Image featuring @baileyandfergie
- Dogs are social creatures and living in a household with another dog may enhance each individual canine’s overall wellbeing.
- Each doggy gets constant companionship, increased feelings of security and reduces anxiety.
- Dogs need exercise and few of us can play with our dog the way another dog would. We’re not likely to jump into puddles of mud and wrestle, nor would we put our mouths around our dog’s legs while play-fighting.
- Increased exercise helps to keep our dogs from being bored, which translates to less destructive behaviours such as chewing on shoes or furniture.
- Increased activity also translates to healthier appetites, which ensure that your dog is consuming all the essential nutrients he or she requires.
- Having already house-trained your first dog, training the second one will be much easier because
- Your first dog can help guide your second addition when it comes to where to poop and pee.
- Dogs often learn from one another, and when your first dog behaves appropriately to stimuli like a door bell ringing, the second dog is most likely to pick up on it after some time.
- Your first dog has already learned the daily schedule, such as when it’s time for dinner or for walks. His behaviour when it comes to such things will help guide your second dog to do the same. Copying each other’s behaviour is a natural part of canine development and pack cohesion.
- Besides the fact that your life will feel fuller and happier, your dog will also be more relaxed and secure with a companion. Depression can occur in dogs if left alone for too long and it can manifest physically in ways such as obsessive licking and scratching, which can progress to lick granulomas on his body that can become infected.
- If you also have kids at home, having pets can teach them responsibility and compassion, among other good qualities. Dogs have been known to help children cope with crises in their lives such as family disruptions, bad experiences, loneliness and stress.
- If you can consider opening up your home to an additional dog, consider adopting one from a shelter – you end up saving more than just one life in the end. For more information about the different local animal shelters, you may visit our KONG CARES page.