I had to greatly weigh the pros/cons for myself. Originally, I was wanting to get another dog FOR Jackson but I think sometimes it can be a bad idea to do this just to give your current dog a friend. I had to think to myself... do *I* really want a second dog? Financially, could I afford to groom two, feed two, provide vet care? What if an emergency came up with both dogs at once... I probably couldn't afford it, to be honest.
With my current lifestyle, I really enjoy bringing Jackson with me. I am a young single girl and I like to travel and when I can, I bring him with me. Every summer, we vacation to Gettysburg for example and he comes. I visit over my dads house once or twice a week and he has two dogs and a fenced in yard, etc. When I go to family members homes for holidays, I bring him with me, etc. He's my constant little companion and I really don't think I could do it with two of them.
I know I will have a second eventually... but now is not the time. Yes, Jackson loves other dogs and he probably would be happier with a friend (or maybe not, you never know). But I make sure to get him to the dog park once a week, he visits my dads dogs often, we go for daily walks, etc, etc. He gets a lot of training, attention, socialization and doggy playdates. He's a very social dog so I'm not too concerned about it.
I think I will know when the time is right but for now, I've learned to be very content with just Jackson and I. |