How do people deal with multiple dogs?
I've been trying to wrap my mind around what my life would be like if I adopted another dog. I'm having such a difficult time imagining having enough time to care for multiple dogs.
At this time after dinner I spend about an hour grooming Marley. This includes combing out her ears, brushing her coat, checking her nails and brushing her teeth.
After our grooming session I spend some time playing with Marley. I usually attempt to play fetch; however she prefers hide and seek. We also do some training during this time.
After this I will give her a chewy and I'll spend some time with Bob. This involves grooming him and cuddling.
I have such a hard time visualizing how I could add another hour to my day to spend grooming an additional dog. How in the world do people with multiple dogs do this?
4 comments:
Well, the first thing you do is make sure your second dog is low maintenance in the grooming dept! Or, get some clippers! :-)
What doubles when you add a second dog is the cost. Twice the food, twice the vet care, twice the classes, etc. I haven't really had an increase in time. I do everything with both of them, so hiking, dog park trips, etc are the same amount of time as when I just had Bella. I even train them together now. In the beginning I had to spend more time working with Kate alone to get her up to speed, as it were, but since then, time is not really an issue.
Simply ask yourself: How big is my heart? And the rest will follow!
The real answer I believe is team work. My husband and I take care of the dogs together. The dogs eat, play, train, exercise, sleep and groom together as well. Dogs are social animals and thrive in a pack environment. I love watching the dogs interact with each other like how they give each other subtle signals with their body. They do the same with foster border collies that roll through.
Thanks for the helpful suggestions.
I have not even started to calculate the increased costs of another dog. I have a feeling they might be frighting.
It would be nice to have a dog that would actually like to retrieve objects I throw.
When folks say "multiple dogs" I think 3 or more... which I believe is verrry different from having just 2.
I am a single gal with 2 dogs and I wouldn't have it any other way. I was worried about getting that second dog, but like all things you love, you find the time.
Sooner than you'll realize - if you take the time to choose the most compatible companion (temperament/health/breed/activity level, etc) - you'll wonder why you haven't had 2 all along!
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