We've been talking, at first jokingly and sometimes more seriously, about getting a second dog. I know, that sounds nuts because I wasn't altogether onboard for the first, but it's true. And oddly, I'm pushing for it. Here are my attempt at organizing my thoughts around this issue.
Benny is a wonderful little dog. But he's scared of everything and doesn't seem very happy. I keep thinking a second dog would give him some companionship and challenge him to involve himself more. Maybe learn some play behaviors or commands.
We all committed to having this dog, so getting Benny didn't fulfill all our preconceptions of actually getting a dog. If we're going to do it, let's do it 100%.
We'd all love Dave to have a dog he can pal around with. Who won't run from the room when he enters it. He takes it personally that Benny is so frightened of him. This whole thing was his idea, he deserves to get the dog he wanted.
The girls too were disappointed with the level of play Benny is willing to partake in, too, but that's the least of my issues.
Sure, there are lots of cons to consider about getting a second dog. There's a higher cost of food, care/grooming and boarding when we go on vacation. I'm also not too keen on house training again. And the new dog will likely act more dog-like in the bad sense -- like chewing toys/shoes and barking/nipping.
When looking at a new dog, we need to consider:
- How old is he? - Is he house trained?
- Does he chew on things?
- Is he getting along with Dave?
- How is Benny interacting with him?
- Is he getting along with girls?
- Does he bite or nip?
- What's his energy level?
With Benny, we signed up to get a lab rescue beagle and he appeared. With the new dog, we'll go about the search more deliberately. We'll set up visits, weekend tests and not settle until we find the perfect fit into our family.
Benny is a wonderful little dog. But he's scared of everything and doesn't seem very happy. I keep thinking a second dog would give him some companionship and challenge him to involve himself more. Maybe learn some play behaviors or commands.
We all committed to having this dog, so getting Benny didn't fulfill all our preconceptions of actually getting a dog. If we're going to do it, let's do it 100%.
We'd all love Dave to have a dog he can pal around with. Who won't run from the room when he enters it. He takes it personally that Benny is so frightened of him. This whole thing was his idea, he deserves to get the dog he wanted.
The girls too were disappointed with the level of play Benny is willing to partake in, too, but that's the least of my issues.
Sure, there are lots of cons to consider about getting a second dog. There's a higher cost of food, care/grooming and boarding when we go on vacation. I'm also not too keen on house training again. And the new dog will likely act more dog-like in the bad sense -- like chewing toys/shoes and barking/nipping.
When looking at a new dog, we need to consider:
- How old is he? - Is he house trained?
- Does he chew on things?
- Is he getting along with Dave?
- How is Benny interacting with him?
- Is he getting along with girls?
- Does he bite or nip?
- What's his energy level?
With Benny, we signed up to get a lab rescue beagle and he appeared. With the new dog, we'll go about the search more deliberately. We'll set up visits, weekend tests and not settle until we find the perfect fit into our family.
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