Considering adopting a second dog...Could really use some input/insight

Hi everyone!

We are considering adopting a beagle that's almost a year old.  We ran into her at an adoption clinic from a local rescue.  Her and Gilby seemed to have an instant connection.  We walked them both together and they acted like they had been together forever (Pictures attached below)!  They both seemed to have the exact same personality and good nature.  They were both quite unhappy when they had to be seperated.  It really couldn't have went better on a chance meeting.

So, first a little background...

Gilby is 15 months old now (so they would be around the same age).  Gilby is incredible, we really couldn't have asked for a better dog, he's so sweet, smart, amazing, and is incredibly social, loves kids, people, dogs, cats, you name it!  

We are really thinking hard about this decision, and have done as much research as we could, but thought it may be better to hear it from some people with experience adding a second dog to the home.  We know they both will need their own special time and attention, and the work that comes along with that. 

We hope getting him a sister, and a lifelong companion will be enriching for him.  He loves other dogs as I stated earlier, but that's out in the world.  He has never had to share us, his bed, or his things (for an extended period of time) before.  We definitely do not want to make this decision and have it be detrimental to Gilby, and not have him continue on the path he is.

So, did you find adding a dog was great for your first dog?  Did you find it to be a negative for your first dog or his/her personality?  Do you regret your decision, or would you do it all over again?

Any insights or stories you can share would be a great help to us, as we will need to make our decision this week!  THANKS SO MUCH!!!

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It really depends on your dog's personality. I would assume that problems would have developed right away if it was not a possibility. Things can crop up for example I would feed in separate parts of the room and remove the bowls after. Both corgis and beagles are notorious chow hounds. Beagles are great (I grew up with them) and usually get along well with others since they were bred to be in a pack. However, they are ruled by their nose, and need a fenced yard or leash walks. They are not the easiest dogs to train but typically are very sweet tempered.  Good luck with your decision, I have had 2 or 3 dogs and like having that many but it is more expensive and requires a little more effort.

Thanks for the input Bev! My parents had a beagle for 14 years, he was great!  So I'm definitely familiar with what makes them tick compared to corgi (which will hopefully help :) )  I think how pack oriented beagles are is a definite plus too

We have two, a male and female, and rarely have problems.  Jack is pushy and Maddie is a push-over so that helps.  I think a Beagle would be a great match for a Corgi, because beagles are generally easy-going with other dogs and not very concerned about status, one way or the other.   As Bev mentioned, they are bred to hunt in packs and hunt with strange dogs, so they tend to be good with other dogs.

My only real input other than that is that while I love having two, there are some downsides.  For instance, Jack needs tons of toys to enrich his environment and Maddie is the Destroyer Of All Things, and so the toys mostly have to be locked up; instead of Jack getting to pick what he wants, we need to make extra time to play with them interactively and keep Madison distracted from tearing everything apart.  Jack rides in a car harness and Maddie rides in a crate, so that makes taking them places a little more work and honestly we don't do as many road trips with dogs as we did when we just had one. It is harder to find training time, so neither is as well-trained as one alone would be.  Maddie loves to cuddle but whenever we do, Jack gets jealous and wants to play, which makes Maddie quit the cuddling and chase after Jack barking. The cost of flea and tick meds and heartworm really adds up in a hurry.   

I really like having two, prefer it to just one and it's great fun watching how our little "family" of two dogs and a cat interact with each other.   But I just wanted to let you know some of the down sides.

Thanks so much for the input Beth, this is exactly the type of things we were looking to hear!  Much appreciated!

In my experience, if they bonded right away, it will be a lifelong love.  They will still have their little "spats" possibly of growling with a toy, etc...but it depends on how dominant/submissive they are.  My corgi and my shepherd mix bonded right away, and they are best friends still after 4 years.  The corgi is very dominant, and the shepherd very submissive.  If they love each other thought, it should work out fine!

Thanks Jennifer!  A lifelong love is totally what we hope for them if we proceed with this!  Sounds like you have a great pair!

Cute pics. I kept a Beagle for a couple weeks until the Humane Society could take her in and she did great with my Corgis:) She was a master at getting out of fences though...

Thanks Jane!  I think we will definitely have a crafty pair on our hands! :) It is really nice to hear that a beagle and a corgi are a great match, seems to be a pretty common sentiment so far!

From my experience with adding a second dog to the family, it's always good and you most certainly want to see how the dogs bond together. Having another dog can be really good for the other dog too. It gives them someone to spend time with other than always taking up your attention when you have a million things to do and can't play with the dog for too long (don't use another dog to solve your busy schedule though). However, when adding another dog you have to consider the background of the new dog that will be add, if the new dog will make your current dog jealous or protective of keeping you to themselves, aggression is something to ALWAYS keep an eye out for, etc... I know when my fiance decides to get his dog, I'm going to be concerned about the size and how Dodger will react to a larger dog (Jonathan wants a husky or German shepherd). If your dog is like your baby (like Dodger is mine), you have to do what's best for not only you and your family, but for your dog as well. 

Thanks Autumn!  Gilby is definitely our baby too :) which is why we are trying every avenue here to make sure this is the right decision for him.  Everything we new about the new dog's background is what we are looking for, and lines up with Gilby's personality.  They seemed to bond quite quickly, almost like they picked each other.  So hopefully it will be a perfect fit if we go through with this.

The jealousy issue is definitely the biggest thing that's on the table currently as far as the worry side goes... So we are trying to work out a home visit prior to adoption to see how he takes to her in our home, and in his space

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