PART ONE: The why
The first question I like to ask is, why do you want to add a 2nd pup to the fam?
Here are some of the most popular reasons:
1) Dog #1 has separation anxiety and you want a companion to "help" with that.
2) Dog #1 gets into too much trouble when you're gone
3) Dog #1 won't chill on their own and requires lots of entertainment & stimulation, so you want to get a friend to occupy them.
Are you considering a 2nd dog for any of these reasons?
So many people decide to get a 2nd dog because their 1st dog is "a handful" and they want the new dog to exhaust, teach, and occupy their 1st.
I'm afraid that though that may be well-meaning, it is bad logic, and will only create further problems, not solutions, because NEWS FLASH...It's not your first dogs responsibility to parent your new dog!
PART TWO: Examples & duplicates
A good question to ask yourself when you're thinking about adding another dog is:
"Do I like where my current dog is at?"
A lot of people don't realize that one of the most powerful teachers in your 2nd dogs life is the 1st dogs example! Chances are very high that where your 1st dog excels and shows a good example, your new dog will learn positively from them.
But where strengths rub off, so do weaknesses.
Work on fixing what you don't like with dog #1, before adding dog #2, because dogs will follow their own species example first. So take time to really examine if you, and your current dog, are in a good place to lead TIMES TWO.
PART THREE: Togetherness
A lot of people picture life with two dogs and every moment is envisioned together...eating from the same bowl, sleeping in the same crate, going on pack walks from day one, and every moment of training in between always done together.
However, zero separation is neither necessary nor entirely helpful during the imprint period (0-8 months).
There is a lot of value in going through different aspects of development and training with your new dog on their own, just you and them.
You want them to look to you for leadership and guidance, not their dog playmate. Though an older, mature and well-trained dog is an EXCELLENT benefit in many training instances (as mentioned above, the example of another dog is very powerful in habits rubbing off on younger pups), you don't want that main relational role being filled by anything but you.
This is important in creating a bond between them and you that's strong and balanced.
IN SUMMARY:
1) Be honest about your why
2) A second dog won't fix your first dogs problems
3) Is your first dog in a good place to influence your next addition?
4) Not everything should be done together at the beginning, so...
5)...Do you have time & energy to do things twice?
**A NOTE ON AGE: We always highly encourage families to wait till their first dog is at least a year old before embarking on adding another puppy to the family. The first year is very crucial in training, development, and bonding, and it's best to allow that process to unfold with just 1 puppy at a time.
We hope this post helped you as you're beginning to consider adding another member to the family!
Being properly prepared and knowing your why is always a good foundation to start with :)
The RLD Team