Households with two or more dogs are more common than you might think. Here is the scenario I hear over and over again:
“We went to the breeder and there were only two puppies left. We only planned to buy one, and picked the one we wanted, but the other one looked so sad to be left behind, so we took that one too.
Uh-oh…
It happens so often that I’m starting to wonder if breeders put two puppies in the pen and take the other litter mates to another location in the presence of a buyer.. This could be an effective tactic given that the urge not to leave a puppy behind is so overwhelming.
Now I will talk about beagles.
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2cec43_25c5cb37a7e64fc286212afe619d42ad~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_88,h_51,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/2cec43_25c5cb37a7e64fc286212afe619d42ad~mv2.png)
I like the website called Your purebred puppy because it breaks down the essence of race characteristics into realistic elements – what is it? GOOD about race, what is it bad on race. Here’s what the site says about the negatives about Beagles:
A slowness to learn and a “what does it bring me?” » attitude towards training — can be very stubborn; running away, indifferent to your calls, when an interesting smell attracts his attention; slow to rob; barking and howling; loss; distinctive dog odor; chronic health problems (joints, ears and skin).
Keep in mind that these characteristics have nothing to do with a dog’s temperament. I have met maniacal Beagles and Couch Potato Beagles. That said, if the Beagle you adopt has any of the traits mentioned above, you have challenges in front. If the Beagle is a puppy When you adopt him, you should also expect the usual puppy behaviors: chewing, obedience and taming the wild beast inside.
My clients are a lovely couple who adopted Mindy and Morgan, two sister female Beagles from the same litter. I was hired when the puppies were about eight months old. This roughly coincides with Mindy and Morgan’s teenage years. If you’ve ever had teenage children, you might have an idea of what my clients were going through.
Two puppies from the same litter, and they are Beagles, no less.
Here is the conversation heard between these dogs when I met them:
Mindy: Who is at the door?
Morgan: I don’t know. Lets go see. But first, let’s really listen Really noisy and ran around the room, jumping on all the furniture. You take this chair which always falls and crashes on the ground. Cool! I jump on the door, and then you join me, okay?
Mindy: Good idea. Hey, she’s a great lady. let’s run away NOW while the door is ajar. I don’t wear a leash or collar. It’s good! Freedom!
Morgan: Wait, I’m right behind you.
Mindy: Wait a second. I have to stop and poop on the lawn.
Morgan: It’s good ; I will eat it. This really disgusts mom.
Mindy: Here it is. Like I thought, she’s gonna come after us. Run faster. Look at her too, it drives her really crazy when we do that.
Morgan: You need to bark louder. And cross the road as fast as possible. Don’t worry, this car doesn’t go very fast. You can beat him.
So the owners and I dutifully chase the girls, bring them home, and watch their playful antics as we think of creative ways to deal with the twins.
I usually start with separate the dogs. It’s nearly impossible to get a dog’s attention when its closest companion is nearby. But of course, once separated, the dogs are almost frantic about the other dog’s location. I therefore advise owners, for future reference, to keep dogs separated from each other on short walks, car trips, etc., precisely for this reason.
We do individual basic leash work with each dog: sit/stay, come when called and heel. Every dog learns not to open the door because he can’t pay the pizza guy anyway. Then we bring the dogs together, take a break while they greet each other after this long, heartbreaking separation (20 minutes, or so) and start all over again in pairs.
Multiple dogs in a household are a wonderful idea. I myself have several dogs. However, there is an easier way to have more than one dog than having two puppies from the same litter. Easier, of course, in terms of blood pressure, sanity, marriage, and furniture. Before you consider adding more dogs to your home, here are some suggestions:
-
Dogs are not related
-
Dogs are of opposite sexes
-
The dogs are sterilized
-
The dogs are of different ages
-
Dogs are obtained at different times (preferably a year or two apart)
-
Dogs have been proven to get along both outside and inside the home
-
Owners have time to feed, care for, walk and train both dogs together and separately.
Yes, there are many, many exceptions to these suggestions, which is why they are suggestions, no rules. Your own household may have 10 dogs, all of the same sex, all littermates, who are models of canine citizenship. If so, tell me! I would like to hear about it.
One more suggestion. If you already have a dog and want another, visit Petfinder.com or your local shelter or rescue group adoption clinic – a few are listed on the sidelines of this blog – And give your second dog a second chance.