when to/not to add another dog??

I dont know what to do or think here. today at the humane society (where I volunteer) I fell madly in love with the CUTEST, SWEETEST, miniature, long-haired, choc/tan dapple dachshund on the face of the earth. he was the first dog I saw & I took him out immediately. I hadnt even gotten anything set up yet. I had him out for at least 20 mins. and then again at the end of my shift for another probably 20 mins, and kept going back to his kennel to say hello. at first he was really scared of me, but after just a few seconds he came around and ran over to me and squirmed under my legs (I was squatting in his kennel) to seek security.

the poor little man is only a year & 1 month old, and was surrendered by his owner because they were "between homes". once he opened up he was SO SWEET & SO PLAYFUL. everytime I went to say hi to him he got so excited and wagged his tail, jumped around and whined for me to take him out again. even when I just left the GAA (get aquainted area; where we play with the dogs) and came back it was like I had been gone for days and he was so excited to see me again. he mostly just wanted to sit in my lap and relax while surveying the goings on.

I want to adopt him so badly but I just dont know what to think. part of me says, no! youre an idiot! you already have 4 pets too many, (only allowed 2 pets per apt), 5 mouths to feed, not including the fish and your own, are living in a small apartment, and have a roommate who is affected by this decision. plus Im sure everyone will think Im an idiot as well, and say its foolish to even consider it. and then theres why? I already have the most amazing, perfect dog on the planet, why do I need another? right??

but then the other side of me says, he's perfect! hes exactly what Id ever want in a dachshund, this is a pretty rare color as it is, PLUS hes long-haired. but not only looks, personality too. hes young, but not a puppy anymore, hes used to living with other/larger dogs, and cats, and is playful with both. he loves people, is very playful, SUPER CUTE, sweet, cuddly, and loves to be held. Ive always (well, not always lol but for some time now) wanted a small dog that I could hold and carry around, etc. and because of his small size, I just dont see him being that much of a "burden". he'd cost less than a cat- he eats less than my cats, and he doesnt even need litter! ;) Im already in the training mindset with Brock so that wouldnt be anything new, itd just give me twice the work load, but I love training. and he would be easy to exercise and I already have Brock to exercise so Im at the park all the time as it is. plus with a 2nd dog they can help wear each other out (well, Brock can wear Chopper out anyway lol). the other thing is, hes not even avaliable for adoption until the 23rd, (this Thurs), and I can put a 24 hold on him too, so I have a few days to think about things. it just feels like this is meant to be. but then again, I could just be kidding myself. ugh.

I just dont know. I mean, I think Im just one of those people that needs to be surrounded by animals. I know a lot of people (parents especially) will say I already have "enough" pets, and Im gonna be in over my head, etc etc. but my pets are my life. its not an inconvenice to spend money or time on them. I already have a lot of extra money as it is that I usually blow away, plus its not like an 11.7 lb dachshund is gonna break the bank. UGH. I just dont know what to think!!!!!

I dont want judgement, just advice/thoughts/suggestions. right now, the pros far outweigh the cons, <b>in my head</b>, but I just feel like, am I forgetting something?? I mean I know adding another life to the family is a big decision, but it just seems like it would work out just fine. but am I just in denial? Im good at convincing myself of something when I want it to be true. I am so in love with this dog I cant even explain, but am I just fooling myself? I guess only I can really decide, but I just kind of want to know what other people think.

how did those of you with more than 1 dog know when you were ready? and when is "enough enough"??



oh and heres a few photos. his name is Chopper:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...hopper_139.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...hopper_115.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...hopper_142.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...hopper_102.jpg

Awwwwwwwwwww....... look at those eyes!!!
Like I said in your lj. I think Chopper is adorable (and Chopper is my fav name!!!) and I think he would fit nicely in your place. Dachshund really doesn't require too much. You could provide a very comfortable life for them without spending too much. I say go for it and Gigi can have a friend! :D

Chopper is adorable! I'm not really sure what to say though. I think you would know if you were at your limit. I would love another cat but when I think about it in my head all signs point to no. The only thing that would be a big concern is this.

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I want to adopt him so badly but I just dont know what to think. part of me says, no! youre an idiot! you already have 4 pets too many, (only allowed 2 pets per apt)

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What will happen if your lanlord finds out? While a lot of times people get away with having extra animals (I'm only supposed to have 1 cat and I've lived here for over a year now), occsionally the landlord does find out if there is a set limit on the apartment they will ask you to get rid of a certain amount or you will be evicted.

But if you are willing to risk it or don't think your landlord will find out then I say go for it. It sounds like you would be able to handle another dog.

AWWWWWWWWWWW he is ADORABLE!! I think he would just fit in great (and look incredibly adorable with Brock :D ) I would adobt another dog in a heartbeat, but in my current living situations I can't. :(

That is one cute pup!!!! Katz and I just love the long haired wieners.......it sounds like you have thought it through pretty well, if it won't get you evicted or anything like that, and lindsey is for it, I say go for it.....we are the same as you, our dogs are pretty much our life, so the more the merrier;) ......tom

I sure can sympathize with you :( So many shelter babies are always stealing my heart, but once in awhile there is that SPECIAL SPECIAL one who you know would fit in just perfectly.

It seems like everything would work out except for the landlord situation. I know you're thinking about it hard and you know your situation better than any of us, so I will just tell you to go with your gut, heart, and head :) Good luck!

thanks for the replies everyone- much appreciated. I respect my fellow PT-er's opinions, I know you guys understand these things.

yeah, I already have more animals than Im supposed to so why not add 1 more? lol indoor cats & (silent) rabbits are easier to hide than a dog though. but I dont think the people around here really care. our neighbours are pretty anal about some things it seems, but they are always really nice about everything, (even if they are a bit nosey) and confront us when they have any issues, so I dont see them "telling on us". plus they have 2 doxies, so theyd prob love him. lol also, pit bulls arent allowed here, but Ive seen 3 pit-type/pit mix dogs here. and I know in 1 of the apts above us, they have (at least) 2 cats and a dog (thats at least 1 pet too many! lol). oh, and the guy who used to live in our apt, apparently had a ton of cats- or so Ive heard. I havent heard of anyone being evicted b/c of too many animals at least. but you never know I guess. I just dont know that the owners here really care. I mean, they get paid for any damage no matter what, right? Plus I can always fall back on my parents if it ever came to that. Id rather lose a limb than a pet.

The main issue for me though is that I dont want to get Lin in any trouble, and adopting him will (obviously) affect her too. So, we both have a lot to think about.

well anyhoo.. thanks again. I shall continue mulling everything over (and over, and over..) in my head.

I think as long as your pet (majority) are quiet and "non-destructive", that should be fine. :) you can say Chopper is mine if anyone question you. ;) did you know that your neighbor want to breed Scooter with Gigi??????? :eek: :rolleyes: He asked me on Sun morning when I was walking to your apt. I told him Gigi is fixed.

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I think as long as your pet (majority) are quiet and "non-destructive", that should be fine.

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yeah, I agree.

grrr. some people are so dumb. :rolleyes:

that reminds me.. in the packet we had to fill out about our pets when we moved in, it said pets are required to be spayed/neutered, but scooter (obviously!) isnt!

What DOES Lindsey say? And, how hard is it to find another place in your area should something happen?

Since I found Nutmeg, I have (thankfully) not found a kitty/dog that I've KNOWN should be with me. And I think it's that way for a reason. Like you said, you have some time.. maybe the answer will become clear when it needs to be :)

Ask yourself,,,, Do I want this dog,,,,,

without even thinking,, the answer will hit you in the head,,, THATS the answer,,, and only you can hear the words,,,,, its either YES,, or its a NO....

Let us know!!! BTW,, Chopper is SWEEEEEEET!

I have no real yes or no about your adopting chopper. I do have a request as you live close to my folks, they have been concidering getting t-bone (blk&tan dachy) a playmate if you can't or don't get him Please let me know so I can get my folks down there to save the little guy.
Folks take T every where or some one is at home with him. He was a rescue too.

He is beautiful! What a difficult decision. I have never really felt like I had to many pets, I always want more. lol. I decided enough was enough when even my animal lover friends started telling me I had to many.

You know what is best for your situation. The only thing I can say is that I've owned big dogs all my life and I was in for a huge shock when I got my first small dog. In my opinion, small dogs are much harder to care for. I could be wrong though; maybe I am just accustomed to large dogs since I was raised with them.

My only real concern is do you have a plan of action should your landlord decide that this is not something he/she wants to ignore? Will you be able, financially to move out to another apartment if you're given an ultimatum? Will you have to give Chopper to another home if you can't move? As long as you KNOW what you'll do if that situation arises and can plan for it, I say get him. :D

posted by micki76: My only real concern is do you have a plan of action should your landlord decide that this is not something he/she wants to ignore? Will you be able, financially to move out to another apartment if you're given an ultimatum? >>>>>>>>>

That exactly what I was thinking too.
If your landlord does find out, Do you have a back up
plan and are prepared to find another place to live
that will accept all your pets.
If the answer is yes, then go for it. :)

thanks again for all the replies everyone. youve been a great help in getting my thoughts in order.

at the moment Im leaning toward yes, but still not 100% sure. its sure a hard desicion.

Im going to visit him again tomorrow (wed) as soon as they open at 12, and put a hold on him so I can have more time to think (the hold wont start until he is avaliable for adoption at 6pm tomorrow, and will last until 6pm on thurs).

OMG, OMG OMG!!! I so love him, he is gorgeous, of course, hehe I'm a bit biased. I love Brock already hehe and Chopper looks like Claire so much, he has the same "look" to him, plus color. If you didn't get him and I was in the area, I would never be able to pass him up, he so needs a great home, I really hope that if you can get him, that you do. You would be great to him, plus we'd get lots of pics of him :D Good luck with your decision, I don't really have any different advice to give you.

oy, totally forgot to give an update!

well I had decided to adopt sweet little Chopper, and went down on my lunch break on Wed and got there as soon as they opened at noon. played with him again, did a meeting with him & Brock, and then put a hold on him. there was already a 4-day hold on him for "pet request" (not sure exactly what that is) that was going to end that day at 6pm. they said theyd call me around 630 that evening to let me know his status. and, unfortunately, they called to say someone from pet request adopted him. :( Im still pretty sad about it, but I suppose it just wasnt meant to be.

aww...i'm so sorry. i'm sure he's gone to a loving home though. dern. i was looking forward to other pics of that lil' guy.:(

Oh no i am so sorry someone else got in first :(.