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My 1st dog as an adult was 6 y/o and began acting "old." I thought she might die soon and got a puppy so my kids wouldn't be too devastated when the old one died. Well, she perked up and lived another 6 yrs. She was just bored and lonely! They keep each other company when you aren't home and play as only another of the same species can.
i think if you go about it correctly, you should have no problem. are you looking to rescue? there are so many dogs in shelters, especially now with people losing their homes and all...
when we added another dog to our family, zeke was already 6 years, totally spoiled and the love of our lives. we brought him with us to the shelter and decided that a female would be the best match for him. (in a strictly brotherly way, lol). he did well with her at the shelter so home she came. there were times of some jealousy but all in all, once he got use to this pesky little girl, they became fast friends and playmates. like southernbelle, it seems to keep him young.
good luck and i hope you find the perfect companion!
Once you've had two dogs, you never go back to one.
You have to have a good idea that your dog (and the new one) don't need to be "only" dogs. Any good rescue or shelter will have as good an idea as possible- they don't want to make bad placements.
I always have multiple dogs, and any issues come out when the dogs realize the new one isn't going away- weeks later. So the pack shakes out and it's OK, but you have to watch them and don't leave them alone unsupervised until you're pretty sure of how they get along.
I wouldn't say that one dog gets jealous, etc. He's likely to want the same attention he's always gotten, not be jealous of the other for getting attention, etc.
Best wishes- you multiply the fur fun!
Your dogs behavior will be based on what boundaries you set. If you just plain don't allow him to behave in a negative manner toward the new dog, no problems.
However, since you're looking to adopt, if you go to a rescue that knows what they are doing, they should let you bring your dog with you (as long as he's fully vaccinated) so he can help pick out his new friend. I highly encourage anyone adopting from me that has another dog at home to either bring their dog(s) along or I'll take the dog(s) they are interested along with me when I do the home check. Most times they'll pick each other.
Good luck and if you do adopt, don't forget the photos!! We like photos!
Dogs are pack animals so I like having a couple of them around.
There may be some jealousy issues sometimes but let them work out there own problems if there are any.
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