At the risk of sounding like a naysayer, I confess I must share a significant No No with you.
Yes, I know, one of my recent blog posts was about pet peeves. Does negativity come with advanced age? Don’t answer that.
So here is a Big Time No No:
Do not get a second dog if your resident dog has behavioral issues.
Maybe you believe that another dog will keep your current dog company and therefore alleviate some of the problems your dog is experiencing, like separation anxiety or destructive chewing. If so, you would be:
a. Spitting into the wind
b. Up a creek without a paddle
c. Sadly mistaken
d. Off your meds
Answer: All of the above
That innocent new dog of yours is not a panacea or a cure or a saint. It will not teach your first dog to be better behaved. In fact, if your current dog is a leash puller but not a barker, I can practically guarantee that your new dog WILL be talkative AND will inspire his new best bud to speak up loudly and often too.
If your current dog is not quite housebroken, your new dog will smell the evidence of his past indiscretions, and pee there, too. Voila! Two dogs doing their business inside your home.
Imagine taking two dogs that are both challenging on leash on a walk.
Or trying to manage that whole door-answering fiasco – with two exuberant dogs – when the pizza guy arrives.
I could go on.
In case you need further convincing evidence, please read One for All, All for One, He Did It!, and Who Invited You? And for a truly cautionary tale, Dog Wars.
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