Have you asked yourself this question? When I did have one dog as my best mate, I did ask myself would my dog be happier with a second dog as a bestie?
I was thinking along the lines that we as humans have been made to enjoy each other’s company and usually do not like to live a solitary life and do welcome the company of a good friend, dogs would be the same.
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Of course, it depends on your family dynamics. If you are a single person and are able to either work from home or are retired, you are able to provide lots of one-on-one time with your faithful friend.
Dogs are pack animals and enjoy our company and look forward to going for walks or outings, being mentally stimulated, and being our trusted companion.
Even in a single household though, there are always occasions when we may have a full day’s appointments for one reason or another, need to visit family or friends and we may be in a position whereby we are unable to take our treasured companion with us.
Hopefully, we have trained our dog to expect separation as being part of the normal activity that occurs in our household, and they understand that we will return in due course and therefore do not stress. Good on you if you have attended to this part of training for your dog’s well-being.
As they share life with you, they know the signs that you are preparing to leave for a short time or longer, they know the shoes or clothes you choose are for going out. They possibly know your daily routine better than you do. They are so discerning!
Just a small tip, when you do return home after a day’s outing, I do not rush to my dog and make a fuss of him or her as I prefer to keep my dog calm so that these outings are calm and part of our normal life together. I simply return inside, change my clothes, maybe prepare a cuppa, then go and say hello to my faithful friend. Do I want to rush in and say hello, of course I do, but it is in my “bestie’s” interests for me not to do this.
So, the question is, would my dog be happier with a second dog? I feel it is in your dog’s best interests to be part of a pair so that when we need to go out, we know they have a friendly companion to keep them company.
The same applies in a family situation, as we are not always able to have one or more family members staying at home constantly. Life happens in the outside world for us all, so a doggie mate is a great idea.
I need to point out here though, that your dog or dogs need to still be looked after by the family, they need to be part of your family pack and not left to their own devices. This is a responsibility to be taken seriously, as the company you give willingly to your animals forms a bonding relationship that is well worth the effort. It is a gift!
I have had male and female dogs together, and all females together. I have not had issues apart from a dog I rehomed that I had to give extra special attention to, however her ability to be part of the pack was hard for her to accept. She wanted to be head boss and as I knew of a lady who was very lonely, having lost her dog and husband I knew this dog would be better as an only dog with this lady. It was a perfect match, difficult for me to part with her but I knew in my heart this was a happy pairing for both of them and it worked brilliantly.
A lot of folk feel that a male and female are a more suitable pair of dogs, which is a personal decision. I found this combination worked well, however, I did spend lots of time helping them to bond together, as my male was miffed initially that he had to share another puppy with me. By giving them each their own special time with me and also playing with them together, just the three of us, in time, the new lass and my male dog were the best of friends.
The one issue I did find was that if I took them together to a friend’s home, the male decided he was the only one who knew the ropes and tried to crowd out the new addition of any attention that was on offer.
At present, I have three females and have had up to five females together, with no issues.
Mind you, I run a routined household, and my dogs “know the ropes” and have learned that my home is a great place to be as I am consistent and calm (well most times!) and life is fun and rewarding.
My husband says that my dogs must pray every night to God and thank Him for their lives as they have landed feet first onto solid ground and would not change their lives for anything.
I must agree that I too love sharing their lives, so, would my dog be happier with a second dog? Of course, they would, because I love having more than one dog and am prepared to go the extra mile to make sure they all mesh together and enjoy each other’s company.
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Until next time…
With Love, Success and Inspiration,
Robin Oliver
