How do you guys handle 2 or more Sheepies?
When Yuki is a sweet teddy, we say "Man, can't wait to get another one..." then she does her "circle time" (where she runs like lightning back and forth ..back and forth in the house) ...and all of us look for cover because we have no idea where she'll go.  Those are the times I am amazed that some of you have 2 AND children.  |
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| Glad you asked the question. I keep seeing all the rescue dogs and think I'd love another, then ask myself if I'm crazy. As much as I love Daisy, it takes a lot of time to deal with just one, how would you manage with another??? |
Oh, I don't know.....
I can't believe they didn't take any pics of me trying to get the three of them from the car to the park at the Philly dog park meet up! |
Maxmm wrote: Oh, I don't know.....
The middle one could nearly be Sammy with the grey on on eye now I can't wait to get the other one 
Great pic |
I started with one, then 2, then 3 now back to 2 and probably 3 again within the next year or so, as I am missing not having 3. Addictive isn't it!! 
It actually gets easier with more then 1 as they seem to rely on each other for company, playing & excercising together. Usually find an older one teaches a younger newer one in the family. Originally when I just had one it seemed to be more work, excercising, playing, going out and leaving him on his own (felt guilty then) but as they say 2's company 3's a crowd but what a happy fun crowd. Just like kids, good routine for all and everything seems to fit into place. 
Quote: every time Yuki acts like a tasmanian devil
Yuki must be an Aussie!! LOL
lisaoes |
| I agree with the other posts. Having more than one is less work other than grooming. They play with each other, walk outside together. I am looking forward to spring to get a new pup. |
| Ditto...
Having 2 seems to keep them busy, entertained, and exercised with less effort on my part. It lessens my guilt when I am busy and can't spend as much time wiht them as I would like. The grooming is a big thing though. I have no idea how those with more than one keep them all in full coat! I find it hard enough to keep one coat mat free.... |
| I wish I had time to write a book in response to this one. As my byline sums up "The only thing better than owning a sheepie is owning sheepies."
Yes the upside is dogs keeping each other company - unless one is very dominant and the other is a dominant wannabee - then they "interact" with one another, but I still haven't figured out whether to call it playing or fighting; sometimes I think Maggie is trying to kill Barney, but although there is a lot of mouthing with teeth showing, they've never drawn blood and Barney keeps coming back for more? As for grooming, if you want to keep them in full coat, count on 3-4 hours per week per dog. I took on Maggie as a rescue, after some abuse. If I had to do it over I would have preferred more compatibility, but still they're a lot of fun and I sure am glad I choose to go the route. Oh, by the way, a sack of dog food sure disappears fast. |
| It's true! Two is easier than one for all the reasons mentioned. The only thing really any harder is the grooming. Now, I don't have kids full time, but when the nephews and niece are there, it's just more entertainment!
I also have the occassional foster or two, and I find that the leap to three or four really isn't that hard to make. |
I guess it depends on how your first sheepie behaves. Merlin is basically a couch potato, just happy to be...he would have been a fine ONLY. He wasnt lonely. Having Avalon is 10 times more work than having just Merlin. She is into EVERYTHING. She has selective hearing.  I keep reminding myself "she's only a pup" after all she is now the same size as merlin so she doesnt look like a pup, but she is only 10 months old. Her and Faith are good company for each other and it keeps Avalon from harrassing Merlin too much But having 3 dogs with fur is very time consuming for the grooming. Yesterday Avalon somehow got poop all over her back. I suspect that her and Faith were rolling around the yard...they take turns pinning each other. I couldnt wash it off very easily so now she has a weird hair cut 
Now that I said the bad things....never a day goes by that we don't have fun with our pups. Avalon is the most loving dog, she just wants constant attention and affection. Faith is the same way...where Merlin is content to just be with me...the other 2 require that I constantly pet them Every day they make us smile and laugh and we wonder how lucky are we to share our lives with our trio |
| I don't think two sheepies would fit in our house, lol Jasper seems to steal the couch, the bed, floor space, etc.. We'd have to live outside and give the house to the dogs if we got another. |
| I sometimes think of getting another...thinking that it will keep Barney entertained and wear him out more. But I think we would have to get a bigger house for that. I sit in my living room and look at the space Barns takes up and then I place an imaginary sheepie in the same room, and it just seems like it'd be bumper to bumper sheepies in there... |
barney1 wrote: it just seems like it'd be bumper to bumper sheepies in there...
It is and it's grand! |
| Mandy, the reason Val and I didn't try to get a picture of you trying to get your three guys into the dog park is that we were trying to rush out to HELP you get your three guys into the dog park! I could just picture them pulling you to the ground and running off with you trailing behind!
Chris |
| You need lots of patience and a high tolerance for mischief....
Lennon and Sofa are less anxious now that they are together. They play a lot and keep themselves entretained. Thier antics are now a hundred times funnier when they team up to do crazy suff or race down the stairs. We're glad we got two insted of one... I wish we could have another one  |
| ^^^ great new avatar saulmr. How cute
I guess I'm somewhat surprised by the responses. I'm thinking it's a "got to do it myself to believe it."
I hear you guys say "they keep each other entertained" ...but all I hear is "watching one sheepie play is cause for buying insurance for everything in the house, so watching two would make me broke."  J/K Well, your responses are reassuring to hear.
Quote: I don't think two sheepies would fit in our house, lol Jasper seems to steal the couch, the bed, floor space, etc.. We'd have to live outside and give the house to the dogs if we got another.
DITTO! Where do 2 fit in a home! My husband and I are both very tall and take up a lot of space (when it comes to couch/bed), but Yuki who is half our size takes up BOTH our spaces at once. Then again, we are amazed how small of a ball these guys can curl up in. She will find the SMALLEST space and curl up there. Of course she never chooses to curl up to make things more comfy when we're sharing something. |
Joahaeyo wrote: I hear you guys say "they keep each other entertained" ...but all I hear is "watching one sheepie play is cause for buying insurance for everything in the house, so watching two would make me broke." Hahahaha... It's amazing to see how agile and nimble sheepies can be. Danita's ceramic cow collection has been on a shelf on display for two years now and we've never had an accident with them crashing into anything. Quote: I don't think two sheepies would fit in our house, lol Jasper seems to steal the couch, the bed, floor space, etc.. We'd have to live outside and give the house to the dogs if we got another.
Our home is not large, and we have small backyard (Mexican homes are known to be small in that respect) and you're right, these guys will take all the available space if they can. We're lucky to live inside a gated park, so altough our sheepies don't have a large home to go crazy inside, we let them out to run like mad two or three times a day so they can can excercise freely. That keeps their energy at a manageable level so they are not causing too much mischief when they are inside. |
| Last spring when Maggie was 12-1/2, I wanted to get another OES. We got Maggie when our Mr. Winston was almost 14. He crossed the bridge six months later and we found it was easier to cope with the loss having Maggie there. We got 14 wk old Nelson last April and as he grew bigger and stronger Maggie grew older and weaker. If I had to do it over again I would not have waited until she was that old to get another dog. Also, I probably would have gotten a dog past the puppy-destructive stage. Maggie is 62 lbs. and can't hold up to the rough play of 95 lb. Nelson. We can't let the two out at the same time because Maggie always ends up flattened.
We have a very small house and always seem to be tripping over a dog or two (tricky after just having foot surgery). Have to be on the lookout for slippery kitchen floors and be willing to eat a little extra dog hair with dinner, having leaves and dirt dragged in, and extra poop to scoop from the yard. Other than that, no problem. 
I'm thinking about another OES rescue now. Shhhhhhhhsh! Don't tell my husband!  |
| you know Chris, that just affirms my hope in humanity! I really thought you guys would be totally camera happy with me in my defenseless state and after you got all of the incrimminating evidence, then you would come to help me!
P.S. That is the worst that they've ever acted in public and I think they were trying to show off for you guys! With one really old dog, it's easier to have 2 younger ones. The young ones keep each other entertained and leave the old one alone. He in turn keeps those two whipper snappers in line! |
| I'm glad i have read this post.
I'm just starting too panic a bit because in a weeks time i'm going to pick out my new pupster .A brother for Mitch. I'm just going through the "will i be able to manage 2" and "will they get on" phase. Your experiences have put me at ease a bit |
| I am hoping two will be better than one. We are supposed to pick up Sheppie next week if all goes well. I am hoping Sheppie and Peps will tire each other out. |
| Oh i hope my two will tire each other out.
You can take Mitch out on an all day walk and within 10 minutes of coming home he wants to play. |
| In my household Blue and Merlin are wonderful company for each other. Sadly they don't allow Panda to join in the fun. Woulda been much easier if I only had two dogs and am always suprised that Old Blue and Merlin the youngest chose to play with each other. I suppose the interaction between Merlin and Panda will change when Blue passes as they did start off by playing together. Then Old Blue saw his spot on the heirachy diminishing and chose to rough house with Merlin daily. The age difference is nearly 15 years between them! While I can't bring in another male dog I think a female in the house would cause no problems and am awfully tempted by those I read about currently in the Dogs in Trouble Forum being kept in Nova Scotia. Defiantely would want an older female!!
In a nutshell it depends on the personalities as Panda got along fabulously with the little 4 pound Chihauhau I had for six months. I'm even thinking of getting another small dog to keep him company. Does Yuki, ever play with your little dog? Two definately provide good companionship for each other - providing the temperments match.They wear themselves out well too!!! Yes, the rough housing can cause furniture to be tipped over but on the bright side is once they finish they sleep for a looooooong time afterwards! Marianne Guess OES are like Lays potatoe chips...you can't stop at one. |
Does it count that Ty THINKS he's a sheep dog????? SHHHHHHHH don't anyone tell him he's not he'll be soooooooo dissappointed. I tried to participated (for his sake) in a maltese forum AND this forum (fair is fair) but guess I'm just not really a "maltese person" and he's not really a "maltese dog" (at heart) so the three of us are traveling incognito with Tasker.  |
| LOL of course tys a sheepie, he wears man bows |
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| Yup defiantely Ty is a sheepie...just a midget one.
No need to tell him any differently. Marianne and the boys |
Joahaeyo wrote: Quote: I don't think two sheepies would fit in our house, lol Jasper seems to steal the couch, the bed, floor space, etc.. We'd have to live outside and give the house to the dogs if we got another. DITTO! Where do 2 fit in a home! My husband and I are both very tall and take up a lot of space (when it comes to couch/bed), but Yuki who is half our size takes up BOTH our spaces at once. Then again, we are amazed how small of a ball these guys can curl up in. She will find the SMALLEST space and curl up there. Of course she never chooses to curl up to make things more comfy when we're sharing something.lol, our house is only 1150 sq. feet - tiny when you consider 4 people are living in it, lol We have enough toys to fill up 2 or 3 TRU stores (I'm not kidding either :/), Jasper and his toys/bed, Socks and his toys, litterbox, kitty house, etc... Then, my and my hubby's junk. We are just totally out of room in the house! lol That's why we're looking at getting a small dog, but we can't agree on what kind we want... |
| I was a little worried about adding a second dog since I live in the city and I have to take them on walks to exercise them. I have a patio they can use for relief (thank goodness) but there is no yard for them to run around. Anyway, the first couple weeks were tough but now that we've settled into a routine, it is surprisingly manageable. And it is very cute to have two sheepies bouncing around. It is alot more expensive -- vet, food, treats, accessories, toys. That's the biggest drawback, I'd say. But I have no regrets. I definitely love having two. . . |
| Adding Murphy to our family was the best thing we could have done!
They are awesome together and Murphy really has "taught" Gucci alot! As for room for two...they always seem to squish themselves up on the couch with me without a problem...I think that a 3rd sheepie could find room up there with us too!
This is making me miss them...I'm in Winnipeg right now...I come home tonight!
Murphy is really missing me Grant says...this is the first time I've left him for a few days.  The Gooch is seemingly oblivious that I'm gone...that might also be another reason why I'm so glad I've got two now...at least SOMEONE misses me! |
| One thing I learned about myself having tried 1 then 2 and back to 1 and then 2...bad bad cycle....
Anyways I find I don't give Remy her needed attention if I have 2. She often gets ignored because we have a puppy now...they demand alot of work and attention. So far she hasn't shown signs of jealousy, but I see sadness in her somedays. I too rely on them to exercise each other too much...Remy and Tag would play rough, and I see her starting to play keepaway with Ziva. I am doing alot less walking. I just find I neglect that area somedays, where as when it was just Remy and I, we'd go out together alot more. Dog park, pet stores, walks around the neighbourhood...I find walking 2 dogs difficult by myself. So I have to work on that. On the flip side, I do believe Remy enjoys the canine companionship. I also feel she eats better, and faster, before it was a nibble here then again later a little more...only if I stayed in the kitchen to keep her company. Now she gets all that she can as fast as she can. If your husband loves to walk the dogs with you, all can go as a family...it will be alot easier. My husband does not want anything to do with dog chores, feeding, cleaning, walking...that is ALL MY job...as well as the other animals in the house. So really, you may already know the answer, and if you want to test the idea out, try fostering a puppy for awhile from the local shelter. It may not be a sheepie, but you'll get an idea of another dog in the house. |
| I'm lucky that way I guess, hubby will help out with taking the dogs out in the morning. I am not a morning person, so I would say 75% of the time he is the one to take them out in the mornings. LOL |
| Seven is sheepie heaven!!! Everyone knew they were welcome to my "doghouse" anytime, as long as they liked dogs, dog hair and dirt. It wasn't hard to care for them other than grooming, but they were shaved in the summer to lessen the work load and for the heat, so that helped.
I bought everything in large quantities. 50 lb. food one week and a 100 lbs. the next. Shampoo by the gallons. If you want a spotless house you don't want more than one or two. The house is theirs, you just live there and take care of it for them.
Everything revolved around them. Long trips were out of the question. But, the joy and laughter they gave us was worth more than any trip. "They" were a trip!!! There's always room for one more if you can properly care for them, and want to devote your life to them. |
| WOW
That does sound like heaven... gonna have to show hubby this post! |
| SEVEN?!?!?!?
(A thud was heard on the floor as saulmr passed out on the floor) |
| Seven sheepies in the one house
I didn't have any trouble convincing my husband that Sammy needed a playmate but anymore than that would be pushing my luck |
mouthypf wrote: There's always room for one more if you can properly care for them, and want to devote your life to them. Wow, SEVEN! I think six is our limit (4 sheepies, a Border Collie-mix and a Schipperke-mix). http://www.pomeroys.com/EmmaDarby/OurDogs.htm My husband and I work at home and we don't travel. I think that's the key to having a large pack because you have to have the time to spend with them. With each new dog we brought into the pack, I worried whether we'd be able to give them the attention they needed. I didn't take into consideration they'd also have the companionship of each other. The grooming and medical expenses are the biggest challenge and expense... along with cleaning. Stratigically placed Dutch doors have helped a lot... with this many, the plastic gates just don't quite do the trick anymore. I keep the 4 sheepie-girls in about a 3/4" to 2" puppycut for the winter so they're easier to maintain. Finding time for actual training can be challenging so we do it during our daily interaction with them as a pack. Like when it's time for a treat, they all know they have to sit first... it's now the best behaved that gets theirs first. They also love one-on-one training time. Quote: Everyone knew they were welcome to my "doghouse" anytime, as long as they liked dogs, dog hair and dirt. I don't give out homemade food gifts anymore either I count on Harry & David if I want to keep friends.Quote: The house is theirs, you just live there and take care of it for them.
You have REALLY been there! If you really want a clean house, I would go for no more than 2 unless you spend a lot of time at home. Thanks for posting and for the laughs |
| I agree with all of the above. One problem, however, is when all your dogs are all older and about the same age, well, I just don't think about that. Since my 4 are 7 and 8 it's time to think about puppies! Hey, I have to go look at Karen's pictures of the new litter again |
| I'm not alone! I try not to think about it too. When it happens, it could be a mass exodus because I've got two 1 year olds, two 2 year olds and our mixes are 7 and 8 years old. Yikes. BUT... you give them the best while you have them with you and hope to meet them again one day at the bridge. Someone had better remember to put lots of bones in my pocket for THAT journey |
6Girls wrote: Someone had better remember to put lots of bones in my pocket for THAT journey
I'm trying to think of a way to send the treats ahead, that way I won't get weighed down and fall in the wrong direction |
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Sooo funny! I love it! Let me know if you find a way to do it. |
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