Should i get a fourth dog

I know. Do you think who cares or this is nuts. Just curious what people's opinions are. Obviously I am not going to harass them - I love them. BTW they are young - 25 and 30 and have no kids yet, they plan to in a couple of years. Thanks to all who answered nicely, even if letting me know I'm wrong! I don't mind. You don't know me, and have not seen my previous questions or some of my answers to others.

I have 2 dogs and they are like my kids. Anyways, you're all right. It is up to them. They have a good sized house and a yard etc. The one who said I am worried about when they have a baby, you called it. They have said they want to have 2 or 3 kids, and want to start in about 2 years so yes I worry they will freak once they start having kids, with having 4 dogs but then again, they are both working from home together so thats a heck of alot easier!

Thanks again ladies. Who cares? As long as they love them and take good care of them, good for them. It might not be MY thing, but they are not me. What I don't get is someone who keeps popping out babies like a pez dispenser and then complaining about having no money, no time, whiney babies, homework, etc. I want to say "Well you know what causes that, right?

I think you need to listen to your husband. It's none of your business unless you KNOW a family member may be keeping animals that are dangerous or they are abusing animals. It would be too many for me but if they have the heart and love to properly care for the animals then more power to them. I think this is nuts but also who cares. It's their life and their decision. Them having 4 dogs should not affect your life at all. As long as they are responsible dog owners and train them and socialize them properly, take care of them, etc, then I don't see why anyone else should have an opinion about it.

It is their household. If they mistreat the ones they have now, neglect veterinary care for them or feed them poor quality food cheap walmart stuff with mostly filler , and never play or interact with them or exercise them, etc I can see how, you might be looking into the future wondering how they will manage 4 dogs with a baby one day? And will have a different reality. I think who cares. But, try not judge--its up to them. One dog is enough in my house, although I have occasionally thought of adding one more.

Four dogs would be entirely too many for me and is in the "this is nuts" category for me. However, my neighbors have that many and are thrilled. It works for them. As long as the dogs are being properly cared for and there are no laws about number of dogs allowed, I think it's totally their business.

For me personally? One dog, one cat, one child and I'm good. For others? My parents have 5 dogs, one cat, a few turtles, and 8 chickens. Every single one of those animals is loved, valued, and has a place in their family. We have 2 large dogs, and the 3 of us in a small home.

We are now talking about rescuing a third. We can't wait to add to our dog family. We won't be having more kids, but you can bet we'll have a BIG family. We can take care of them all, and do. No big deal. Most experts agree that, as a rule, male and female dogs get along better than two females or two males. It is also generally safer to have dogs nearer in size; they can be better matched as playmates and there is less risk of accidental injury.

The rule of thumb is that the two dogs should not have more than a 50 percent difference in weight. But again, under the right circumstances and with precautions, many larger and smaller dogs share a home with few problems.

Age of the dogs involved can also be an important factor. For example, if you have a very old dog, a puppy could simply be too much. On the other hand, an older dog can be a good role model for a younger dog and many older dogs still enjoy puppies.

Dogs of similar age may make good playmates, but they may also be more likely to compete for status within the family. Temperament and personality may be the best determinants.

For example, if your dog is outgoing to the point of being pushy, he or she may do well with a friendly but less demanding dog. Another good match may be pairing a shy dog with an outgoing, confident dog.

For example, pay attention if your dog generally does well playing with quiet females, but avoids rowdy adolescents. When choosing a new dog, if possible, have the dogs meet each in a neutral location before making a decision. Pay attention to how they respond to each other. Adopting two dogs Ask just about any trainer: What do you think about adopting two dogs at the same time?

Because the amount of work, energy, and effort is much more than simply having two dogs. Adopting two dogs or worse, two puppies at the same time is simply asking for several years of chaos. It may be fun. It may even be worth it. But it will for sure be chaotic. The dogs will likely develop a stronger bond with each other than with you, making for a longer, more difficult road when it comes to training and socializing.

You can, of course, counter that tendency by keeping the dogs separate, working with each individually, and establishing your relationship first — though this may not be a realistic option in an average home. In this case, the loss and stress already being experienced by the dogs may be significantly reduced by keeping them together.

The first step is to make the initial meeting as pleasant as possible. Their careful planning and search for a perfect companion for their eight-year-old Wire Fox Terrier, Chester, seems to have paid off. After a few short weeks of living together, Sally and Chester began playing together and her youthful energy is definitely helping him to be more active. The Fitzs enjoyed a unique and ideal situation when introducing Sally and Chester. First, they were able to have the two dogs meet in a yard at the rescue kennel.

Then, because the rescue kennel was six hours from home, the two people and two dogs spent the night in the completely neutral environment of a hotel room. The four slept together in a king-sized hotel bed waking up the next morning as one happy family. If the introductions go well and you bring your new dog home, you can continue to help the dogs get along by providing strong leadership.

After the initial dog-on-dog meetings, all hell broke loose. However, he started terrorizing my dogs. He would lunge at them, bare his teeth and try to bite them. I know what puppy behavior looks like, and this was NOT it. I went to pick his little 5lb body up but when I did so, he attacked my arm. Then Sadie, my calico cat, came out from the den area and he went full speed after her. What did I do? I put him in a lit room with a baby gate so he could see all of the action.

It was an extremely loud, screeching scream. Not only was it terribly ear piercing but we have wood floors throughout our house so the echo made it 10 times worse. I took him out of the room and decided to sit on the floor and put him in a crate. It worked until I got up and walked two feet away. The screams started again. When Bayo got quiet, I let him out.

Then, the worst part happens. Joey starts walking out of the guest bedroom and Bayo lunged in and began to attack him. I was at a loss. I was so exhausted from our road trip back from California and Matt was starting a new job the next morning, so we headed for bed around I decided it was best to just separate him in a crate for the night because he was exhibiting some absolutely crazy and aggressive behavior.

Bayo screamed…all. I got maybe two hours of sleep. I put Bayo back into the crate and let him scream himself to sleep. The morning came and Matt was getting ready to head to work. I took Bayo out potty and gave all of my dogs a dental chew. Two brothers pleaded guilty to animal cruelty after almost were discovered on their property. Even the bodies of 30 canines that were discovered in a freezer on the premises were reported to have died of natural causes. The dogs, in this case, were fortunate in that the two brothers, although perhaps misguided, did care for their pets properly, and potentially damaging in-breeding did not occur.

However, most animals owned by hoarders are not so lucky, suffering severe health problems, emaciation because of a lack of food, and untreated injuries caused by fights due to overcrowding. Before adding another dog to your tribe, you must first ask yourself whether you will be able to continue providing the proper care to your existing pet, as well as to the new ones. Be honest in your answers. Think about how much time and money you currently spend on your dog. All those expenses, including veterinary care, food, insurance, etc.

Can you truly afford that? Finally, you must ask yourself if you will be able to give your dogs the humane treatment they need. If you intend to breed from your dogs, do you have the right housing arrangements for the parents and the puppies?

And, can you afford the veterinary bills that will potentially rack up? Now, you need to think about how your new dog s will get along with your existing pet.

You only have to take a look at the dynamics between groups in your local dog park to see that. Some pups seem to buddy-up right away, while others are more standoffish and keep their distance. However, if a younger dog has a very dominant personality, you may have to reverse your support program in favor of the older animal.

That behavior is perfectly normal and can mostly be ignored unless there are more serious incidents of biting. In the worst case scenario, you may need to consider rehoming one or more of the dogs for their wellbeing and to restore peace and harmony in your home. Generally, the more dogs you have in a household, the more the likelihood of inter-pack spats increases.

So, two or three dogs may get along just fine, whereas more than that could result in problems. Even the friendliest dog could cause problems if the size difference between your pets is too great. For example, if you have a tiny Chihuahua, even a friendly Golden retriever puppy could injure the little guy if playtime gets too vigorous. Some breeds of dogs do better in a pack situation than others. Siberian Huskies are probably the best-known of the domestic pack breeds.

Working Siberian Huskies live in packs and work together too, hauling sleds across ice and snow. The Husky is a very active breed that needs lots of exercise.