Having two dogs in the house it used to sound like utter chaos to me. After 15 years with one dog I was convinced that I would never have another one…
1. Key messages
- After 15 years with one dog, I thought I'd never have one again - and today I have two.
- The fear that two dogs would mean chaos in the house turned out to be a myth.
- Nela calmed down when Pujdo came - the dynamic changed for the better.
- The costs are higher (food, vet, taxes), but the emotional value is immeasurable.
- Two dogs don't mean twice as many problems - they often mean twice as much balance.
1. Introduction: The Void That Resounded
If someone had told me just a few years ago that I would have not one, but two large dogs in my home, I probably would have just laughed bitterly at them. For fifteen long years, my life was defined by one name - Pasha. My black German shepherd. He wasn't just a pet; he was a witness to my maturation, a pillar of my marriage, a silent companion who knew my every emotion even before I would admit it to myself.
When he left us on November 11, 2024, there was a silence in my house that you can't describe to someone who hasn't felt it. It was not the silence of the absence of noise, but the silence of the absence of the soul. That day, as I looked at his empty bed, I said to myself: “Never again.” I firmly believed that my heart did not have the capacity to go through that kind of attachment and then inevitable loss again. I thought any other dog would be but a pale copy, an insult to the memory of Passover.
But life, in its unpredictability, rarely respects our "never". My wife felt this emptiness and for my birthday made the decisive decision to get Nela - a female German shepherd. Nela entered my life like a hurricane of joy. My "heart was as big as a cathedral", because she succeeded where I thought it was impossible: she put a smile back on my face. Again I had a reason to get up at six in the morning, to smell the dew in the park and to plan my weekends according to the needs of a being who looks at me with absolute trust.
2. Christmas miracle on Igman: As the heart decided
Just when I thought we had achieved the ideal balance – me, my wife and Nela – that Christmas came. We walked through Igman. For those who don't know, it's a mountain near Sarajevo, beautiful but harsh in winter. The cold air bit our cheeks, the snow crunched under our feet, and the silence was almost absolute.
And then we saw him. On the side of the road, in the snow, lay a small, gray ball of misery. It was Pujdo. Hit by a car, starved to the bone, with eyes that no longer begged for help – those eyes had given up. It was that moment that defines a man. We hadn't planned on another dog. Reason screamed: "We have Nela, we have an apartment, we have obligations, we don't need another dog, especially an injured one!"“
But the heart does not operate on the logic of a budget. We did not think about the square footage of the apartment or the cost of the surgery. We took him in, warmed him up, and he became a part of us. Thus began our adventure with two dogs – an adventure that shattered all my prejudices.
3. Myth of chaos: Is it difficult to have two dogs in the house?
The biggest fear that people have, and which I also had, is that of being famous “double chaos”. Logic says: if one dog makes X messes, two dogs will make 2X. However, pack psychology works completely differently.
Nela and transformation: Nela was energetic, sometimes stubborn and demanded 100% of our attention. As soon as Pujdo entered the house, something fascinating happened. Nela became serious. She was given an “assignment”. It was as if she understood that she was now an older sister, a mentor, a protector. She stopped biting the furniture out of boredom because she was never alone again, but she still knows how to bite skin or a shoe and roll it, go to bed WITCH but i still love her hehehehe
Dogs are social creatures. We humans, no matter how hard we try, cannot replace a dog with another dog. Communication with the tail, ears, low growling in the game - this is a language we do not speak. When they have each other, their anxiety is drastically reduced. The dynamic has changed for the better; they became more peaceful because they became a whole.
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4. Table: Reality and costs (APA Analysis)
To be completely honest with those of you considering this step, we need to look at the numbers. This is a realistic representation of the difference between one and two dogs.
| Item | One dog | Two dogs | Real difference and advice |
| Food | 100% | 180–200% | The cost increases linearly. Buying larger packages saves money. |
| Walking time | 1.5 hours a day | 1.5 – 2 hours | You don't walk them separately. The weather remains almost the same. |
| Veterinarian | Standard | Double | Vaccines and cleanings are a double expense. Plan an emergency fund. |
| Emotional gain | High | Unmeasurable | The dogs have fun with each other, which reduces your stress. |
| Hygiene | Tolerable | Demanding | Twice as much hair means more frequent vacuuming. No lying. |
5. Psychology and routine when you have two dogs in the house
In the APA approach, we always emphasize that it is structure is the mother of stability. With two dogs, your role changes from "owner" to "process leader". If you don't have a routine, two dogs will "eat" you. If you have it, you will enjoy it.
Key points of the routine:
- Feeding as a discipline: He always feeds them at the same time. We practice separate bowls on different sides of the room to avoid resource aggression.
- Walking as a team effort: The first ten minutes of walking are training. They have to walk side by side. Only after they have done the "work" of concentration do they get free time to sniff.
- Individual time: Once a week, I take Nela out alone, and then Pujda alone. It's important for them to maintain a connection with you, not just with each other.
One of the most important psychological realizations was my own transformation. I realized that my love for Pasha had not been “spent,” and that I now had to share it with Nela and Pujda. Love is a resource that regenerates. The more you give, the more you have. My grief for Pasha has not disappeared, but it has taken on a new form – he lives on through the attention I give to these souls who are with me today.
6. ApA Q&A – Frequently asked questions and misconceptions
Question 1: Will the dogs fight all the time? Answer: Rarely, if the personalities are compatible and you set boundaries. Minor fights are part of their communication, but serious fights are prevented by early socialization.
Question 2: What if one dog gets jealous? Answer: Dogs don't feel jealousy like humans do, but they do feel injustice. If Nela gets a biscuit, so must Pujdo. If you caress one, let the other feel your hand. Balance is the key.
Question 3: Is the apartment too small for two dogs? Answer: A dog in an apartment mostly sleeps. If you provide them with quality walks and mental stimulation outside, the apartment serves only as a den for them to rest. The size of the apartment is less important than the amount of time you have.
7. Two dogs in the house - a call to a responsible decision
If you have come here reading this text, and you have a burning desire to adopt another pet, stop for a moment. Don't just do it out of pity. Do it out of responsibility.
Ask yourself:
- Do I have the strength for another pair of muddy paws on the carpet?
- Can I afford an unscheduled vet check-up?
- Does my current dog really want companionship? (Most do, but some seniors like their peace of mind).
We saved Pujda from Igman, but the truth is that he saved us. He brought the balance we didn't know we needed. He is the "spice" that completed our picture.
check your result in APA Dog Readiness Test https://apachannel.com/apa-test-spremnosti-za-psa/
8. Final note
This story of 15 years with one dog, of the loss of Pasha, of Nela's joy and Pujda's survival, is not just a story about dogs. It is a story of the courage to reopen the doors of your home and your heart.
On our ApA channel We believe that knowledge about animals is actually knowledge about ourselves. Two dogs in the house are not just an obligation – they are two mirrors that show you every day how much you are willing to give, but also how much you are capable of receiving unconditional love.
Thank you for following our journey. Every comment you make, every experience you have with your pets means something to us. Because at the end of the day, we're all one big pack.