to say, we drove to get Izzy on Sunday morning.

So, in my personal experience, having the second dog around is the perfect solution to a handful 1st dog. Yes, you have the extra cost, but what it saves you in sanity is priceless!

[varja]

thank you all for your answers.

I am 100% sure that I want a second dog, but I am just not sure if it is going to be a cav. I love them, I think, that they are beautiful, but like Cathy T said, I dont want two clingers.

I have the time for 2 dogs, because I dont have children and I am more a dog person than a childrens person ( well, my mother doesnt want to hear this ).

But now it is also better with Annie, we go everyday for a 2 hours walk ( this is not the only walk in the day), and than we play with her ball, and after all that she is sleepy and I have about 1,5 hours for myself. well, but she is only happy if she can sleep on me!

I would be happy, if somebody else could make the desicion for me, but this is not possiblle, I know.

I think, that I must be careful with the charakter of the 2nd dog, if he would be independing, thanthis wouldnt be good.... Oh, I dont know.... My friend has a tib. spaniel, she is very independing and doesnt want to play with annie. and annie is so unhappy than. so this wouldnt be good?!

[Remali]

It's so hard to say, all dogs are different. My Cavalier isn't like that at all, in fact he is so mellow and easy going. I think though, that two dogs are a nice thing to have, not just for me personally, but for the dogs thmeselves. That way, when I am at work and not home, they have each other for company and both have a calming affect on one another.