One common reason for getting a second dog is to keep our first dog company.
The hope is that our dogs can spend their days playing together, and draining each other’s energy. When we come home, they will be happy to lie around, be calm, and be mostly well-behaved. Since the dogs have each other, there will be less need for us to play with them, walk them, or otherwise keep them engaged.
Reality however, is quite different from this idyllic picture.
In my experience, having two dogs is a lot more work than having just one, especially in the beginning. My dogs amp each other up, get more excited together, and lead each other into more trouble than before.
This is not to say that getting a second dog is a bad idea. However, I think that getting another dog for the wrong reasons, will degrade quality of life for everyone in the family, both human and dog.
When to Get a Second Dog?
I waited for over 1 year before getting another dog. I wanted the extra time to bond with my first dog, properly obedience train him, and make sure I had most of his issues under control.
Only get a second dog when we have good control over our first dog, and have ensured that he is mostly well behaved.
During the first year, I was very tempted to get another dog, as a way to keep my hyperactive Shiba Inu company. Now, I am very glad that I did not do so until both Shiba and I were ready. Having two hyperactive dogs, that were mostly out of control, would have been very stressful for everyone involved.
In addition, issues may arise with the new dog. For example, puppy Shania had issues with her leg, had to go through multiple surgeries, and a leg amputation. I do not think I would have been able to deal with all that, if my other dog were misbehaving at the same time.
I had to spend a lot of time with Shania during her recovery, and did not have as much time for my other dog, but he was totally ok with that for about 5 months.
Therefore, give yourself enough of a time, energy, and financial buffer. If you are starting to feel like you have way too much free time, and that your first dog is sleeping too much, then it may be time to get another. 😀
How to Pick a Second Dog
What type of dog should we get?
It is always important to get a dog that fits in with our lifestyle, temperament, and energy level. In general, we want to get a dog that has slightly lower energy than we do, and that will enjoy the types of activities that we enjoy.
In addition to all that, a second dog will also have to get along and fit in with the temperament, lifestyle, and play style of our existing dog.
1. Size of second dog.
My resident dog, Shiba Sephy, has a high energy play style. As a result, he frequently overwhelms smaller dogs, and they usually stay away from him during play sessions. He has most fun playing with larger, more boisterous dogs. His favorite breed during supervised play groups, is the Pit Bull Terrier.
I carefully observe my dog while he is playing, and try to identify the types of dogs that he likes interacting with most. In addition to fun, I also identify breeds that my dog shows the most positive and least negative behaviors with.
2. Temperament of second dog.
Being a Shiba Inu, Sephy does not do well with dominant dogs. He likes dogs that are as goofy as he is, and is more interested in playing, than in exerting dominance. While Sephy does not try to dominate other dogs, he will not back down if other dogs try to dominate him. This could ultimately result in a fight.
For a second dog, I made sure to get a puppy that was more submissive in nature.
In addition, the Siberian Husky breed is also known for being affectionate toward people, with a lower protective drive. This balances out my Shiba’s more aloof personality, and his natural watch dog instincts.
In this way, Husky can receive most of the human affection when Shiba is in aloof mode. Similarly, when Shiba alerts to noises around the house, Husky usually just ignores it. Therefore, they complement, rather than amplify each other’s energy.
Husky Shania is also very food focused, and much more interested in doing obedience exercises. After she joined our family, Sephy actually became more obedient because he would come over and participate in training exercises with us.
3. Meeting and greeting a new dog.
How we meet and greet a new dog greatly depends on the temperament of our current dog. In general, it is best for the dogs to meet on neutral territory (e.g. quiet park), so that our existing dog does not get protective over his home turf.
Some things to consider during the meet and greet –
a) Do not force the greeting.
I usually have both dogs on-leash and with separate handlers. Both handlers should be calm and in control. We bring both dogs into the meet area, observe their body language, and how they react to each other. If they seem calm, we try walking them around the park at a comfortable distance.
If all goes well, we slowly bring them in closer together. I observe them closely while doing this, and do not force a greeting if there is extreme stress or signs of aggression.
Like us, dogs are individuals and may not get along with certain other dogs.
Before getting Shania, I looked into adopting a Siberian Husky and had a couple of meetings. However, the rescue dogs got spooked by Sephy, and became stressed around him.
b) Test-drive the new dog.
I first took Shania home for a test-drive week, to see if she would get along with Sephy.
Most good local breeders and adoption/rescue organizations are flexible with the initial try-out period. In fact, they are usually willing to take a dog back, even when things do not work out in the longer term.
After all, everyone wants what is best for the dog.
Introducing a Second Dog into the Home
After getting a new dog, we want to focus on successfully introducing her into the home. Some of the things that helped my resident dog get along well with our new puppy –
- Positive experiences. I try to create positive experiences when both dogs are together. In this way, they will see each other as allies.
- Group obedience training. I have several group training sessions, where both dogs work together for me and get rewarded together.
- Consistent and fair rules. I make sure that I am consistent and fair with all my dogs. They follow similar rules, as well as receive similar consequences and rewards. I also make it a point to be fair with affection and attention.
- Rest time. Puppies tend to be on-the-go most of the time. I make sure that the new puppy does not bother my other dogs when they want to rest, or just want some peace and quiet.
- No stealing. I supervise my dogs closely to make sure they do not steal from each other. Stealing can encourage food aggression and resource guarding issues down the road.
Good luck with your second dog and feel free to share your experiences and questions with us below.
Hey there ShibaShake! Thanks for your blog post. I have a quick question for you. Obviously this post is about having two dogs, but what struck me is that you have a Husky! I have a Husky mix who is almost 1.5 years old. She is a rescue. Very submissive in dog parks, but slightly possessive over toys and bones and pretty active as I’m sure you’re already aware of. I don’t know when we will get a second dog, I’m always hoping for sooner rather than later. Anyway, she’s been sleepier these days after our nice long walks and I’ve been wondering if she would like a companion. She plays SO much with my mother in laws dog who is 3… they are constantly rolling around and running. I was wondering if you had a nice breed in mind that would compliment a husky personality well. I’ve been reading not to get the same gender and to perhaps get a larger male if you have a female to help with dominance issues. What are your thoughts? I know you can’t know the fullness of the situation, but figured I could pick your brain. Thanks!
Steph
Hello Steph,
I got my Shiba Inu (Sephy) first. He is male, and he loves to wrestle, chase, and play rough.
When picking a second dog, I observe Sephy closely so that I can better understand what type of dogs he gets along with. Sephy is a pretty dominant dog, so he gets along much better with submissive dogs. Because of his play-style, he does not do well with smaller dogs or dogs his own size. They get overwhelmed easily and become fearful of him.
He gets along best with larger playful dogs, who are easy-going (e.g. not protective of their personal space, tolerant) and more interested in having fun. In this way, I let Sephy tell me which dogs he likes best, and I pick primarily based on his temperament and preferences.
For a second dog, I decided on a female Siberian Husky (Shania). She is submissive, and loves to wrestle, chase, and play rough. She has a double coat like Sephy, so she can take rough play (in contrast to more delicate and sensitive dogs). She is also bigger than my Shiba, so that helps to balance out his more dominant personality. I still supervise all their play sessions and make sure that there is no bullying, no stealing, etc.
What type of dogs does your girl like to play with? Who are her favorite friends and playmates? Let her tell you what she likes most. 😀
Thank you for this helpful post. You have two lucky dogs! You sound like a very responsible dog owner. I have a young samoyed dog who would love to have a sister dog! But after reading this I will finish his obedience lessons first. We will make sure we are ready for a second dog.
I love Samoyeds! They are absolutely beautiful. Big hugs to your pup and Happy New Year to you all! 😀
My boyfriend and I currently live in Kansas and I am a college student and he works a 40hr a week retail position (he comes home for hour lunches every day). Our days off never line up so that out of a 7 day week someone is home 4 days all day. We picked up a pup for free from a farm who is a lab/german shorthaired pointer mix about mid summer last year. He has just been neutered and turned 6 months this month. His name is Tucker. Tucker is just barely over 50 pounds and if he reaches 70 at full maturity I’ll be impressed. Tucker is easy to please and very eager to please as well. We have issues with lose leash walking, but beyond that (and strangers in the house) he is very well behaved. At the off leash dog park he minds his manners around other dogs. He does not come when called reliably when we are there, unless we are also walking with my mother and her 8 year old surly Cocker Spaniel male. Then he follows the Cocker loosely and stays with us very well.
Obviously we have some more training to do with public walking and new people (never aggressive, actually just hyper pees and gets too rowdy) but Tucker is very submissive and has never snapped or defended food or toys from other dogs or other people. My boyfriend and I are moving across the country this July to attend a graduate school. This will allow me about the same availability I have now, with more evening classes. I was curious if you think it is fair to get a puppy this christmas. I was thinking a Goberian. The higher energy of the husky would keep him on his toes, but the Golden Retriever would also help with the eager to please aspect of Tucker which we definitely want to reinforce. I know I have the time to dedicate to a puppy this spring, and do not know when life will next allow me to spend as much time as necessary with a puppy. I was thinking waiting till Christmas to get a new female pup would allow us the necessary time to work with Tucker’s familiarization with new people and walking. He is so smart and obedient, and a quiet dog (though a litter paranoid of the dark). I don’t want to get a puppy that would encourage him to change his natural assets, but I also know he would be a lovely big brother, and a great example for training a littler one.
I look forward to your response.
Dog behavior is very context dependent, and each situation is different. I only have limited context here and do not know the full situation, so please take what follows with that in mind.
If I were in a similar situation, I would wait until after the move before getting another dog. Moving houses, especially moving to a totally different part of the country, will be stressful for the people and even more stressful for the dogs. All my dogs like having a fixed routine, and they get stressed when there are changes in their environment and routine. The bigger the change, the greater the stress.
Therefore, I try to introduce them to changes slowly and not have too many things changing at once. Moving is already a big change, so I would wait before making other large changes. Also, there are usually unanticipated occurrences after a move, so I would want to simplify things as much as possible beforehand, so that I do not get overwhelmed later on.
My friend says that my dog is used to being the center of attention and that it won’t get along with a new dog
Have 6.5 y/o Pit/Rot/Spaniel mix. Been king of his castle all this time. Been talking about adding another dog for sometime and my wife comes home Saturday w/ two friends of ours, who happen to be breeders of toy & teacup Poodles! Guess who else was with her….? Lois and Larry! 2.5 month old sis/bro toys! Well I was terrified….both for the puppies and what would happen to our big guy if he hurt one requiring a vet visit. Much to our delight, though the first 24 hours was touch and go and the big guy acting very aloof (uncharacteristic), all is going much better. We have showered our big guy (Lloyd) w/ oodles of attention and he’s coming around quite well. We give him his space as he needs it and he interacts well with the little ones. He’s learning he’s still the top dog and that the little new aren’t replacing him in any way. When he’s had enough, we let him go his own way and keep the two little fuzz balls away. When he’s ready, he comes back, plays and so far so good…;-)
Congratulations on your new pups! Glad that everything is working out so well. 😀
Thank you so much for all of the great feedback. Still on the fence about adding second dog.
My boyfriend and I have a 9 month old german shepherd/australian cattle dog mix. She is about 40 pounds and probably wont get much bigger. She is the most sweetest and friendly dog and everyone who meets her instantly loves her. She is insanely smart and was fully trained by four months. She loves every dog she meets and loves to play. She obviously is very high energy and she is at either the marina swimming or thr dog park every day. On the two days that we both have eight hour work days, we have a dog walker come for 30-40 minutes. Every now and then she has a slumber party at the inlaws with their two high energy large breed dogs and they all got along instantly. We do currently live in a smaller apartment, but again we exercise her every day. We are talking about getting a second puppy. but are wondering if it is too soon since she isnt even a year old yet. We keep hearing different things. Some people say get it when shes still young because it will be easier for her to adjust. Others say wait until she is out of her adolescent stage around two years because two puppies would be too much to handle. Also people keep saying different things about which gender to get. Is our apartment too small even with exercising every day? Should we wait until she is older? And should we look for a specific breed?
I think it really depends a lot on each individual situation.
I got a second dog after I felt good with the training and behavior of my first dog. I had a lot of problems with my first dog, so it took me a while to get things under control. I think the most important thing is whether you feel ready, and whether you have the time to devote to a new puppy. 😀
As for gender, here is my take on it-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog/comment-page-2#comment-100560
As for what breed, I picked my second dog by looking at what type of dogs my Shiba liked to play with, what type of dogs he got along with best, etc. With Sephy, he liked playing with larger, playful dogs, that are not dominant, so that is what we looked for.
What sort of dogs does your girl enjoy playing with most at the park? Big dogs, medium sized, or small? What type of temperament does she enjoy? Who are her best dog friends?
As for size of living space, the only thing that comes to mind is that the two dogs may want to play in the apartment, so extra management may be necessary to either separate them, or to make sure that they have a safe space to romp around in, without getting hurt.
Hope this helps. Good luck and big hugs to your girl! She sounds absolutely wonderful. 😀
Hi! I currently have a 9 year old Husky, australian shepherd mix who is very well behaved, well trained, and mellow. My husband always had two dogs growing up so he really wanted another one. We recently moved into a large, new home with a fenced yard and dog door. I like to run, but my 9 year old recently stopped wanting to run with me. We decided now was a good time to bring home a new dog. We are currently doing a trial period with a husky rescue who is about 1-2 years old. She seems to do really well in our family except 9 year old doesn’t seem thrilled to have her around and last night they got into a fight, teeth barred, barking, biting- bad. My husband had to get in between them and we kept them seperate for the evening. Since then they have had supervised interactions and seem to get along fine but we worry that it could happen again. Our dog has never fought like that before. We want to make sure she is a good fit for our family. Do you think this is something that is normal and we can work on? Or should we tell the rescue it just won’t work out? If it weren’t for the questionable relationship between our dog and her, we would keep her. There are so many great dogs out there though, and I don’t know if we should keep looking. Thanks for any advice!
It really depends on the temperament of the two dogs, the cause for the fighting, and surrounding context.
When I first got my Siberian Husky puppy Lara, my older dog (Sephy) did not get along well with her. This is natural because a new puppy introduced a lot of uncertainty, changes, and stress into his life. Some things that helped my dogs to get along-
1. I set up a fixed schedule and routine for the new dog.
2. I established clear dog-to-dog interaction rules, supervised closely, and resolved any conflicts that occur before they escalate.
3. I try to maximize positive interactions while minimizing negative ones.
More on how I help my dogs get along.
However, dog behavior is very context dependent and conflicts can arise for many other reasons. Therefore, it depends, and getting along will also be based on the temperament of both dogs, past experiences, training, etc.
We have a 8mth samoyed male, we recently got a rescue 4yr old female husky from a neighbour. She however, is really lazy and hasnt played much but they seemed to accept each other fine, he is high energy. I am hoping when she recovers from being desexed (we desexed them both and they are currently recovering) and looses her excess weight as she is pretty overwieght, she will have more energy and want to play, she had never been walked, so isnt all that active. He is full on, bigger than her and very pushy with any dog/person she has been super tolerant and put up with him and we have kept on top of it with a leash and making sure he doesnt mount her or get too pushy, which he is learning SLOWLY, Only had a few snaps when he tries to jump on her, when we have not been quick enough! They usually drink out the same bowl, however today she is day 3 after surgery and she is getting a bit more growly and less tolerant with him pestering her, growled when he went to drink out the water bowl and when he went to mop her spilt food up after she has finished 🙁 hoping it settles when she has full recovered and got more active. I think she hs done well though, he is full on! I was exppecting the husky to ourtun him and a good match!
I have a 5 year old mixed breed female. I had her DNA tested which came back husky finish spitz 25% of each – the other 50% mutt. Lol. Anyways, I am currently fostering. She has dominance issues with other dogs. Food and toys I want to know what I can do to get her to not growl and snap when they come near her. I want to work with her but do not know where to begin. I don’t want the puppies to pick up her behaviors. I mostly do not want to have dogs in separate rooms. I want to be able to get to see me as the dominate female in this house. Where do I stArt?
What I have observed from my Shiba Inu, Sephy, is that he started protecting his food and toys when he began to associate other dogs and people nearby with the loss of resources. To help my dog overcome this negative association, I institute clear dog-to-dog interaction rules in the house, one of which is no-stealing. I set the rules, I supervise, and I enforce the rules in a fair and consistent manner.
I also create positive and rewarding experiences for him, in a structured and safe way with other dogs, so that he learns to stay calm and make better associations.
What helped most with my Shiba Inu is to minimize bad encounters where he feels he has to resort to aggression, and maximize positive encounters where he learns to stay calm and has a rewarding experience.
Here are some things that I do to help my dogs get along-
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression#desensitize
However, as you know, dog behavior is very context dependent. Therefore, when I was having aggression issues with my Shiba, it was helpful for me to consult with some professional trainers.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
Why dogs get aggressive over food and toys.
Dominance and bad dog behavior.