Should I get a 2nd Corgi?
Emmy is my only child (besides my cat but he avoids the dog at all cost.) I live alone, and Emmy and I have an amazing bond. I don't want anything to change that. However ... she is alone many hours a day and there is a corgi / dalmation mix on a local recsue site that I just can't stop thinking about. The rescue dog is deaf, and I wonder how the dynamic of my household would change if I brought abother dog in.
Any advicse that any of you have would be very much appreciated. Part of me says "if it ain't broke don't fix it" because I have no bahavioral issues with Emmy at all, but I am so intrigued by the little deaf girl on the website. I always thought two females might not be the best idea. Is this true?
Thanks in advance!!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on
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It depends on their personality, some do best on their own, some do great as a pack, you can read more in this FAQ
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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My girlfriend has a deaf dog and she is teaching it sign language(ok signs) it works well for her but it does take committment! Sounds like you already love that other little corgi mix! Let us know what happens! I have 4 females and if they're spayed I don't believe you will have any trouble! What is hard is unspayed females.
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Permalink Reply by Sky and Lyla on
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Openess to a new dog varies from dog to dog, so you have to make the best decision for you and your situation. If possible you might ask the rescue if they could let you foster this new dog to see if it would work, or ask for a "trial period" of a week or two. At the very least, you can take Emmy with you to the rescue and let them play around for a bit and see if they hit it off.
I will say that if you do add another dog, you will probably feel guilty at first because Emmy will get less attention, it's just how things work. When I first got Lyla I felt awful that I could spend 100% of my time with Sky anymore. You do get over it though. I found things that Sky enjoys doing and do special things just with him. I actually have 3 now, and they each have special activities that they do with me and them alone. It's kind of like kids sometimes, making sure everyone gets quality time!
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Permalink Reply by Susan Stanton on
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I know how you feel. My Bertie and I were seriously joined at the hip. He always wants to be in the same room that I'm in, won't walk on a leash for anyone else, and at a herding trial, was referred to as "a Mama's boy" -- we have a great bond, and I was also loathe to upset the dynamic. I feel like we communicate so well (he does super well in agility class, because he's so attuned to me and minor shifts in my face, even!). but i also wanted him to have a dog in his life, someone to wrestle with, and to have as company when he was home alone. So I got a second puppy, Ethel, when Bertie was 3 (she's his niece). So now we have a happy triangle -- Bertie is bonded to me, but does like to play with Ethel and Ethel, while bonded to me, WORSHIPS Bertie and always wants to do whatever he does! ;-) In other words, the dynamic only changed a little -- nothing was lost, but a lot was gained for all of us.
Bertie always has been an affable guy, and likes other dogs, so he was easy to introduce Ethel to. We did have a brief period where I felt like he was wondering if she was EVER going to leave...hahahaha. But I spent a lot of time with him on his own after I brought her home, and also with Ethel on her own, and now we're a total triad.
Yes, it is true that the girlie Corgis can be a little more persnickity than the boys, so two females may have trouble, but it's really down to the individual dogs -- so introduce them in a neutral place under close supervision and see how they interact. You don't just want to bring home a new dog who never, ever leaves again. And give your Emma lots of one on one time if you do bring the new dog home. I'm sure you'll be glad you did!
I don't know about having a deaf dog, what issues that might introduce, I'm sure there are others here who can guide you on that.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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Depending on the dogs, two of the same sex can get along fine. However, generally when I have known of two dogs that hated each other to the point that they wanted to try to kill each other, it was generally two of the same sex. Some will thrive in that circumstance and others will fight.
As far as the dog being deaf, it takes tremendous commitment and special handling. Of course the obvious is if the dog gets out the door, it can't hear you. For routine obedience, all my dogs and my families dogs have always been trained on hand signals anyway, and most pick up the signal quicker than the word. It's all the other factors you need to consider. For example, if one of my dogs is asleep and I need them for something, I generally call their name til I get their attention before handling them (I wouldn't be willing to be held responsible for what I might do if someone came and grabbed me out of a sound sleep, and I don't expect more of my dogs than I do of myself). WIth a deaf dog, you need another method. You need something else to get them back if they are off-leash, too. It can be done, and if you are up to it I am sure the reward is great! I was just reading about someone who attached a pager to her deaf dog's caller and would dial the number to make it vibrate whenever she wanted the dog.
Just make sure you know what you're getting. To add to the problem, sometimes special needs dogs never got the proper early socialization, or had bad experiences before the owner realized they were deaf.
I think two is more fun than one, but you definitely do lose a little something too.
Good luck with your decision!
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I agree Beth. Heck, I operate by "the more, the merrier" over here, but you do lose a little something when it's not a one on one relationship. There are times I miss it, but more often than not I am perfectly happy with my set up. I also like that Sky and Lyla have eachother to just hang out in the yard and he dogs together. That's something I could never give Sky on his own.
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Permalink Reply by Tracie & Emmy on
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Thanks everyone! I very much appreciate all of the stories and advice you have given. I am going forward with the rescue. I "passed" the interview they gave my vet today, and they are coming for a house inspection and to meet Emmy on Thursday evening. If we pass that test, I will actually get to meet the dog. Crazy how this all works! I feel good about moving forward because if for any reason at all it does not work out the rescue will take her back. I'm hoping that does not happen, but it does make it a little easier to move forward. I'm sure you will all see a post and some new pics if this all works out. I am nervous and excited all at once. My lord I don't know how people make the decision to have more than one child if I have this mush anxiety over adding a second dog! LOL =) Thanks again everyone!! If it's meant to be, it will work out.
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Congrats and I can't wait to hear more!
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That's great! Good luck and keep us all updated!
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Permalink Reply by Joey Nolegs Gilbert on
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i wouldn't. they're dominant dogs. Joey could care less about other Corgis when goes for a walk. they don't always think and feel like humans. they bond more with people than other Corgis.
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Permalink Reply by Alice on
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This really depends on the dog and how well it has been socialized. I've seen Corgis on both sides of the spectrum and everywhere in between. You can't generalize in this way when there are so many contributing factors to take into account. It would be best to arrange a meet and greet to see if the two dogs will get along.
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