Comments on: Do Dogs Need Other Dogs?

By: ANN OSBORNE

ANN OSBORNE — Fri, 06 Oct 2017 10:19:57 +0000

In the space of one year i..my 17 year old cat was euthanased..one month later my husband died..8 months later I had to euthanase my beautiful 12 year old hound x beagle…I work full time..my kids live interstate..my 7 year old furry dog Twister is now alone..our cat was like her mum..I adopted a dog from the Dogs Home and had to return it one week later..my heart broken in tears at the home office…long story … am soo unsure as to whether to get another dog…..I walk my dog 1 hour EVERY MORNING x 7 days a week..she has 3 x walks afternoons by dog walker..I walk her the other 4 afternoons..she if perfect off lead..what should I do? we have a VERY CLOSE BOND following our losses………can someone please advise. I live next to a nature reserve so she is not ‘isolated’ plus she loves to chase the cockatoos away from their feeding dish on the veranda..I think she used to work with a Tradesman..hence the excellent off lead and obedience…… thank you for any advice ….

By: Ronnie

Ronnie — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 18:54:14 +0000

In reply to Marcella. My year and a half old Shiba/Akita (65 lbs) loves cats and dogs and babies and kids and pretty much all animals. But he thinks he is a cat. His household (before mine) included a litter of kittens. He bonded with one, and they slept together and groomed each other as if siblings. I've considered going to the pound and letting him pick out a cat. I think your addition of cats for your recovering dog is ideal, it's constant support and companionship for your dog. Maybe love of felines is an Akita trait.

By: Marcella

Marcella — Wed, 02 Aug 2017 17:52:49 +0000

I Have an Akita inu, she is 6 years old now, and we just found out that she has bone cancer. She never liked other dogs, but she LOVES cats, we have 3 cats that she adopted as her babies and they are really helping her to recover. Her oldest cat Delay sleeps with her and it is always near playing or doing something to keep her happy!
I found your site looking for tips about how to take care of a 3 leg dog, as she just lost one now, and it is being amazing for me, thank you for all the love and care you give to your babies and the hope you give for us!

By: Kit

Kit — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:59:44 +0000

Can I just ask does your 3 legged Husky need as long a walks as a 4 legged one? I’m assuming with it being a front leg too and 1 leg carrying most of his body weight he/she would tire quickly hopping about?

By: Kristie

Kristie — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 19:46:20 +0000

I have a two year old vizsla stud who has been an ‘only dog’ since last October. He’s a giant momma’s boy and loves having unrestricted and uninterrupted time with his person. By the same token I remember him happily crating up with my older dog, they’d cuddle in their shared crate together all the time.

I do strongly believe that needing another dog in the house is at least partly breed related, where some dogs (like shiba and huskies and malamutes, ancient breeds) are less likely to need doggy buddies than dogs like the vizsla. Sporting breeds, and especially vizslak, were bred to work closely with people and NEED companionship. They’re also among the more athletic and insane breeds when it comes to play time, and to be frank I’m just not fast or looney enough for him when it comes to wrestling time. They tend to clump together, it’s not at all unusual to find a pile of red dogs on whatever furniture they choose to use. 🙂

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 05:01:04 +0000

In reply to Michelle. Try to bring him back home for visits if you can. Introduce him to some new friends as well

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Jun 2016 04:59:00 +0000

In reply to Michelle. Can you bring him back home for visits?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 13:45:49 +0000

Hello!
I’m a little worried because I’ve had my husky puppy Dexter since he was 8 weeks. Due to health reasons I am living with my parents and their two dogs, and have been since I’ve gotten him. Dexter is almost 5 months now, and I’ll be moving back to college soon and taking him with me. He has obviously bonded to me more than any other human – I feed him, take him out, trained him, take him on trips just the two of us, he sleeps in my room, so I’m pretty positive he knows he’s MY dog. However he’s also bonded with my parents’ other two dogs and isn’t used to being without the company of other dogs around. I’m really worried about this transition for him… any tips on what to do (besides get another dog haha) once I move away with him and its just the two of us??

By: Ruby Armstrong

Ruby Armstrong — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 22:06:35 +0000

Hi my parents own an 8yr old male husky.

They seem to think he NEEDS a companion.

They have only had him for just under a year because his owners moved abroad.

My parents live in a bungalow but have a large garden.

I dont think he wants to share his home as when I visit with my 2yr old Staff female who is very subservient he growls in a way that terrifies her she wont walk past him without assistance & this is exact reason he didnt stay living in my home with my family.

I had initially taken him in believing my fur girl wanted some company.

He dominated her in such a way that she changed & it wasnt fair on either of them as he seemed intolerant of her & my lovely friendly well socialised dog had become a shrunken violet.

My parents fell in love with him & decided to take him into their home but now after 9mths seem to think that it would be best for him to have a 6mth old female brought into the home to keep him happy to be his little play mate.

He is walked daily & enjoys socialising with the dogs in the park.

I have told them I dont agree he wants or needs a canine companion.

He was bred for the first three years of his life on a puppy farm, he was purchased from the farm to live aged 3 with an old female mixed breed dog that he dominated.

Should they be considering bringing another dog into his life on a permanent basis ?

I just need a honest answer from people that understand the breed.

Thank you in advance for any answers.

By: shibashake

shibashake — Thu, 28 May 2015 05:43:29 +0000

In reply to Rosamund Forbes.

Yeah, incidents like that can have a large and lasting impact on a dog. My Husky has been in some bad experiences with some large, loose, and unsupervised neighborhood dogs and she is now pretty wary of large dogs.
http://shibashake.com/dog/off-leash-neighborhood-dogs