I have owned just one dog. In the sense that it’s less work and less expense, it is better, but I find two dogs so much more rewarding. I wouldn’t say they play together though… Ghost is a mean old thing who hates everyone, but she will allow Charlie in her presence (most of the time) and does seem to feel more comfortable when he’s around. Charlie absolutely adores Ghost and allows her to attack him whenever she gets in the mood to because he loves her so much. It’s a very odd relationship. To make it weirder, Ghost loves to play but Charlie mostly just likes to cuddle. Since no two dogs (at least no two I’ve ever met) are alike, you get a mix of personalities, which is lots of fun.
But the most valuable part of owning two dogs is both selfish and helpful- When Lucy (the first dog) started getting old, I got the advice that we should get our next dog before she died, and that way we would at least have a dog to come home to rather than an empty house. It doesn’t mean you aren’t still devastated when it happens, but it really does help in terms of having the support you would have otherwise (or also) gotten from the dog who is now gone. We got Max only a year before Lucy died, which was too close. We didn’t wait that long the next time when we got Ghost.
As far as the bond lessening, definitely not. It does help that I’m Charlie’s favorite and my wife is Ghost’s favorite this time, but my wife was also Max’s favorite and stayed that way until he was gone. I will never get over losing Lucy or Max, but having Max to come home to when Lucy was gone (and in the case of Lucy, my wife and infant daughter were out of town and it couldn’t wait so I really was on my own) and having Ghost to come home to when Max was gone, was such a comfort.
Now my mother, her housemate and how her housemate’s daughter all live together and they have four dogs. They’re four small dogs, but that’s still way too many dogs.
I lost my dog, my precious girl, 7 months ago. I still grieve and cry daily. This might be due to me not having friends and family. If I did, maybe I would have moved on.
But it might also be that I didn’t give her the best life that she could have had. I didn’t give her weekly day-long adventures in the forest. So many hours playing video games instead of playing with her. Everyone makes mistakes, it is how you learn. But my dog deserved better than to be a trial an error thing. Which is why I will never get another dog. Because that I made so many mistakes that she had to suffer for. And I cannot imagine giving another dog what I should have given her.
So I will resign myself to a life of solitude. But damn, do I dream that I could go back in time to when I first got her. Knowing all I know now, I’d give anything, all I own. I’d give my house and be homeless forever, just for some more time with her.
I think you are being way too hard on yourself. You know what dogs want more than anything else? Love. You loved her and that was the best thing you could have possibly done for her. Sure, I made mistakes with Lucy too, but she was loved and her life was a lot better than any feral dog’s would have been. She was also a rescue in a shelter that euthanized animals if they did not eventually get adopted. I saved her life. You could save a dog’s life and all it would want in return was love from you.
I think you should get another dog and I don’t think she suffered like you think she did.
100% agreed on this. Don’t let dumbass millionaire Instagram influencers hoodwink you into thinking that only people who can afford to motorbike around the world with their dog in a sidecar are doing dog ownership the right way.
Dogs want very little from us. Shelter, food, enrichment and love. Give them those things and they will live a very happy life.
I have owned just one dog. In the sense that it’s less work and less expense, it is better, but I find two dogs so much more rewarding. I wouldn’t say they play together though… Ghost is a mean old thing who hates everyone, but she will allow Charlie in her presence (most of the time) and does seem to feel more comfortable when he’s around. Charlie absolutely adores Ghost and allows her to attack him whenever she gets in the mood to because he loves her so much. It’s a very odd relationship. To make it weirder, Ghost loves to play but Charlie mostly just likes to cuddle. Since no two dogs (at least no two I’ve ever met) are alike, you get a mix of personalities, which is lots of fun.
But the most valuable part of owning two dogs is both selfish and helpful- When Lucy (the first dog) started getting old, I got the advice that we should get our next dog before she died, and that way we would at least have a dog to come home to rather than an empty house. It doesn’t mean you aren’t still devastated when it happens, but it really does help in terms of having the support you would have otherwise (or also) gotten from the dog who is now gone. We got Max only a year before Lucy died, which was too close. We didn’t wait that long the next time when we got Ghost.
As far as the bond lessening, definitely not. It does help that I’m Charlie’s favorite and my wife is Ghost’s favorite this time, but my wife was also Max’s favorite and stayed that way until he was gone. I will never get over losing Lucy or Max, but having Max to come home to when Lucy was gone (and in the case of Lucy, my wife and infant daughter were out of town and it couldn’t wait so I really was on my own) and having Ghost to come home to when Max was gone, was such a comfort.
Now my mother, her housemate and how her housemate’s daughter all live together and they have four dogs. They’re four small dogs, but that’s still way too many dogs.
I lost my dog, my precious girl, 7 months ago. I still grieve and cry daily. This might be due to me not having friends and family. If I did, maybe I would have moved on.
But it might also be that I didn’t give her the best life that she could have had. I didn’t give her weekly day-long adventures in the forest. So many hours playing video games instead of playing with her. Everyone makes mistakes, it is how you learn. But my dog deserved better than to be a trial an error thing. Which is why I will never get another dog. Because that I made so many mistakes that she had to suffer for. And I cannot imagine giving another dog what I should have given her.
So I will resign myself to a life of solitude. But damn, do I dream that I could go back in time to when I first got her. Knowing all I know now, I’d give anything, all I own. I’d give my house and be homeless forever, just for some more time with her.
I think you are being way too hard on yourself. You know what dogs want more than anything else? Love. You loved her and that was the best thing you could have possibly done for her. Sure, I made mistakes with Lucy too, but she was loved and her life was a lot better than any feral dog’s would have been. She was also a rescue in a shelter that euthanized animals if they did not eventually get adopted. I saved her life. You could save a dog’s life and all it would want in return was love from you.
I think you should get another dog and I don’t think she suffered like you think she did.
100% agreed on this. Don’t let dumbass millionaire Instagram influencers hoodwink you into thinking that only people who can afford to motorbike around the world with their dog in a sidecar are doing dog ownership the right way.
Dogs want very little from us. Shelter, food, enrichment and love. Give them those things and they will live a very happy life.