Big jump - 2 to 3 dogs

marley123

So..... we a Possibly thinking about adding to our Canine family - we have 2 dogs @ the moment & are thinking about taking on another - are we mad???? Surely there isn't much of a difference from 2 -3 dogs in the house....
Just looking for reassurance:)

tittle mouse

If done properly another dog can be a great addition to the family(I should know ive 4 dogs and 3 cats:rolleyes:) Before taking on another dog you need to ask yourself a couple of questions:
Can you afford to feed another 1?
Is your garden big enough?
Can you afford the vet for a third pet?
Have you the time for another dog?( the other 2 may get jealous if the new dog is given too much attention)
If theyre big dogs will you be able to handle them on walks?

Three of my dogs were rescues and i never regret taking them on it took alot of time to socialise them together but now all the dogs get on great together.

Are our current dogs big or small and what type of dog are you hoping to get?

Hope some of this is helpful to you

marley123

I work with an animal rescue so you would probably think that I should be able to come to a conclusion on another dog without having to ask:)

The dog in question is a Retreiver Pup.

But to answer questions....

Can you afford to feed another 1? Yes we can afford it
Is your garden big enough? Yes - big back garden
Can you afford the vet for a third pet? Yet - Pet insurance:)
Have you the time for another dog?( the other 2 may get jealous if the new dog is given too much attention) - There will initially be "problems " with one of our dogs BUT its not anything that we cant work trhough...
If theyre big dogs will you be able to handle them on walks - Yes no probs there...

tittle mouse

Thats great Marley, you sound like you have everything covered for the addition of new pup good luck with the new addition to your family

Wisco

I did notice when my mom went from 2 to 3 dogs it was a big difference- really feels like a pack of dogs in the house now as she has australian shepherd, corgi, and golden. All nice dogs, but lots of extra work!

DBB

Wisco wrote: »

I did notice when my mom went from 2 to 3 dogs it was a big difference- really feels like a pack of dogs in the house now as she has australian shepherd, corgi, and golden. All nice dogs, but lots of extra work!

Agreed. The dynamic between 3 dogs is quite different to the dynamic between 2 dogs. Indeed, 3 is probably a more awkward dynamic than 4+!
That said, I have 3! They are all very different, temperament- and breed-wise, and one is a bit of a loner which makes it more like having two dogs and one dog... If that makes any sense?!
I had 3 up til last Feb, and one died, turning us back into a 2 dog family. The 3 had established a really workable dynamic over time, and things destabilised a bit when my Shepherd died. However, balance was restored again until last week, when I adopted another dog, bringing us back up to 3. Things are tense again, but I know that they'll eventually find a balance again... They already are.
So, it depends on the dogs, and care must be taken that you don't get two ganging up on one (and it's not necessarily the resident two that'll do the ganging up, I've seen my westie and one or two foster dogs ganging up on my wee spaniel x)
So, good luck! It is definitely harder work than two, on many levels, but if you have the space, time and patience, go for it!

lorebringer

Going from 2 to 3 is the biggest jump you can make (and after 4 you'll be flying!). Suddenly there are more dogs than hands (and people in our case!) and life seems chaotic but all worth it!

The more the merrier in my opinion, now I just have to convince my OH (who happened to come along for the ride!)