Do you recomend having two shelties over one?

Your situation is exactly how I got Koko. Take her! (assuming they get along) Gordon will love you for it. The amount of extra work is minimal, IMHO.
 
Four dogs, five cats, 2 humans in a 1200 sq ft ranch. We do have half an acre out back for a yard. This is my paradise, and I don't regret a minute of life with Cooper and the Belles.
 
omg this is all so exciting! thanks for all your remarks, reality checks and suggestions! I just heard back from the breeder and she is happy for Zara to stay with us.

She suggested a Trial first to see how we all get along both between Gordon and Zara, the cats and the extra workload. My priority is that Gordon remains happy and stimulated, that the cats are happy and safe and obviously that Zara gets the love and attention she needs.
....i alternate between feelings of excitement and "wtf am i crazy?" Also worried that Gordon wont get as much attention from us because i love him so so much.

So now to talk through it with my partner .... wish me luck haha!
 
We have four Shelties and a Papillion -- and a cat. We also live in a large house on acreage. That said, temperament is the deciding factor. We've had "visiting Shelties" who didn't fit well and some who have. I do love watching the interaction.
 
I am going through my trial with Relic and he is fitting in just fine.

GordonDaSheltie said:
....i alternate between feelings of excitement and "wtf am i crazy?" Also worried that Gordon wont get as much attention from us because i love him so so much.
Click to expand...

I also felt the same way! But I make sure to put away time to spend with each one separate. That helps.
 
I forgot about the trial period, but we did that too. Actually I was more concerned Koko wouldn't get enough attention cuz my whole day revolved around the puppy back then. But it all worked out.
 
Calliesmom said:
having a trial time will help- and then she'll never leave:winkgrin:
Click to expand...

Ha ha - so true. Prob a good way to convince the partner - tell him you're just going to trial it, no commitment. And then when his heart has been melted by the new girl he won't want her to go back.
 
It really depends on the dogs involved. When my Bacca was about 10 months old, I decided to bring home another dog. I didn't want another puppy, so I picked Ginny who was a beautiful 3 year old merle girl. Not a good match at all. The breeder and I talked, and Ginnie went back and Indy, a 10 month old male came home instead. Perfect.

Since then, I've always had two, and now 3 shelties. I think Shelties work well in a small pack. They herd each other instead of herding you. But you are still their no. 1 focus. The difficulty is when they learn bad habits from each other (as my 15 week old is learning from my 8 year old....bark, bark, bark!)

I think two is comfortable, 3 is great if you are up for it. More than that......be very, very brave!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top