Beau Is the Loneliest Number
April 12, 2017
Last night a friend of ours came over for dinner and brought his two (2!!!) sweet and friendly Labrador Retrievers. Beau thought it was the best! dinner! party! ever! and not just because Jason fed him some of the chicken. He was just SO happy and excited to have those other dogs here.
But now today I can't shake the feeling that my Beau Bear is sad, and misses his new friends.
All morning he kept whining and begging to go outside to see if they were out there, somewhere.
He seems to realize now that they are not.
Maybe it was all just a dream -- a wonderful, waggy-tailed dream.
AND YET, DESPITE ALL THIS EVIDENCE THAT BEAU NEEDS A BIG-DOG FRIEND, negotiations with my husband have stalled, because he won't even have them with me.
(Although Rey's all, I SEE UR INNERNET HISTORY AND THINK U SHOULD CHILLZ, WOOMAN.)
Sometimes I think you are me, and now I really think that after seeing Ask a Manager in your search history.
Posted by: Allison | April 12, 2017 at 12:36 PM
That pic of Rey is SOOOOOOOO typical cat! What a cutie.
Posted by: Katie H. | April 12, 2017 at 12:42 PM
You guys should come over. Beau and Bailey would so be BFF.
Posted by: jodi | April 12, 2017 at 12:44 PM
Doggie daycare. We have two and they get sick of each other but are SOOOOO happy to see their friends at daycare.
Posted by: Liza | April 12, 2017 at 12:45 PM
I second Liza's comment. My Westie is an only dog (who lives with two cats). He seems happy enough at home, but when he goes to doggie daycare every Wednesday, he is the HAPPIEST DOG EVER! He loves the socialization and comes home worn out. He sleeps hard all night and most of the next day (he's 10). It's pretty much the best thing I've ever done for any dog I've ever had.
Posted by: Denise | April 12, 2017 at 01:31 PM
We have two and they love love love each other BUT dog #1 is perfectly behaved wonderful dog and dog #2 is a very very bad dog so sometimes I think we should have stopped at 1!
PS I got the second dog without consulting husband!
PSS I am now divorcing said husband so.....
Posted by: Polly | April 12, 2017 at 01:33 PM
Two are better than one!
Posted by: Erin Miller | April 12, 2017 at 01:39 PM
Man... I haven't see a second dog introduced to a household that has actually worked with any of my friends and family. One actually made the first dog's life a living hell and ours had to be rehomed to my friend because the little shit wouldn't stop terrorizing the cats and they had taken to basically living on top of the fridge to get away from him. Cats come first, Cockapoo. Cats come first. His nickname was Puddles McHumpandPee, so obviously the cat chasing wasn't the only issue with him...
Not to dog poop on your parade there, or anything...
Posted by: Lauren A. | April 12, 2017 at 01:44 PM
Yes, doggie daycare! However, make sure it's one that you check out thoroughly like you do a kids school. I've had friends here that took their animals to one that didn't have enough supervision and so dogs were stepping in other dogs messes and their dog ended up with an infected toe. But YES, dogs love daycare.
Another possibility is check with the group where you adopted him. Sometimes they need temporary foster homes for when fosters (like ME) go on vacation for a few days. That way you get a dog for less than a week, and you can request only small dogs, or only big dogs or only labs. Although with kids, fostering might be crazy; I don't know because I only have dogs no kids.
Posted by: Amy in StL | April 12, 2017 at 02:01 PM
We got a second dog (and were so nervous about it since we have a cat) but we haven't regretted it at all. Our cat is kind of a "dog cat", in the same way that some people are "dog people". He gets along really well with both of our dogs, and our first dog is no longer a whiny, separation-anxiety-ridden mess when we leave. Plus, sometime they cuddle on the couch together and it's SO FREAKIN CUTE OMG.
Posted by: Kelsey | April 12, 2017 at 02:13 PM
You obviously need another animal in your house. Just tell Jason your Internet-BFF's say so!
Posted by: LD's Mom | April 12, 2017 at 02:31 PM
Two dogs are easier than one because they keep each other entertained!
Posted by: Anna | April 12, 2017 at 02:50 PM
Doggie daycare costs $$$. Dog parks are free. How about an excursion now and then if there's one near your home?
Posted by: Janyll | April 12, 2017 at 02:54 PM
hahahaha ... We're cat people, simply because we have so many children, work full-time outside the home, and cats don't require dog walkers. But, everyone in our family is a dog lover. I think for some people dogs are like tattoos: Once you get one, you must have another, and another, and another...
Posted by: Marianne | April 12, 2017 at 03:30 PM
After having two dogs in the past we're very firmly a single dog household. However, doggie daycare is a regular part of our new pup's life. He loves it and it gets all that energy out. Luckily we live about 2 miles from a good daycare that doesn't charge too much for a half day.
Posted by: nicole | April 12, 2017 at 03:30 PM
I love ask a manager! I just spent a half hour reading old posts there.
Posted by: Deirdre | April 12, 2017 at 03:54 PM
Tell Jason this guy inspires you. Then maybe just one more dog will seem reasonable.
http://joeforamerica.com/2017/04/votd-this-man-had-9-rescue-animals-when-he-decided-to-adopt-10-this-is-one-good-man/
Posted by: Kim Alderman | April 12, 2017 at 04:01 PM
I want a second dog too! very badly! husband says no way! I just would feel better leaving Eddie in a kennel if he had a brother or sister with him. We don't kennel him now. When we go for longer than a week we fly my sister in law here from Texas (we live in Wisconsin).
Posted by: Julia | April 12, 2017 at 04:01 PM
Oh man. I feel you but TBH two dogs work well if you have somebody to care for them when you guys are away (it's much easier finding someone to mind your pet SINGULAR rather than pets PLURAL). And another often overlooked aspect of having two dogs that noone told us about are the differences in temperament and physical predispositions that especially come into play when your pets start to age (you might end up taking twice as many walks to account for the needs of both animals). I second what Amy in StL said - look into fostering dogs or even volunteering your help to guide dog training organisations. Good luck!
Posted by: Katie | April 12, 2017 at 04:54 PM
I'm mostly wondering what @alt_deptofed had to say about the dog issue.
Posted by: Dona | April 12, 2017 at 05:01 PM
Fortunately my husband is on board with adopting a second dog later on this year. But we are going to be sure that our current dog (a small Lab) is on board too. I don't want to ruin her life, so they will need to be compatible personality-wise. I second the doggy daycare idea for socializing Beau.
Posted by: Stacy | April 12, 2017 at 06:34 PM
We have three dogs (and three kids 14.5, 13 and 7.5 and three cats)! My husband of 19 years and I both work outside the home (my husband part time) and three dogs not only works for us, they are inseparable. The youngest is a chihuahua mix, followed by our pug, followed by our black lab. Often we come home and the pug is on top of the lab and the chihuahua mix is on top of the pug! And, sometimes there is even a cat thrown in there too (although our Pug thinks he is a cat and one of our cats thinks he is a dog). We have a tiny city lot (3,333 sq ft) and a modest 1400 sq ft house. And it all works. My 7.5 year old has been taking the dogs running 7 days a week with me for 1 mile for a year now. I am a runner and last year he begged to tag along. It has become our special time and I don't think it would have ever happened if not for the dogs needed to get out :-). It is however a personal decision. Oh- I did not ask for permission from my husband for dog 2 or 3. And he knows that (I am 47 now) I am going to be that crazy dog lady when I retire (with a few cats for extra good measure). I will add that all of our animals are male and fixed. Good luck with whatever decision you make!
Posted by: Gabrielle Mercedes Bolívar | April 12, 2017 at 08:05 PM
Try keeping up with doggie play dates as much as possible, especially now that the nicer weather is here and you can let them run around in the yard. I'm also agree with daycare and dog parks. We send our pup to day care at least twice a week and it tires her out, and I notice improvements in her behavior. Dog parks and at home playdates is good socialization for us pet parents too :)
Posted by: Jaclynn | April 12, 2017 at 09:16 PM
My boy loves doggie daycare, but yeah, it's pricey. The dog park is great, too, but not always an option. He's a great dog and we love him to pieces, but he was a rescue pup who grew to be a much larger and higher-drive dog than we were expecting. He gets bored easily, and really needs a good run morning and night. I'm sorry, dog, that's just not happening.
So, second dog it is...
Posted by: KImtoo | April 13, 2017 at 12:07 AM
I think a second dog is a great idea for Beau, if they get along. We've had one, two, and three dogs at various times, and they usually work it out even if they don't get along at first, but it's nice when they really bond. I would not necessarily recommend three, that was really a LOT. We have two now and my son keeps pestering me for a puppy, but I'm staying firm. For now anyway. :)
Posted by: Lesli | April 13, 2017 at 09:58 AM
I've always had two dogs. Original two were good friends, then one died and we got a much younger dog as a companion....those two tolerated each other but I think the age difference was too much.....then older dog died and we got a youngish dog.....now we have two dogs about three years apart that are the bestest of friends. ONe male, one female....male is 70 pounds, female is 40 pounds. They do EVERYTHING together and it is the cutest thing. I think dogs get lonely and absolutely appreciate a companion. Dogs are social animals and are genetically disposed to pack living. We also have two cats too. Everybody gets along. There is some cat chasing, but cats initiate it half the time, so nobody is terribly put out.
I've done dog day care, which my dogs have loved.....and it tires them out like crazy. I have not done dog parks. Too many stories of people not responsible for their dogs or who encourage/allow aggressive behavior and end up causing horrific injuries to dogs and humans. And the ever present possibility that non-members will be let into the dog play area just to cause trouble with seriously aggressive dogs. Search dog fights at dog parks on Youtube to see all you need to see.
I don't think two dogs is any more of a hassle than one dog with the exception of cost....food, vet, boarding. What does Jason think will happen?
Posted by: Meredith | April 13, 2017 at 02:29 PM
I want to throw in my two cents - we got a second dog after having the first for a good while. They were the same breed, so maybe that made a difference, but they were the best of friends. Second dog WORSHIPPED the ground the first dog walked on. Our second dog we got as a puppy, so I think it helped having older dog mentor for him. They have both crossed the Rainbow Bridge now, but having two dogs was a wonderful decision for my family.
Posted by: Lucy | April 13, 2017 at 04:02 PM
You should foster! That way you both get what you want, a dog's life is saved and Beau is happy.
Posted by: Erika | April 13, 2017 at 07:21 PM
Super simple, actually. Text photos with their descriptions of the best. rescue dogs. ever. to Jason on the regular until he finds his next Beau without even realizing it.
Posted by: RzDrms | April 13, 2017 at 08:48 PM