How do you get a second dog and know your dogs will get along?

[Anonymous]

I’ve always had one rescue dog at a time. The first one was indifferent to other animals. The second one preferred the company of girls and adult women and hated other dogs. My current dog is high-energy and fun and naughty when unsupervised. He loves to go to his boarding place and seems to come away with good reports about his socializing. At the dog park he’s a jerk because since he’s a herding dog, he spends the entire time trying to convince all of the other dogs to stay in whatever corner is furthest from the gate so they can’t leave. He’s ok on walks with friends’ dogs but his energy is a lot for some of them.

How do you choose a second rescue and know that their temperaments will work together when they’re stuck in a house together? It seems like a meet-and-greet wouldn’t be enough to know if dogs can cohabitate.

Is there a method to this that anyone can recommend? Googling gives a lot of contradictory advice and limited anecdotes of success. I am mostly finding stories about dogs eating each other or having to live in separate parts of the house, and/or unlikely animal friendship stories, which are cute but unhelpful since I’m not looking for a goat or a donkey or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Maybe try fostering?
I’ve had 4 fosters, the last one was the fail.

[Anonymous]

Rescues often allow a trial period or foster to adopt, so that's the way you'd try it out. But you should expect to keep the dogs separate for weeks while they settle in, and it could be a really long time before you can leave them together unsupervised.

Honestly, your existing dog (high energy, naughty, annoying to other dogs) does not sound like a great candidate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Honestly, your existing dog (high energy, naughty, annoying to other dogs) does not sound like a great candidate.

+1

[Anonymous]

It seems like you’d do best with another dog that matches his temperament and activity level — but that would be a LOT for you. My niece has this with two active herding dogs and it’s bedlam.

You could maybe luck into a calm older dog that isn’t irritated by your current dogs personality — but I think would be tough to find, particularly in a rescue dog. That’s like the unicorn of rescue dogs — calm, tolerant, no triggers.

[Anonymous]

I'd say - consider fostering.
Before you bring new dog home - read about proper introduction - slow, neutral territory at first, separated feeding
Also, think about what type of dog do you want as your second - it's important to match personalities/play style/level of energy. And since it's hard to do during meet&greet - I'm suggesting fostering again. You never know what dogs would be good together for you
PS currently have herding dog and young pitbull mix fostered together. Unlikely combo, but it works well - pit can keep up with energy of the other, but he's not ON all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Honestly, your existing dog (high energy, naughty, annoying to other dogs) does not sound like a great candidate.

+2. Your dog is the wrong temperament and you lack the skills needed. Just enjoy the dog you have. Sounds like more than enough dog for you/for now.

[Anonymous]

I adopt labs. They mostly always end up loving each other. I wait at least 6 months to adopt a second labby, unless I adopt a bonded pair.