If you are a dog lover, you may feel that one dog is not enough.However, before you go ahead and choose another dog there are a number of issues you must consider before hand.

Your pets personality is the first consideration to make.For example, if your dog is headstrong pairing it with anoter headstrong dog could result in daily fights for supremacy.If two dogs with a similar nature are paired up then the battles could be ferocious and the dogs will struggle to bond. If your dog is very submissive, you may also have problems, as the new dog could bully your first dog and make his life miserable.The ideal situation would be to have two dogs with a similar, placid nature that is neither dominating nor submissive.

Size is the next consideration.Avoid pairing a small dog with a much larger breed.A large dog will find it easy to hurt a much smaller breed, even if it is unintentional.If you already own a big dog it can be possible to add a smaller dog to the home, but only if the big dog has a placid nature.

You then need to considerer gender. Two un-neutered females are unlikely to get on with each other. You really need to think about neutering your female dog before you add another female to the mix. A male puppy may be the best partner for a neutered female because even after the operation a girl dog can remain aggressive towards other females.(Of course if you are going to pair a female with a male at least one of the dogs should be neutered. If you don’t it will only be a matter of time before you find a number of new puppies on your hands!)

Age is the next thing you need to consider and did you know that an older dog may not respond well to a puppy?An older dog will have far less patience and energy and may not want to interact with a puppy.An old dog is far more likely to get on well with an adult dog.

The breed of the second dog is also important and you should try and find out the type of breed your dog will get on with.Some of the toy breeds become a bit spoiled and jealous of other dogs. These toy dogs often dislike the addition of a puppy into the home.If you have a larger, more dominant dog like a Rottweiler then you may not be able to introduce any new dog into the home.Happily, there are many dog breeds out there that mix well, so do some research first and you should be able to find a suitable partner for your pooch.

Your last consideration is financial, so make sure you can actually afford a second dog.A responsible owner will make sure they can afford to feed their dog a good quality dog food, plus pay for all medical expenses and dog related accessories.