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.
I am looking for some advice. We have an almost one year old Pomeranian. He is great! Adding him to our family was like having another child. We love him so much and most of all, he loves us too. No behavior problems, he’s potty trained, etc. We were thinking about adding another dog to our family so that he could have a playmate. This is because we have observed when my grown son’s girlfriend brings her dog over, he just plays and plays. He loves it, so we are pretty sure he wouldn’t mind another dog in the house. My question though is more of a selfish nature… do any of you think our dog would love US less? Right now WE are the center of his world. Would that change if we got him a brother or sister? Thanks for any advice/opinions!
TESTDRIVE FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME! 🙂 Why not try and “babysit” your son’s girlfriend’s dog for an overnight week-end or two weeks, so as to answer your concerns. OR talk to foster animal places about your desires and concerns, they very well may be able to help you as well as you helping them. You may end up adopting the foster dog. Both options allow a test period amount of time…….side note: I write from experience of NOT doing either of those suggestions I gave and my precious Pom became very anxious and depressed and the new pup never got the attention a new dog should receive. So I understand your concerns as well as experiencing the sad out come. In some instances, to undo “damage” is longer and harder in the long run. Pets/animals are more like us than not when it comes to emotions. I try and put “how would I feel” in my actions with them and I end up with better results in interacting with any situation. AND Shibashake’s advice in “When to get a second dog and how to pick the right one” is excellent advice that I plan to use.
Hope all goes well 🙂
It would be cheaper and easier to take your dog to a doggy daycare with an open play environment where they can play with other dogs all day and you guys can keep your good family dynamic at home! It is hard to know how personalities of different dogs will match up until the new dog settles in. We just tried adopting a 2 year old female labradoodle and already have a 4 year old male goldendoodle whom we’ve had since he was a puppy. Our goldendoodle loves doggy daycare and loves playing with other dogs and we were told the same of the labradoodle. We followed all the advice and guidelines about how to introduce the new dog, structure, training, etc. They were fine with each other when they first met and then she started growling and snapping at him out of nowhere. We consulted with 4 trainers who suggested that she was resource guarding (with guarding generalized to anything, me, my husband, the 1st dog eating his own food when she already had her own food, space on the floor – many times we had no idea what it was about) and said that this is very difficult to train out of a dog and may not be possible so there was always an ongoing risk of a serious dog fight. She had lived with other dogs before who were very dominant alphas so this behavior had not shown up for her in the past and no one realized it would show up with us and our laid back 4yo male. We found out also that usually a new female dog will want to take over the household and be dominant over a male dog, which was probably also going on here too. I had no idea how complicated it could be to bring in a second dog, even when you follow all the guidelines and recommendations! Based on the trainers’ recommendations we gave the labradoodle back to the rescue and are going to stick with one dog. One of the trainers noted that it is rare for two dogs to get along without complications. Talking more to friends who have 2 dogs, we found out that they are successful only because of very specific personality dynamics – usually a very dominant alpha with a submissive second dog.
hi,
i have a 2 year old husky, and have been thinking about geeing another dog. i’ve more or less got his issue under control. but not sure how to go about picking out a second dog what will match his energy level which is low – moderate energy.
when we go to the dog park i have notice he gravitates more toward pit bulls and pit mixes and he also prefers dogs that are smaller then he is. or dogs his size that plays carefully and not overly crazy. he also loves any mix breed dog that will chase him and wrestle with him. any advice as to how to chose the right dog to join the family?
Ok if anyone wants to offer me some advice please do!
I got a puppy, a few months after my last dog passed away.
My last dog was a border collie and super obedient, lovely temperament, totally 100% trustworthy around children, babies, cats, chickens (could not be trusted around large livestock but I live in the city so that was no biggie!). He made me fall in love with the border collie breed and swear that it was the only breed for me.
However when I went looking for a puppy, I ended up adopting a mix of some kind of shepherd (either German, Belgian, Dutch or something very similar to these) with something smaller – now at 8 months old she is the size of a female border collie, she was a rescue so we don’t know her parentage and the shelter could only guess she was probably a Belgian shepherd mix. She does look very much like a malinois, except for her colouring (black and tan) and her size. A vet suggested she could be mixed with a collie or border collie and looking at photos of this mix she does appear very similar.
My question is – would a mix like mine be compatible with a border collie?
I’m thinking of getting a purebred border collie in a year or so. They’d be around the same size, have around the same energy level and both be very clever (so they can learn the same commands). Or would they be too similar? Would they put their smarts together and work out creative ways to disobey? I thought that since they’re both high energy breeds I could let them play and wear each other out when I take them out for walks… currently I take my dog to places where there are other dogs so she can play and burn off energy since she loves running around and I can’t run as fast as her! If there are no other dogs around she tends to just trot alongside me and sniff around – she won’t run around on her own so I try to make use of other people’s dogs as much as possible! It’s this, and my love for the border collie breed (I admit I really want a purebred BC again) that makes me consider a second dog.
If a border collie is really too similar what would be a compatible breed to go alongside a malinois? (this is probably the main breed in her – it’s what she’s most like in terms of appearance and personality). I’ve noticed that she prefers to play with smaller dogs rather than larger dogs – so a small dog could be a possibility…
Hello. I don’t know if this is still active or not but worth a try. So the thing is, i have a 8 month old Dalmatian girl. She is very good and playfull we try our best to meet her daily needs and we quite good at it. Long walks,running etc. We used to work and when we only had her for like 2 days,we left her home for the first time 4 hours. She is not closed in a box or anything,free in appartment. We never had any problems with that….separation anxiety or anything else. She is not destructive and is house clean. She knows the basic commands but we yet to have visit the junior school for dogs as we say it here. So now i got a chance to get another dalmatian pup, 2 months old. They giving her for free as the breeder wanted to keep her for herself but saddly has to undergo a surgery and she wont be able to take care of two dogs. Also lil pup got +/- on BAER test which means she hears great on right ear but not so good on left. Now my girl,she is friendly and loves other dogs and children,she is very playfull and enjoys dogs company so much its nuts. What do you guys think tho? Should we get her or not? I know you cant decide for me but i need some advice,ideas. Would that work? We are both still at home,not working at the moment.
Well I have had multiple pairs of dogs. I am also in the position as well. My dog is well mannered but constantly wants play. Take her outside run her but still wants play after that. Scratches at your side for more constantly. We are looking at getting another dog to keep her company. One big thing is I would say make sure the second dog is fixed before first heat if a female. Don’t want to intact females in the house. You are asking for trouble there.
Hello!
So I’ve been doing a lot of research lately on whether or not my family and I should get another dog. Some of my questions have been answered, but a lot of other questions manifested as well. I’m hoping that you can help me figure out the answers!
A little background:
We adopted our dog about 8 years ago from a local shelter.
She is a female and just turned 9 years old.
She’s spayed.
She’s a mutt, but we only know that she is mostly a black labrador retriever.
She’s lived without the companionship of another dog for her whole life, yet she’s very submissive and friendly. She’s also kind of lazy (she will sleep the WHOLE day unless we take her outside, where she gets very excited).
So some of my questions are:
Would it be a bad idea to looking into getting another dog at her age? Would she be hurt if we did get one?
Is her personality compatible with another dog?
Would a male dog be the best bet for a companion?
If so, would there be a lot of humping? (We aren’t too fond of that lol)
Would a puppy be a good addition to the family? Would our current dog assume a mother-like role?
Would she get more exercise with a companion?
When she eventually passes away :(, would it significantly affect the second dog?
Are there more cons than pros in our situation?
Thank you so much for your time! 🙂
Hi there- such an interesting post, my husband and I have a two year old Cavalier King Charles and we’re looking at bringing a puppy from the same parents into our family. Do you have any tips on bringing a puppy into an existing home, with both as inside dogs? Our Charlie is very chill and gets along well with most small dogs and all children so I feel like he would cope well with a puppy with higher energy levels than him – I feel like he needs a buddy around the house, even though I’m home a whole lot for him to play with.
Loving reading all the comments on this post, too – keep up the great work (your dogs are amazing!)
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
my husband & I have a 1.5 year old shiba inu, he is always excited about other dogs out and about and very good with children. He has a goofy, yet calm temperment. We just got our second dog a Puppy shiba and Q attempted to attack him, he also barks at him ( Q is very quiet). if you have any suggestions for integrating the new pup that would be so helpful. I’ve never seen Q like this and i have to admit i am disapointed.
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog
I have a15 month old female 25 pound blue heeler terrier ? mix. highly energetc and playful. Have been looking for similarly dispositioned comparable sized dog. Have met two. The one We met today is 6 months was surrenderedyesterday at humane society. she was nervous wth me but then calmed down. So next I brought my dog to meet her. Both were sort of nervous. When my dog tried to greet the puppy the pup snapped so the attendant immediately dismissed their possible compatibility. I didn’ t press though I realy wanted this to worK. Should I try again with the pup? My dog showed mild interest but was mostly distracted by the environment. the previous dog we met also snapped. my dog showed no aggression. She is a sweet thing that wants to pay al the time. thanks fo any insight.
Yeah, it is tough for rescue dogs, especially new rescue dogs because they are brought to a totally new environment, with totally new people, and a totally new routine. This can be very stressful for a dog, which can make them be more nervous.
I really took my time with Sephy. We met with many different dogs over the course of many months for training, socialization, and so that I could get a good idea of which dogs complement him best. With the Chow that I really liked, I spent time alone with him first, walking him and such. In this way, I got to know him first, over multiple sessions, before we did the meeting with Sephy. This helped him to be less nervous because he already knew me.
Don’t rush this. With Sephy we really took our time and we also did a bunch of training sessions at our local SPCA. In this way, we got to know the people there, got to know the dogs there, Sephy became comfortable with the environment, etc.
I have been debating on getting a second dog. My existing dog is a deaf 1.5 year old, male, JRT mix who has no idea he is deaf lol. I am single, live alone, and live in an apartment. So I am wondering if with these factors alone it is not such a good idea to get a second dog. My current dog loves to play and loves other dogs. He is very active and can be a bit of a trouble maker. But he is fairly obediant and knows some signs. Also, he does very well with other dogs. He kind of just stays with the other dog when we are out on walks and stuff. I thought it would be nice for him to kind of have “hearing ear” dog. The dog I am considering is a female, 8 month old (approximated), with what appears to be a similar mix bc she looks just like him. They have offered to let me foster her but I am not sure once I bring her home if I would be able to send her back. I was kind of hoping for some advice from an outside party on whether you think it is a good idea. I am also a little worried about doing everything x2. Thanks so much.
Have the two dogs met? How are their interactions? What is the temperament of the other dog?
For me, I am a big believer in setting my dogs up for success. Therefore, I start by first doing many frequent visits with the other dog. I observe their interactions and temperaments, and see if this will be a plus for my existing dog and also for the new dog. There was a Chow in the SPCA we visited that I really fell in love with, so we visited with him very often. However, after a bunch of play-dates, it was clear that my Shiba was too energetic for the Chow, and he would be pretty miserable having to put up with my Shiba on a continual basis. I would have loved to adopt him, but doing so would not have given the Chow the type of home that he needs. He later got adopted by a couple as a first dog, which I think worked out very very well.
If everything looks good, then I move on to the second phase which is the test period. I think this is very important because it is not possible to tell how things will work out when the dogs are in a different environment, with a different routine, and a lot more together time. I know what you mean about not being able to send a dog back. However, I also believe that keeping an inappropriate dog would only make everyone unhappy, including the new dog. Therefore, I try to be very objective about how things are going and how things will work out in the long-term. For example, with the Chow, he ended up going to a much better home environment. It was difficult, but it was also the right thing for him and for my Shiba.
In the end, it depends a lot on you. I really really wanted a second dog, not just for my Shiba, but also for me. Since I have to do most of the work, that is a very important part of the decision. Do not let other people push you into getting a dog if you don’t feel it is the right time.
I have to spend more time taking care of multiple dogs, walking them, supervising interactions, etc., so I have less free time and less rest time, but that is ok, because it is something that I really want for me. I would only get another dog if doing so enhances the quality of life for everyone in the family – the people, the existing dog(s), as well as the new dog.