Now that my new dog Sparkles has been with Wiggles and me for 2 weeks, she’s settled in as a member of our family. Getting her was one of the best things I’ve done in years. A few of the “cons” on my list for not getting a 2nd dog have proven to be true:
- Walking two dogs is harder than walking one.
- Food expenses, vet bills and poop scooping have doubled.
- My 1:1 bonding time with Wiggles has been lessened.
My pros list only had item – I wanted to have a second dog.
My experience has been that there are many more pros, which I hadn’t anticipated.
Sparkles brought life to our home. She and Wiggles play for hours and hours every day. They race around the house, play keep-away and tug-of-war with toys, they bounce of of walls and furniture as they chase each other.
Wiggles is much happier having an energetic, young dog as a playmate. I was no substitute for this.
My house is not as quiet and orderly as it was before.
Sparkles is big. She’s 20 pounds and twice the size of Wiggles. She leaps over the couch, knocking all the cushions down all day long. She dives into the armchair like a linebacker, causing it to slide several feet. There are toys scattered all over the house – all the time. I pick them up and return them to the toy basket only to have the dogs pull them right back out. It’s like I am cleaning up after little kids.
Now I find muddy footprints throughout the house after the dogs race outside, around the yard and then back into the house playing chase.
I like quiet. I like everything to be in its place. I like routine, quiet and predictability.
But, I must admit, I like this having this little bit of chaos too.