Jessie knows exactly what she needs on a hot day – a shady spot and a cool, refreshing drink of water
Some dogs will literally play until they drop – especially ball-fixated dogs like labs. They don’t have many ways of telling you that they’re overheating or suffering from heat stroke, so it’s up to you to watch for signs: check their gums – they should be pink, not bright brick red or blue, and watch for excessive panting, increased heart rate and temperature, and confusion. In extreme cases breathing stops, there’s bruising, vomiting or diarrheoea, seizures or ultimately coma.
A recipe for a healthy, happy dog in the summer is water, shade and careful supervision. Monitoring and limiting their amount of play-time during the hottest time of day is essential. Never, ever leave your dog in a vehicle in the summer – they get too hot. And, for extra doggie comfort give your dog their own pool for easy self-cooling.
If you suspect that your dog is overheating, get their temperature down immediately. Place them in a shaded area and submerge them in cool water – especially the head and paws – keeping their face above water. Spraying them with a hose works too. Encourage them to drink water and check their temperature regularly, making sure you don’t lower it too low so they go into hypothermia.
Learn more about how to prevent health problems by taking a pet first aid course nearest you.
Shortly after young lab Jerry arrived, he threw up a little bit. Not pleasant, but not something to worry about. All it took was a quick clean-up and a little snuggle. About an hour later, he threw up two two-inch lag bolts, a piece of metal, fragments of kids’ toys, and a ball of wool. Yikes – Jerry was quickly off to the vet for an x-ray. Dr. Sheppard said his guts looked like a Marshall-Wells Hardware store. Lucky for Jerry, he passed two desk keys and some other gunk without needing surgery.
Sadly, we hear this story all too often. Skittles had surgery to remove a half ball that the neighbours’ children accidentally threw over the fence. Luckily he had eaten a small rock, which showed up on the x-ray. Maggie ate a bath towel. Carly usually passes socks, but needed $3500 in surgery to get the last one out. Shadow the vizsla has had two surgeries, the first to remove a Power Ranger, and the second, a small stuffed money. Sadly, Spike the dalmatian died after a baby pacifier gummed up his intestines.
Although anything small enough to swallow could be a problem, according to VIP Pet Insurance, the most common items dogs eat are socks, underwear, pantyhose, rocks, balls, chew toys, corn cobs, bones, hair ties/ribbons and sticks.
If your dog vomits a little bit, don’t worry about it, but if the vomiting is frequent or projectile, or if there is associated diarrhoea, blood, a fever, lethargy, or distended abdomen contact your veterinarian. If your dog ever throws up metal or other nasty objects, go to the vet. If you’re unsure, check their circulation, and if their gums are white, take them to the vet right away.
To prevent gastrointestinal obstruction, remove small objects from any place your dog has access to, and check their toys regularly to remove small or damaged items.
The conversation usually goes like this: I want a beagle.What makes you want a beagle? I don’t know. They’re so cute.
Boober is a gentle blue heeler husky cross. She likes long walks with occasional bursts of energy, sheds a bit, doesn’t drool much, and is pretty low-maintenance.
Dogs come in all shapes, sizes, colours and dispositions – along with a variety of lifestyle needs, yet so many people pick their puppy solely based on size or looks. While size and looks are great criteria when buying a new pair of shoes, they’re not the most important factors when picking a dog who lives with you for the next 10 to 15 years. I catch myself doing it too. I see a cute little puppy on the humane society web site and momentarily think, “awe – I want that dog,” and easily rationalize it. But I quickly snap out of it. It would be selfish for me to get another dog right now – especially when that dog would be better off living with someone else.
The best time to think about what you want in a dog is long before you’re spontaneously reacting to one. Here are some things to think about long before taking the puppy plunge.
YOUR READINESS A most important factor to think about is what makes you want a new puppy or dog. Are you looking for a companion, an exercise partner, a gift for your child, a guard dog or something else? I always worry when people say they want a guard dog and have no experience with them. What that usually means is they know nothing about dogs, they naïvely believe that throwing a dog in the back-yard means they have a guard dog, and what they end up with is an under-socialized, aggressive animal.
Who lives with you or visits often?
Different dogs are better for different family types. You should end up with a different dog if you live alone, with others, with young children, or are planning a family in the near future. If you already live with animals, determine how you’ll introduce the new one to your pack. Also think about what you’ll do if all of your pets don’t get along.
How much time and effort will you realistically spend with this animal? Puppies are a LOT of work – they need to be socialized, house-trained, obedience trained and exercised. Think about your lifestyle. Do you spend several hours a day at work, belong to different sports teams, and socialize a lot? Are you prepared to give some of that up to spend time with your dog? How much exercise do you want to do with your dog? Are you a walk around the neighbourhood kind of person, marathon runner, or are you into elite dog sports like agility? Be realistic about this – if you’re a couch potato today, you’re not likely to spend two hours a day vigorously exercising your future dog and spending time at the dog park.
Have you been successful with pets before? A commitment to a pet is for life. By being successful, I mean as an adult have you already cared for a pet for its entire life? If you’ve had one or more false starts where you’ve had a pet, then for some reason gave it up – especially more than once - think long and hard about whether you deserve a dog in your life. What’s best for the dog over the long-term?
YOUR MATCH
What size of dog fits your lifestyle and home?
The type of home you live in, or are likely to live in soon is important. Do you live in an apartment, condo with neighbours, or house with a small or large yard in a city, town or out in the country? Are you moving into a seniors’ complex soon? Are you likely to move back in with your parents? Are they likely to move in with you? We see a lot of empty nester parents who end up looking after their 20ish year-old kids’ dogs, so it’s really important to think this through – possibly even involving other family members in your decision. (If you’re uncertain about your future living arrangements, think about fostering animals with your local shelter or rescue group instead of taking one on for life, or think about adopting a senior dog. That way you’ll get short-term companionship without long-term commitment.)
What kind of attitude and energy are you looking for?
You may think you want a lab puppy, but are you really ready for that? Here’s your guarantee – all puppies are cute, and all puppies are a LOT of work. High-energy adolescent dogs between two and four years old need a lot of exercise to burn off pent-up energy. Adult and senior dogs may be slightly set in some ways, but often have life figured out and are simply more laid back. And when it comes to breed-specific temperaments, some dogs are better when handled by experienced dog people. (Please don’t take on more dog than you can handle.) Before committing to a specific breed, talk with experienced dog people about the pros and cons of each breed.
What’s your gross-out factor?
Dogs shed, drool, and bark. They pee and poop daily, vomit occasionally and have eye boogers. Some dogs do more or less of all of these things. I have a high tolerance to hair, but excessive drool grosses me out. A lot of really small dogs never completely figure out the house-training thing. Know your limits and select a dog that has characteristics you can live with.
How much time and money will you spend on grooming?
All dogs need some amount of grooming including brushing, bathing and clipping, along with nail trimming, dental care, and expressing anal glands (ew!). Those with quick-growing coats likely need professional care, others with long hair need regular brushing and often need supplementary sanitary trims and butt baths too.
Where will your dog hang out while you’re away?
If you and your partner have jobs that keep you away from your dog for large parts of the day or night, where will your dog spend his time? A yard? A crate? In the house? What will you do so he’s not bored? Especially if you get a puppy, will someone be able to let the little guy out to relieve himself?
When you’re away for extended periods of time, will you leave Fido with friends, family members, pet sitters, or at a kennel?
Think about your back-up plan too. We get so many calls in the summer explaining that a neighbour was going to look after the dog, but is now going away on vacation too. Or, while the pet owner is away, the neighbour calls looking for last-minute boarding after realizing that a one-year old lab is a lot of work, pees on their sofa, and digs up their prized roses. Ninety-nine percent of the time, those last minute calls occur when we’re full during busy holiday seasons and can’t help out. Likewise, what will you do if your dog gets a communicable disease and can't stay at the kennel - what are your back-up plans?
Can you afford this animal?
All dogs have base costs to adopt/buy, vaccinate, sterilize, provide regular and emergency veterinary care, and train. However, it takes a lot more money to feed a great dane than it does to feed a chihuahua. Think it through so there are no surprises.
Once you’ve narrowed things down, do talk with people at your local shelter, reputable breeders, veterinarians, and others who work with dogs. They’ll help you narrow things down even more. Don’t go to a pet store that sells puppies because they’ll encourage you to buy from their inventory rather than what fits your dog’s needs and your life - remember puppies aren’t shoes. They do chew shoes though :)
If you or anyone you know is thinking about getting a dog in the future, I hope this post helps you find your perfect match - your new friend for life.
In my opinion, this is an exceptional how-to book for dog people.
The author Victoria Stilwell is a dog-trainer who stars in the TV series It’s me or the dog. She uses positive techniques to train and build relationships with dogs, and helps dogs think on their own without having to physically manipulate, yell or scold, or otherwise be a brute to them. I love that she has a kind, calm approach that clearly demonstrates that you don’t need to “dominate” to train. As a bonus, the format is easy-to-read and is visually interesting, making this book accessible for even non-readers.
Highlights of the book are that it:
provides a very good overview about how dogs communicate
explains calm assertive, rather than aggressive manipulative approaches
gives very specific step-by-step instructions to train people in basic obedience skills such as sit, stay, come and impulse control
gives instructions that motivate dogs to think and want to do things because of the pleasurable consequences, rather than forcing them
offers solutions to unwanted behaviours like barking, leash pulling, biting, marking (peeing), and separation anxiety
without being preachy, explains basic animal welfare issues like avoiding pet store puppy-mill puppies, spay/neutering, choke chains/collars, shock collars and sheltering
Where this book is light is in its coverage of food and nutrition. I agree with Ms Stilwell’s overall recommendation to improve the nutritional quality of your dog’s diet. However, given that different dogs have different nutritional requirements based on their age, breed, activity level and health issues, and given that scientists, including veterinarians and small animal nutritionists can’t agree, I don’t trust her specific recommendations. (For example, my veterinarian recommends raw and Ms Stilwell says no to raw ... I trust my vet's recommendation.)
In summary, read this book, use her training techniques, ignore her specific advice about food, and talk with your veterinarian about how to improve the quality of your dog’s diet.
This big bad boy is Gryphon. Our first, enormous golden topped out at 120 pounds, and when he was a puppy, he was a holy terror. Just into our new home, we decided to get our adorable puppy. We had enough sense to think about some landscaping basics - a high fence and doghouse, but that was about it. This cutie-pie tore chunks of sod up, chewed our little trees down like a beaver, and dug up my beautiful new rose bushes. Our yard was a total disaster.
Dogs need fencing, shelter, shade, water and a bathroom space. Some dogs are climbers and can even leap over six foot fences, and some dig recreationally or to escape. Many create patrolling paths. And of course in Saskatchewan, you need to think about how one snow blizzard can easily turn a six foot fence into a three foot suggestion.
Petscaping is the term to describe landscaping with your pet’s needs in mind. My second passion next to dogs is horticulture – planning, planting and enjoying landscapes, gardens and yards. If you love dogs and gardens, here are some things to think about when planning your yard.
Fences and Gates If you’ve got or may get a big dog, install tall fences. Some dogs can get over six foot fences with a single leap. Think about how you’d handle it if your dog ends up being like that. Think about the smallest dog that you might have too and make sure they can’t slip through any holes in the fence.
Some dogs dig. Either install your fencing down into the earth so your dog can’t get under it or create a cement barrier just under the fence and/or gate area.
If your property backs onto an alley, street or park, decide how you can reduce the risk of children taunting your dog, which can cause difficult behavioural issues for your dog (obviously kids taunting dogs already have behavioural issues …).
What kind of gate closure will ensure that no one can enter and leave the door open for your dog to escape, and that your dog can’t accidentally knock it open?
Decking
Dogs' feet are made for walking, and they’ll wear the finish off any wooden surface. If you want paw-friendly decking, choose something that doesn’t need refinishing. Concrete, bricks or some of the newer synthetic woods are great solutions.
Walkways
Dogs like walking the perimeter and patrol paths. If you’ve got the luxury of being able to watch your dog before installing paths, use their natural movements to help you choose where to put them.
Waste
Dog urine kills grass. If you want them to pee and poo in your yard, are they trained to go in one spot or will anywhere in the yard work? Are children also using the space? Perhaps a separate dog run away from the children's play area would be appropriate. What do you want to do with the poo – a close garbage or perhaps a dog poo compost space?
Dog run
Dogs most likely to bite are un-neutered dogs that are chained. Untethering your dog is one of the kindest things you can do. If you want your dog to have a separate dog run, make it large enough for them to enjoy, and think about how your dog will easily move from your house to the run. It’s pretty simple in the summer, but think through the winter months too when there’s three feet of snow in your back yard and you want fido to move from your back deck into his run to go potty.
Dog houses
Some dogs love to jump up onto their dog houses. When you’re thinking about where to place the dog house, be sure that it’s not right up against a fence – otherwise it could be a step ladder to the other side of your fence.
Design your dog house so it’s raised off the ground, has a door flap, is insulated and, if used in the winter, is heated. Really good houses have a “wind wall” – basically, the house is set up with two rooms – they enter into a porch that opens into their actual sleeping quarters. Lots of neat designs are available online.
Water
Drinking water: Where will your dog’s water bowl be located so it’s away from their potty area and easy for you to access and remember to fill? If used in the winter, you can buy heated dog bowls to make sure the water doesn’t freeze - that bowl needs to be near an electrical outlet so it can be plugged in.
Grooming: Will you want to wash your dog or at least their muddy paws outside? If so, think about water tap location relative to your dog’s space and your back yard.
Play pond: If your dog loves water, do you want a spray pond or kiddie pool to be part of their back-yard life? If so, think about how to restrict unsupervised access so they can’t drown.
Garbage
If your yard also houses your garbage cans, think about how you’ll limit Fido’s access too it. Nothing smells quite as good as a fresh bag of garbage to a dog. Can you section off the maintenance area of your yard from Fido’s area?
Digging Dogs love digging. Work with that tendency by creating a digging garden and off-limits areas. For your digging garden, create a pit with sand or gravel. Within the pit, bury favourite treats like peanut butter stuffed Kongs, then watch your dog enjoy the thrill of discovering great treats. For the off-limits garden areas, lay down chicken wire on the ground, then affix it to the soil with landscape ties. Your dog won’t be able to dig in those areas.
Plantings
Especially if you have young dogs, it may be easier for you to keep a good yard if you use raised flower and garden beds and pots instead of ground-level plantings. If you do go for ground-level plantings, you can purchase decorative fences to put around the plants to keep them safe.
If you want a fruit or vegetable garden avoid planting or restrict your dog’s access to grapes, rhubarb, onions, garlic, green tomatoes or potatoes, all of which are toxic to dogs. Dogs love fruits and vegetables - our Gryphon would eat the raspberries off the bottom branches!
To make it easy to select your plants and trees, do it in two steps. First, pick items that work for your planting zone and design needs, then, before buying, check if those plants are toxic to dogs by using the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) online plant tool.
When doing lawn and plant care, be sure to select fertilizers that are pet-friendly. Lots of fertilizers can burn their foot pads if applied incorrectly. Store these items in an area that is safely away from your dog.
Mulch as a toy
Some dogs chew or eat mulch, so be really careful about what you use. Cocoa mulch is toxic to dogs, so avoid that completely. Some dogs chew on and swallow rocks, which can break teeth and lodge in their intestines, which is deadly for them and expensive for you. Determine a safe mulch or ground cover and watch to make sure that your dog is being safe around it. To limit chewing, give your dog lots of alternate items to chew on – raw bones, raw hides and peanut butter or frozen chicken stuffed Kongs are great.
Enrichment
Will your yard be a puppy paradise? You can purchase dog equipment for agility and other sports. If you plan to spend time in that area, it’s worth investigating before your design is finished.
Once you’ve thought it all through, take a quick survey to make sure your dog is comfortable through all seasons. Do they have shade during the hot summer months? Do they have warmth through the winter months? Are you both comfortable with what you’ve got? If you answered yes to all of those questions, have fun with your summer project and enjoy your yard!
Crating your kids is one proven way to make sure a dog won’t bite them. (My now teenage nephews are going to kill me for posting this photo.)
Plenty of evidence shows that large breed, un-neutered male dogs that are chained and treated irresponsibly are the most likely to cause serious and fatal bites. So logic flows that if you have sterilized your dog and treat it responsibly, you’re off to a great start. But that’s just a start. Dogs have very few ways to tell you that they’re scared. They have specific body language and teeth. Every dog has a bite threshold, and you can do quite a few things to minimize the risks.
Introductions are really important. Train your child to behave around their dog so they:
ask permission before touching a strange dog, “be a tree”, remain calm and avoid eye contact
don’t squeal, run, take the dog’s stuff including food and toys, startle the dog when sleeping, give neck hugs
There are great online resources for parents and educators. Here are some particularly good ones:
For older children, involve them in your dog’s formal training program. And, teach your children not to tease a chained or tethered dog. That’s one of the best ways to turn a good dog into an aggressive one.
There are also lots of things you can do to help your dog too:
Pick the right pet for your family. They’ve got different energy levels and emotional drivers. Make sure you research what you’re getting before you bring one home.
Socialize them to people of all ages when young. The more types of people your dog is exposed to, the better. Young. Old. Large. Small. Men. Women. Bearded. Bald. Everyone.
Train your dog. The canine good citizen test outlines 10 manners that your dog should comfortably do. Use this as a benchmark for your dog’s training routine.
Spay/neuter your pet to calm the hormones down.
Watch for warning signs from any dog –hackles are raised (hair goes up on its back), stiff posturing, lip smacking, growling, backing away, half-moon eyes or a hard stare.
Always supervise children around dogs. Dogs are animals, not people and never forget that.
Train your dog to react calmly around strangers especially the milk man, postal workers, meter readers, and others who show up regularly.
Teach a soft bite so if they ever do feel the need to bite, it’ll be a warning rather than a serious incident.
Protect your pet from harms way. Don’t let anyone do anything to your dog that could make it become scared, then aggressive.
If your dog has bitten, train them and manage them so they’re not put into a position to bite again.
When you take on the responsibility of a dog, you’re morally and legally responsible for its actions. Learn what you can, train your dog, and teach your children to behave around them so you can minimize your risks.
Home-made dog biscuits: Grain-free peanut butter chip drop cookies
If you want to start a heated debate among dog people, two controversial topics you can bring up are food and vaccinations. Even among vets, breeders and others who work day-to-day with dogs, there is no consensus. This posting is about food – I’ll do another one about vaccinations later.
The most common types of doggie diets are store-bought processed, raw, grain-free and combination diets. Some believe that only foods created using the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards are considered safe and nutritionally balanced. Others believe that dogs should be fed raw meat and bones with fresh fruits and vegetables. Yet others prefer grain-free diets. Some do a blend.
My views aren’t extreme. I believe that like people, no one diet works for every dog. Your dog’s lifestyle, genetics and overall health make their food requirements unique. An elite-athlete sled dog has different nutritional and caloric needs than a toothless, couch potato, geriatric miniature poodle. Likewise, dogs with food allergies or medical conditions need special diets. I also don’t believe that serving processed food is always best. My problem with processed foods is that you’re often paying for a low-quality ingredients, a high water volume and environmentally unfriendly packaging.
My personal preference is a raw diet supplemented with fresh foods. I put some caveats on that though. It’s essential to know what items are toxic to dogs. Everything should be fed in moderation. You wouldn’t live on one food item, nor should your dog. It's important to balance food types over time, rather than at each meal. And, watch to not include toxic ingredients.
Some people will argue that feeding people food makes dogs mooch or get fat. I disagree. Dogs mooch because of where you feed them, not what you feed them. If you feed your dog in the kitchen or at the dinner table, they’ll mooch. If you feed them in their spaces, they won’t. They mooch if they’re rewarded by doing it. And, unless there is a medical condition, they get fat when feed too much. It's that simple.
If you want to serve people food to your dog, it’s pretty easy to find lists of toxic foods for dogs, but what isn’t readily available is a list of generally healthy and safe foods. Here’s a starting point list of foods that I comfortably will and won’t feed to my own dogs:
Generally healthy and safe foods
Lean meat, fish and poultry, peanuts and unsweetened peanut butter, raw bones, offal (heart, liver, kidney, tongue, tripe), eggs, beans and lentils, apples, bananas, blueberries, saskatoon berries, cranberries, cherries, pineapple, dried fruits including dates, carrots, cabbage, spinach, green or yellow string beans, broccoli, ripe tomatoes, potatoes, yams, zucchini, beets, alfalfa sprouts, parsley, cod liver oil, salmon oil, canola oil, olive oil, flax or hemp seed, glucosomine, acidophilus, digestive enzymes, nutritional yeast, bone meal or egg shells, yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese.
Unhealthy and/or toxic foods
Ham, bacon or excessive poultry skin, macadamia nuts, walnuts, cooked bones, grapes, raisins and some currants including juices and trail mixes, rhubarb fruit and leaves, fruit seeds from apples, pears, plums, peaches and apricots, onions, garlic, avocado, green tomatoes and potatoes, potato peels, lumps of fat off meat, butter, corn, popped corn, yeast dough that’s rising, hops, xylitol, milk, nutmeg, caffeinated coffee and tea, salt, chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate icings, alcoholic beverages, moldy foods and sugar.
I’m not a veterinarian or a small animal nutritionist so please consider this as one source of information. The pet food industry has done a very good job telling people that they’re incapable of feeding dogs. I don’t believe them. Read about the topic, talk with your vet and others in the pet care business, then make choices that are best for your dog. If you feed your dog something that doesn't increase their vitality or agree with them, check with your vet.
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Recipe for home-made dog biscuits: Grain-free peanut butter chip drop cookies
2 cups black beans
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs – include shells
½ cup dried fruit (16 apricots - NEVER use raisins)
Blend 1.5 cups of beans with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor.
Once fully blended, fold in ½ cup of black beans so they look like chocolate chips (NEVER use chocolate)
Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheets
Bake at 350’ for 15 minutes
If you want to eat these yourself as protein bars, omit the egg shells.
I prepare black beans in bulk by soaking, boiling, bagging and freezing them in advance.
These are my delightfully sucky cats. Betty on the left was given to me by a friend, and Wilma on the right had her start at the Regina Humane Society. We don’t know what Wilma’s life was before she arrived at their doorsteps. All we know is that she was unwanted. She could have simply been dropped off. She could have been in distress. We’ll never know. What we do know is that she was given a second chance because of animal control and protection laws.
According to RHS, this week is Animal Control Appreciation Week. So I think, we should all hug an animal protection officer – or at least show our appreciation. These are the wonderful women and men who give animals a second chance by working at humane societies, societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and in municipalities to enforce the Criminal Code of Canada, the Animal Protection Act and municipal bylaws.
This cartoon is a really nice tribute those who work in this field.
In the business of animals, animal control and animal protection are two distinct things – one is about keeping animals safe from people, the other about keeping people safe from animals.
I prefer to think about it in context of Gandhi’s famous quote, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” I see that good animal protection practices results in good animal control, which helps to create strong, safe and healthy communities – that people who treat animals well, also treat each other well. For example, when an unsterilized animal is malnourished, untrained and allowed to roam, a child is easily harmed. No one wins and our society pays the price. Conversely, when animals are treated with kindness and compassion – they’re sterilized and receive proper food, water, shelter and care, kindness spills over to how people treat each other. I’m a bit of an idealist that way.
Do your part to help animal control and protection – sterilize your pet, treat it well and help a friend or neighbour be kind to animals. And to the fine animal protection and control workers, thank you so much for all you do!
Nothing beats the pure bliss of watching two dogs romp and play together. They seem inseparable. Where one dog explores, the other follows. They curl up together on their comfy beds into tiny balls so you can’t tell where one starts and the other stops. When they come to visit us at our kennel, double dogs are always happy – and that makes sense because they’re always hanging around, playing with their best buddy.
In single-dog families, you are their universe. You are the source of everything – including being their 24/7 live entertainment. At times, that’s great, and at other times, especially when they’re puppies or adolescents, it would be nice if some of their extra puppy energy would be burned off elsewhere. Enter, the second dog. After you’ve exercised and trained your dog, you can chill and watch your dogs run, interact and play. They can burn off more energy together in a half hour than you could ever give them in several hours – unless you’re into agility or other dog sports of course.
However, there is a secret dark side to double dogs. In addition to the extra space they take (think about two danes), double the hair and poo to clean up, and doubling your cost for food and veterinary bills (especially if both get serious, expensive medical issues), as with people, there can be personality issues – and those issues can turn into aggression and management problems. The most difficult problems seem to be with female/female and big/small dogs. Females can wrestle for dominance, and what would normally be a small scuffle between size-matched dogs can easily become deadly when yorkie and retriever sized dogs get into it. Another thing to watch for is getting puppies from the same litter. They’re awesome and adorably cute, but they can bond more with each other than with you.
Some believe that the ideal way to get a second dog is to get one, train it and bond with it, then get your second dog later. Compatible dogs include picking male/male or male/female rather than two females, and sticking to similar sizes. Once you’ve got two dogs, spend solo time exercising, training and bonding with each dog. If you already have a big and small dog, watch their dynamics, and possibly separate them when you’re not there to supervise them.
Personally, I’m really big on double dogs. I love living with Daisy and Buddy. Every now and then they still get on each other’s nerves – usually over a really, really tasty treat – but knowing that helps me manage around it.
If you’re interested in this topic, here are a few more resources:
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