Should i get a second dog??

gazzer

Im looking for a bit of advice and thought here would be the best place to ask.

Basically i have a dog (cocker spainiel x) for almost two years and i love her to bits...she is full of energy and is the most affectionate dog i have ever had (i have had a dog since i was 7). I share a house with my friend and we both work so the dog is out in the garden from 9am till 4.30 pm Mon - Fri.. the rest of the time she is in the house, she sleeps on her own little bed in my room and she gets walked all the time...

I dont think that her being out for the 7 1/2 hours is affecting her as she gets all the attention in the world the rest of the time but obviously i dont know for sure..I was thinking of getting another dog to keep her company during the day but i dont know if that is a good idea.. would she resent another dog coming into the house?? has anybody brought a new dog into the home after only having one dog for a long period of time??

Soupi

i have a golden cocker spaniel (Seyder) and an alsation (Hollie).they get on great, Seyder is my dog and he's spoilt rotten, he sleeps upstairs and gets a choice of who's room he wants to sleep in. he's very rarely alone but it helps having Hollie around when he is,she's our guard dog and sleeps out the back but she's in the house in the evening too.

knowing cocker spaniels the way i do, i've had them all my life, they love affection and attention and although she'll be a bit miffed by having another dog in the house, once you show her that she'll still get her attention than she'll love it. dogs get very lonely on their own especially for such a long time. i'd never think of having only one dog,i don't think it's fair on them.

Sigma Force

It really depends on the dog you get and how well they get on together, you could end up with another dog where they don't 'click' with each other or and cause more hassle.The new dog may not like being left for 7 and 1/2 hours a day where as your other dog is used to it.
Saying that my two girls are great company for each other sometimes they will snuggle up together and sometimes they do their own thing. Thing you have to ask yourself is if the 2nd dog doesn't work out e.g. if they don't get one, or if the new dog doesn't like being left etc what do you do then. If you have the time to introcude the two to each other or better still if you are able to take your own dog to meet the new dog before you take the dog home and also have a gurantee from whereever you get the dog from that they will take the dog back should things not work out.

Another alternative is to get a dog walker to call in in the middle of the day, although your dog is used to the hours it will break up the day a lot for her.
Mabey a friendly neighbour would do it or sometimes dog walkers are advertised in local shops.

Trick is to pick the right dog that will fit in with you and your own dog. If the two hit it off it could be a life long friendship.

fits

I recently took in a dog on a weeks trial (an abandoned terrier) to keep company for my whippet, but it didnt work out as she barked an awful lot (at noises outside). I know a week isnt very long, but it transpired we had to move out, so decided to give her back rather than cause her more upheaval.

Our dog is the same, he is on his own 8 hours a day maybe 3 days a week, but he had unlimited access to the house, and we find he sleeps on our bed where our scent is strongest when we're not there and he doesnt seem remotely upset ( doesnt bark or chew). He is taken out of the house twice a day for over half an hour each time and sleeps in the bedroom with us at night if he wants.

If we were in a bigger house where we didnt have neighbours in close proximity I would consider taking another dog, but where we are, taking in an unknown is too risky.

I suggest you consider all of these things before you take in another, and perhaps if you can, have a week or two as a trial. Maybe if it aint broke you neednt fix it.

Tabitharose

I recently got a second dog - I had a 4 year old lab & got a 6 month old as a companion dog for her - they get on like a house on fire, from the little that I know about your circumstances from your post, I think it would possibly be a good idea to get a second dog. My second dog came from Puppy Rescue in Kilkenny, I drove down with my dog & we went out for a walk with the other dog to see how they got on (they got on great) and we haven't looked back since - sure we have the usual puppy hassles but that's cause I've a 6 month old (now 8 month old) lab puppy in the house - nothing to do with bringing a second dog in. The other alternative that you could look at is a dog walker - I had someone come in & take my dog for a walk every day before I got the second dog so that she didn't get lonely during the day. I would advise that you contact a rescue & explain the situation to them, they could possibly advise about the dogs that they have at present, and if it was close to you you could probably go walk your dog with the one you want to adopt a couple of times to see how they get on before bringing the second dog home.

If you do get a second dog there are things that you should ensure you do - for example feed your existing dog first - then the new dog etc - let me know if you decide on a second dog & want to know more

Good luck