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  • Advice on Owning 2 Dogs

    Hi All,

    Quick question about owning 2 dogs. My husband and I would like to eventually own 2 dogs, a dane and possibly a schnauzer or med. terrier (my husband wants a bull terrier, but I'm not sold on it) We've only ever owned 1 dog together, and he grew up with dogs, but only 1 at a time.

    My question is, do we get them as puppies at the same time (or about as close as we can get depending on litter timings) or do we get one, wait a year, or more, and then get the other? If we did it that way, we would get the dane first.

    We really want to set it up so that they have the best possible chance of getting along and for them to be best buddies

    From all your experiences, what has worked best for you?

  • #2
    You will find it easier in almost all situations to have the dogs be at least a couple of years apart. If you want a Dane first, then start going to shows in your area. You'll need to start working on building a relationship with a breeder. I wouldn't necessarily start inquiring about their puppies right away. There's a good chance you'll have to wait for a couple of years before even getting your puppy. It depends on when their planned breeding will happen and how far down on a waiting list you'll be. After you get your Dane puppy, start working on training and building the connection with your Dane. Make sure he/she will WELL socialized with dogs of all ages, sizes, breeds as best as you can..obviously you can't socialize with every recognized breed. You will want your Dane to be out of the teenage phase (around 2ish for most) before you get another dog.

    I have three dogs in my household, and it is HARDWORK to make sure everyone gets equal amounts of attention and training. The reason it's hard is because they all want it at the same time. Now sometimes, group play with mom or dad is okay, but I think it's really important (just like skin kids) for them to get individual attention.
    ~ Erin ~
    "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe." - Simon Sinek
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    • #3
      The best scenario would be get one, wait till the dog is two years, and get another of the opposite sex. The opposite sex thing is especially important if you get a terrier, they can be same sex aggressive. As long as you plan on neutering/spaying of course.
      sigpic

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      • #4
        for sure neutering.
        I am worried about the whole terrier thing. We own a jack russell cross, and a second dog would not be possible. Thats why I was thinking it would help getting them as puppies together so they grow up together. But I guess it sounds like its best to wait.
        Does anyone have experience owning a terrier and a dane? Is it a bad match altogether?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Blueberry1 View Post
          for sure neutering.
          I am worried about the whole terrier thing. We own a jack russell cross, and a second dog would not be possible. Thats why I was thinking it would help getting them as puppies together so they grow up together. But I guess it sounds like its best to wait.
          Does anyone have experience owning a terrier and a dane? Is it a bad match altogether?
          We have a terrier (terror) cross He is much older than our Dane and to be honest he really does not like her AT all, but he tolerates her. He's a grumpy old man and when she was a puppy especially she would get on his nerves but she learnt to respect his boundaries. ETA: I should say that we have three small dogs and never leave Harley unattended with them, if fights start (and that is pretty easily done with our terrier) because of her size it can be really dangerous, so that is something you have to think about when mixing little and large. NEVER leave unattended together, and we always feed separate too. Terriers are always ones to try ''end'' fights if they start, which can end up bad with a dog the size of a Dane.

          Do you mean you have a JRT cross already? What age is he/she?
          Last edited by HarlequinHorror; 12-19-2012, 02:13 PM.
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          • #6
            We recently got a pit bull mix, when our Dane was about 20 months old. He's about 6 months old now and I have to say, so far they are a perfect match. My Dane plays pretty hard, and he's definitely sturdy enough to keep up with her. A bull terrier would be a little smaller, but similar strong build.

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            • #7
              Quote" Do you mean you have a JRT cross already? What age is he/she? "


              We do have one right now. He is 8.5, and has a lot of health problems. I wouldnt want to put the stress of adding another dog into the family on him. While he is alive, he will be our only fur baby.

              I'm talking about way in the future...I'm a planner haha

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              • #8
                I think a lot of it depends on your lifestyle, doggie behavior knowledge and the general dynamic of your particular home.

                Personally, I have 2 Danes (3 and 8ms) and a Chihuahua (8). This is not a combination that I would ever recommend, it just happened to be what I ended up with. And we will be adding a 3rd Dane in a few months if things fall into place as expected.

                We have never had a single issue between the dogs. But that said, I am VERY involved with my dogs. They are my kids (literally, I have no skin children). They go to work with me, they go to classes (conformation and obedience) and they all know what is acceptable behavior.

                Generally speaking, I would NOT recommend getting 2 puppies. I would wait until 1 was a year or two before adding the second dog.
                *Jennifer*
                Member GDC of Mid-Florida
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                • #9
                  It's not just terriers that can be same sex (or opposite sex, or small or larger breed, or any other trait, aggressive)! It's an important thing to remember, be it a Dane, a Bullie, or a Chihuahua (I *sort of* have all 3).
                  I think when you decide to own multiple dogs you should always have a plan in place for how you will manage the dogs if they don't get along. It is 100% possible that ANY dogs, no matter if raised together, only living together a few months, different breeds, different sexes, they can ALWAYS develop issues with one another. If you can't live in a divided house where the dogs can't get to each other then it is certainly something to take in to account. That would mean you would have to rehome a dog. Not a great thing to think about, but I think that it is important to think through everything.
                  Now all that being said, Bull Terriers definitely have a propensity for animal aggression, but they are not ALL dog aggressive. However I think if you and your husband have never owned a Bull Terrier then perhaps your first one, at least should be a solo dog. Or perhaps a good idea would be to adopt a BT from a reputable BT rescue that has thoroughly evaluated the dog and knows it to be dog friendly. THEN if possible do a foster to adopt to make sure it works out. That way you get an adult dog who already has a set personality (a LOT can change from puppyhood) and you save a life!
                  The other thing about bullies is they tend to have a very rough play style, so even if they aren't DA usually, they can escalate easily in play and/or a lot of dogs don't like the play style. But it all depends on the dogs involved. There is no way to look at two puppies and know they will get along as they age.
                  I assume that since you said you have a JRTx currently that you are waiting on any dog until s/he passes?
                  sigpic Halpert at 28 months

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                  • #10
                    We have a pitbull in our pack. He is sweet as pie - not an ounce of fight in him. I think it helps tremendously that he is neutered and was neutered before he had any issues. We also manage our pack well.

                    I think waiting until dog number 1 is altered and trained before bringing dog number 2 home is a good idea. I also think opposite sexes tend to get along better. Having said that, Einstein and Vinnie are like best buddies, constantly playing or cuddling.

                    Just an FYI, we had some friends who have BTs and they are WONDERFUL. I wouldn't hesitate to get one. They are very funny but can be kinda stubborn. You have to have a good handle on their training. Be sure to find a reputable breeder to try and avoid and health or behavioural issues.
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                    • #11
                      I have 2 males..1 neutered and one not...they are 18 and 19 months old and it has been work....Artie is a big mush and Tempo is the spoiled brat...I have always separated them to eat and they eye each others' bowls thru their crates...the best command we have going here is hit the dirt! when things get going too rough in the house...have not had any real dominance problems...I rotate who gets the walk each night and they go to classes on different nights...Artie snuggles on the couch while I read and Tempo is on the bed at night...both are crated when I go to work...I have a lady come in and let them out for 1/2 hour of play in an outdoor run in the middle of the day...Artie likes to spend the night in the indoor/outdoor run all night to make sure no one is messing with his toys, or yard...It is alot of work and a lot of planning must go into it...BTW Artie is an obedience school failure...doing basic all over again because he has to always be touching me...and he follows me out of the room for the long down and sits....make sure you have safe spots for each dog that is theirs alone.
                      sigpic Shash
                      Flynn always in my heart
                      Artie, Piebald Tempo, Mantle
                      Leo, Harlequin Ch Bella, queen

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                      • #12
                        just get two Danes

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by azz7772 View Post
                          just get two Danes
                          I would love that! I love large dogs, but my husband likes smaller/medium sized dogs. We knew we would always want 2; giant for me, and one smaller for him. Funnily enough, I'm 5', and hes 6'4

                          And what someone mentioned before about rehoming, that would be my one of my biggest fears!! I would never want to do that, and I dont want to put myself in a position where I would have to make that choice. And that is a really big worry for me about Bull Terriers.

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                          • #14
                            I have four dogs, my Aussie (male) was first, he was a little over a year old when i got my Dane (male). They tolerate each other but my Dane plays too rough for my Aussie so they only play occasionally. My Pyrenees (female) came along right before my Dane turned two, and they are the BEST of friends. Love each other so much and are a great play match. But my Pyrenees is also very gentle and plays great with my Aussie so having all three has been pretty easy temperament wise. My Pyrenees is a year old and we just added the Dane pup (male). They all get along well with him.

                            I'm very glad I waited to add another dog until my current ones have been trained and have grown up a bit.

                            The important things to remember, individual training time is crucial when you have more than one dog. All of mine have done classes separately. And we work with them all individually.

                            Getting opposite sexes is probably the best option. I got lucky in that my Aussie is very quiet calm and not dominant hardly at all, and my Dane is in the middle of the spectrum so they mesh well. My Pyrenees is definitely the boss around here, we most likely wouldn't ever ad another female while she's around. My puppy is also learning his place and is so far very mellow and fits right in. Though I let my breeder pick him for me based on what I told him about my other three dogs

                            Most importantly you should focus on getting a pup from a reputable breeder or reputable rescue. That way you stack the odds in your favor of getting two dogs with good temperaments who will get along well!
                            sam: mom to 2 danes (Romeo/mantle merle and Daegan/fawn), and Cora, the ragdoll kitty.

                            "inside every Great Dane is a puppy just longing to climb into your lap"

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Blueberry1 View Post
                              And what someone mentioned before about rehoming, that would be my one of my biggest fears!! I would never want to do that, and I dont want to put myself in a position where I would have to make that choice. And that is a really big worry for me about Bull Terriers.
                              To be fair, ANY time you have multiple dogs issues can crop up.

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