QuestionDear Melinda, I got Chip when he was 5months old. I have been told that he was very badly treated and physically hurt by his previous owners. He had hair missing due to stress, was very hand shy and not socialised in the least, petrified of men and the colour black. I have worked to socialise him, puppy school, collar and lead training and general socialising with other dogs and men. He is incredibly loving and protective towards me and is very well behaved in the home. I am toying with the idea of getting him a smaller female friend as I worry constantly that he may be lonely at home whilst I am in work. Do you think this would work? Thankyou so much for your help.
AnswerJoeley,
There are many things to consider when deciding to bring another dog into the family. Because you have a male there is the issue of marking territory. If you get another male they will try to outdo each other and that would include inside your home. However, getting a female would also be a problem because even if he was neutered they will still mark their territory. I do not think however that it would be as frequent as if you have another male. Male dogs also will be more likely to fight than a male/female combination.
If you get a female then you would have to make sure that you had them both fixed or you would have the added problem of having puppies. If you wanted a litter of puppies that would be a whole different subject that you would have to learn about before you decided which female you wanted to purchase.
Yorkies tend to attach themselves to one person. It sounds like you are that person. There is the possibility that he may not adjust to a new puppy and will feel like you are not giving him the attention he previously had. This could cause him to be aggressive towards the new puppy. Since Chip is nolonger a puppy he also may not like being bothered by an active puppy. While puppies play a lot and have a lot of energy a full grown dog usually sleeps 80 to 90 percent of their lives. As long as you give him lots of attention and love when you come home from work he should be fine. Leaving him an article of clothing or a small blanket that has your scent on it will comfort him while you are gone if he does get lonely.
You could also make a tape recording of a typical day with him. This can be accomplished with a tape recorder or a video camera. The video camera works best because you can put eight hours on it. Place the video camera somewhere in the home that will pick up most of the daily activities. Turn it on and let it run. You are going for sound here more than anything else. Then after you have recorded eight hours of household sounds you can put it on a DVD and when you go to work you just pop it into the DVD player on your TV and play it. He will hear the sounds of the household and not feel like he is alone.
Now, with all of that being said, ultimately the decision to get another dog is up to you. Only you know your situation and your dog so only you know what would be best for him. It sounds to me like you are a very responsible and compassionate dog owner and I am sure that whatever decision you make will be a good one.
