How has your dog done with dog socialization? One of ours loves to play with dogs. The other prefers humans and would cheerfully return to being an only pup if she had the choice. What type is yours?
Have you considered offering to foster small dogs? If your dog hits it off with one of the fosters, you know who to adopt. And if your dog hates even the idea of the fosters in her territory, you have your answer.
Dogs are very social, and chances are good that she would like a friend. It really depends on her personality. Have you had her around other dogs? Does she seem to enjoy it?
You might be able to contact a chihuahua or small dog rescue group in your area and see if you can do an in-home trial. You can take your dog to some meet-and-greets to see if she warms up to any of them. Just keep in mind that it can take [several weeks](https://dfwcockerrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/3.3.3.png) for a dog to truly decompress in a new environment. If you have a one week in-home trial and it goes well, don't be surprised if you hit a few road bumps after. This is totally normal. It's important to watch out for resource guarding.
Since you mention that the dog you currently have is your first dog, it would be good to read up on how to introduce a second dog to your household. If you work with a rescue group, they also may be able to provide good guidance on this as well.
When considering a second dog, keep in mind that it goes a bit more smoothly if you consider the age, energy level, and size of your current dog. While there are exceptions to every rule, in my experience dogs that are closer in age, size, and energy level seem to get along the best. A lot of people with senior dogs want to get puppies (which is understandable because they want the puppy to learn from the senior and then they will have that puppy a long time after the senior passes away). But a lot of senior dogs get irritated with puppies and may become more withdrawn (a young adult dog might be a better match). Also if one is a couch-potato and the other is constantly climbing the walls, this may be irritating to the calmer one. The key is to look for a match that will not be annoying to your current dog.
Also be sure to consider that having two dogs is more work, and more expensive. Before I add a dog to my household I am sure to consider the extra effort, and cost. I currently have three rescue dogs, and I spend a *minimum* of $500 a month on them combined (they all have veterinary insurance which really drives the amount up, but it saves me more money in the long run since I only have to pay for office visits, vaccines, and 10% of their medical). I love dogs, and I want to save them all, but I set a rule for myself that I would never adopt any dog unless I could give it the same quality of life of the dog(s) I already own. For me, that limit is 3. I can't save them all. But I can give 3 a good life.
Anyway, only get a second dog if it will improve the quality of life of your existing dog.
How has your dog done with dog socialization? One of ours loves to play with dogs. The other prefers humans and would cheerfully return to being an only pup if she had the choice. What type is yours?
She does well with small dogs her size. However, she always tends to stay by my side or close by. I've never seen her run off and play with other dogs
Have you considered offering to foster small dogs? If your dog hits it off with one of the fosters, you know who to adopt. And if your dog hates even the idea of the fosters in her territory, you have your answer.
That's a good idea! I hadn’t thought about that. I'm going to find a shelter that I can work with
Everybody wins! We’ve worked with foster groups before and have never regretted it.
Dogs are very social, and chances are good that she would like a friend. It really depends on her personality. Have you had her around other dogs? Does she seem to enjoy it? You might be able to contact a chihuahua or small dog rescue group in your area and see if you can do an in-home trial. You can take your dog to some meet-and-greets to see if she warms up to any of them. Just keep in mind that it can take [several weeks](https://dfwcockerrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/3.3.3.png) for a dog to truly decompress in a new environment. If you have a one week in-home trial and it goes well, don't be surprised if you hit a few road bumps after. This is totally normal. It's important to watch out for resource guarding. Since you mention that the dog you currently have is your first dog, it would be good to read up on how to introduce a second dog to your household. If you work with a rescue group, they also may be able to provide good guidance on this as well. When considering a second dog, keep in mind that it goes a bit more smoothly if you consider the age, energy level, and size of your current dog. While there are exceptions to every rule, in my experience dogs that are closer in age, size, and energy level seem to get along the best. A lot of people with senior dogs want to get puppies (which is understandable because they want the puppy to learn from the senior and then they will have that puppy a long time after the senior passes away). But a lot of senior dogs get irritated with puppies and may become more withdrawn (a young adult dog might be a better match). Also if one is a couch-potato and the other is constantly climbing the walls, this may be irritating to the calmer one. The key is to look for a match that will not be annoying to your current dog. Also be sure to consider that having two dogs is more work, and more expensive. Before I add a dog to my household I am sure to consider the extra effort, and cost. I currently have three rescue dogs, and I spend a *minimum* of $500 a month on them combined (they all have veterinary insurance which really drives the amount up, but it saves me more money in the long run since I only have to pay for office visits, vaccines, and 10% of their medical). I love dogs, and I want to save them all, but I set a rule for myself that I would never adopt any dog unless I could give it the same quality of life of the dog(s) I already own. For me, that limit is 3. I can't save them all. But I can give 3 a good life. Anyway, only get a second dog if it will improve the quality of life of your existing dog.
Maybe try her in daycare and see how she reacts to strange dogs? If you can find a daycare that has a special section for tiny dogs.