Adding another dog companion

Question
We have a nine-month old male husky-spaniel mix. He is an outdoor dog, very playful. We have had him for two weeks. We would like to add a second, non-husky dog to give him a play companion. Is this a good idea? If so, should we add an older dog or a puppy, and how can we make the introductions?

Answer
Dear Frank,
Well it sounds like you are undaunted by your first exuberant puppy, so I guess you are ready for double trouble in your desire to add a second dog to your little family.
This has both positive and negative ramifications.
The negatives include the obvious difficulty which might arise should your 2 dogs not get along very well. This chance is greatly increased by adopting a mature dog over adding another puppy to your household. A puppy in all likely hood will work out the best. But the negative there is that 2 puppies can be very naughty and destructive too. The other negative is that once you have 2 dogs they are a bit less likely to seek you out for interaction. Prefering instead the copmany of thier canine friend. Sibes are particularly this way inclined having a strong pack instinct.
But the positives for me far out weigh the negatives. All dogs are pack animals. Adding a second playmate gives your dogs a fuller and far more interesting life. In the long run they are less noisy and destructive especially in your absence, but I would go for the puppy unless you really feel the need to be a good samaritan because a pup will integrate with a lot less hassles than the older dog.
It would not matter what breed of dog you got either as long as it is robust enough to play equally with your first one.
I hope this has helped you make your decision.
Good Luck Faye and Kuul.