Want another dog .... what to consider?

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

We adopted our now 2 year old 25kg mixed breed 2 years ago. She has settled in well (with a lot of work!) and is a great family dog. I work from home and dds are 6 and 10. We would love to have another dog, a companion for our pfd, a smaller dog, maybe a terrier mix or toy mix (we live in Texas so there are a gazillion chihuahua mix puppies in shelters).

What should I consider when looking for another rescue dog? Obviously, good with kids and dogs but beyond that?

[imabusybee]

I rehomed a second dog a fortnight ago - its been a tough couple of weeks but so worth it to see how DDog 1 loves her now! My starting point was deciding on size, and temperament according to what kind of dogs DDog 1 is friends with & going from there. Our new DDog 2 is a 10 month old Breton Spaniel who had no training, never lived in a house but very gentle nature & loving temperament. Imo most other things can be worked on. The first 2-3 days were like world war 3 with DDog 1 stropping around constantly snapping and putting her in her place but once he got over it he's loved having a playmate. He's a playful energetic dog so matching that with DDog 2 was important.

Tldr; focus on your DDog & their character, what kinds of dogs they like and go from there. :)

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

Thanks Bee! Our ddog is very active and playful (often commented on by our vet and trainer..) so one of my priorities is finding the right temperament in another dog. Do I go with equally playful and live with a constant tornado or a calmer dog who may calm her down or just get fed up with her wanting to play......? I guess I need to ask a lot at the shelter and maybe speak to dog foster families (many dogs in shelters spend time in foster families here so that their characters can be assessed in a household setting).

Any tips on introducing a new dog?

[yummumto3girls]

We decided on a second dog to keep first one company, it is like a constant tornado of them playing, chasing, play fighting!! It does not ever stop and is exhausting!! Second dog is only 5 months now, so hoping things will calm down soon. On the other hand it is lovely to see older dog having so much fun with a playmate!

[mistlethrush]

My friend recently got a new rescue dog to fit in with her (elderly) lurcher and (three legged)(younger) lurcher. The younger lurcher was the key... She took him along to meet a bitch lurcher and instead came away with a slightly smaller male lurcher - and the two have been playing with each other all the time since then. Your existing dog will help you to make the decision - find a dog that your dog accepts and is happy to socialise with.

[TooOldForGlitter]

If I was you I'd line up a shelter I liked the look of and take current dog along and let her have a look at some. See how she reacts and which dogs she seems to like. It might be that she decides for you.

[TooOldForGlitter]

I've just said what mistlethrush said, sorry!

[MyFriendsCallMeOh]

Thank you all!

[imabusybee]

Just wrote out a really long post & then Internet crashed on my phone grr! Op my DDog1 is 3.5 so perhaps a bit calmer than yours but it's not a tornado all the time - just 2/3 times a day when they have mad sessions! As for introducing them there's a million posts online about it - I read up on loads beforehand and it really helped although as I say we still had a tumultuous few days before things settled down!

[HarlettOScara]

Prepare for the fact that they might not be best friends. Not all dogs need canine company. I had two for many years who tolerated each other but no more than that. They would rarely even choose to be in the same room together. It wasn't really a problem as they didn't fight or anything but don't assume that because they both have 4 legs and a tail that they will be perfect company for each other.