One dog household

Question
Several months ago our 4yr old male Pomeranian passed away. We also have a 2 1/2yr old female Yorkie-poo. The two of them got along very well. Since he died she has changed and become somewhat insecure and nervous  It's just my husband and myself (I am at home most often) and we are concerned that Lucy our Yorkie-poo will become unstable if she is the only dog. We would prefer not getting another dog, but our main concern is her happiness. Also if we do get another should it be the same breed,sex and age. Thank You for any advise you can offer us.

Answer
Some dogs bond too closely to other dogs in the household, and it is very hard for them if the other dies. It sounds like Lucy relied on the Pom to take the lead in her life and is a bit lost without him in charge.

Getting another dog is certainly a decision that only you can make. There is no telling if it will help her or not; I think it would depend on the new dog's personality. Lucy wants a leader in her life, I think, and maybe you can fill that need yourself by being more assertive, in a nice way. Practice "Nothing in Life is Free" with her. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm  Give her lots of praise and encouragement when she does something good... having her perform a couple tricks, with accompanying praise, might help to give her the boost of confidence that she needs.

Take her for walks and give her lots of playtime and attention. With two dogs, most of us tend to sit back and watch them play together. With only one dog, you need to take up the slack left because of the other dog's departure and give her that extra time that she shared with the Pomeranian.