Are some dogs just not suited to being an only dog?

[PawPatrolAreOnARoll]

I'm wondering if some dogs just don't like being without canine company?

We bought a 1 year old dog a month ago. Although the owners didn't mention it directly I think they had another dog (counting the dog food bowls and mentioning another dog not liking the one they were selling as he was, "too much for her" I'm assuming that dog was just elsewhere).

I've been working on settling the dog and training him as he struggles with loose lead walking, recall and separation anxiety. This works really well when my kids are at nursery and school but is a disaster when they're here, as they interrupt all the time.

His other troublesome behaviour is that he wants to play with every dog we come across. I've learnt over the last few weeks that this isn't acceptable, even if the dog is off lead, so spend most of our walks calling him away from other dogs. Even then he'll bark and adopt the bum up "play with me" stance.

The only time he seems truly happy is when we see my friend's dogs and he can run around with them. He's so carefree and full of joy.

But when home with me he just looks, well, sad and depressed. I do positive reinforcement, game based training with him but he doesn't seem to enjoy it. I'm affectionate with him but he just seems to tolerate that.

He gets so barky, whiney and desperate when I'm playing with my kids but they don't want him near them, so everybody has been sad for the last few weeks. Yesterday, we decided to contact a friend of a friend who's looking for a dog to see if she'd like to give him a better home than we can.

But, after his walk this morning, with one of my friend's dogs, it got me thinking, maybe some dogs just don't like not being without another dog.

(Don't worry I'm not going to be stupid enough to get another dog. I've come to realise we can't provide a good home for one dog, let alone two!)

Sorry, just to add. Mine constantly carries something in his mouth, they were bred to collect wildfowl so its inherent. Mine will literally carry anything, even a small bag of shopping 😂 it doesn't mean he's unhappy when he's carrying his ball, its a comfort thing and just a goldie thing. He will do the same with socks, t shirts, anything.
Also the huffing when you're not paying him attention is also a goldie thing. He sounds very typical tbh bless him. I'm sure you're actually doing much better than you think

But then I took him for a walk and he barked in the face of a four year old who shook a branch in his face, and we were back to dog not suitable to he out in public. I don't know how people do this?! Honestly there's people at school with puppies and at least three children and they cope fine

Tbf, the child absolutely should not have done that and I hope his mother gave him a verbal bollocking for it, but that said, I honestly don’t think from what you write this dog is at all comfortable around children.

I suppose with proper behavioural support he probably could be bonded to your own children but he really doesn’t sound like a child friendly dog tbh.

I have a dog and I can honestly say she wouldn’t react like that, she has had children run at her, hug her, shout at her, she ha even had children react violently and go to hit and/or kick her.
I went mental but she never responded aggressively.
I don’t think any of the dogs I know would either.

I think if you end up keeping this dog you need to appreciate that while he might bond with ‘his’ children, it doesn’t need sound like he will ever be a child friendly dog and you’ll need to make sure children don’t get too close Imo.