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April 23, 2014

Why get a second pet?

I announced Eko is getting a little sister, but in my school-boy giddy excitement forgot to share my answer to the most important question. Why? Well, it’s certainly not because there’s room on the couch Life is good right now and the puzzle pieces of
I announced Eko is getting a little sister, but in my school-boy giddy excitement forgot to share my answer to the most important question. Why?

Well, it’s certainly not because there’s room on the couch

Life is good right now and the puzzle pieces of my daily routine fit together nicely. I get a solid 7-8 hours sleep, and my work schedule is nicely broken up by two walks and one run with Eko each day. And although he still bounces around the beach like a puppy, Eko is fully an adult dog. The trials and tribulations of puppyhood are behind us. Things are comfortable, familiar and steady.

“Me, an adult? Never!”

My daily routine is a well-oiled machine, so why throw a wrench in it? Why add an unfamiliar and untrained dog to the mix? Why add new uncertainty and responsibility to my life? Am I doing this just to blow my hair back?

Blowing your hair back is good for shampoo commercials, but not so good as a reason to get a pet

There are a number of reasons I decided to get a second dog. First, and most simply, I love dogs. I enjoy raising, caring for and sharing life’s adventures with a four-legged buddy. Each dog I’ve had has been unique, and in raising each dog I have grown and learned new things about myself.

To that end, I am also getting a second dog precisely because she will completely shatter my familiar, comfortable routine. I thrive on change and challenge, and I am at my best when forced to adapt to circumstance. Eko completely demolished my routines and made me a much better person for it.

Speaking of the devil, I believe a second dog will also be great for Eko. Even though I do my best to find lots of new adventures, Eko has a predictable daily routine. A second dog will provide important novelty, stimulation and companionship for Eko.  She will also make sure Eko is never without a friend to romp with at the park.  I remember how puppy-Eko invigorated my mom’s dog and I think Eko would appreciate a similar jump-start. Eko is always more animated when we visit home or host a four-legged pal at our B&B. I know he would love to have a full-time sibling again.

Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can, buddy!

Math suggests two best friends is better than one, so I also have that to look forward to! So the question “Why?” has many answers, but in sum, because it is the right decision for both me and Eko.

For those who have more than one pet, why did you decide it was the right decision for you?

Comments for Why get a second pet?

  1. I agree two is always better than one. I regret not one moment I had with our two Huskies and to get a second dog was the best decision we ever made. Sadly Easy want’s to be an only child, he is friendly and nice to nearly all dogs, but he isn’t really a great sharer and as jealous as Othello :o) ( his dad feels always happy that he is allowed in bed too )

  2. I think it’s wonderful that you’re getting a new full-time buddy for Eko AND a new and fun experience for yourself in shaking up your daily routine. Seems like a win/win – just think of the blogging opportunities too!! 😉

    Pam

  3. Victoria says:

    yeah i do the why and give myself some good answers – i am thinking of a 3rd puppy addition – haven’t decided to do it yet but rationalizing the pros and cons of it. All yours answers would suit me well too – maybe its about time!

  4. Apollo and I got Artemis for similar reasons. I just liked dogs, I had a budget that would allow for a second dog. I started casually looking and found Artemis. Her and Apollo met, got along perfectly and it just fit.

    Good luck to you and Eko! There may be troubles for the first few months (older dogs don’t always get along with puppies) but once they both are adults believe me, it’s so much fun once they start playing with each other. Just remember, you now have to share that couch with two dogs. You might want a bigger couch.

  5. Marcela says:

    Actually, I did not want a second pet at all. I started to foster because dogs have given me and help me so much that I knew I had to give something back so I started to foster and volunteer at a shelter. I already knew that having 2 dogs would be a lot of work and I wanted to give Alex all my attention, but Alex started to get a little too lazy when we did not have other dogs boarding with us so I thought, “This is the perfect time to foster.” What I did not know was that Cynthia and I would end up falling in love with Bella and you know what? No regrets! We love Bella.

  6. Carrie Ord says:

    Deciding to add a second dog to my family was not difficult. It was for all the reasons you mentioned and more. It was well thought out and well worth it. Finding just the right dog was quite a job. It took me 4-5 months of searching, but I finally found her…in Miami. of course I’m in Southern Cal so you can see the challenge. Nevertheless, she became mine and one of the first adventures she had, at 8 weeks old, was a very long plane trip. she’s been an adventurer ever since. It was in wanting to give back a little where my life got complicated. I decided to foster a rescue that was waiting for adoption…can you say love at first sight? I changed the fostering paperwork for adoption paperwork on the spot and all of a sudden we three became we four and I gained the prestigious title of “Failed Foster Mom”. Three is a lot more work than two, but I wouldn’t trade all the chaos in my life for the world. I wake up laughing, giggle through my days and go to sleep with a smile on my face and three warm bodies curled up next to me. Of course at number three, I decided not to try fostering again.

  7. scarlybobs says:

    I am so excited to hear more about these plans to add a new member to your family…I can only imagine how giddy you must be feeling 😀

    Zoey was kinda forced upon us, we hadn’t planned on having a second dog so soon…and at first Kasper was not happy she was there at all! 😛 But with some training games both pups soon settled and really grew to love each other, and I think Kasper has really benefited from having a second dog in the house.

  8. meANXIETYme says:

    We had always wanted to have multiple dogs, but our previous dog was not interested. So with the current dog…she was SO laid back and dog friendly, we felt it was perfect timing. It took us a while to find the dog we thought we wanted via a rescue, but we adopted her without ever meeting her. Since then (it’s been 11 months) it has definitely been a challenge (the 2nd dog turned out to be younger than they had stated and we were not prepared for “puppy” energy). But now that we are figuring out each others routines and personalities, things are starting to settle.
    And the two dogs get along really well. The first dog, who was quite lazy, has picked up her activity and has become much more people-oriented than she used to be. It’s been fun to see the changes in her, and see her blossom even more with a buddy. Our two dogs are three years apart in age.

  9. When we decided to get a second Rhodesian Ridgeback as a little sister for our 3 year-old boy, Rocco, we thought he’d love having her around. And he did, eventually. The first time we took him to see the 6 week-old litter, he went to the very back of the yard and sat down with his back towards us while we played with the puppies. He knew why we were there! He loved playing with all sorts of dogs at home and at the dog park, so we were perplexed. When puppy Rio came home to us at 9 weeks, he must have gotten used to the idea. They became fast friends quickly, so we just marked the first visit up to his Ridgeback peculiarities!

  10. Jorie says:

    Love these reasons. I grew up with two dogs who were fantastic companions for one another when we all left the house for school and work. Someday, I hope to expand my four-legged brood too! (But definitely not right now. 🙂 )

  11. fredrieka says:

    glad I have Old Cissy, Momwithoutpaws got me for her so I guess I am Old Cissy’s dog

  12. writetowag says:

    I wasn’t aware you were getting a second best friend…My mobile reader is very stingy, it’s hard to stay caught up…So, congratulations to you and your fam!!!! Eko will be a GREAT big brother!!!! Another fur baby is always a great idea!!!!

  13. PigLove says:

    The more company the better is what we believe here at the Hotel Thompson. It kind of worked like this. We had Hemi and Tybee (two purr things). Tybee went over the Rainbow and Hemi got lonely. I mean there was human interaction but he missed his brother. So mom got Mouse Girl (another purr thing). Then they both had each other and then mom got lonely. Instead of a baby, mom got me – lucky oinker huh?
    Congrats on the up and coming new edition. I think it will be great! XOXO – Bacon

  14. Eko is going to LOVE his new sister! I had my first cat for 18 yrs and he was the “only” cat, mostly because HE wanted it that way lol. When we adopted Cody, I KNEW I was going to get a Shetland Sheepdog (a life-long dream), so we did it about 8 wks after we adopted Cody. Best decision I ever made because they are best friends!

  15. Emmadog says:

    Mom loves to care for things which is the number one reason, but we provide so much joy, we are great exercise buddies any time and in any weather, we provide humor too. Every new pet does shake up the routine which is the hardest part, but it doesn’t take long to find a new routine that works just fine. We are so excited for you guys!

  16. It’s always good to have more furfriends! ^_^

    xxxx

  17. Joan says:

    I decided to get a litte sister Yellow Lab for my then, 4 year old Golden, when my kids were growing up and going off to college. Buddy was very lonely. Sadie perked him right up and now 4 years later they’re the best of friends!

  18. OhMelvin says:

    Awesome!!! Dive into the madness, we can’t wait to have you — you will love it! The thought of #2 loomed for years and then I finally said ‘why not?’. I think eventually, you know that you may never know for sure!

  19. Judy says:

    I have 2 beagles, it is so interesting and fun to watch their companionship and love for each other. They are never lonely

  20. We got Wallace as a companion for my 8 year old Shar-Pei (Bailey) who had lived with my mom and dad his entire life but was unable to go with them to their new, smaller, non-pet friendly complex. Bailey LOVED my mom and was used to having her around all day, every day & so pined for her terribly when he came to live with us. Although the introduction of Wallace (bouncy, playful Scottie pup) was a bit of a shock to Bailey’s system, they soon settled into a very happy routine and became inseparable. Unfortunately Bailey developed cancer and one evening shortly after picking him up from his last round of chemo, for reasons we still aren’t sure about, he got a twisted gut and there was nothing the vet could do for him. We were shattered and little Wallace (he was only about 6 months at the time) was lost without his big brother. It’s for this reason that I searched for and found Samuel…and well, as you know the rest is history. The boys adore each other, refuse to sleep anywhere else but their shared bed and literally cannot be separated without either having a total & utter melt down – this makes for interesting visits to the vet when one is sick & the other is not.

    I would LOVE to add a little girl to our family but unfortunately our complex rules and my husband will not allow it. Eko is going to be a great big brother, we are really looking forward to meeting his new sister.

    Robyn (mom to Wally & Sammy)

  21. All excellent, well thought out reasons. Plus it looks like there might still be a bit of room left on the couch, better do something about that post haste! 🙂

  22. Misaki says:

    Sadly I’m an only dog, but maybe one day I’ll get a brother or sister (hope so!)

  23. We’ve had two dogs for almost as long as we’ve had dogs. We ended up with two by accident, having found and rescued Tino from abandonment. After that, it just became the norm and even though both Sally & Tino are gone, it feels empty without two. Always someone to pet.

  24. I think it will take a little getting use to two dogs and two humans … good luck! 😉

  25. Boomdeeadda says:

    I saw your fantastic news mid-last week but wanted to have some time to catch up on all your posts. It’s so wonderful to be able to share your love and time with another dog. Awesome news Will. Congratulations to the whole family. I think Eko is going to like the idea too of having a full time friend around after the initial shock..ha!

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