should we get another??

[kathy & bob]

Our mini, Bro is almost 5 and though we hate to admit it, pretty darn spoiled! We have been made aware of another dachsie that needs a home, cause his Dad is now in a Convalescent home. He is also a mini, male,
1 1/2 yrs old.Our neighbor comes over and lets our little guy out for awhile everyday while were at work. We sometimes think he could use a playmate but then again maybe he's happy!!! Wish he could tell us. We plan on setting up a meeting, but considering the extra work involved, need to give it a lot of thought. What are your experiences or thoughts? Thanks!!

[cl18]

You are doing the right thing by setting up a meeting and you might want to do more than one. I have 2 doxies and they get along great. It's not really that much more work with two.<IMG SRC="http://dachsie.org/ubb/cwmsmilies/cwm20.gif" border=0> I really love having 2, its double the love and they do keep each other company. They also can get into trouble together, but it's not bad.
Carolyn

[Krista]

Well, I say go for it!!!! I just added one to my family this past weekend. I have a neutered male, a little over a year old, and we just brought in a 4 mos old male puppy.

We let them meet first too. They sniffed and had a little play fight, then he came home with us. They play rough, but they are not trying to kill eachother or anything. If a play fight gets too rough for my liking - they get a loud "stop" and a squirt from a water gun.

they are having so much fun together and it really does keep them happier (in most cases) having another dog there when the humans are gone.

For the meeting: Meet on neutral ground that neither dog considers "his." Many people think off leash is better since being trapped by a leash can make dogs more apprehensive/agressive.

If you decide to take him home, I would suggest trying to make sure that Bro is still treated like #1. Bro should do everthing first: eat, be greeted, get treats, enter/exit doors, be picked up, be petted, etc....It helps them be less jealous -the jealousy in my house is fading already- and lets the new dog know that the other dog is top dog in the house.

I just LOVE having two. watching them together is just wonderful, and the double licks and snuggles is so very sweet.

[Wienergal]

Hi, Kathy and Bob!

Another vote for two from this two-dachshund household. I've had two dachshunds for 11 years now and wouldn't have it any other way. While the "getting-used-to" period can be a bit stressful at times, the results are worth it! I think each of my two would really be lost without the other, even though my boy Farfel is verrrry neeeeedy and likes to have most of my attention. They keep each other company, curl up for naps together, and play together when I'm too busy to play.

Most of the dachshund families I know have two, so unless Bro or the potential adoptee is seriously aggressive and dominant, I'd recommend it highly--keeping in mind, of course, that two dachshunds means double vet bills, food bills, and most importantly, TOY bills! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/lol.gif

Keep us posted and let us know what you decide! Best of luck!

[kat_anne0531]

Saw this topic on the bulletin board and wanted to ask the same question about getting another Dachsie. We have a 1-year old girl, Ginger, and she is the center of attention in our house (we have no kids). My husband is really wanting another puppy in the house, and our vet has told us that it will be best for us to have another one if we are planning on having childrem someday. I am worried about how Ginger will react to a new puppy and her not being the center of attention anymore. She has not reacted well in the past about being around other dogs (none have been Dachsies). If anyone could share their experiences, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

[Wienergal]

Hi, Kat! Every dachshund owner arrives at that moment when One Is No Longer Enough. It appears that you are there now! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

Dachshunds seem to love being in packs. In my experience, even a reluctant resident dog gives in to the new pup after a while--even dogs who "don't like" other dogs. The resident dog seems to realize that the intruder is now part of the pack and must somehow be accommodated. Farfel is aggressive toward other dogs when he is on his leash and uninterested when he's off. When Arnold, my boss's pup, joined the pack at work and made it is his business to get Farfel to love him, Farf eventually gave in, and now the two are best buds.

The one suggestion I would make is that you get a male and make sure he is neutered; I have heard that two females in the same house can be a problem--even more than two males. Don't know why, but like almost everything else, it has to do with pack hierachy.

[Krista]

I was in the same situation a few weeks ago. We have no children and 1 yr old Rudy is our baby. We had heard that too -that two will be better than one if you should ever have kids.

Well the bug BIT me and Roscoe has been with us two weeks today. It takes time, but they get used to it and end up liking being together. They take naps together, play together, lick eachother -but they also Play fight a lot since they are young.

I too would reccomend a male. Males will often submit to a dominant female already in the home -where as females usually challenge eachother for top dog position. Definitely neuter early though to keep that sweet dog happy and healthy.

[kat_anne0531]

Thanks to those who have shared with me their experiences. I have another question for you now. Did your first puppy "regress" any when the second puppy came into the house (i.e, potty training). I don't know about you, but our little jewel is quite stubborn, and I fear that her acts of jealousy will be taken out by her regressing into her puppy habits of accidents, chewing, etc. What do you think?

Also, you all had mentioned getting a male puppy to go along with our female puppy, because of the dominance issue. This is the biggest concern for me, because I have never wanted a male dog (no offense, we both just always grew up with female dogs), but I have heard that females can have dominance issues. Is there anyone out there who has had two female Dachsies that can tell me if they had any problems? I have heard that Ginger might, in fact, become like a mother figure to this new puppy (or at least I could hope).

Thanks!

[dutchman]

Tomorrow I will have all of three weeks experience with a two dog household so I'm no expert but here is what I've observed so far. Frank who I've had since April 14, has started chewing some things up. At first I thought it was the new guy Tanner since I'd seen him try to chew a few chair arms and legs and Frank had never chewed anything other than his chewies but last night Tanner was in the back room with me and when I got out to the living room Frank had drug a a braided rug from in front of the door around the big chair and a table into the center of the living room. He also had flipped the living room cuddlier bed over and had started to shred the bottom foam. It looks like I may have to get out a kids gate and restrict access to areas where I can keep an eye on the crew for a while. It's had to keep an eye on both boys when they head to opposite ends of the house.

You may have noted that I've referred to the boys like you I had always had females and had never really wanted a boy but Frank came along in the right place at the right time. I had just lost my last little girl and needed someone to fill the hole in my heart. My budget was limited due to Aggie's major medical expenses. A friend called form the shelter asking if it was too soon to be looking as she had spotted this little guy. He turned out to not only be a male but a standard, I'd always had minis but at only six months old and such an extrovert who could leave him in the shelter. Besides the $75 adoption fee which included neutering and hear worm test was a bargain. I had thought I would look for a female when I decided Frank could use a friend, guess what I did get a mini but another male. Again it was a case of a little boy in need of a good home. Tanner is shy and was considered a hard to adopt boy but my rescue friends know I have been able to work with shy dogs in the past.

My friends who show dogs (labs and shelties) all tell me multiple female households are most likely to experience major alpha battles that can result in some major blood baths before things get worked out. This can especially be a problem if you miss read the dogs and treat the non alpha as the alpha. My friends also claim that in general male dogs are more affectionate. I'm not sure about this the boys are very lovey much more so than Aggie ever was but then she spent 1.5 years in the puppy mill business as a breeder. I remember the females I grew up with as being little lovers as well.

Well have I confused you with all my wanderings? I hope not my main goal was to encourage you to not rule out a male. The behavior problems if any are things that will differ with individual dogs and are something as the alpha of the house that you will need to find ways and time to deal with and correct as (if) they happen. Don't get a second dog just because others think you should. It's perhaps an even bigger undertaking than bringing the first one into your home and you need to be doing it because it's something you want. Remember you hope to have that new family member for the next 10-15+ years.

Good luck,

Tom and the boys Tanner and Frank

[Heather]

I say go for it also!

Hans(male standard) was 3 when we decided it was time to expand. We got another male, Benaie(mini),and they are truly two peas ina pod. They go everywhere together, are I can't imaginge life without one of them now.

Hans did not regress at all. However, I must say he is a confident one, and was housetrained in all of three weeks, never chewed anything (we were just lucky I guess). He is so smart, and I think he appreciated the company and the playtime. He showed no signs of anger, jealousy, or anything negative about the new puppy.

Beanie was a bit harder to housetrain, so we decided to crate. The dogs were already so close that if we seperated them, they cried and howled. So, we decided ot put both of the in the crate together. Luckily it worked out great and Beanie's accidents have been minimal since the day we got the crate!

I would love to have a third, but my husband and I do work full time so two is enough for now.

Good luck to you!

[Krista]

In defense of the male:

Many people were raised to believe that females make better pets because of their mothering instincts. It is a myth. Every breed is different, but in many breeds the females tend to be more dominant and possessive with other dogs.

Boys got a bad rap since they marked their territory -usually because they were not neutered early on and intact females were nearby.

Pets of both sexes can be wonderful, but in many experts opinions neutered males in general are the easiest to get along with in a pack. My neutered male is the sweetest most loving pet you could ask for. He loves to cuddle and is very accepting of those I accept. He has never marked inside the house and he only had one "overly friendly episode" -the night before he was neutered. When done early, neutering usually prevents most bad-boy behavior. Now that he is an adult, he has marked some outside objects that every other dog -male and female- has peed on or near.

Some people do fine woth two females -others don't. No matter what route you go, spay your girl you already have if you haven't already and then spay/neuter the new puppy as soon as they are old enough.

Rudy has not had any backsliding, except that he often takes a little longer to respond to "come" since he is distracted by Roscoe.

[Mrs.F]

I have 2 females and so far so good. We brought 7 month old Maggie home when Penny was 15 months old. There was some growling the first few days while Penny let Maggie know that she was the boss, but no real fighting. I don't remember any regression, but I do remember being surprised at how much I'd forgotten about life with an untrained dog! All in all it felt like Penny's behavior was BETTER when I compared her to my wild little Maggie! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif
Maggie won't be a year old until September, so we may still face some dominance issues as she matures. I am optimistic though because they get along so well now and because they are very good about sharing a lap and eating from the same bowl, etc.
There's only one negative point and it's very selfish on my part. When Penny was an "only dog" she was my constant companion. No matter where I was or what I was doing she wanted to be right there with me. She is still very devoted and likes to be with me, but it's different. She's often busy playing or snoozing in the sun with Maggie now. I can't imagine not having my sweet little Maggie and I would never go back. I also believe Penny's happier now, but sometimes I do miss the old days.....