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Does having 2 cavalier dogs better than having one?
- Thread starter Glynn
- Start date
Maxxs_Mummy
Well-known member
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 :flwr:
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 :flwr:
Joanne M
Well-known member
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?
Cathy Moon
Well-known member
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.
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
Well-known member
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! :flwr:
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! :flwr:
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! :lol: 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! :lol:
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! :lol:
Cathy T
Well-known member
Oh how I wished getting a 2nd would make the 1st less dependent on me :roll: That was my initial thought. Jake is still very much a mama's boy. I love having two though. As I am typing right now they are both laying on their sofa bed in my office. My two aren't real snugglers with each other like a lot of other duos are. Shelby is also a much more independent dog than Jake. I love that when I leave they have each other for company. They do play with each other and are very happy to cuddle together...especially if I'm in the mix. I can't tell you how cozy it is to have Jake snuggled into my side and Shelby curled around my head at nap time!! We got Shelby when Jake was 15 months old. My initial concern was that Jake's nose would be out of joint as he was such a spoiled only child. They got along just fine. I kind of relate it to having an only child....they adjust to siblings just fine!!
Maxwell&me
Well-known member
My experience is very much Like Cathys...While my two dont snuggle together, they do play and its been good for my older cavalier~ he gets much more excercise than before. I also thought that Maxwell would be much less dependant on me, but hes still mummys boy and now I usually have both of them snuggling on me at night. ( I dont mind )
I will also add, in my experience it is twice the work~ Bathing, brushing, Feeding and walking takes twice the time it did before, not to mention we are back to cleaning the crate every day...Vet bills are twice as much and all the "extras" that you love to buy it usually times two. Washing bedding, sweeping the floors daily becouse of twice the hair....and all the other things, Time really does add up~ so please consider carefully if two is right for you.
For us, Its worth all the extra time....but I will be totally honest, I didnt realise how much more work it would be with two...Love every minute of it and wouldnt trade hogan for anything.... but it is something to carefully consider before adding a second.
) I will also add, in my experience it is twice the work~ Bathing, brushing, Feeding and walking takes twice the time it did before, not to mention we are back to cleaning the crate every day...Vet bills are twice as much and all the "extras" that you love to buy it usually times two. Washing bedding, sweeping the floors daily becouse of twice the hair....and all the other things, Time really does add up~ so please consider carefully if two is right for you.
For us, Its worth all the extra time....but I will be totally honest, I didnt realise how much more work it would be with two...Love every minute of it and wouldnt trade hogan for anything.... but it is something to carefully consider before adding a second.
Lisa_T
Well-known member
I find that while my bond with Amber is deepening all the time- she's becoming a real snugglebug- my 'special' relationship with Holly remains unchanged. Having said that, Holly is and was clingy without being obsessively so, but if she's not perfectly comfy- ie, right now, she's squeezed between me and the arm of my armchair; eventually she'll get fed up and move to the sofa- she's happy to lie by herself away from me. She doesn't snuggle to Amber usually, but Amber certainly snuggles to her. This morning I found them like sardines- side by side, tops'n'tails. She really seems to enjoy having another dog around and if they slept apart, she'll often bounce around Amber's crate and bark until I let her out!
However, I definitely wouldn't want to get a second dog while the first is still growing and learning. You forget how much work tiny pups are, especially if you get them at eight weeks, and intentionally or not, you won't be able to give your original dog quite the same level of intensive attention for the first lot of weeks. Therefore having a reliable, steady older dog (Holly is nearly exactly 3 years older than Amber) makes your life soooo much easier, and there's a certain amount of doggy-teaching going on too- Amber really doesn't nip at all now, and that's thanks to Holly. I really didn't need to do much! Same with general puppy cheekiness- Holly's done most of the work with toning that down, and now they're such a pleasure to own and cuddle and watch, especially as Amberi is doing amazingly well in housetraining.
So- get a second dog by all means, but- not yet!
She really seems to enjoy having another dog around and if they slept apart, she'll often bounce around Amber's crate and bark until I let her out!However, I definitely wouldn't want to get a second dog while the first is still growing and learning. You forget how much work tiny pups are, especially if you get them at eight weeks, and intentionally or not, you won't be able to give your original dog quite the same level of intensive attention for the first lot of weeks. Therefore having a reliable, steady older dog (Holly is nearly exactly 3 years older than Amber) makes your life soooo much easier, and there's a certain amount of doggy-teaching going on too- Amber really doesn't nip at all now, and that's thanks to Holly. I really didn't need to do much! Same with general puppy cheekiness- Holly's done most of the work with toning that down, and now they're such a pleasure to own and cuddle and watch, especially as Amberi is doing amazingly well in housetraining.
So- get a second dog by all means, but- not yet!
duncans_ma
Well-known member
My pups are 13 months a part, but Duncan was almost 18 months old when we got Arthur, because Arthur was 16 weeks when he came home.
It was definitely worth waiting to have a trained, reliable dog before we introduced a puppy.
That said, nothing makes me smile like seeing the two of them together.
It was definitely worth waiting to have a trained, reliable dog before we introduced a puppy.
That said, nothing makes me smile like seeing the two of them together.
merlinsmum
Well-known member
duncans_ma said:
Never a truer word said
I ditto Lisa_T and Duncans_Ma comments
Lucy's mum
Well-known member
Lucy was 6 months when we got Henry and they were best buddies in about 30 minutes or less! Approx 4.5 months age difference.
We have loads of time for them as we are retired so it is easy to give both time exclusively on their own as well as together and of course we have to give the training lessons on their own as well as together. Lucy was well house trained and some basic obedience before we got Henry. He learns from her as well.
2 pups together is a joy to behold. They get on so very well and have this wonderful companionship. But they still desperately want us as well so I feel they have the best of both worlds.
I have no regrets at getting a second pup - it's been wonderful.
We have loads of time for them as we are retired so it is easy to give both time exclusively on their own as well as together and of course we have to give the training lessons on their own as well as together. Lucy was well house trained and some basic obedience before we got Henry. He learns from her as well.
2 pups together is a joy to behold. They get on so very well and have this wonderful companionship. But they still desperately want us as well so I feel they have the best of both worlds.
I have no regrets at getting a second pup - it's been wonderful.