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Originally Posted by v1204  Hi Everyone!
Unfortunately I recently lost my 13 year old Yorkie, Matilda. Although I'm not ready to bring another puppy into my home yet, I hope I will be ready in a couple of months. In the meantime, I've been researching various options.
One option I 'was' mulling over was to get 2 puppies and raise them together. I would only get a male and female and then neuter and spay them as soon as our vet says it's okay. My rationale behind getting 2 puppies was to provide 'same species' companionship.
When I was investigating this option, I came across a website authored by Ed Leerburg <leerburg.com>. He was very adamantly discouraging raising more than 1 dog at a time. His arguments were: (1) they are pack animals and may look to each other instead of their owner for leadership, (2) rank issues may develop with more than one dog in the house, (3) they will be more difficult to train because they will bond with each other instead of their owner. He goes on to say that dogs don't need companionship because they sleep 12-15 hours per day. He indicated that people who think dogs need companionship are Anthropomorphic. So after investigating his site, I realized that I should only get one puppy.
Then I read several postings and threads on YorkieTalk.com about people who have more than one Yorkie. So what is really best? I would like to hear from those of you who have successfully raised more than one Yorkie and those who have been unsuccessful. Perhaps I should raise just one....but I want to know why I shouldn't raise 2?
Sorry this post is was so long.
Thank you
V1204 |
Ed is a little dated and I think, incorrect. Temple Grandin wrote recently that dogs are not pack animals but they are family units and I thought that was an interesting theory. She said that rather than looking at people as their "alpha" or "leader" dogs look at us as their "parents."
I would agree with Ed that people do tend to anthropomorphize their dogs, however, it is widely known and observed that dogs have complex social orders, dogs grieve, dogs play, and many other things that make Ed's theory fail the laugh test.
As for not bonding with owners with more than one dog in the house, that is simply not true as many of us here know. My dog Barney will much prefer to curl up with me than be with the other two dogs. Teddy would rather be with the dogs. Daisy just wants a warm denning area. So they are all different and individual as dogs are.