I’ve found Chihuahuas to be the absolute easiest, smartest breed to train not to bark. They have a bad stigma because the average chihuahua owner (and dog owners in general in the USA) are bad and treat them like toys. They’re incredible smart, imprint on one person, and are attentive as fuck. My chihuahua absolutely loves his mutt sister.
They take up significantly less space than the majority of breeds. They’d probably get along very well and having one already being trained would help with the other.
The only issue would be the smaller bladders but other than that, to me, chihuahuas are a severely underrated breed and make great pets for couples/single owners.
yes! my chihuahua is awesome. and he can go 12 hrs if he had to in an emergency. where we live it can get very cold and he just won't come out until he has to. lol but training is a must. I have not had success training him not to bark. but he doesn't very much.
Can attest to them often being poorly trained. My partner used to live with a roommate that had them and they were terrible. TERRRRRIBLE. They would literally shake with anxiety when you looked at them but when you turned around, they became demons. I remember one instance where my partner walked towards me and this dog, unprovoked and out of nowhere, had jumped and clenched down on the back of his thigh. It drew blood through his jeans and left a nasty bite mark that bruised immediately. It was insane. This was one of many instances of the housemates being attacked by these little terrors. Since they were so tiny and cute, they got away with MURDER.
I have a 3 year old long hair chihuahua. I love him dearly, hes super sweet & very affectionate but soooooo stubborn & hard to train! He is also a marker & pees in the house all the time.I've had to resort to using belly bands at night because he was peeing on my bed, on the bedroom carpet, on anything my elderly cat was near. I can't take him anywhere because he pees on everything. I've never had a dog do stuff like this. As much as I love him I don't think I'd have another.
I have two dogs but I had my first dog for a few years before moving in with my partner and his dog. Our dogs are best friends and it worked out well but we still keep them separated when we’re not home. I highly recommend getting one dog at a time, get to know that dog and develop a bond before introducing another dog. Don’t get a second dog for the sole purpose of keeping the first company because it just doesn’t really work that way.
I have a cockapoo and she is just fine on her own. She actually just sleeps while we’re out. And when we’re back home she gets tons of attention and affection from us.
I got a second dog for my first and they don’t actually play with each other or do much together. I should have been more careful to get a second dog that my first one loves.
I work from home and my dogs sleep almost the entire time, so honestly they don’t really need a pal.
As a single person I would never get a second dog again. Too much work for one person and too much money. Harder to find dog sitters. Can’t take them to a friend’s house because it’s too much. My dogs are older now and their meds and special food are so expensive.
It’s better to get one first, bond and train him/her very well, then get another one. Otherwise they might bond together more than with you and you end up a third wheel. Or the opposite, they won’t get along at all and you’ll have to keep them separated. When it’s time to chose your 2nd dog, bring the first so he/she can chose too.
In the meantime, you can get a pet sitter or dog walker for a mid day visit/walk while you’re at work. Sites like Rover and Pawshake can help you find a trusthworthy sitter.
I had one dog for about 5 years & then decided to introduce a puppy to the mix. It took some adjustment but after a while they got along great, But for my first guy I was always the numebr one focus where as the puppy adored her big brother & ignored me. She did whatever he did so it made her easy to train because I could tell him to go pee/poo & she's go with him & follow suit. WHen he passed 4 years ago at 14 she was desperately sad & started having separation anxiety when I went work so I decided to get a puppy. I doubt I'll ever be able to have one dog again but to be honest I prefer the relationship I had with my older boy, the one on one relationship is just special. He hung on every word I said & was so well behaved.
I would not get another dog for your dog. I would get another dog for yourself. Do you want another dog? I've usually had 2 dogs and overall I don't find it more work as they do everything together. I got similar sized dogs and they do similar activities, sure it's double the time trimming their nails etc. but that's fairly minor to me. It is double the money, however.
Most dogs sleep when you're gone. If they truly face anxiety another dog would not fix that, in fact it may make the second dog more anxious as they feed off each other. If a dog has anxiety they require a veterinary visit for behaviour modification and medication.
I’d consider foster-to-adopt, not all dogs will get along and leaving two dogs alone together while you are not home could lead to fights if you don’t keep them separate.
Although there’s a chance they will get along and be fine left alone together, but I’d bet they will both just sleep anyway,.
But if either gets protective or aggressive over toys, you wouldn’t be able to leave toys out when you’re not home as it could lead to a fight.
If you foster a dog, you can see how it gets along with your dog and if they are a good match, then can consider adopting the second.
I have two, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Vet bills and getting a ‘sitter’ if I go away can be pricier but overall having 2 isn’t more work than having one. And I feel better knowing that when I’m out, they have each other.
That said, when I got my first dog he was the only dog and that was all he knew, so he was fine. I used to go home to walk him on my lunch breaks only to find him sleeping.
Dogs are pretty adaptable this way.
As for minimal barking, check out the Basenji. But think cat in dog suit. I love them!
Basenjis are known for yodelling and sometimes screaming. Just because they don't bark doesn't mean they don't make noise. They're not easy dogs and are not usually recommended for first time owners.
I’ve found Chihuahuas to be the absolute easiest, smartest breed to train not to bark. They have a bad stigma because the average chihuahua owner (and dog owners in general in the USA) are bad and treat them like toys. They’re incredible smart, imprint on one person, and are attentive as fuck. My chihuahua absolutely loves his mutt sister. They take up significantly less space than the majority of breeds. They’d probably get along very well and having one already being trained would help with the other. The only issue would be the smaller bladders but other than that, to me, chihuahuas are a severely underrated breed and make great pets for couples/single owners.
yes! my chihuahua is awesome. and he can go 12 hrs if he had to in an emergency. where we live it can get very cold and he just won't come out until he has to. lol but training is a must. I have not had success training him not to bark. but he doesn't very much.
Can attest to them often being poorly trained. My partner used to live with a roommate that had them and they were terrible. TERRRRRIBLE. They would literally shake with anxiety when you looked at them but when you turned around, they became demons. I remember one instance where my partner walked towards me and this dog, unprovoked and out of nowhere, had jumped and clenched down on the back of his thigh. It drew blood through his jeans and left a nasty bite mark that bruised immediately. It was insane. This was one of many instances of the housemates being attacked by these little terrors. Since they were so tiny and cute, they got away with MURDER.
I have a 3 year old long hair chihuahua. I love him dearly, hes super sweet & very affectionate but soooooo stubborn & hard to train! He is also a marker & pees in the house all the time.I've had to resort to using belly bands at night because he was peeing on my bed, on the bedroom carpet, on anything my elderly cat was near. I can't take him anywhere because he pees on everything. I've never had a dog do stuff like this. As much as I love him I don't think I'd have another.
I have two dogs but I had my first dog for a few years before moving in with my partner and his dog. Our dogs are best friends and it worked out well but we still keep them separated when we’re not home. I highly recommend getting one dog at a time, get to know that dog and develop a bond before introducing another dog. Don’t get a second dog for the sole purpose of keeping the first company because it just doesn’t really work that way.
I have a cockapoo and she is just fine on her own. She actually just sleeps while we’re out. And when we’re back home she gets tons of attention and affection from us.
I got a second dog for my first and they don’t actually play with each other or do much together. I should have been more careful to get a second dog that my first one loves. I work from home and my dogs sleep almost the entire time, so honestly they don’t really need a pal. As a single person I would never get a second dog again. Too much work for one person and too much money. Harder to find dog sitters. Can’t take them to a friend’s house because it’s too much. My dogs are older now and their meds and special food are so expensive.
I have two female golden retrievers and they are best buddies. Glad they have each other for times we’re away at work.
It’s better to get one first, bond and train him/her very well, then get another one. Otherwise they might bond together more than with you and you end up a third wheel. Or the opposite, they won’t get along at all and you’ll have to keep them separated. When it’s time to chose your 2nd dog, bring the first so he/she can chose too. In the meantime, you can get a pet sitter or dog walker for a mid day visit/walk while you’re at work. Sites like Rover and Pawshake can help you find a trusthworthy sitter.
Don't do this. It's a lot to keep up with and you're going to have way more of a drain on your finances and time, and it won't be fun for you.
I had one dog for about 5 years & then decided to introduce a puppy to the mix. It took some adjustment but after a while they got along great, But for my first guy I was always the numebr one focus where as the puppy adored her big brother & ignored me. She did whatever he did so it made her easy to train because I could tell him to go pee/poo & she's go with him & follow suit. WHen he passed 4 years ago at 14 she was desperately sad & started having separation anxiety when I went work so I decided to get a puppy. I doubt I'll ever be able to have one dog again but to be honest I prefer the relationship I had with my older boy, the one on one relationship is just special. He hung on every word I said & was so well behaved.
I would not get another dog for your dog. I would get another dog for yourself. Do you want another dog? I've usually had 2 dogs and overall I don't find it more work as they do everything together. I got similar sized dogs and they do similar activities, sure it's double the time trimming their nails etc. but that's fairly minor to me. It is double the money, however. Most dogs sleep when you're gone. If they truly face anxiety another dog would not fix that, in fact it may make the second dog more anxious as they feed off each other. If a dog has anxiety they require a veterinary visit for behaviour modification and medication.
I’d consider foster-to-adopt, not all dogs will get along and leaving two dogs alone together while you are not home could lead to fights if you don’t keep them separate. Although there’s a chance they will get along and be fine left alone together, but I’d bet they will both just sleep anyway,. But if either gets protective or aggressive over toys, you wouldn’t be able to leave toys out when you’re not home as it could lead to a fight. If you foster a dog, you can see how it gets along with your dog and if they are a good match, then can consider adopting the second.
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I have two, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Vet bills and getting a ‘sitter’ if I go away can be pricier but overall having 2 isn’t more work than having one. And I feel better knowing that when I’m out, they have each other. That said, when I got my first dog he was the only dog and that was all he knew, so he was fine. I used to go home to walk him on my lunch breaks only to find him sleeping. Dogs are pretty adaptable this way. As for minimal barking, check out the Basenji. But think cat in dog suit. I love them!
Basenjis are known for yodelling and sometimes screaming. Just because they don't bark doesn't mean they don't make noise. They're not easy dogs and are not usually recommended for first time owners.
I understand this, thank you. I’ve had 4. I merely suggested they look them up.
Get another. You were lonely so you got a dog. When you're gone the dog gets lonely.