Does having 2 cavalier dogs better than having one?

[Glynn]

My daughter wants to get another dog, but we are not sure that gettin another king charles cavalier will be oright for our dog olly, olly is 8 months now, will olly mind if we get another dog?

[Maxxs_Mummy]

Well, from my experience, Olly will be delighted to have a friend to play with but the a few days later, his nose will be out of joint whe he relises that the guest is actually staying there!

A week or so later they will gradually begin to accept each other and Olly is young enough to really bond with another puppy too - you'll probably end up with a right pair of snugglebugs

[Bruce H]

What Donna said! Besides, everyone knows you can't have just one But seriously, once the adjustment period is over, Olly will love having a doggie companion.

[Joanne M]

May I ask for those of you with more than one cavalier, are they less dependent on you for companionship and affection? Does having more than one allow you to leave them alone with any less stress than there is on a lone cavalier? Do cavaliers behave differently when they are part of a set, or a group than they do living alone with humans?

[inca]

i think they are always wanting your companionship if you have one or 5 .....it dosen't change everything they still need you they just have another canine to relate with ..best of both worlds

[Cathy Moon]

What Donna, Bruce and Inca said here is true for my pups.

Plus the dogs have companionship with each other when we're away. And they get to be together at the kennel, too, when we travel.

They do continue to come to us individually for snuggles and attention, so we still have that special relationship with each dog.

[Lindsay]

We got Izzy when Spencer was 8 month old and we were concerned about his reaction as well. He was definitely our spoiled little baby and we didn't know if he would like another baby intruding on his territory.

A good 5 hours into getting Izzy they were curled up on the couch sleeping together. They are definitely best buds and brother and sister!

Good luck in your decision!

[Glynn]

Thankyou all of you you have really helped my decsion, i will get bak to you on my decison!!! glynn

[Karlin]

In general it is best to wait a bit longer before getting a second dog however --- until Olly is at least about a year old and has done at least one obedience class with you. He needs the one to one bonding time still and also the time now for training -- because it becomes very hard to train once you have two, especially if the second is a puppy. Many recommend 18 months as the best time to introduce a second dog but of course you can do it anytime and Olly will probably be very happy after some initial adjustment! From personal experience I'd strong;y recommend waiting at least til Olly is 1 though. If you are working with a good breeder it will likely take at least this long to find a good puppy from a health-focused breeder anyway so it wouldn't be a bad idea to start researching breeders now.

Dogs are social animals and are generally a lot happier with a dog companion than when left alone. Even a cat around the house is generally better for them psychologically than being entirely alone. Of course a single dog can be trained to stay alone quite comfortably but any animal will be much happier with a companion that he or she likes, especially if people work full days. I generally recommend a second dog if a dog is going to be left alone for full work days, even if it is walked mid-day.

They generally also do focus less on you because they have a companion (though this breed naturally remain very focused on their owners). This isn't to your detriment -- most people find it makes for a happier, mentally healthier dog to have them have a companion they can relate to as a nother dog, rather than following our every movement with total intensity. I found it was *easier* to have two dogs for all these reasons, than it was to have one! Each dog does need its own time with yu too, for training and bonding, but dogs get a special kind of different pleasure out of having another dog to interact and play with, than they have with humans. One of the great pleasures of dog ownership is watching dogs interact, I think. The second dog doesn't have to be a cavalier of course though many of us like as many cavaliers as possible!

[Joanne M]

Excellent answers. Thanks The more I look at all your lovely cavaliers, and the more I enjoy Tucker, it's got me thinking of adding to our family.