To Get a Puppy?

[Operetta]

Rasa and I have a four and a half year hold cream chow named Tai. He grew up with two other dogs, including his half sister. Since Rasa and I bought our own house, Tai has been mostly okay. We take him to visit his half sister about once a week or so mainly so he's not home alone for several hours. Recently, however, we've noticed that he seems really depressed. He's been chewing on his paw a bit and doesn't like to go outside for any length of time. We think this is due to the fact that Rasa has been gone more lately, and I have been having to work an odd schedule at my office. So, we are debating about getting a second dog to keep him company, particularly a chow girl, especially since Rasa is thinking about going back to school in the Fall and will be gone even more than she is now. We aren't sure, however, how Tai would react to a puppy since he's never been around younger dogs, and he has a tendency to play really rough. When we brought him home, his older half sister hand a massive anxiety for weeks and wouldn't go anywhere near him.

So, any thoughts?

[RikkuGirl]

Other dogs are always a good thought. However, you do need to be there in the beginning to make sure they get along, etc. So someone would need to be around for a portion of it, unless one or both of the dogs are caged. Have you tried music or leaving the television on when not home? Sometimes having voices and sounds helps them to be more at ease.

Dogs are pack animals and just like humans, seek out companionship. They don't like to be alone, just like us. I would say a puppy could be a good idea, or maybe a shelter dog? :3 If you could find an older dog that gets along, might be a good thing. Then you dont have to worry about them playing too rough?

Just my thoughts.

[amazondreamer]

Getting a second dog with the exception that it will help your current dog to cope with seperation can easily backfire and you end up with two depressed or anxious dogs.

The time you do have at home would be devided between the two dogs, and while they might play and keep each other company while you're away, they might both pine instead. I would recommend focusing on helping Tai overcome his depression first. Physical and mental stimulation before you leave, toys (particularly food-puzzles) are a good idea. Work on establishing a routine so there is structure and familiarity.

I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't get a second dog, but the new dog will be looking to Tai as an example- especially if you get a puppy. So you want him to be as happy and well adjusted as possible before you introduce a new dog.

[Operetta]

@Rikku - Rasa would be home to take care of the puppy for the first several months, and when she is required to be gone, the puppy would go with her to our parents' house or be kept separately from Tai until we're sure that Tai wouldn't accidentally hurt it. When Tai is home alone, he is outside in his fenced yard with a nice overhang to keep him out of the sun, etc. So, leaving on music or the television probably wouldn't work, especially since he'd probably think our house was being broken into since he would have seen us leave. We haven't had any luck with our local animal shelters thus far, and we have already adopted one shelter dog that lives with my parents who has a ton of problems. So, we're a bit hesitant about getting a second shelter dog.

@Amazon - Tai actually does have a very set routine, and we hide a treat for him every day. We call it his search and destroy game. It's pretty much his favorite time of day. Most of the week, his routine is not interrupted, and he's usually okay. But on the days Rasa has to go to my parents' house, his routine usually gets messed up at least a little. I think we're hoping that if we get him a friend, he will be able to adapt a bit better to possible future routine changes, like Rasa being gone for school instead of being at home with him.

[tierasa]

We're going to take Tai to see some puppies tomorrow just to see if it's even a possibility. He's a very good dog, but he's never been around a puppy before, and we just don't know if he'll be accepting of another dog in the new house. He lived with other dogs at our parents' house, but this being his home it's a different matter. So we'll just have to guage his reaction toward the puppies and see if he likes either of them and if either of them like him. They're two little blue girls and are biologically Tai's nieces. The breeder has one of Tai's half-brothers who is the father of this litter. We're really excited just to go meet them especially since I was very close to Tai's breeder and spent a lot of time helping her with her puppies. I'm curious to see if the daddy of the litter will remember me. We'll let you know how it goes.