Should You Get a 2nd Dog?

Should you get another dog?

The answer: “it depends.” 

When people ask me this directly after explaining their situation, my answer is frequently “maybe,…but maybe not.” 

The bigger questions to ask are:

• Why do I want a 2^nd dog?  What are my specific goals with obtaining this dog?

• How will my other dog feel about sharing my (the owners’) time and attention with this new dog, and also sharing their resting spots, toys, etc?

• Do I already provide everything that I could/should for my current dog? 

• Daily quality attention and interaction with the owner (e.g. play, petting, cuddles)

• Walks every day (not just for exercise – this is important sensory and social enrichment)

• Frequent visits to parks or hiking trails

• Participation in training and enrichment classes

• Frequent opportunities to see known friends, and to meet new ones (people or dogs – if desired by the dog)

• What is the plan if my existing dog rejects the new dog and does not bond with them?

• Does my current dog have behavioral issues?

If the existing dog is a generally well-socialized and balanced dog, then the addition of another dog can be positive.  Of course, there is never a guarantee that dogs will like each other.  Dogs do not get to choose if they get a roommate, and they usually do not get to choose who that roommate will be.  Many dogs love other dogs, but it does not necessarily mean they would like living with one full-time and sharing everything with another dog.  Some dogs simply like being the only dog in the home who receives all the attention.  They may like things the way they are and not want that to change.  In other cases, they may not mind sharing the home with another dog, but they may not like the particular dog the owners chose.  Some breeds have tendencies toward same-sex aggression issues, and that can factor into decisions with bringing in another dog.

The risk of being bitten increases with having multiple dogs in the home, and it also increases with each additional dog. The United States' Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that adults are five times more likely to be bitten if they have two or more dogs in the home, compared to people who do not have any dogs. Owners may end up being bitten when breaking up fights between dogs, intervening in resource guarding incidents between dogs, or bitten during redirected aggression episodes which can become especially heightened and escalate quickly when there are multiple dogs barking and reacting to an outside trigger.

Very frequently, people who reach out to me with questions about getting a second dog are hoping that the new dog will help to alleviate anxiety or problematic behaviors in their existing dog.  People often attribute problem behaviors to boredom, which is typically not the case.  Frequently, there is long-standing anxiety, fearfulness or other serious issues in multiple contexts that owners hope will improve if the dog has a companion.  This could include (but is not limited to) hypervigilance and barking from the home or yard during the day, fearfulness or aggression with visitors to the home, reactivity directed at dogs or people on walks, noise sensitivities that trigger barking, resource guarding issues, etc.  Sometimes, there is also under-enrichment and current under-socialization because the owners do not have the time or bandwidth to adequate provide these things for their existing dog.  Adding a new roommate to the mix is usually NOT a good approach to addressing serious behavioral issues, especially when dealing with anxiety.  A companion may help to relieve boredom – IF the presence of the new dog is accepted and the existing dog does not mind sharing their home and the owner’s attention.  A new dog may also help to reduce anxiety in public places and may help reduce separation anxiety in some limited cases.  However, it is much more common to see problematic behaviors in the existing dog worsen after bringing in a new dog.  Sometimes, the problematic behaviors are copied and adopted by the new dog, too.

In a dog who has serious emotional and behavioral issues, an overall positive behavioral response to the new dog encompasses a small minority of instances in my experience – but it does happen sometimes.  However, in the majority of cases in my experiences, there  typically is increased overall anxiety; increased resource guarding of the owner, food, toys, beds, and physical spaces; and overall worsened behavioral and emotional states.  Typically, this occurs after 3-6 months once the new dog acclimates and the existing dog realizes that the new dog is truly permanent.  Once these problems emerge, owners may attempt to limit the dogs’ access to toys, special bones and chew items, and food.  They may start crating the dogs while at work to try to ensure safety instead of working with a professional on emotional and behavioral modification.  Unfortunately, these extensive management measures that limit access to enrichment and limit autonomy only further increase both dogs’ stress and anxiety levels.  Usually, the new dog starts adopting some of the problematic behaviors of the existing dog, such as leash reactivity, barking at outside noises from inside the home, and sometimes copying anxious behavior in various contexts because they are taking emotional and behavioral cues from the older dog.  They also sometimes learn aggressive behaviors toward people or dogs because that is what they see modeled by their closest companion.

Both dogs usually end up with a lot less time and quality interaction with the owner.  That factor alone can significantly increase stress in a dog who is used to receiving all the owner’s attention.  Regular walks, park visits, and training classes outside of the house are often reduced in frequency because it is more difficult to handle two dogs than just one.  This leads some owners to give up on walks and park visits all together.  The new dog also requires basic training.  However, many people overlook that issues in the home also require training since there are two dogs who need to learn how to navigate social and resource issues in desirable and healthy ways.  This makes training a second dog more complicated than simply training a dog who is the only dog.  Unfortunately, many owners leave the dogs to sort out access to resources amongst each other through bullying and aggression instead of actively training, monitoring and helping the dogs to learn appropriate social behavior.  Sometimes, they have heard the same faulty advice that I remember hearing as a new dog owner many years ago: “Just leave them alone.  They will work it out”.  They will work it out, usually with bullying…and it may involve teeth.  The new dog often ends up under-socialized with people, dogs, and in public settings because the owner is overwhelmed.

Instead of reducing the effort required by the owner, obtaining a new dog ends up increasing it.

In any event, it is important to remember that a second dog is not less work if it is done correctly.  In most cases, it is a lot more work.  It ends up being a whole lot more work if the dogs do not get along – which happens.  Carefully consider whether your dog is truly receiving everything they should at this moment in time, and whether a new dog would improve or worsen their quality of life (which will likely affect your qualify of life, too).

Reference:

CDC. (Jun 15, 2026). Dogs. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/dogs.html

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Eileen Koval, M.S., CDBC, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, MSc is an applied animal behaviorist and a fully certified dog behavior consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She earned an M.S. in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare from Husson University. Eileen believes that understanding each dog as an individual is the foundation of a good cross-species relationship. She enjoys helping humans and dogs communicate more effectively to create brilliant relationships filled with joy, purpose, and fulfillment for all involved. Eileen offers private consulting for serious dog behavior issues, obedience/manners, and agility training. She developed a unique online course to help pet parents and trainers teach reliable snake avoidance behavior off-leash through positive reinforcement techniques. These techniques have been applied by trainers worldwide to teach dogs to avoid dangerous environmental hazards and respect off-leash property boundaries. Eileen lives on a small ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her husband and their Nederlandse Kooikerhondjes.