How to Get Your Dog a Dog
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By Larry Lachman
Several issues arise when people have one dog and want to get another or have a cat and want to get a
dog. It is important for pet owners not to make an impulsive decision that can lead to having to give one
animal away or having an animal severely injured by another.
If the reason you want to get another dog is to keep your first dog company, don’t do it. Many owners
fail to give their dog enough attention. The dog feels isolated from its pack and pack leader and engages
in destructive behavior. As a quick fix, the owners decide to get another dog so they don’t have to bother
giving the first dog more quality time and attention. The new dog will do it for them, they think, and the
new dog won’t require any attention either. Wrong! Very frequently, the first dog still misbehaves, and
frequently it teaches the second dog to do the same thing. Now the owners have two dogs that need
their attention. Often, the owners end up giving one or both of the dogs away.
Sometimes owners run out and get a second dog that is incompatible with their first dog. Upon arriving
home one evening after work, they discover that the two dogs have been in a vicious fight, and they have
to medically treat or even bury one of the dogs.
Now, if you have the time, energy, space, and financial wherewithal for a second dog, there are several
things you can do to increase the chance that the new animal will be a success in the home.
Get the two dogs to hit it off. Get a dog of the opposite sex of the one you have now. Same-sex dogs
fight far more frequently than do dogs of the opposite sex. Almost 90% of my sibling dog-fighting cases
involve same-sex dogs. Establishing which dog will be dominant (and make no mistake, one has to be
dominant) is more problematic between same-sex dogs. Male pairs are more likely to fight over territory.
Female pairs are more likely to fight over possessions and toy objects.
Make sure both dogs are spayed or neutered. Unspayed and unneutered dogs fight more frequently and
more intensely. Much of the fighting is hormone-based, involving territorial marking and heat cycle-related
aggression. Of course, you also want the dogs to be fixed to avoid a never-ending cycle of puppies.
Select a second dog equal in size to or smaller than your first dog. This reduces the likelihood of continual
contest over which dog will be dominant, since size plays one important factor in that issue. Whether it is
smaller or larger than the newcomer, your first dog will be reluctant to give up its dominant position. If it
is the bigger dog, that is not as likely to be a problem because the smaller newcomer is unlikely to issue a
challenge. However, if the first dog is the smaller of the two, the new dog may well use its size
advantage to become the top dog, and fights can ensue.
Select a second dog from a breed that has not been bred to be an attack or fighting dog. These dogs will
naturally be more dominant and will not back down if your first dog puts up a fight over leadership.
Have the two dogs meet several times on neutral turf to see whether they get along before even thinking
of a meeting on your old dog’s turf. If the two cannot get along on neutral turf, the likelihood of them
getting along on your old dog’s turf is practically nil.
There will be a honeymoon period of approximately four to six weeks before the new dog’s true
personality shows itself. The way the dog is behaving and adjusting after that period is a good indicator
of its future and continued behavior.
One leader of the pack. You can reduce the chance that the two dogs will fight if you remember that dog
packs are inherently totalitarian. Only one dog can be the top dog. This will change only if the dominant
dog becomes injured or too sick to defend its dominant position. Then the second dog will slide into the
spot. You can support this necessary hierarchy and keep the peace in a couple of ways.
• Do not treat the dogs as equals. By trying to treat the dogs fairly, equally, and democratically, you
will anger and frustrate the true dominant dog and force it to reassert its dominance in increasingly
forceful ways, including fighting and attacking the number two dog.
• Actively support your first dog as dominant dog by petting it first, greeting it first, letting it exit and
enter first, feeding it first, and so on. The exception is if you see clear and ever-present signs that the
two dogs have switched things around and the second dog has become dominant. There are several
indicators.
Dominant-Dog Indicators
1. The dominant dog will always successfully cut off the less-dominant dog at doorways and get in
front of the other dog when greeting the owner.
2. The dominant dog will hump and climb up on the back of the less-dominant dog, creating a T-
stance. The submissive dog will not.
3. The dominant dog will jealously guard and keep toys to itself and prevent the other dog from
eating its food.
4. The dominant dog will frequently go to where the less-dominant dog is resting and force it to
relinquish its place so the dominant dog can use it. The reverse does not happen.
Look out for these behavioral indicators on who is the dominant dog and actively reinforce the pecking
order to preserve the peace between your two dogs.
(CBAH Note: Don’t assume a puppy is the wisest choice! A puppy may defer to the first dog while it’s small,
but one day it will be larger, and its personality may be a dominant one. If you want a puppy, get one from an
experienced breeder or rescue group that can evaluate personalities and help you choose one that will match
well with your current dog. In addition, rescue groups are a great resource for young-adult dogs. Most of them
are kept in foster homes, and these foster parents are excellent sources of information about the dog you are
considering, and can tell you what its personality and temperament are like, and if it behaves in a dominant or
submissive manner with other dogs, cats, children, etc.)
Several issues arise when people have one dog and want to get another or have a cat and want to get a
dog. It is important for pet owners not to make an impulsive decision that can lead to having to give one
animal away or having an animal severely injured by another.
If the reason you want to get another dog is to keep your first dog company, don’t do it. Many owners
fail to give their dog enough attention. The dog feels isolated from its pack and pack leader and engages
in destructive behavior. As a quick fix, the owners decide to get another dog so they don’t have to bother
giving the first dog more quality time and attention. The new dog will do it for them, they think, and the
new dog won’t require any attention either. Wrong! Very frequently, the first dog still misbehaves, and
frequently it teaches the second dog to do the same thing. Now the owners have two dogs that need
their attention. Often, the owners end up giving one or both of the dogs away.
Sometimes owners run out and get a second dog that is incompatible with their first dog. Upon arriving
home one evening after work, they discover that the two dogs have been in a vicious fight, and they have
to medically treat or even bury one of the dogs.
Now, if you have the time, energy, space, and financial wherewithal for a second dog, there are several
things you can do to increase the chance that the new animal will be a success in the home.
Get the two dogs to hit it off. Get a dog of the opposite sex of the one you have now. Same-sex dogs
fight far more frequently than do dogs of the opposite sex. Almost 90% of my sibling dog-fighting cases
involve same-sex dogs. Establishing which dog will be dominant (and make no mistake, one has to be
dominant) is more problematic between same-sex dogs. Male pairs are more likely to fight over territory.
Female pairs are more likely to fight over possessions and toy objects.
Make sure both dogs are spayed or neutered. Unspayed and unneutered dogs fight more frequently and
more intensely. Much of the fighting is hormone-based, involving territorial marking and heat cycle-related
aggression. Of course, you also want the dogs to be fixed to avoid a never-ending cycle of puppies.
Select a second dog equal in size to or smaller than your first dog. This reduces the likelihood of continual
contest over which dog will be dominant, since size plays one important factor in that issue. Whether it is
smaller or larger than the newcomer, your first dog will be reluctant to give up its dominant position. If it
is the bigger dog, that is not as likely to be a problem because the smaller newcomer is unlikely to issue a
challenge. However, if the first dog is the smaller of the two, the new dog may well use its size
advantage to become the top dog, and fights can ensue.
Select a second dog from a breed that has not been bred to be an attack or fighting dog. These dogs will
naturally be more dominant and will not back down if your first dog puts up a fight over leadership.
Have the two dogs meet several times on neutral turf to see whether they get along before even thinking
of a meeting on your old dog’s turf. If the two cannot get along on neutral turf, the likelihood of them
getting along on your old dog’s turf is practically nil.
There will be a honeymoon period of approximately four to six weeks before the new dog’s true
personality shows itself. The way the dog is behaving and adjusting after that period is a good indicator
of its future and continued behavior.
One leader of the pack. You can reduce the chance that the two dogs will fight if you remember that dog
packs are inherently totalitarian. Only one dog can be the top dog. This will change only if the dominant
dog becomes injured or too sick to defend its dominant position. Then the second dog will slide into the
spot. You can support this necessary hierarchy and keep the peace in a couple of ways.
• Do not treat the dogs as equals. By trying to treat the dogs fairly, equally, and democratically, you
will anger and frustrate the true dominant dog and force it to reassert its dominance in increasingly
forceful ways, including fighting and attacking the number two dog.
• Actively support your first dog as dominant dog by petting it first, greeting it first, letting it exit and
enter first, feeding it first, and so on. The exception is if you see clear and ever-present signs that the
two dogs have switched things around and the second dog has become dominant. There are several
indicators.
Dominant-Dog Indicators
1. The dominant dog will always successfully cut off the less-dominant dog at doorways and get in
front of the other dog when greeting the owner.
2. The dominant dog will hump and climb up on the back of the less-dominant dog, creating a T-
stance. The submissive dog will not.
3. The dominant dog will jealously guard and keep toys to itself and prevent the other dog from
eating its food.
4. The dominant dog will frequently go to where the less-dominant dog is resting and force it to
relinquish its place so the dominant dog can use it. The reverse does not happen.
Look out for these behavioral indicators on who is the dominant dog and actively reinforce the pecking
order to preserve the peace between your two dogs.
(CBAH Note: Don’t assume a puppy is the wisest choice! A puppy may defer to the first dog while it’s small,
but one day it will be larger, and its personality may be a dominant one. If you want a puppy, get one from an
experienced breeder or rescue group that can evaluate personalities and help you choose one that will match
well with your current dog. In addition, rescue groups are a great resource for young-adult dogs. Most of them
are kept in foster homes, and these foster parents are excellent sources of information about the dog you are
considering, and can tell you what its personality and temperament are like, and if it behaves in a dominant or
submissive manner with other dogs, cats, children, etc.)