That being said though, many people successfully train their Shibas to live harmoniously with their house cats, so it can be done with time and effort. Supervision is very important especially in the beginning, and it is also important to set up play rules, meal rules, interaction rules, etc. for both dogs right from the start.

Here are some of the things I learned after getting a second dog -
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-double-the-trouble-or-double-the-fun

Does Reptar also like shoes? Sephy likes sleeping on the shoe mat next to the shoes. I guess they smell good to him.

Also love the pictures with Goofy. Nice to have playmates like that around the neighborhood. I am always on the lookout for good playmates for Sephy but they can be hard to find.

Re Second dog -

That is so exciting!

1. I got Shania a bit over a year after I got Sephy. That was when Sephy started behaving better, so I would have the time to train the new puppy It is nice to have them close together in age because both are active and still enjoy puppy play.
2. Both dogs have separate crates- even today. Sephy likes having his own space. In the beginning, I always supervised both dogs when they are together so that there is no bullying. Now that they are a bit older, there is less need for supervision, although when I am not home, Shania stays in the backyard and Sephy stays in the house.
3. Sephy may sometimes overwhelm Shania so I always make sure he does not get too rough with her. Some people prefer to let the dogs “work it out for themselves”. I personally do not like doing that because I don’t want Shania to be fearful of Sephy.
4. Meal times is especially important because then one dog may try to steal food from the other dog which can trigger guarding and aggression. I supervise them during meal times so that there is no stealing.
5. Sephy actually became more obedient after we got Shania. Shania is very people focused and much better at obedience so Sephy will sometimes compete with her – lol. The important thing, I think, is to apply the same rules to both dogs and be fair to both of them. I do obedience training with both of them together, and also grooming. That way they learn to be comfortable with each other around food, toys, etc., and see that they don’t have to compete using aggression.
6. Sephy never got aggressive or jealous of Shania. I think he really likes having her around so that we don’t disturb him as often when he is in his aloof Shiba mode I think the important thing is to not favor one dog over the other and make them both follow the same rules. Supervision is also very necessary especially in the beginning so that they start by learning good play habits and interaction habits with each other.

What breed are you thinking of getting? Sephy tends to overwhelm small dogs with his crazy play style so I deliberately picked a larger breed, that also has the same crazy wrestling play style.

I also picked a puppy that was more naturally submissive in nature because Sephy does not usually get along with more dominant dogs.

I first took Shania home for a test-drive week to see if she would get along with Sephy. Most good breeders will let you do that, and most adoption/rescue places will as well.

I will probably write a post about this – it is a great topic!

Should the dogs have separate crates or should they be in an enclosed space together? How about when we are not home?
What can we expect from Reptar with a new puppy around? Is he going to revert back from all of the obedience he’s learned thus far?
Is it likely he will become aggressive because he is used to being “the only child”?

I really don’t know what other questions to ask to prepare. Any insight and experiences would be greatly appreciated! I looked through your older blog posts to see if you already covered this topic, so I apologize if it is posted and I missed it!

Thanks!

It is hard to tell without observing the dogs. Both my dogs share all their beds, toys, etc – so for them it is not about claiming territory or dominance. I think that most of the time, dogs are just living their lives, and dominance does not enter into the equation at all.

Does the Maltese try to mark the bed? Will the Maltese guard the bed from you or the Yorkie? If so – then it may be more of a territorial thing.

Other than that, he is probably just looking for a comfortable spot to lie on and is comfortable with your Yorkie’s scent.

I think what you say is very true. There are great health benefits to bringing in a younger dog as a companion for an older dog.

Been wanting to write a “second dog” hub for a while now … but I get easily distracted