Tips for Having Two Dogs????

We have 3 dogs. We got them all as new puppies.

The 13 yr old American Cocker was about 5 when we got the now 8 yr old English Cocker and the Toy Poodle is 6.

They each eat in a different area of the kitchen. I feed oldest to youngest around 4 daily. They all use the same water bowl.

I use dry food but I also mix it with flavored boullion, gravy, leftover treat, etc. They eat different portions as well.

They were introduced slowly, outside the house. We never had any issues with them getting along. The 13 yr old won't be with us much longer, he is very sick and we are keeping him comfortable until the right "time". The English Cocker and Poodle are best buddies.

no, you're gonna have to set up more of a "pack" situation. feed the dogs twice a day, pick up the bowls after a few minutes. introduce them by taking them on a walk together, and walk them together daily(or twice daily before meals). just make sure to set up a social structure in which NEITHER dog is alpha, but you and your husband are. we used to have 5, ranging in size from 90lbs to 5lbs, they lined up at the carpet/tile break to the kitchen and got called to their bowls based on who was sitting most quietly. it takes some time to work it out, but it is SO worthwhile. i would def start setting up the mealtime routines asap. i'd feed them in an assigned spot on opposite sides of the kitchen, then they go right outside after cleaning their bowl. keep bowls picked up until the next mealtime.

Be careful when you introduce the dogs together. One will want to be dominate and there may be some initial fighting. Some dogs get along great with no problems, they can be fed together, sleep together, etc. Others are just one-dog-in-the-family dogs. We had this problem with a set of very friendly dogs, they just couldn't share the family. We had to remove one before they killed each other, but with people, they were the nicest dogs you ever saw.

Hi A.,
Congrats on your new baby.....I pray all will go well for you and them. I used to free-feed all the time. I had a standard poodle and a toy poodle. The STD bloated one night. She turned into a $4,000 dog overnight. The vet told me then DON'T EVER free feed. Even if you have a dog that is not going to eat all the time (some breeds do - dachshunds), the most important thing to remember is that if your dog ever gets hurt or sick, the first thing the vet wants to know is: When did they eat last and how much? Evidently Tango had eaten (always feed dry) and drank a bunch of water and then went out and played frisbee....dangerous combination. They couldn't do surgery on her for 12 hours because they had to wait for the food to digest....if they had not, she probably would have died during surgery.

I would introduce them outside (in the front yard) both on leashes. Your 6-mo probably won't be too territorial - at 6 months, he's still going to be a puppy and probably thrilled to have someone to play with. But I wouldn't let the Malamute bully him. She's going to be HUGE (I LOVE them) and may end up being alpha but, as others have said, feed at the same time on opposite sides of the kitchen - or on the patio - wherever you're going to feed. Try to have a raised place for the Malamute - they digest better if they don't have to bend down to eat. Our Great Dane had an awful time until we made a table for her food. The Malamute will probably be close to her size (30" at the shoulder). Stay there and watch them. Don't leave them to eat. While labs are not generally aggressive, (Malamutes aren't really either), but it will be easier to prevent problems than to try to untangle them. It might not hurt to feed them on leash for a few days until you see what they're going to do. The lab may gobble his food and go for the Malamute's. Don't allow this. They should be good using the same water bowl. Be sure to take them out as soon as they eat, but no running and playing. You might need to kennel themfor a few minutes, giving their food time to digest, but take them out pretty soon after they eat. I DO hope you're going to kennel them - it's such GOOD training....the Malamute is probably used to that if she was a show dog. If the lab is house-trained, he can show the Malamute, but I would imagine she already knows since she was a show dog. Just play it by ear. Be sure to give equal attention and make sure they have their own space. Be sure to get them spayed/neutered - that ALWAYS calms them down and we don't need anymore puppies in the world. I envy you - I always wanted a Malamute!
Good luck - keep us posted.

I have had 6 dogs at one time.

Experience is that dogs can be territorial. If you can, feed them in different places so that they don't get greedy and go for the other's food.

Breed size should dictate how much/often to feed a dog. I have a medium large mix right now and I put a couple cups of dry food in her dish a couple times a day. And she takes her royal time to eat it, unless I add something to it. But again, dogs can be very protective of their food dishes.

When I had multiple dogs, I tried one big dish and having them share. But it's hard to monitor who gets the bulk, so it's just better with individual dishes, private places. We had cages for them which each knew was their own, and it's just a wiser solution to stay separated for meal time. They can clean up any scattered stuff afterwards. Water would be another thing altogether. They aren't typically as jealous over water.

As far as bloat, been there done that more than enough. Some breeds are more suseptible to it. Deep chested for instance. I had setters. But I had a Shar Pei as well and the guy I bought her from related that w/in an hour after whelping, he was burying one of his from bloat. One thing I suggest to avoid bloat is to moisten your food down. Don't have dry food and water available at the same time. And after eating make sure they lay down and rest, no physical activity. Bloat has to be surgically treated and that's an expense and experience no one needs. Depending on the breed size, there's a time cap. Breeds like setters have about a 2 hour time limit before it becomes acute. Waiting 12 hours....I'm sorry (Carrie?) but that doesn't make any sense. Bloat is a condition where the dog CAN'T vomit or poop out the food, because the stomach has flipped over. The food is trapped, ferments, expands and thus making the stomach expand. Too much non treatment and it stresses the other surrounding organs and ultimately the stomach can burst, being fatal.

Learn the contours and shape of your dog in a healthy state. So that if EVER the misfortune of bloat happens you'll know your dog is not shaped like that. And get to an emergency vet a.s.a.p.

I have always had 2 dogs. 2 dogs drive me crazy but I love them lol - every time one dog passes (has been 2 times in the last 10 yrs) ...... I always say I will only have 1 dog (so much easier!) but after about 6 months- 1 year of 1 dog I ALWAYS get another one!

I feed my dogs once in the morning & once at night , like someone else said ... I can't free feed my dogs - they would eat non stop! Ella was 4 when we got Charlie as a puppy. I think your dogs should adjust just fine since you have a puppy. It took Ella about a month to warm up to Charlie. They never fought though. The only time one of them has even snapped at the other was over a bone (only 1 time) ......... Oh and my dogs eat next to each other - with a water dish in between their 2 food bowls. No problems, except them trying to eat faster than the other one. lol

We have two dogs. The first dog was a rescue dog from a local shelter. He is a pitbull lab mix. He is our big dog and weighs almost 80 pounds but is tall and lean looking. We found our "little" dog next to the road near our house about 8 months ago (she is probably part pitbull and english terrier mix and about 50 pounds because she loves to eat everything in and out of sight). She was a nervous, smelly, wreck but we fell in love with her within 5 minutes of getting her inside.

We introduced them day 1 by putting our big dog on his leash just in case he might be aggressive and put her on a leash as well. She made her way right up to him and they licked each others faces. It's been love ever since.

We feed them twice a day. Our little one must be part pig because she eats everything. She will finish her food as fast as she can, then try to eat his while he is eating and then make her way over to the cat's dish to try to eat that too. There is no way we can leave food out for them to graze at will. He dish and hers are far away from each other. They need their own space. We have to crate her because if you aren't watching her like a hawk she will go on the floor. He is really great for signalling that they need to go out but mostly it is her that needs to go out.

She is good in her create though and they romp through the house when free to roam like wild things. You would think we have a house full of 3 year olds when they are both out and about. They slam up against furniture and run around like they have lost their minds but they do get along very well and she is definitely the alpha type while our male is just plain easygoing.

Keep an eye on them because they will need to get to know each other and they should be supervised for that part.

We have 4 dogs, 2 chihuahuas, a shih tzu and a lab mix. Ranging in ages from 6 months to 13 yrs old. And we free feed (leave food and water out). And there has never been a problem.
Each situation will be different. Leave it how you have it for now and see how it works. Let the dogs dictate what needs to be changed.
Don't get me wrong, there is a pecking order when it comes time to eat and the dogs have learned quick ;)

I have a 10 yo yellow lab and 1+ yo English Springer. The lab basically tolerates the springer. The lab always had food out before we got the springer, but he will eat continually so now we feed them in the morning and again in the evening. Their bowls are close together and its never been an issue. Bones, that's a different story. The lab is pretty docile unless there is a bone or if she's hunting - she's VERY territorial with those two things. The springer will sleep on her bed or go in her kennel and she's fine with it. The springer has been very territorial with other dogs and we've had to separate him before, but not with the lab.

Introduce cautiously, but I would put away toys, bones, anything that your existing dog may "claim".