Are you a single-dog household but you\u2019re thinking you might want to get a second dog?<\/p>\n
We are! <\/p>\n
Here are five questions you should consider before adopting a second dog. I\u2019ll include our answers under each tip, in case it\u2019s helpful to see a real-life example.<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.\u00a0This site uses affiliate links, which means I may make a tiny commission on products purchased through links clicked at no extra cost to you. This keeps us running, so thanks for your support!<\/em><\/p>\n So, let\u2019s dig in: <\/p>\n If you\u2019re thinking about getting a second dog, whether you\u2019re just in the early dreaming phase or if you\u2019re actively searching for another pup, here are 5 things to consider:<\/p>\n This is the million-dollar question. How do you know if getting a second dog is the right call or not? Well, the truth is, you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n However, you can make an informed assessment. Ask yourself the following:<\/p>\n For us, our assessment was pretty simple: Penny loves other dogs. She wants to skitter with every dog she sees and tries desperately to befriend every dog who stops to sniff. <\/p>\n Our whole family is on board because she constantly solicits play from the cats and from the human girls, who are all kinda tired of that behavior, so having a second dog will diffuse some of her playful energy. <\/p>\n And our schedules are extremely conducive to a second dog: Either John or I or we both work from home every day, so there\u2019s an adult here at nearly all times. <\/p>\n Timing matters.<\/p>\n If your dog is elderly or suffering from a health condition, it\u2019s probably not the right time to adopt another dog. <\/p>\n If your puppy isn\u2019t fully house trained and your work schedules have changed and the household still needs to adjust or you just had a baby, it\u2019s probably not the right time to add another dog. <\/p>\n Only you will know when the timing is right, but the answers lie within those questions posed under the first point. Everyone, other pets included, need to be on board with adding a second dog. <\/p>\n For us, Penny only recently overcame some of her bigger fears and apprehensions around the house. While her nervousness ruled, it wasn\u2019t the right time to adopt a second dog even though Penny loves playing with other pups. We needed her to be fully settled and secure, plus pretty well-trained on basic cues, before we could even consider another dog. Now, Penny is those things and more! <\/p>\n This is SUCH an important question and also a tough one to answer directly. Why? Because all dogs are individuals. <\/p>\n Our beloved Cooper, who we lost in 2023, was happiest being an only dog. He didn\u2019t love other dogs in general, and he had no interest in playing with other dogs. He just wanted his people. If we adopted a second dog during the latter half of his life, he might\u2019ve settled into it or accepted the situation, but I\u2019m convinced he would not have been happier than if he were a singleton. <\/p>\n Penny is the opposite. She can\u2019t seem to get enough of meeting new dogs. <\/p>\n Think about your dog and your dog\u2019s specific personality. Does he or she enjoy meeting new dogs on walks? Does your pup seek out opportunities to play with other dogs? That doesn\u2019t necessarily mean your dog can\u2019t or won\u2019t be happier with a second dog, but it\u2019s worth considering. <\/p>\n A lot rests on the personality of the second dog, too. Years ago, when we added a third dog to our original herd, I wrote about some of my multiple-dog-household failings. You can read that here<\/a>. <\/p>\n You\u2019ll double your pet care costs, of course. <\/p>\n And you\u2019ll increase the amount of time you need each day for routine pet care, like feeding, walking, nail trimming<\/a>, and\u2013most especially\u2013training.<\/p>\n Your dogs might need a lot of oversight and management before they bond\u2013and they might not ever bond. <\/p>\n If the second dog is a puppy, well, you get the nightmare of dealing with a puppy<\/a>. <\/p>\n In our house, the biggest \u201ccon\u201d is our cats. Newt and Ripley deserve a say in how things are run around here. Newt does an amazing job setting boundaries with dogs, but she\u2019s spent her entire life with a whole range of dogs with differing personalities. Ripley had only ever been with Cooper, who was a very cat-friendly dog. It took her a good 10 months to accept Penny as part of our little herd, so a huge con for us is the upheaval for Ripley. (Although she\u2019ll likely appreciate another dog playing with Penny instead of Penny trying to play with her all the time!) <\/p>\n This is an often-overlooked question.<\/p>\n How do YOU feel about adopting a second dog? Are you ready?<\/p>\n This is a hard one for me because Penny is literally my perfect angel. (She is neither perfect nor an angel, but she is MY perfect angel.) Some of my worries: What if she and a new dog get into a fight and she loses some of the trust we\u2019ve worked so hard to build with her? What if the new dog needs so much attention or training that Penny feels sad or left out? What if Penny bonds more with new dog and stops cuddling me every evening because that is my favorite time of day and I would be so sad to lose that? And so on, and so forth. <\/p>\n Honestly? This is arguably the question you should spend the most time on because, as the human, all of the burden of integrating multiple dogs will fall on your shoulders, and while your existing dog will be significantly impacted\u2013it won\u2019t be any more than you are. <\/p>\n How does your<\/em> heart feel about adopting another dog?<\/p>\n You can read the entire post here<\/a>, but the gist:<\/p>\n The first 3 days<\/strong>\u00a0are for your dog to acclimate to his or her new surroundings. This is the \u201cwhere the heck am I\u201d and \u201cam I staying here\u201d phase. At this point, your dog isn\u2019t showing his or her true colors because of the overwhelm.<\/p>\n The first 3 weeks\u00a0<\/strong>are for your dog to learn the household rules and boundaries in a loving, kind, positive way. It starts your bonding process off on the right foot (er, paw?) and establishes the foundation of your relationship.<\/p>\n The first 3 months<\/strong>\u00a0are for socialization, training, and new experiences. By the end of three months, your dog should feel settled and secure. A part of the family.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Only, instead of granting this grace to only the new dog, you need to extend it to include your existing dog, too. He or she will be going through a major adjustment, as well, so allowing lots of time and space for both dogs to acclimate while you remain calm, present, and patient is THE KEY to success. <\/p>\n Where to look? How old should the dog be? Does breed matter? Or gender? <\/p>\n Stay tuned. That\u2019s the topic for next week! <\/p>\n Join me on Instagram<\/a> to follow along with our search for the perfect pup to be besties with Penny! <\/p>\n Grab a free copy of the book Positive Reinforcement Training for Dogs of ALL Abilities<\/em> when you join my email community! <\/p>\n Sign up here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n1. How do you know if you should get a second dog?<\/h3>\n
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2. When should you adopt a second dog?<\/h3>\n
3. Are dogs happier with a second dog?<\/h3>\n
4. What are the cons of getting a second dog?<\/h3>\n
5. Am I ready for a second dog?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
You\u2019ve decided to bring home a second dog. Congrats! Don\u2019t forget the 3-3-3 rule.<\/h2>\n
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How do you choose the right second pup for your family?<\/h2>\n
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