https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:19:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1599307 Tue, 29 Apr 2014 11:39:33 +0000 LemonLong 1599307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly, we have two dogs and after the baby got here it's more of a nuisance than anything. The dogs don't get as much attention because we want to spend time with the kid and it's too much to watch both dogs and the baby. The dogs were great before we had a kid, but after they took a backseat.</p> <p>Its a lot harder to keep the floor clean with them around, and whenever we go somewhere we have to board both of them, which at times has actually cost more than our plane tickets! </p> <p>I'd wait until your LO is older and introduce another dog then. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1599289 Tue, 29 Apr 2014 11:32:10 +0000 snowjewelz 1599289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bluestriped bee: How cute!! Yeah, having a fenced yard makes me feel like I can have 5 dogs.. Makes pee breaks so much easier! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1593222 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 13:20:50 +0000 BSB 1593222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just got adopted another dog in December. Yeah, right before Christmas. I love it! I have so much love in my life.</p> <p>We thought about costs. Increasing pet rent, less space, more food costs, but then 2 months later we moved out of our apartment and into a house with a fenced yard. Awesome! Don't have to walk my dogs anymore. </p> <p>My one dog has a sensitive stomach so I thought it was ok to keep both dogs on the same food.</p> <p>If you have to board the dogs, it costs more but I was able to find a more affordable place that both dogs can be boarded.</p> <p>My dogs for St. Patrick's day. </p> [attach=147/14/n4lmys.450x600.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1593171 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 13:08:20 +0000 snowjewelz 1593171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: You are not! I've been thinking about another dog for a long time; it's on &amp; off haha. It's fueled right now b/c we saw a dog online we really want. We talked a lot about how our dog now will adjust to the baby, but I completely haven't though about how a new dog will! I guess I just figured everything would be new anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592986 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:26:36 +0000 PawPrints 1592986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Sorry to be a downer :sad: I will admit that having two dogs can be fun - they wrestle with each other a lot and it's hilarious to watch. Just keep that as something to look forward to down the line! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592969 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:21:07 +0000 snowjewelz 1592969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints: That is very true :sad: Thanks for bringing this issue up! I guess for us a 2nd dog is out of question till late next year at the very least! I guess I've had my dog for so long (8 years) that I forget about what they're like when they first come into a home! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592966 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:20:25 +0000 alohaorchid 1592966@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have two dogs and I love it! They really are best friends, they play together, sleep together, and don't like to be without one another. Food and vet costs can add up, especially since one of our dogs is pretty high maintenance, but it's so worth it to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592942 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:15:25 +0000 preggomeggo82 1592942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband refers to our second dog as the Baby Delay. We adopted her a couple years ago before we were ready to ttc. Not sure how we knew we were ready, but we just knew when we saw her picture on Petfinder that she was the dog for us. It's been really good for our older dog to have a companion.</p> <p>It helps cost that they are both small dogs - 8 and 12 pounds respectively. Food and vet costs are less when they are small. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592889 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 12:01:22 +0000 PawPrints 1592889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Don't get a new dog just a few months away from the arrival of baby!!</p> <p>(I really wish I could tell that to EVERYONE.)</p> <p>Dogs need a few years to settle into a routine with your family. I've read so many many stories about families who are heartbroken when their dogs don't react well to the disruptive addition of a baby to the home. Pretty much the only semi-guaranteed strategy to ensure you won't be facing down the decision of whether to rehome your dog when the baby comes is to make sure the only dogs in the home are ones that have been around for years, and have had all those years to get used to your family and your routine and develop a strong stable base of calm, relaxed understanding of how things go around your pack, and what's expected of them. </p> <p>Adding a new dog right before baby is a big gamble. It breaks my heart to read all the posts where people are having to decide what to do with their dogs when they snap at the baby - which is honestly a pretty understandable reaction from a dog that only just got used to his new place in the pack nine months ago, and now has to turn everything upside down for this weird tiny human puppy that everyone is freaking out over. Please consider waiting a few years until your baby is older and you have the time and energy to devote to a new dog before thinking about a second one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592883 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:59:48 +0000 snowjewelz 1592883@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kml636: Your boxer is such a cutie :heart: </p> <p>@Meltini: Oh man. Yeah that's what I'm afraid of... It's already a huge stress for us when our dog suddenly needs surgery! I think budget wise, it's obviously not the best choice for us to get a 2nd dog. But life/happiness wise, I want another one so bad! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592870 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:56:42 +0000 Meltini 1592870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have 2 dogs. We've had 1 for about 4.5 years now and we fostered dogs for a while so we knew what we were getting into work wise with a 2nd dog. We ended up being foster failures which is how we ended up with our 2nd dog. It is great how they can entertain each other now that DS is here but it is definitely more expensive. Food costs are huge for us because we feed quality food. Also last year both dogs ended up needing surgery at the same time for unrelated issues so that sucked. Biggest problem with 2 dogs is they definitely pick up each other's bad habits. I don't regret getting a 2nd dog but it definitely has its drawbacks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592858 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:51:51 +0000 kml636 1592858@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had an older dog and I wanted a more active dog. Boy did I get my wish. A friend of mine had a boxer puppy that was too hyper for her to handle. We decided to take her. I personally believe sometime the right dog will find you :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592823 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:40:40 +0000 snowjewelz 1592823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NovBaby1112: There are two of you! And maybe your dog now will be so obsessed with their sibling, she won't pay attention to you! I totally agree that it's scary to think what if one picks up bad habits from another?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592803 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:35:28 +0000 NovBaby1112 1592803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm glad you asked this because we have been seriously considering getting a second dog, even though we just adopted our pup several months ago!</p> <p>Our pup is sooo amazing and LOVES other dogs- we think she would love having another one around. My main concern is actually being able to give enough attention to BOTH of them. Another fear is our pup is seriously the best dog- she doesnt bark, she isn't wild or crazy, and she just loves LO and cuddling. We couldnt have asked for a better dog. So I am worried we won't get so lucky next time! lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592764 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:26:11 +0000 snowjewelz 1592764@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrs. wagon: We def have no concerns for our 1st dog since I've had her for 8 years now! It would just be sad when she eventually passes away :sad: </p> <p>@Aria: I'm already concerned b/c my own dog is racking up some expensive vet bills! Def good points to think about... But it's totally true that once you get 2 you won't want to look back! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592738 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:19:42 +0000 Aria 1592738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We got a puppy about a year after getting our first dog from rescue. I love having two, and our first has anxiety, so he is a much much happier dog now. I wouldn't trade having two for anything, and once we have a house, I'd be open to fostering more. However, the biggest challenges in having two has been boarding and vet bills. I've found it more challenging to find someone to watch two dogs vs one so planning vacations or trips can be difficult. Also, for my particular breed of dog they need frequent anesthetic dentals, which is insanely expensive. If my dogs just required a regular yearly exam and shots though, I wouldn't find the vet bills to be a problem. So if the breed you want has any known genetic issues that would require vet care, that would be something to think about. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592737 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:19:34 +0000 mrs. wagon 1592737@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We love the jump from 1 dog to 2! After the new dog is housebroken and acclimated to the schedule, it eliminates a big worry we had, which was that we weren't paying enough attention to the first dog. The 2 dogs keep each other company and it's wonderful. They play with each other and entertain all of us, especially our youngest child. </p> <p>The amount of work is not that much more (when you feed one, you feed both.. when you walk one, you walk both... when you take one to the vet, you take both..) but the biggest cost difference is the vet bills for sure. 2 dogs means 2 appointments! </p> <p>For us it's totally worth it and so rewarding to have 2 dogs instead of 1. We buy a lot less things for the dogs (I used to buy all kinds of outfits, collars, fancy toys, etc) and now all we buy is food! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592723 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:14:39 +0000 snowjewelz 1592723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@BakerBee: Good point about the baby... Maybe my dog will be less lonely once the baby comes! If we actually get picked I'm sure they will have to make sure A) the two dogs get along and the B) this dog is children friendly. It does say he's child friendly in his bio, but newborns are def a diff category! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592717 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:11:42 +0000 LBee 1592717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I married into my step-dog, but she has been in her sister's (my dog's) life for over 5 years. I now can't imagine not having two pups. They play with each other constantly and are much less needier than they were when they were only children. We have talked about that the baby transition will be easier for them because when I don't have hands to do something (i.e. when I'm playing on my ipad and one of the pups keeps bringing me a tennis ball), they just start wrestling with each other. </p> <p>With a baby on the way, I would want to make sure this dog is okay with children, especially if it's not a puppy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-more-than-1-dog#post-1592707 Fri, 25 Apr 2014 11:06:47 +0000 snowjewelz 1592707@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When/how did you make the jump from 1 to 2? I've always wanted another dog but cost is the main concern, esp now with a baby on the way. I know food costs won't be much, but I am worried mostly about vet costs... Our currently dog has had multiple surgeries, and she has an upcoming one that will cost us close to 2k!</p> <p>Anyway, I ask b/c the perfect little french bulldog is up for adoption, and we put in an application just to see what happens. </p>