Should I get a second dog?

Oooh this is such a good question!

I’ve definitely seen it both be challenging and go better than expected when bringing home a new younger pup to an established dog, including one that is already “reactive” to other dogs. Even though dog sociability goes down as dogs age*, many can be more tolerant of a puppy or young dog’s “rude” behaviour, as long as we can help manage things.

Being aware of any triggers your established dog has will be important. Dogs coming into your dog’s space might create a “normal” reactive response, but do you have a feel for how far away that starts, and is it getting smaller? This will help determine their current perception of personal & social space. Do they cope better with certain breeds/shapes/sizes than others? Do they seem to pick up anxiety, or age, or do certain types movements trouble them(running for example)? The answers to these kinds of questions might help you with the selection process for the new pup, what you need to be aware of for management, and how the pup can contribute or hinder your established dog’s further progress.

In general, with a bit of planning things go well, and then if there’s still a “personality clash” you can work on specifics.

Plan well:

What are the house rules? Disagreements often arise between dogs if there is a perceived rule disparity (unfairness). Rules may be slightly different out of necessity (eg, for a puppy less freedom, toilet training, etc), but be aware of the rules for each dog so you can manage those differences while you work to reduce the differences as much as possible.

What’s the routine? If a new dog won’t easily slot into your existing routine, find the differences and see what you can start to tweak now to gradually prepare your existing dog for the big change ahead. Include training time, together time, and apart time to help build a successful relationship.
If your routine is going to be different when the new dog arrives (eg, taking leave to integrate a pup), work to as close to the normal/end-state routine as possible.

What’s the set up? Work out who is going to sleep where and have ways to separate the dogs if needed. I strongly recommend each dog has their own space, definitely for eating and preferably for sleeping (such as pens or crates). If there’s a disagreement, physical/mechanical separation without social separation will serve you well while you work through it.

What are your expectations? Be fair in what you expect your established dog to put up with, and be fair in the lessons your new dog may inadvertently learn. Interactions should be supervised. Think about safety first. Have a plan for if it goes wrong, and also have a plan for if it goes right, in support of both dogs.

Get in touch, I can help.

*Reference: https://badrap.org/training-resources/dogdog-tolerance