I want another dog!

[lauren43]

This is the first time in the year that I've had Avery that I actually have an itch for another dog.

I know I want a giant breed and I know I want to rescue. I have been researching giant breeds since I was very young.
My favorite breed has always been the Irish Wolfhound, I just love their size and personality. Other breeds I would consider are, Great Danes, St. Bernards, Greyhounds. Great Danes, St. Bernard's, and greyhounds are much easier to find in rescue than an Irish Wolfhound...

My current issue is that I rent. I am nearly %100 positive my roommate (who is also my landlord) would not allow me another dog. Besides the fact that I will probably not live here forever and I will be most likely renting my next place of residence (no home ownership in my future) renting with two dogs will most likely be harder than one (renting with a dog is hard enough). Then of course you have to factor in the extra costs, which I could most likely swing but its something to consider.

Then just recently Avery has upped his fear of strangers. So I have to wonder if getting another dog would help or hurt him. I know it could help build his confidence but I do worry about the time lost with him, I work quite a bit too. Avery and I have been able to manage because I do arrange things for him when I can walks, hikes, doggy daycare, obedience and the like...and on days I feel lazy he is fine with that too. This is when having an SO is convenient, someone to help with the feeding or at least ensuring they get enough time outside.

I feel like I am waiting for my life to start. I have to wait for a dog, a house, a car, a SO...how do you start living life when your waiting for everything?

[bridget246]

Your life gets started when you want to start living it. I don't know your current situation so I can't afford much suggestions. But I must ask why are you so into renting houses and what is a SO? Significant Other? That will come when you start working on other things. Just allow yourself to be open to strangers. And you have a dog, you have to wait for another dog :)

[naturalfeddogs]

It sounds like your current situation won't let you have another right now. If you really want another dog, maybe find another place to rent, just be sure they are accepting of two dogs first.

[monkeys23]

Sometimes in life you just have to be patient.

It sounds like with circumstances and working with Avery it would be better to wait. UNLESS you got into a better living situation and could get a mellow older rescue giant breed that was not high maintence and wouldn't take away from Avery's time with you. If that makes sense the way I worded it.

I knew I wanted a second eventually, but honestly I probably would not have jumped into it any time soon if it hadn't been for Scout needing to go somewhere safe with someone who could/would work with her. And another bitch was certainly not the best idea. Its worked out fine, but given my life circumstances (mainly $$ limitations and time issues with working one full time job and two part time while having two working dogs....) it would be much easier to just have Lily. I don't think Scout would be better off with anyone else though, so it is what it is. Hell they both probably are better treated than they would be with the average JQ public person, so I shouldn't be so hard on myself.

[magicre]

because i'm done buying houses....i know that i will not have large dogs again, although there are plenty of places that will let me have two 60 pounders....which is medium large, like a boxer size....

but i won't....

and with avery being avery, maybe it's not a good idea to get another dog until you decide where you want to be in life and how you're going to get there....

sometimes i wish i had not brought bubba in....but i thought malia was sleeping herself to death at age ten and she needed to be aggravated back into life....she had just lost her shih tzu....but in reality, this bubba dog is a little too much for me....even though he is a small dog....i love him, i just wish i had throught it through.

i guess what i'm trying to say, there are reasons to have dogs and there are reasons to not have dogs....believe me, if you want dogs badly enough, you'll find a way :) dog lovers always do.

[KittyKat]

Sounds like you need to work with your current dog before thinking about getting another one.

[xchairity_casex]

i would NEVEr reccomend getting another dog when you have a dog with problems never EVER assume that bringing another dog into the picture is going to help your current dogs issues it usually never does and will only cause they new dog to become unstable too becuase more often then not the new dog learns the current dogs ways. work on your current dogs issues first THEn get another dog. seriously ive seen this happen so so many times people thing "well my dog is hyper he needs a enw freind and maybe if i get a calmer dog it will slow him down 2 weeks in and they now have 2 insanely hyper dogs on there hands or "my dog is shy and nervous around other dogs maybe if i bring a new puppy to teach them its ok they will be more relaxed" a few weeks in and new puppy is shying away from other dogs as well. when your comfortable with your dog and feel theres nothing left he needs to learn or theres nothing left you feel the need to work on go ahead and bring in another dog.
thisi s how it most often works
your dog is nervous you go to the shelter and decide to pick out a outgoing happy dog you bring new dog in new dog and old dog get along well new dog is elarning what behaviors are accepted,allowed,encouraged,ect and finds old dog is always nervous/anxious new dog being around this constant anxiety begins to get anxious its self maybe a week in maybe a month but it begins slowly maybe old dog is nervous of other dogs new dog seeing that this is what is accepted also begins gettign anxious then nervous around new dogs. the first year new dog is living in this new home he or she is observiing and learning the new routine and new behaviors which is why its so much more common that the new dog begin exhibiting old dogs behaviors and rarely the other way around.

[xellil]

Just because you can't have two dogs doesn't mean your life hasn't started. i only have two dogs and I'm old - I'd like to have several more.

Try to quit worrying about what you don't have and start enjoying what you have right now.

Recognize that you ARE living your life and when the time is right to move forward you will be prepared for it. Life goes by too fast to miss out on what is happening today.

[CorgiPaws]

First of all: don't listen to me, I have 6 dogs.

I have always felt that two dogs are EASIER than one, personally. They help entertain each other, keep each other company, and provide mental stimulation.
But, two dogs is double the food bill, double the vet bills, and double the training and responsibility. Things to always keep in mind.

To me: two was easier than one.
Three was harder than two. Then you have more dogs than hands.
Four wasn't much harder than three, really.
Five is harder than four.
Six is no different than five.

I'm not encouraging you to get another dog if you are not in a position to do so. I also think it is a lot easier to have Dog A trained before getting dog B. But don't listen to me, I have three puppies.

[lauren43]

I should have started this by saying just because I want another dog does not mean I am going to get another dog. I have known my entire life I would have more than one dog at a time, I just never realized how bad I would want another dog after having my first dog for only a year. If I were in a better place in my life I would not think twice about it. I do know that right now would not be the time to get another dog, no matter how bad I want one.

i would NEVEr reccomend getting another dog when you have a dog with problems never EVER assume that bringing another dog into the picture is going to help your current dogs issues it usually never does and will only cause they new dog to become unstable too becuase more often then not the new dog learns the current dogs ways. work on your current dogs issues first THEn get another dog. seriously ive seen this happen so so many times people thing "well my dog is hyper he needs a enw freind and maybe if i get a calmer dog it will slow him down 2 weeks in and they now have 2 insanely hyper dogs on there hands or "my dog is shy and nervous around other dogs maybe if i bring a new puppy to teach them its ok they will be more relaxed" a few weeks in and new puppy is shying away from other dogs as well. when your comfortable with your dog and feel theres nothing left he needs to learn or theres nothing left you feel the need to work on go ahead and bring in another dog.
thisi s how it most often works
your dog is nervous you go to the shelter and decide to pick out a outgoing happy dog you bring new dog in new dog and old dog get along well new dog is elarning what behaviors are accepted,allowed,encouraged,ect and finds old dog is always nervous/anxious new dog being around this constant anxiety begins to get anxious its self maybe a week in maybe a month but it begins slowly maybe old dog is nervous of other dogs new dog seeing that this is what is accepted also begins gettign anxious then nervous around new dogs. the first year new dog is living in this new home he or she is observiing and learning the new routine and new behaviors which is why its so much more common that the new dog begin exhibiting old dogs behaviors and rarely the other way around.

I don't think Avery will ever get to the point where every stranger is the best person in the world. He has had fear issues since the day I brought him home. It's going to be more of a management thing. Of course I will always push him as far as he will let me, but I will not set him up to fail. Avery is a dogs dogs, he has always preferred dogs over people, he probably would have been better suited in a home that already had dogs, but he was in rescue for 4 months and I was the only person to show actual interest in him. I just hope I am not "hurting" him, if you will, for not having a second dog.

Just because you can't have two dogs doesn't mean your life hasn't started. i only have two dogs and I'm old - I'd like to have several more.

Try to quit worrying about what you don't have and start enjoying what you have right now.

Recognize that you ARE living your life and when the time is right to move forward you will be prepared for it. Life goes by too fast to miss out on what is happening today.

I think the main thing is I am not happy with where my life is now (regardless of 1 dog or 2 dogs). I know you can never really plan for the future but I never saw my life here. Last year I decided I needed to live my life and stop waiting for it to happen. What did I do? Lets see. In the month of August I moved out of my parents house, leased a new car, and got a new dog. Now I have all of those things and I still feel like I am missing something or I am waiting for something, I don't know what though. Thank you for that last line.