One Dog or Two, Should I get a second dog? Having 2 Dogs

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One Dog or Two?
I have one dog and my family is often not home. For several hours a day, 5 days a week my dog is left alone. Should I get a second dog, and why would it help?

Dogs are pack animals, meaning they have an instinct to live among a group. They look at the world differently than humans. To them, there must be an order in their group, a leader, a boss of the household. In their mind, everyone must have a place, from the leader on down to the lowest member of their group. In order for humans and dogs to coexist happily, humans must understand the dogs instinct to have an order and understand how to show the dog where his order in the family is. When dogs live with humans, the humans become their pack. Dogs must be shown they are last in the pack order. What does this mean, "Last in the order"? It means, the dog looks at all the other humans in the family as the boss, his leaders. He will happily follow their commands and accept that they are his boss. Believe it or not, dogs are very happy to be last in the pack order. A dog becomes unhappy and stressed when the order is not clear to him and he feels he needs to test the order; which leads to growling at family members and even biting (Read Top Dog and Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position for more info on how to change this behavior).

When a dog is separated from his pack he becomes worried, stressed and unhappy, leading to Separation Anxiety. A lot of destructive behaviors stem from dogs who just cannot deal with being separated from their pack. A lot of unwanted dogs in pounds are there because of behaviors which stemmed from the stress of being left alone without their pack.

It is very common for a dog to be perfectly behaved while you are home, yet destructive and untrustworthy while you are away. There are many things one can do to curb or cure (pick one) this behavior, like crate the dog while you are gone. However, while crating the dog stops your furniture from being chewed, it does not cure the dog from being unhappy and miserable.

We humans have busy lives, and while we are focused on our tasks for the day in order to keep the household running, (i.e. earning a paycheck, and the kids going off to school), the dog sees his pack all leaving him behind, with no understanding of why everyone is leaving and not bringing him along.

So, what can we do to help our dogs cope with living among a busy human household that must leave him behind on a regular basis?

The first thing you want to do is start exercising your dog with a long walk right before you leave for your busy day. This will put the dog in a rest mode while you are gone. Whether you have one dog or a whole pack of dogs, a long, daily walk is paramount. Not just tossing a ball or running around the yard, but a real walk, jog or hike. When a dog is lacking in exercise, his energy bottles up inside him. Just as birds have an instinct to fly free, dogs have in instinct to migrate. Running around your back yard does not curb this migration instinct. This can cause a bunch of behavior issues.

Have you ever thought of getting a second dog? Busy households that must leave their dog home alone for long periods of time should consider it. This may not cure a dog from chewing your trash while you are gone, as half his pack is still leaving him, and heck, there's something tasty in there after all! However, your dog will be happier. I have heard of countless stories of old dogs becoming active again, playing with the younger dog, and a skittish dog coming out of their shell when introduced to a second dog. Sometimes dogs are just happier living with another fellow K-9.

For those of you who have never owned two dogs, it is normal for the dogs to compete for the, "who is first in the pack order". Humans should be so clearly the leader that the issue of boss among the humans never arises in the dog's mind. This can be accomplished with no yelling or hitting involved. Just some simple behaviors on the humans part. Read Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position. Challenges between two dogs should be stopped by the human, making it clear it is not acceptable. Consult a professional if you do not know how to do this.

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Second Dog Success Stories

Mojo, a 7 week old German Shepherd Dog puppy, with Fluffy, a 4 month old mixed Fox Terrier. "I got Fluffy first, and he was very shy and fearful during the first few days. He would hide and show shyness when approached. Then I got this lil cute Mojo. He was very inquisitive and very playful right from the first day. At first I feared that Fluffy would bite and snap at her, but they became friends and they still play a lot together... it seems that Mojo is the dominant now though she is only 7 weeks old. :P"

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"I adopted a 7 month old Great Pyrenees to work on our farm. He was an outside dog, obviously, he cannot protect the herd inside the house, and therefore was not part of the human pack. He was meant to bond with the goats and live among them. He was extremely skittish, and I knew this when I adopted him. He was so upset and afraid of everything that he drooled most of the time and hid in his dog house."

"He was supposed to be a working dog, living with the goats and keeping the fox, raccoon and possum from eating the chickens. Months went by, and he remained skittish, afraid of his own food bowl and extremely skittish around humans he was unfamiliar with, including my own children."

"I went out and bought him a female Great Pyrenees puppy to work with and the results were amazing!"

"The first day I brought the puppy home, my skittish Py forgot he was afraid of my kids, came out of his doghouse, jumping around like the happy Py I knew he could be."

"From that day on, he did a complete turn around. He became less and less afraid of things. Today both dogs are very good flock guards."

They are both very happy dogs

Mary-Sue, Sweet-Pea, Tacoma, and Tundra

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"We adopted Jedi, a Jack Russell from a friend when she was 1 year old. Jedi bonded with my girls, and our 2 year old Shepherd, Collie mix - Bailey immediately."

"In January 2006, we adopted a rescued Shepadoodle puppy to keep Jedi company while we are away at work. Just recently, after months of sitting together looking out the window and barking at the squirrels, Jedi was finally able to teach Koda the puppy how to howl."

We strongly suggest Cesar Millan DVD's and or Cesar Millan Books to every dog owner, from Chihuahua to Pit Bull. An excellent guide to communicating with, understanding, and controlling your dog.

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The Human Dog

Why did my dog do that?

Dogs and Human Emotions

Top Dog
Establishing and Keeping Alpha Position
Alpha Boot Camp for Dogs
Guarding Furniture
Small Dogs vs. Medium and Large Dogs
The Walk
An Alpha Dog
FAQ about dogs
SPCA High Kill Shelter
A Senseless Death, a misunderstood dog
Puppy Temperaments
A Dog Fight - Understanding your Pack
Understanding your puppy or dog
Raising a Puppy
Transforming a Rescue Dog
Should I get a Second Dog
Separation Anxiety
Is your dog out of control?
Jumping Dogs
Top Dog Photos
Housebreaking
Are You Ready for a Dog?

Breeders vs. Rescues

Find the Perfect Dog

The Gangs All Here

Caught in the Act