How Do You Know If It's Time To Get a Second Dog

Welcome to the fixing separation anxiety podcast,

where it's all about healing your dog,

regaining your freedom,

and getting your life back on track.

And now here's your host,

Julie Naismith.

Welcome to this week's episode.

The day we are talking about a topic,

which I know is very much discussed among many of you

and that's whether you should get a second dog.

So if you go onto any of those sites,

I always tell you not to go on,

but the ones that talk about fixes for separation anxiety,

how often do you see this one that getting a second

dog is going to help?

And it comes up all the time,

doesn't it?

Now, as you know,

I run a huge Facebook support group for separation,

anxiety owners.

And gosh,

I have lost count of the number of times this question

comes up.

And it seems like when we get a new member or

a new wave of members,

there's always somebody who's saying,

well, I've heard that maybe getting a second dog is going

to help.

What do you think?

So this post kind of goes round and round and round

because somebody will post and then everybody will share their responses.

So it's out there.

It's a very,

very persuasive argument.

You see the advice a lot.

So today I wanted to talk to you about whether getting

a second dog is a good idea or not with respect

to whether it's going to help you with separation anxiety.

Also, talk to you more generally about what it's like to

get second dog and weighing up the pluses and minuses of

doing that.

So, as I said,

you, you really can't visit a website that has separation anxiety

advice without being told that this is the,

probably the,

not the number one thing,

but way up there in the top five things.

So why do we think that getting a second dog will

fix separation anxiety?

Well, I guess that first off,

there are lots of examples of where getting a second dog

has actually helped.

So there's lots of second getting a second dog stories.

I saw a wonderful post today from an owner,

Sarah Louise,

who's got the most beautiful vizsla dog who'd been really struggling

with separation anxiety.

And she has,

as of today,

got a puppy that she's had for about 12 days and

her older vizsla,

she got two vizslas,

it just the most adorable,

adorable picture of the two of them lying on a bed

snuggled in tight together,

honestly, as somebody on the group side,

it's kind of like picture of the year,

but she had success.

So it seemed like getting the second puppy was just what

her older vizsla needed.

The problem with stories like that is they are,

they're really big,

we really pay attention to them.

But as my mentor,

Jean Donaldson always says,

I don't think is originally her quote,

but I'm going to assign it to her.

She says,

the plural of anecdote is not data.

I know it's not her growth,

but she just says that all the time.

And it's so true.

We've got to be really careful that just because we hear

of stories of examples,

we've got to remember this isn't proof.

So just because you know of somebody who you've got a

second dog and that helped fix separation anxiety,

that's not hard evidence that getting a dog is the way

to fix separation anxiety.

So we have to be really careful.

My overall stance on should you get a second dog and

will it help?

Is it depends.

Huge, huge caveat,

huge, massive pinch of salt.

It depends.

In fact,

in most cases,

it isn't going to make a difference and you need to

know that in most cases,

getting a second dog is just not necessarily adding to the

problem, but you're just going to add to your household.

And research studies,

you know me and my research and research studies show that

and it's not just me saying it.

So the research studies show that in most cases,

that second dog will not make a difference to the original

or to the existing dogs separation anxiety.

Why is that?

Well, think about it.

You know what separation anxiety is,

it's where we have a dog who is just not comfortable

being alone.

And so I get why,

if we look at that definition,

you might think one,

a second dog is the answer.

But remember,

that for most of those dogs,

it's about a person,

it's about just another human being.

Now we don't know why,

we don't know why that is.

We don't know why it needs to be a person,

why they're anxious about being on their own without a human

being in the home with them.

But that's what's going on.

So, like I say,

the research shows that for the vast majority of dogs,

that's the problem.

So getting a second dog doesn't fix it.

It doesn't fix that anxiety.

And luckily for most of you who have dogs with separation

anxiety, I don't often use the word luck and separation anxiety

in the same sentence.

Do I?

But luckily for most of you,

that your dog is comfortable with another person in the house.

It doesn't just have to be you.

For a small percentage of you.

I know you have it really tough because you have to

be the one that's with the dog.

Not it's about something like about one in eight in the

research that I've done anyway,

back to the second dog issue.

So you've got a dog who's uncomfortable being home alone,

but the research is showing us that it's has to be

a human that helps the dog out.

However, why do we see successes?

Why do we see examples like Sarah Louise and her beautiful

two vizslas?

There are other people that I've worked with who've had similar

success. Well,

here's the thing.

There is no a hundred percent when it comes to behavior

problems, just like us,

dogs are all individual and we're all different.

Separation anxiety isn't just one uniform condition.

It can present very differently in different dogs.

So it's not surprising that getting a second dog does in

fact help some anxious dogs be at home alone.

Okay. But for those dogs either,

we don't know why it's a second dog that helps.

Or actually again,

looking at the studies that have been done,

it's very often where the dog,

the existing dog has lost a companion dog and the separation

anxiety started at that point.

Now, if you've got a dog in that situation,

you've had two dogs for quite some time.

One of them has passed away and your remaining dog is

suddenly starts with separation anxiety.

In that situation,

I can totally see an argument for getting a second dog

because there does seem to be some evidence that a second

dog in that particular precise situation might help.

Notice I said might,

though, because remember they've lost a companion.

So just getting another dog,

maybe that's not the right dog.

Maybe that's not the dog.

That's going to help them over their grief.

So, but for the most part,

those are the cases that I see more often resolved by

a second dog.

The ones where a family dog,

a companion dog has been lost and the existing dog started

separation anxiety at that point.

Okay. But what about all of you who say yes,

but I got a second dog and my dog is the

only dog for some time and yet the second dog fixed

my dog's anxiety.

So Hey Julie,

where does that leave your research?

Yeah, again,

I'm going to get back to what I said a few

minutes ago.

Dogs are completely individual and they are all different.

We are definitely going to see some cases where getting that

extra dog will fix separation anxiety for reasons that we do

not know and do not understand because we cannot go inside

their head,

but, those cases are not as frequent as you might think,

they are not as frequent as it seems.

When you go onto forums,

when you chat to other owners,

those just stick in your mind because wouldn't it be nice?

Wouldn't it be great if that was the solution?

So I,

We know that if you're in a situation where yeah,

You've got a dog with separation anxiety,

if you're anything like I was,

you are desperate to find the thing to find the thing

that's going to fix it.

So it would be lovely to be able to get a

second dog.

And for that to magically make the separation anxiety go away.

So if you're anything like I was,

I would be wondering,

maybe this is the thing we need to do.

Actually, in my situation,

when Percy had separation anxiety,

he was dog number two in the house.

So I already had another dog.

So I didn't even consider that another dog was going to

help him.

I knew it was about people for him.

Okay. But back to you.

So you're desperate.

You want to get this,

You've tried a ton of things.

Should you consider it?

Bear in mind,

As I've said,

it's a good chance it won't fix it,

but we do know that some dogs,

for whatever reason,

respond reasonably well to a second dog in the house.

So should you chance it?

Should you take your chances?

Here's what I say.

Get a second dog if you want a second dog,

full stop period.

Okay. Get a second dog if that's something you planned or

want to do,

forget fixing your other dog separation anxiety.

Forget it.

All right.

So if you can answer the question,

do I want a second dog?

Just because I want a second dog,

then I say,

go for it,

but don't get the second dog thinking that it's going to

be the answer.

Okay. So that to me is the test.

Do you want a second dog just because,

or do you think it's going to fix separation anxiety?

Because if it's the latter,

just be ready to be disappointed because it might not work.

Don't forget that,

well you know this,

dogs are expensive.

Dogs come with all sorts of costs,

whether it be vet fees or the daycare costs,

you're shelling out for your existing dog and over the life

of the dog that can really add up.

According to a study that was done on Petfinder.

That's a North American organization that connects rescue organizations with adoptees.

They did a survey of how much it would cost to

have a dog over the lifetime of the dog.

What they're trying to do is to say to adopters,

do you know this is how much a dog is going

to cost.

And they came up with a figure that you might find

staggering. They said $1,500

just for the first year.

That's what you need to be ready to,

to shell out,

to spend on a dog.

So $1,500,

a thousand pounds just in that first year and then a

thousand dollars or 750 pounds every single year after that.

And those estimates,

they said,

don't even include some of the things that you're already spending

on money on like daycare like boarding.

They also excluded emergency vet care.

They excluded elderly dog,

vet care,

elderly dog care.

So things like,

you know what you're used to having a sitter for an

older dog,

they excluded grooming and dog walking.

So they were looking at things like food and basic vet

care and vaccinations and bedding and just the basics.

So if you're ready for $1,500

a year plus,

and you're not put off by that and you want a

second dog just because there may be a second dog is

right for you.

What are the other things that worry me about getting a

second dog apart from the cost and apart from the fact

that it might not fix your dog separation anxiety?

Well, as the pet parent to three very different dogs who

I love dearly,

who add to our home and to our family,

I can say for certain,

that multiple dog households can be chaos.

Even with the best training and the best management,

it can be chaos.

And who's to say that your second dog is going to

come without any behavioral issues.

You've got a dog with separation anxiety.

What if you then get a dog that has another challenging

condition, maybe they're frightened of people.

By the way,

I think that's the condition that I'm that most freaks me

out is one of the,

it's probably the most difficult thing to resolve,

but that's an,

a size of what if your dog came with that?

Imagine that imagine having a dog with a serious condition of

not being able to be left on its own and then

in a second dog with something else.

Ah, it doesn't bear thinking about.

So be ready for that because there are no perfect dogs.

So most dogs have something going on and you've got to

be ready for that.

And what if,

and we've seen this,

I've seen this with clients.

I've seen it with people in the group.

What if the second dog has separation anxiety?

Can you imagine that?

You might say,

Oh yeah.

You know what,

that's fine though,

because I'm going to have to do all the daycare and

the dog sitting stuff anyway,

for the first dog.

So I'm getting into the second dog.

Even if they turn out to have separation anxiety,

we can handle it.

Can you really cope with another dog with this debilitating condition?

But all that being said,

you might still think I'm going to give this a chance.

So how can you tell if this is right for you?

Again, go back to that question,

ask yourself,

do I want a second dog?

Just because,

all right,

now, if you said yes to that,

then we can talk about how you can make this work.

Well, first off,

I would say,

consider bringing a dog into your home and doing air quotes

a trial.

Now that could be,

you borrow a friend's dog,

but the chances are you're not gonna be able to have

a friend's dog for very long.

A better option would be to go into a foster to

adopt program.

You might find that you go into a program like that,

you foster a dog,

you fall in love with the dog,

and it seems to work for your other dog's,

separation anxiety,

long shot,

but it might work and you keep that dog.

Please remember that,

even at that point,

you've done your due diligence.

You've trialed this dog for several weeks,

if not months,

just please remember that it might not permanently fix the separation

anxiety. So even at that point,

you're not in the clear.

But if you are going to go down this route,

that's the number one recommendation I would make,

get a foster dog,

see how they fit into your family and then decide if

it's right for you and if it's right for everyone.

So if I haven't put you off,

then take that approach.

It could work for you,

but please,

please, please remember.

There's a really good chance this isn't the quick fix that

you are hoping for.

And what does fix separation anxiety?

Well, we know it's gradually exposing your talk through training,

to being alone,

doing exercises that get him comfortable with being separate and in

the home without you.

That's the number one thing that's going to fix separation anxiety

that combined with medication.

All the other things may give you a chance,

but there's nothing like basic gradual exposure training to get you

there. Okay.

So thank you for listening in today.

I would love to hear your thoughts on getting a second

dog. So do share with me,

jump into my group or post on my page,

because I would be really keen to hear successes.

And that you might have had any failures that you might've

had when you got a second dog.

And just your thoughts in general on whether this is right

for you.

All right.

Thanks again for listening and bye for now.<inaudible>

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