Dog Myths 07 - Dogs will be happier if they meet a new companion
Most owners believe that their dog will enjoy a new companion, since they look moody when being alone, why not get another dog to accompany them right? Well we can understand how logical it sounds but things are usually not that simple, we'll explain why.
Imagine this:
You have been living alone in your house most of your life, one day, someone suddenly enters your house, eats with you, sleep in the same house as you and claims that he/she is here to be your friend, how will you feel?
No matter how friendly they are, most people would still be shocked in regards to the above scenario, they would probably find ways to get this person out of their house. This is the same thing that is happening to your dog, you can't blame it from getting angry just because one day you decide to bring a new puppy/dog home, then force your dog to like that stranger. To your dog, this stranger will also be the one that's sharing your dog's sleeping place, eating area, playing area and most importantly, sharing your attention, all in all, this stranger is a thief that's here to steal everything away from your dog.
Most of the time, dog fights and aggression are triggered when 2 dogs are put together suddenly, the main dog (one that had already been staying in the house) will usually be the one that initiates the fight, the other dog would either run or fight back. Usually these fights will not be life threatening, but the relationship between these 2 dogs will constantly become weaker as time passes.
Though there are some dogs who are naturally adaptable and do not mind having another presence, most are simply NOT adaptable! From our experience, the chance for an untrained dog to accept another new addition to the family is 50/50, reasons could be the character, gender, size or they simply are not ready to accept another dog. So never just get another dog because you think that it is bored, sometimes your dog actually enjoy doing nothing but sleeping the whole day till you return, this is a good thing and should not be misunderstood as 'bored'.
What we suggest is always to train your dog well, you can do anything you want including adding a new dog if you have a well trained dog. As for your dog's boredom, we'd rather you put them with your relatives or daycare if you have busy schedules and spend more personal time with your dog when you return, this will be a better choice than risking to get another companion.
Most owners believe that their dog will enjoy a new companion, since they look moody when being alone, why not get another dog to accompany them right? Well we can understand how logical it sounds but things are usually not that simple, we'll explain why.
Imagine this:
You have been living alone in your house most of your life, one day, someone suddenly enters your house, eats with you, sleep in the same house as you and claims that he/she is here to be your friend, how will you feel?
No matter how friendly they are, most people would still be shocked in regards to the above scenario, they would probably find ways to get this person out of their house. This is the same thing that is happening to your dog, you can't blame it from getting angry just because one day you decide to bring a new puppy/dog home, then force your dog to like that stranger. To your dog, this stranger will also be the one that's sharing your dog's sleeping place, eating area, playing area and most importantly, sharing your attention, all in all, this stranger is a thief that's here to steal everything away from your dog.
Most of the time, dog fights and aggression are triggered when 2 dogs are put together suddenly, the main dog (one that had already been staying in the house) will usually be the one that initiates the fight, the other dog would either run or fight back. Usually these fights will not be life threatening, but the relationship between these 2 dogs will constantly become weaker as time passes.
Though there are some dogs who are naturally adaptable and do not mind having another presence, most are simply NOT adaptable! From our experience, the chance for an untrained dog to accept another new addition to the family is 50/50, reasons could be the character, gender, size or they simply are not ready to accept another dog. So never just get another dog because you think that it is bored, sometimes your dog actually enjoy doing nothing but sleeping the whole day till you return, this is a good thing and should not be misunderstood as 'bored'.
What we suggest is always to train your dog well, you can do anything you want including adding a new dog if you have a well trained dog. As for your dog's boredom, we'd rather you put them with your relatives or daycare if you have busy schedules and spend more personal time with your dog when you return, this will be a better choice than risking to get another companion.
Comments
Post a Comment