Two OES???
Anyone have two sheepdogs? How do they get along? Do they "play" together and seen to like each other? I am thinking of getting another puppy but am a little afraid that they won't get along. Any wisdom out there? Thanks |
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| I have 2.....Jack and Annabelle, they get along great. When Jack was around 4 months old we brought in Annabelle and he more or less potty trained her. They are best friends that play together, sleep, and eat together. They do however love one on one time with us. I can't speak for everyone, but we love having them together. Just remember, everything doubles. Food, vet bils, bathing, and most of all grooming. It can get time consuming at times.
We also got 2 kittens at the same time and that has been a blast to watch too. Then when you get the 4 cats and 2 dogs together, we can laugh....and then vacuum all the hair. LOL Keep us updated and good luck, Stormi and co. |
| Hi,
Yes that is another issue...the time and cost of grooming!! I guess I could get a differnet breed to avoid all that but my heart belongs to the OES deirdre |
| Hi again Diedre,
I can completely relate, my heart belongs to OES's as well. I don't want to scare you away from 2, I just want you to realize the time and effort. I have noticed something about my 2, it has seemed to me that grooming didn't get difficult until about 9-10 months old with mine.....that is when they started to mat up quickly. It seemed the puppy hair was hanging on while the adult hair grew in. Now, it seems with Jack (15 months old) he has lost the puppy hair and he needs less frenquent baths and he is really simple to groom with matting only occuring around his neck and some on his chest. Annabelle who just turned 1, still needs constant grooming, but she also has puppy hair. My theory might be wrong, and it might just be my 2 dogs, but I seem to think that it gets easier at a certain age. My vet gives a discount, but he also see's the 4 cats along with the dogs, and any stray that I find to take in. I always had just one dog growing up, and being my first experience with 2 is really amazing. They have so much fun together, and to see them play with my children is a picture in itself. I guess I can put it this way....most days are a blast, but there has been days like us all being sick and both dogs got in the trash to eat our thrown out spaghetti...  ....well you can imagine what we had to continuously clean up for a few days. It was like living in a 3rd world country in our house that week. I can laugh now that the moment has passed, but I am sure we will have a few more of those. LOL
My husband has been a partner with all the kids, cats, dogs, and housework so it also makes my job a LOT easier. I am starting to ramble, which I can be good at.  I hope I helped more than I scared you. LOL Good luck, Stormi |
| Dogs are, by nature, pack animals, and like the company of another of it's kind. Even Lizzie who was an only "child" until this weekend, seems lost if Cooper is either outside or inside without her.
We have neighbors who have a pair of border collies, and they are inseparable. I think it's a good idea for your pet to have a companion. You just need to decide which breed!  |
| Hello!
I have to agree with Stormi...I can't imagine life w/o 2. We had Gracie for 9 mths when we decided to adopt a second (she was 4 when we adopted her). By the time we found Buckley she had just turned 5 and he was 12 mths. There was definately an adjustment period...I think that happens when two dogs unless they are both puppies when brought together. There are still times now (1& 1/2 yrs. later) when Buckley wants to be a puppy and Gracie just wants to sleep- she lets him know about it  You do really have to think about what exactly is involved with 2. It's a lot harder to do even the easiest things (like go to the park!) when there are two sheepies involved. Not to mention twice the food, vet bills, twice the snoring at night and don't forget twice the herding They don't just try to herd you, they also heard each other (at least mine do). So when your walking through your hallway and 1 sheepie is right by your side crowding you in- just think of what it would be like with 2- They'll BOTH be right there by your side working to be the closest to you But like I said- I can't imagine life w/o them- just make sure it's the right move for your family. Good luck adn let us know what happens
Cindy & The Monsters |
| For those of you who have more than one oes, do you find the second one didn't bond with you as strong as the first, more so, or evenly? That's one of the big questions I have... only a week and a half till Sky comes home! |
| I have heard that a lot that 2 puppies will bond together and not to you. It didn't with me, but they did get a lot of one on one playtime and most definately with training. IMO, with Annabelle she would hear me say a command and would watch Jack and copy him and she didn't really learn it. She had no idea to relate it back to me it was related back to Jack. It took 2 weeks of this for me to figure out that she HAD to have one on one training as much as Jack needed to learn more. It is adorable to say a command and them both respond. They are much better now. We can say Jack sit and Annabelle lay down and they will listen to what command came AFTER their name. If I do hand signals though, they both do it together.
On the nights that my husband is at work, both dogs sleep with me until around 1am and then Jack sleeps in the bathroom and Annabelle stays with me until 6 am and then they play in the livingroom for awhile and then go back to sleep together until Daddy gets home. Then they bark with excitement every morning at around 7:15 to wake up the family to say that Daddy made it home from work. It can make you sit straight up in bed, when they start barking! 
Stacey, I don't think you will have anything to worry about. Dancer is 7 months old now and will love having a little sister to sit on. LOL And Sky will bond with you as well. Stormi and co. |
Willowsprite wrote: For those of you who have more than one oes, do you find the second one didn't bond with you as strong as the first, more so, or evenly? That's one of the big questions I have... only a week and a half till Sky comes home!
I think it will depend on the dog and how independent they are! It will also depend on how you treat the two of them. If you spend alone time with each dog - they'll probably both have a strong bond with you. Sydney is the 3rd dog in my family - her bond is stronger - but that is because I spent alot of time with her - partly due to her deafness and partly because she was spoiled rotten. She came with me everywhere - she went to obedience, stay overs at my sisters, etc. - something that her older sisters didn't get to do as often! 
Relax and enjoy both dogs - and they'll be very well adjusted and bonded girls! Kristen |
dcc wrote: Hi,
Anyone have two sheepdogs? How do they get along? Do they "play" together and seen to like each other? I am thinking of getting another puppy but am a little afraid that they won't get along. Any wisdom out there? Thanks Alot of the "getting along" will have to do with the temperment of both dogs! So will the "play" - some dogs just don't play! How old is the dog you have now??? If they are still a puppy - I'd wait until your puppy was a little older and then carefully consider another one. Make sure you know what you've gotten yourself into first - then you are able to make a more informed decision! 2 puppies at once is very expensive - not only grooming costs - but medical care - training costs, etc.! You also want to have the time to devote to raising your puppy - and that's not always easy to do with 2 of them! It's also very time consuming! If your dog is a little older already - and you want a puppy - then I would carefully select the pup - based on temperment. Kristen (Brittney, Presley & Sydney) |
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