getting a 2nd dog

[diggerbez]

how do you know if its a good idea? my whippet is 11 months old and is very clingy- he really doesn't like being left alone. we were thinking of getting another whippet anyway and thought it might make our current dog happier...the thing is though i'm worried that he might not accept another dog very well- how would i know?

 

[CorvusCorax]

How does he react around other dogs generally? I would pick a neutral space like a training class or something to see.
Has another dog ever entered his space before? Could you borrow a friend's dog, they could visit and keep it all very controlled, on leads at first, outside first, then inside, that sort of thing, lots of praise and positive behaviour if he remains passive.

Our GSD who passed away last year was very soft-tempered when we bought her, she would wet herself if voices were raised etc and we went about getting her a companion to 'toughen her up'.
We went for a very bolshy lab x JRT x foxhound and while they got on, you could tell N was quite irritated by her! We had to rehome her to an urban family as she was not livestock safe and not very trainable - however, N actually matured very nicely and lost a lot of the clingy behaviour naturally.

 

[CAYLA]

What is he like in general with other dogs? In what way does he not like to be alone? as in does he have seperation anxiety?
Whipps usually do good in pairs as they are heat seekers

so they use each other for cuddles

 

[diggerbez]

oh he's really good with other dogs, he plays like mad with them (in a nice friendly way...maybe a bit overexciteable if anything

) this is despite the fact that he got attacked by a dalmation not very long ago and i was really worried he'd be terrified of other dogs

when we leave him he gets really stressed, even for a short period. we did have him in a crate but had to give up because he got that wound up that he bashed the sides in and escaped (and then ate my riding boots

)He's a lot better now we leave him loose in the house and he can look out of the window and stuff when we aren't in but he does seem to chew a lot of stuff and is generally quite destructive (eating cardboard boxes and stuff for example

). At first we tried to make him sleep downstairs but again he just cried and cried and cried (for 2 months

) so we now let him sleep upstairs in his basket and he's happy enough...

 

[CAYLA]

The only reason I mention this is if u choose a younger pup it's not uncommon for them to pick up the anxiety...so maybe work with that first..........if he is very playful u either have the choice of a younger puppy or an older more playful but more setled dog.......have u tried re crating and introducing a new routine.
I bet he goes most places with you

and follows u all over the house

I remember the Dal situation im glad he did not dwell on that

 

[diggerbez]

yes he is a bit of a stalker

thats what makes me think he needs a dog friend really

 

[louise1967]

Yes definately go for it. I got my 2nd dog when my terrier was 11 months I got him a bitch of the same breed and all went fine and they both lived into old age. I introduced a lab pup to them just before they died and all went well and they helped train her, then when they died I had 2 more labs, all went well, as soon as they sort out the pecking order. Dogs are pack animals so need to have at least 1 companion. Plus it stops all the running off to socialise with other dogs when u go to the park, as they have a companion.