Should I get a second dog? Things to consider

Please remember that you will be spending more money and time when you decide to get a second dog. You would have to take the dogs to the vet, pay a sitter, groom them, take them to the obedience school, and feed them.

All these things would cost you money for sure. Apart from that, you would also need to buy equipment such as a new collar, bed, leash, crate, and food bowl for the new fur baby.

They would cost you money too. So, if you think that all this extra expense could be a bit too much to bear for you, perhaps you need to think about getting that second dog.

How would your first dog respond? 

You may feel overjoyed at the prospect of adding a new dog to your family, but you need to determine how your present pet would feel. After all, they are entrenched as members of your family.

So, you have to consider the way their quality of life would be affected when you get another dog. Consider if they enjoy the company of other dogs or not. Do they like being alone? How do they interact with other dogs?

All these are crucial factors in this particular context. It would be best if you also consider how they usually deal with any change. It is natural they would already be at ease with the way things are in your home.

In such a situation, they might not appreciate it if their eating and sleeping area is disturbed in any way. On the other hand, adopting a new puppy could be chaotic.

In that case, you would have to find out if your dog would be able to deal with all that disturbance or not. Older dogs do not always prefer sharing their space with puppies that are hyper-energetic.

Do you have time? 

You have to look at your daily schedule in detail and with a lot of time, and be completely honest. Would you be able to spend the time needed to train, assimilate, and love a new dog so that they feel comfortable in your home? The popular opinion is that a second dog frees up your time, but that is a wrong idea to have in these cases.

Your dog would indeed have a companion, and they may enjoy their time together, but you would always have to look after them.

Do you want the new dog to be there forever with you?

Getting any pet calls for some serious commitment. You cannot just let go of your responsibilities once the extra work starts piling up and the initial thrill & charm of getting a new pet start to wear off. Right now, getting a second dog may not be much of a problem for you.

However, can you guarantee that your life will stay the same a few years down the line? You have to think of the extra stress that your life events may have on you before you decide to get a new dog.

How much space do you have?

Is there enough space in your home for a second dog? Perhaps things are feeling cramped already. Do you have a yard? Is there space in your bed? Would you be able to fit in your new puppy over there?

Think how active your present dog is and how active the one you are itching to get is. Make sure that both of them have sufficient space for playing and running.

Think of the extra mess

When you have two dogs, you would have to deal with double the fur and the mess of having two fur babies. In addition, you should know that dogs are not up there with the best of them when it comes to tidiness.

You have to deal with issues like potty accidents, poop that has to be scooped up repeatedly, and muddy paw prints. Apart from that, dogs tend to damage clothes and furniture even when playing, which is a bad habit indeed!

Would you be able to train the new dog?

The task of training a dog can be quite frustrating and is not exactly the funniest of experiences. So, if you have done it once, you would know how godawful it is. Think of that before you get the second dog. Remember that you would have to put in a lot of hard work.

You have to be committed, energetic, and devote time to the cause. So, if you are not mentally strong enough, do not take up such a challenge. Be honest and ask yourself if you would be able to do this or not.

Think about the extra noise

Dogs tend to bark, and some do this more than others. So, if you already have one and planning to get another one, you would have to deal with double the noise. That may cause you quite a lot of headaches.

So, if your present fur angel makes themselves heard a lot, then it is better that you deal with that first before you even consider adding a pup to the mix. After that, you can use various strategies to stop your dog from barking as much as they usually do.

Traveling could become a problem

Have you decided on your next few vacations? So, adding a second dog to the family could make things complicated in this regard. It does so with everything else as well. You would have to find a pet sitter who would be willing to have your dogs, and you would have to pay the extra money to take good care of those dogs as well.

You may be planning to take them on vacation with you. Now that could be a challenging situation. Road trips could become complicated if you have big dogs as they take up quite a lot of space.

Conclusion

Getting another dog is always going to be more challenging and require more effort from you. We agree that a second dog can make things really interesting and entertaining, but you have to consider the factors we mentioned above before deciding.