two can be easier than one

[celticdragonfly]

Moments like this, I have the Lazy Parent's Secret.

Two children.

They're playing upstairs together in Maggie's room. They've been getting into that a lot lately. Maggie will come tell us, "Jamie wants to come play in my room". They're even playing reasonably nice and quietly.

(of course, now that I'm posting this, I expect terrible fights any moment. But maybe not.)

Comments

[sraun]

Gee, that sounds familiar. Although in my case it's the Employed Dog Owner's Secret.

Getting home to one dog meant a lot of attention time to the dog - she was so very happy to see me, and needed a lot of 'play with me!', physical petting, being allowed to curl up against me, things like that. It made things like making dinner or doing the laundry difficult.

Getting a second dog meant much less mandatory attention time when I got home - they'd had each other to play with, sleep with, just be with all day. And they were more willing to let me do chores. They'd watch me do the chores, they just wouldn't insist on being so close to my ankles that I'd keep tripping over them.

Adding a third dog got the time and effort required back up to about that of a single dog.

I strongly recommend that anyone who's thinking about getting a dog, and doesn't have someone to be home most of the day most days, get two dogs. They'll all be much happier in the long run! Remember, they're pack animals, and they get neurotic when they spend too much time in solitary confinement!

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

Same thing goes for cats, although possibly not as intensely. I always have gotten my cats in pairs, from the same litter.

[jazz007.livejournal.com]

Don't know where I put the journal entry about it - sometime fall of 2004, I think. But my two dogs were sisters. One killed the other and then went crazy trying to find her, we had to put her down. It was very sad.

So, I'm thinking one dog, as much as I loved having two, just not sure I ever want to deal with that again, even though I didn't personally see it happen.

That said, OMG I WANT A PUPPY!!!!! Ask kd5mdk, he can tell you!