One of the most common questions I receive from families contemplating getting a second dog is “do these two breeds get along?” or “which breed would be best to get along with Fido?” While this question seems like an important one it really is not one that should be approached in this manner. Adding a second dog to your family is a personal decision and what dog you adopt should be based on your families desires and your current dog’s personality rather than your dog’s breed.

The consideration that many people bring up is that they may have a terrier, a breed which carries strong instincts for chasing small animals and they are looking at a smaller breed like a chihuaha and they are concerned that their dog will chase the second dog around the house. The fact to keep in mind in this situation is that not every terrier is going to have such a strong prey drive that they chase another animal around the house and likewise not every smaller dog is going to put up with being bullied.

A decision to bring another dog in to your house should be based on both dog’s temperements and what you are willing to put forward in terms of caring for your dog. Obviously if you have a dog currently who does not tolerate other male dogs in his territory, you are going to want to consider only female dogs. Also if you currently have a rat terrier and are not prepared to budget the money to feed a breed such as a St Bernard then you obviously want to look at smaller breeds for your second dog. Despite breed steriotypes each individual dog is exactly that, an individual and their likes and dislikes will vary widely depending on their personality.

Your best bet when considering a second dog is to find a few dogs that you are interested in, research the breed of dog and ask the dog owner/shelter as many questions about the dog as you can, finally you want to bring your dog to meet the new dog and make sure that they are compatible.

Now please note these rules when thinking about a second dog, while they are my personal suggestions, they should be common sense to most people but you wouldn’t believe the people who i’ve met who have committed one or more of these sins.

1. NEVER give up your first dog so that you can bring a “new dog” home, this is not only unfair but it is just plain evil and akin to giving up your first born because you’re expecting another baby or have found a child better than yours.

2. NEVER get a second dog just to keep your first dog company, your dog considers you his pack and the addition of another dog should be something that your human family wants not something that is based on your “dog’s wants”.

3. ALWAYS consider the additional cost of adding a second dog to your family, just because you already have one dog doesn’t mean the cost of adding a second is going to be much less than the first.

4. ALWAYS do your research on the INDIVIDUAL dog you are looking to bring in to your family, each dog is different, the extra time you take in researching your second dog will pay off when you finally bring him in to your home.