Many people consider getting a second dog in the hopes that a new dog will help keep the first dog busy and out of trouble. However, if our first dog is not well trained, it is more likely that our second dog will pick up his bad habits.
In the end, we will have two furry terrors instead of one.
I got my second dog one year after my first dog. I waited a year so that I had time to bond with my first dog (Shiba Inu Sephy) and properly train him. Only after I had solved most of Sephy’s behavioral issues did I consider getting a second dog.
One of the biggest challenge of getting a second or third dog is introducing her to the existing pack and getting everyone to accept her. Here, we consider how to successfully introduce a second dog into the home.
Introducing a Second Dog into the Home
1. Meal Time Ritual
Meal time is especially important in a multiple dog household.
Dogs are opportunistic in nature, and during meal times, I have observed that they will try to steal each others food. This can often trigger food guarding and food aggression behaviors.
I supervise my dogs during meal times so that there is no stealing. They each get several interactive food toys to work on and I make sure they give each other space while working on the toys.
Often, Siberian Shania will work diligently on the toys while Shiba Sephy will just lie around sunning himself. He will wait until Shania is done with the toy, and pick up what she has left behind.
He is such a moocher! 
Sometimes, he will test coming in before Shania is done with the toy, in which case I will step in and stop Sephy. In this way, the dogs learn that I will take care of things so that they don’t need to do it themselves.
2. Attention, Affection, and Rules
After getting a new second dog, it is natural to pay more attention and show more affection toward the new dog, especially if he is a puppy.
However, we must resist that temptation and treat both dogs equally.
If we give the second dog more attention and affection, we may create competition between the two dogs, which may later lead to aggression. Instead, make sure both dogs follow the same rules and get similar rewards for doing work for us.
If we are too lenient with our second dog, and let him get away with more, the first dog will likely observe that, and pick up on those same bad habits.
I like doing group obedience training with both dogs. This helps them work together for food, and be comfortable with each other around people, food, and toys. I also do their grooming sessions together including teeth cleaning, and fur brushing.
Supervision is very important, especially in the beginning, to ensure that they learn good play habits and interaction habits with each other. I still supervise my dogs, but less so now that they are older and know the rules around the house.
Still, Shiba Sephy will always try something from time to time to test his boundaries.
He is that cool! 
3. Play-Time Rules
In addition to meal-time rules, play-time rules are also important.
Since Shania is a three legged dog, Shiba Sephy may sometimes overwhelm her when he gets over-excited.
I always make sure he does not get too rough with her. I also institute a no-humping rule because it can be seen as a dominance move by other dogs (especially new dogs) and I do not want Sephy practicing these type of behaviors. Siberian Shania also dislikes it, so humping is a time-out offense for Sephy.
Some people prefer to let the dogs “work it out for themselves”.
Personally, I think it is best for the humans to set and enforce play-time rules and household rules. By doing so, I ensure that Siberian Shania never has to be fearful of Shiba Sephy, and vice versa. Since I am the one correcting their behaviors, both dogs do not have to do the correcting themselves, with their teeth.
They both learn to see each other as playmates and equals, and if there is ever any trouble, they can come to me and I will take care of it.
4. A Quiet Place to Rest
When I first got Shania, I made sure that Sephy had a nice and quiet place to rest when he wants to be by himself, away from the nibbles of a new puppy. This is especially important if your first dog is older, and tires more easily.
A new puppy can be a crazy ball of energy and a big handful, not just for the humans around the house, but also for the existing dogs.
Set up a consistent routine for the second dog, as you did for your first dog. Make sure the second dog has a fixed schedule for meal-time, play-time, walk-time, and sleep-time.
When it was time for sleep, puppy Shania went into her crate or puppy pen. In this way, Sephy got to rest and so did Shania. Now that Shania is older, it is no longer necessary, and both dogs are able to regulate themselves and give each other space when they need it.
Still, they each have separate crates that they can go to when they want, and they also get to go out to the backyard when they want.
If I am not home, which does not happen often, Siberian Shania prefers to stay out in the backyard and Shiba Sephy likes staying inside the house. I still do not trust them to be alone together in the house because their play can get pretty crazy and they may get over-excited and hurt themselves.
Conflict Over Resources
When we get a second dog, there is a lot of uncertainty. Everyone in the family is learning how to interact with puppy, and puppy is learning how to interact with everyone else.
Conflicts may arise between our two dogs, when they both want the same thing, at the same time, for example, food, toys, sleeping area, or our attention and affection. An effective way to keep the peace, is to be clear about resource ownership, and teach them how to resolve conflicts without aggression. For example, during meal times, each dog has his own food toy to work on, and it is always clear what belongs to whom. I am there to supervise and prevent stealing. If there are conflicts, the dogs get my attention, and I try my best to resolve the situation, in a fair and consistent manner.
In addition, we also want to reward our dogs for staying calm together, and working together for us.
Second Dog – Double Trouble or Double Fun?
So which is it?
Is a second dog double the trouble or double the fun?
I think if properly handled, a second dog can be a big enhancement to everyone in the family.
I am very glad Shania joined our family. Everyone has a happier, much richer life because of her spirit, exuberance, can-do’ness, and overall awesomeness!
But she was a lot of work, especially in the beginning, and the dog bills are now double what they were before.
Still, Shania gives a thousand-fold more than she gets and Sephy will be the first to say that he loves her more than words can say. When Shania is away, Sephy just spends his time moping around the house.
Thanks to Colleen and Reptar for bringing up this fun and important topic.
If you have second dog stories, tips, and advice, please share them with us below.
Siberian Husky Facts (71)
Dog to Dog Aggression – 
Stop Food Aggression, Stop Resource Guarding (34)
Off-Leash Neighborhood Dogs (44)
Dog Play – Fun Games to Play
Dog Discipline – Hit, Spank, Slap! (47)
Woof, Woof – Stop Dog Barking (18)
First off, thanks for the article – will give me some things to try.
We started as a single Golden Retriever (Male) family, then brought in a black lab mix (male) from the shelter. The age gap was roughly 7 years. The Golden was the dominant and we had no issues. When Poncho passed, Colt (lab) seemed lost. I decided it was time to bring another dog into the family. This time we opted for a 1 yr old female border collie (Sadie). Colt (now
got along extremely well with Sadie and they play amazingly (and Colt still has the energy to run around and let Sadie herd him).
I felt such a strong connection to the rescue group we got our BC from, I offered to foster some new “kids”. We brought home a 4 year old male (River). This guy is a HUGE sweetie. Out of the gate, everything was fine. We had no issues…Colt seemed fine just ignoring River and all three could be in the same room together. After about a month, Colt got aggressive with River which ended poorly for Colt who lost part of his ear (in the 12 seconds it took me to break them up).
Things seemed fine after this event until last week. Now we cannot even have the dogs in the same room without there being some aggression. The last event led to my son being bitten (he’s 18 and thinks of himself as some kind of dog whisperer…getting in the middle of two fighting dogs is not the smartest move).
I am unsure if we are looking at a dominance play in the household now that the dogs have begun getting more comfortable around each other, or if this is truly dog on dog aggression. We see the aggression in many forms…River sniffing around Colt’s ball, Colt laying on my son’s chest, River coming up to sniff his hand, etc.
Any thoughts? Knowing which it may be will definitely help us in addressing the issue, as we don’t want to kick the foster out – he truly is a remarkable dog and very loving to everyone (including our three year old son).
Hello Cory,
From observing my dogs, it seems there are two key areas for potential conflicts-
1. Conflict over resources.
Food is the most common resource that a dog may guard. However, dogs may also have conflicts over attention from certain family members, access to certain family members, space, and much more. My Shiba Inu for example, is a guard dog so he is sensitive over his own personal space. He does not like new dogs invading his space and sniffing his butt. However, dogs that he trusts and plays with, he does not mind letting into his personal space and he will also share toys with them.
When I got puppy Lara last year, my Shiba did not want to have anything to do with her in the beginning. After working with them for about 10 days, he accepted puppy into his circle of trust and was a lot more tolerant once that happened. I try to clearly define rules of interaction for all my dogs, and do a lot of supervision when introducing a new dog. If they understand what the rules of interaction are, e.g. what belongs to whom at what time, then there will be fewer disagreements.
2. Over-excitement.
Play time can also sometimes escalate into something more. Sometimes one of my dogs get over-excited and plays too rough or keeps on going when the other party is no longer interested in playing. I always supervise play time and have many obedience breaks so that they do not get too over-excited. I also do not allow any kind of bullying during play.
From what you describe, it sounds like the dogs may be having some conflict over personal space and access to family members. Still, it is difficult to say without being there and observing the dogs. A good professional trainer can be helpful to these situations because he/she can observe things in real-time, read the dogs’ body language and understand the surrounding context.
WE JUST ADOPTED A NEW DOG INTO OUR HOME OF FIRST IS A 9YR IRISH SETTER, NEW DOG A MIXED BOXER, 1-2YR OLD FROM A LOCAL SHELTER. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO 1ST DOG HAS BEEN SO AGRESSIVE AND HAS NEVER BEEN BEFORE – HELP -
Hello Darlene,
I would chat with the people at the shelter and see what they say. My Shiba Inu also does not get along with all dogs, so we usually have a greet and meet first before considering adoption. Here is more on how I picked my second dog.
When I get a new dog, I make sure to give my older dogs space and peace and quiet when they want it. Then I slowly introduce them and always make their time together very positive.
It can also be helpful to bring in a professional trainer who can observe the interactions in real time and accurately identify the aggression triggers.
Hi me again! We too tried to get a second shiba when Yuki was 14 months old, what a disaster! I thought this would work as she really seemed to enjoy doggy company when I took her to playdates with other dogs at their homes. She has 2 pomeranian friends that she would often play with when I would visit their owner. When she saw the new puppy she started to salivate and her fur stood on end, she looked like a werewolf! We continued to persevere by calling in trainers, behaviourists etc. To make things worse this little male puppy was sooo dominant that he wasn’t about to back down come hell or high water. He proceeded to urinate in her bed, on her favourite toy, and on the mat she liked to sit on, as time went by I could see things getting worse. Yuki didn’t want him anywhere near her and he would stand at the patio door and bark at her and nip her so as not to let her come in! She also lost about 2kgs (4.5 pounds) from stress which caused her to stop eating. I persevered to find him a good home in conjunction with the breeder we’d bought him from and he’s living happily in his new home as an “only child”. Yuki was a different dog within 2 days of him leaving she looked so much happier and more relaxed. I realise there are people with more than 1 shiba, but I also feel that this is one breed that often prefer to be the only dog in the household. My female was being territorial but I also could not believe that such a young puppy could behave so extremely dominanat.
Hello Natasha,
Good to see you again and thanks for sharing your second dog story with us.
I had some similar experiences with Sephy when I was looking for a second dog. Initially, I was hoping to get a rescue Husky, but none of them got along very well with Sephy. I think it was because Sephy is a pretty in-your-face kind of dog, and many of the rescues that I visited with, were more shy and needed more space.
Based on Sephy’s play style, I think he prefers something other than a Shiba – preferably a larger type breed who is more playful and less dominant.
So we have it narrowed down! They’re Border Collie/Siberian Husky pups!
There are 3 females and 4 males. Would two males dogs even if they are neutered still fight for dominance?
They must be super good looking! Are there any links with pictures? Would love to see them.
Got any names picked?
Both BCollie and SHusky are extremely high energy – so you will have a great exercise coach
Based on what I have read, two males are more likely to have friction, but then again I have also heard many stories of female Shibas who totally go ninja on their male counterparts. I think if you bring them up from puppy-hood with proper play and interaction rules, they should be fine.
Yeah I know what you mean. I felt the same way, but when the time came Sephy adjusted really well. I think Reptar will as well. Sephy was just so happy to have a dog companion, that he was really good with pretty much everything. Even now he seems to be perfectly happy to let Shania have her way almost all the time.
Sephy actually sleeps in the crate at night and Shania gets to roam free. She doesn’t do things like crawl under the bed and start chewing at the frame
This is so exciting! Take lots of pictures and share stories with us.
I have so many questions about a second dog and I feel like the right breed and proper research is incredibly important. We would love to get a rescue dog but with that, you can’t anticipate too much what traits the dog will have from what their mixed with and thats OK.
I’m pretty sure I have the basics down. Vet bills, food, toys, treats, training, and supplies. I can wrap my head around that pretty easily.
It’s the day-to-day stuff and other not obvious rules, especially in the beginning. I’m sure the dogs will find their routine over time. Reptar has his toys, the ones he loves and the ones he’s willing to share. I’m assuming this could present an aggression issue if the new dog takes a toy he’s not willing to share and obviously some rules and obedience measures will have to be enforced.
In the “pen” or enclosed space you set up for your dogs, did Sephy ever try to get/jump out or knock it over?
I think I’m more concerned about Reptar and how he will react and over-react. He has his routine and you know Shibas when their routines get messed up. They act out and are terrors of the night
I love Reptar for his quirks. For example, at bed time, Reptar can sleep on the bed with us, in his crate, on the floor or just hang out but he has to stay in the bedroom. Obviously with a new puppy, he/she will not have this luxury as he will have to be properly trained and disciplined like Reptar. It’s about trust. That being said, I don’t feel its fair to take 10 steps back and make Reptar sleep in his crate at night because the new dog will have to. But how will that affect the new dog, and Reptar who will most likely be so intrigued by this new addition that is in another crate.
It’s really the little things like that I’m concerned and curious about.
Do you have any stories or tips about just day to day life? That may be a silly question but I hope you know what I mean.
Our first dog was a Mexican Hairless, she was about 8 months when we got our then 3 month old shiba. Surprisingly, they match each other’s energy levels perfectly. We also have 6 ferrets at home which helped to “numb” the prey drives of both pups.
I do love the way siberians look, though.
LOL – sounds like a whole lot of fun. Was it difficult to train your Shiba not to go after the ferrets? Does he generalize to other ferrets and small creatures?
Yeah, Siberians are very beautiful. They also have a great and very affectionate personality. They are very high energy though, and my Siberian’s prey drive is very strong.
For my next dog I am thinking of going with more obedience and possibility of off-leash
Heh yeah, I also like border collies. We have a sheep herder that comes to the hills around our neighborhood during winter time and he has two border collies to help him with his sheep. They are super amazing and extremely focused on their work and handler.
It is definitely one of the candidates for a third dog, but I don’t think I am ready for them either – lol. A trainer at the SPCA told me that she has to throw balls for hers all day long. Maybe when I move to a less populated area, and get some sheep
I always prepare to get the worst traits from both breeds. That way, there will be a lot of pleasant surprises
If you are thinking of getting a mix-breed, adoption may be a very good way to go. That way, you get to meet the dog first, see how they act around Shiba, and see which breed traits they show most.
I have met some really sweet Rotties and some not so sweet ones. People always say that any dog can be properly trained and I agree.
However, personally, I feel that owning a larger dog is a bigger responsibility because they can do more damage (even just accidentally) and as a result should be more closely managed and trained. Larger dogs also tend to have more health issues and have a shorter lifespan.
I would really like to get a GSD or GSD-mix next, but my other half is not so keen on it. GSDs tend to like their space and are iffy around Sephy because he just rudely butts into people’s personal area.
Ok, I am starting to ramble
Anyway, please keep us updated on your second dog search and hugs to Reptar! Make sure to remind him that he is a very lucky boy!
That is a very good point. As you say, it is a good idea to have the second dog closer in age to the first dog so that they have a playmate for life.
I am thinking for getting a third dog but will space that out more time-wise since Sephy and Shania already have each other.
LOL that is so like Sephy – part of that famous Shiba stubbornness. Sometimes when I ask Sephy to do a Down – he will wait for a bit, do a Stretch, and then accidentally go into a down position from the stretch.
He is such a rebel!
The only time he does commands efficiently and on cue is when I have something he really wants. He will work when he is hungry and there is cheese or freshly boiled chicken on the line.
I like this about Shibas. I don’t like following commands either unless I get something good in return
My husband loves border collies but we know they aren’t the right breed for us at this time. We’ve thought about a border collie mix though. Some of the breeds we like are border collie/lab mix and I also have fallen in love with a rottie/husky mix. Since they are mixes, I’m not sure what traits they’ll get from each breed. Do you have any thoughts on these and how they would interact with a Shiba? I’m more iffy about the rottweiler mix though because of their aggressive nature. It’s hard to look at the puppy’s face and see anything aggressive. Their faces make me melt!
Thanks so much for this article! It was really helpful and pointed out a lot of other things to think about before bring home a second dog!
We’ve had our second dog Rocky, a 7 month old Shiba, for 2 months now. Our other dog Trixie, a basenji mix, will be 2 years old in May, and we got her when she was 8 weeks old.
When we brought Rocky home they started playing immediately, after a few minutes of butt sniffing. Rocky had apparently been socialized as a puppy so she knew not to bite too hard. He has learned a lot from the older dog and is a great deal calmer than he would be if he were our only dog. I’ve read about many of the shiba’s crazy traits, and he doesn’t seem to exhibit many of the worst ones.
One important factor I found is the age of the dogs. When we brought Trixie home, she was introduced to our old dog Scooby, a 14 year old dobe/lab mix. He didn’t have the patience for this new pup and didn’t appreciate being shoulder slammed, hip checked, and nipped by this youngster. Also, Trixie mouthed a lot and this was new to us, so it was a stressful couple of months until we got used to her habits, and she learned some obedience. She eventually bonded with Scooby and when he died over a year later, she moped around for quite awhile.
When we brought Rocky home, we were fresh from having a mouthy puppy around, so it wasn’t such a change for us. Since Trixie has a playmate now, she has lost some weight and become a much healthier dog. Rocky was well behaved at his first obedience class, but he won’t sit on command without pushing his butt down. He can do it, he just doesn’t want to. Both dogs lay close to each other, if not touching. Also, their play has little if any dominance activity. Rocky will climb up on Trixie’s back and bite to get her attention away from me, but he hasn’t humped since he was neutered.
Adding a second dog to our family has been a good experience, and an almost constant source of entertainment for us and our neighbors.
Hi Julie,
Glad you enjoyed the article and many hugs to Tierce and Shassi. Love your humorous stories about them!
A big Happy Easter and woof woof to you all
I posted this link on the TMS Facebook page because it was so awesome.