Everybody needs company. If you have two or more dogs, they keep each other company during your absence.

Bulgara and Yantra are Miniature Pinschers, mother and daughter. Before having them I spent a long time with different animals and the idea I possibly could live with a couple of dogs was always appealing to me. A “natural” population that could be always around me is being created.

Dogs vigorously need physical intimacy and when there are two or more of them, they would engage each other in various activities and share this desire for mutual intimacy while they are alone.

If your dog is small, you’re tempted to carry it all the time in your arms, but dogs generally don’t like being constantly carried on people’s lap, because they are afraid of noise and people. Even if your dog doesn’t go for a real walk in the nature, it feels perfect at home, particularly if it’s got company. One of the main reasons why people don’t get a dog is that nobody would take care of it while its owners are at work. This problem doesn’t exist in case of two dogs because they aren’t alone. Before Yantra was born I had to take Bulgara everywhere with me to prevent her from staying alone, even if she wasn’t so excited to hang out with me. Now, however, I leave them together and they feel much better. This is because dogs usually miss the interaction with other dogs, even when they are among people and continually live together with them.

In our case the second dog was brought up mostly by her mother than by me. And that’s quite natural – dogs and their ancestors live in packs. Yantra follows her mother, watches her actions and repeats them, but she has different traits and other habits being more self-willed. Bulgara used to be closer to me while growing up and used to spend more time with people. I’ve been everywhere with her, she’s being taught to be quiet, I may tell her to stand still and she’ll do so.

The mother is the commander and that’s the natural order between them. You may tell them off, but after you turn your back, their mutual order gets quickly back to its usual state. I don’t let Bulgara eat Yantra’s food, although it seems natural to her. I would avoid that because of practical and healthy reasons and mostly to prevent Yantra from overeating, as the other dog can always get some food.

The daughter follows her mother also when walking. I try to let them walk off their leash when they aren’t on the street. I think that dogs should be raised so that they don’t have to be on leash all the time. In our environment small dogs are more at risk than bigger dogs or people. That’s why you must be able not only to see them, but also to take them over to a safe place or to lift them up in your arms if they are in danger. Some dog couples get more aggressive when they are together. Yantra and Bulgara show rather individual traits, one of them could stay close to me, because she is scared, while the other one would be walking around in any town garden because she feels confident.

My dogs get along well, but I think it would be better if both dogs are the same age. Yantra is still a little dog, she feels like playing and running outdoors and rolling on the whole day indoors. Since Bulgara is older, she quickly gets tired and wants to be left alone. If they would be the same age, they would share their activities and energy.

In case of two dogs, the little ones play and move much more at home. That’s why I don’t take Bulgara and Yantra for long walks in the winter. As they are tiny and their fur is thin, the low temperatures put them apparently in distress. As soon as it gets cold, the clothes become unavoidable when walking outdoors.

In case of air travel, it should be made clear whether and how many pets are allowed on board. Some airlines allow one pet, other airlines allow two pets. Some of them allow one pet in a pet cage, but more airlines allow two pets as well if they weigh under 17,6 lbs (8 kg) including the pet cage. The low-cost airlines normally don’t allow pet carriage, except guide dogs. Most airlines allow pets but there are specific restrictions on the total number of pets on board.

What is typical in case of two or more dogs is that they are quite jealous of each other. In the beginning you must equally pay attention and equally divide the activities, especially if one of them had spent a certain amount of time as the only pet in the family. This period is essential in creating a solid relationship between them. It must be done in the very beginning to get them closer to each other. Loving each other and feeling each other as a family takes time and requires patience.