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" My son just went off to college, and I&amp;#039;m left with his high-energy dog. She drives me crazy, bugging me all the time now to play ball or walk with her. Should I get another dog to give her a playmate? Before I answer, please re-read your statement, &amp;quot;She drives me crazy.&amp;quot; If one dog is driving you crazy, does doubling your dog count sound like a solution to or an escalation of your problem? You&amp;#039;re not alone in thinking that a second dog is the answer--and it might be, provided that the individual temperaments of the dogs are compatible, and if there&amp;#039;s proper supervision and training. But the last thing you want is two dogs who are are at odds with each other. I&amp;#039;ve seen some two-dog households that remind me of the movie The War of the Roses. You&amp;#039;re hoping that your dog will get the exercise she needs by having another dog to run around with, but trust me, if you don&amp;#039;t have time for one dog, you definitely don&amp;#039;t have time for two. The &amp;quot;To Do&amp;quot; list for a second dog (puppy or adult) includes housebreaking, obedience training, and socializing, plus all the things you already do for your current dog. Right now, you have to address her need for exercise and mental stimulation. And in case you were wondering, turning her out into a fenced area won&amp;#039;t cut it--a lone dog will rarely tire itself out that way. Finding someone who has a compatible dog and taking them to a safely enclosed area is a good choice, but only if you stay with them to provide supervision. As a last resort, you could always hire a dog walker, but if possible, you should take the dog out at least half the time. That way, you won&amp;#039;t miss out on the bonding--and social opportunities--that happen when you&amp;#039;re walking your dog. Lately my 11-year-old pug has become &amp;quot;un-housebroken.&amp;quot; Twice when I had guests, he walked in the room, looked at me, and urinated on the furniture. Could he be jealous? Any sudden lapse in an otherwise sterling history of being housebroken calls for a trip to your vet. He might have a bladder infection, but there could also be other issues that only a complete checkup and blood work can reveal. If there aren&amp;#039;t, then you need to examine not his jealousy, but your inattentiveness. Having guests can be both exciting and stressful for the human and canine members of the family. Here you are, busy making your guests at home, and in trots the dog who gives you a look and then &amp;quot;Bam!&amp;quot;--he unloads a few feet from you and your guest. After the shock, horror, and embarrassment wear off, you feel betrayed by your dog and blame a mostly human emotion--jealousy--on him. But let&amp;#039;s look at this from the dog&amp;#039;s point of view: He hears all the commotion and is visibly excited, but eventually settles down. After a while, he feels the urge to go to the bathroom, and starts giving his usual signal--circling at the door. No one responds, so he keeps circling, but eventually comes to find you. By the time he gets to you, his bladder resembles a tick about to pop, and the joy and relief he feels culminates in that &amp;quot;Bam!&amp;quot; moment. Add in the fact this is a geriatric dog, who would probably do well with more trips outside, and you have a situation that is rooted in need rather than emotion. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/kids-pets/q-and-a/a10/dog-shrink-high-energy-dogs-0906/>