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we just got a second pug, for some of the same reasons that you mentioned (giving our first pug a playmate). we've only had the new one for a few days, and we're definitely in transition mode. i feel a bit more connected to the first, obviously, and the new one is so overstimulated by all the change (going from rural to urban setting) that she's actually not paying much attention to our first one! it kinda makes me sad, but i have to remember that this is a huge adjustment and to give it time. but all dogs have different personalities, so your experience could be very different.
i don't regret it though! not yet.
Oh Annie! FI and I feel the same way toward our dogs. They are our kids. I'm so sorry your family dog passed away. It's so hard to lose a furbaby. The love they give forever leaves an impression on your heart.
My dog passed away in April 2008. It was devastating and the house was so quiet that 3 months later FI and I started looking again at the shelters and various adoption events. We went looking one Saturday morning and came home with not one but two dogs. Boris was a puppy (3 months) and Milo was 1 1/2 years. Still a pup.
I'm so glad they have each other as we are not home during the day either (thank god for dog walkers). I couldn't imagine NOT having them both. And I think when, god forbid, something would happen to one of them, the other will be lost. And the great thing is they really get along great.
Now seeing that your baby is 5 years, it might, at first, be a 'what are they doing' kind of moment for your dog. Do you have to get a puppy? What about a dog that's 1 or 2 years old? If you adopt, typically they make you bring your current dog to make sure everyone gets along.
Another thing you could do regardless if you get a puppy or a slightly older dog is to act just like you were to bring a baby home from the hospital. Take a towel to where the puppy or dog is and keep it there for a day or two to get the scent on it. Then bring it home for the your doggie to sniff.
I think we'll always have two dogs. The companionship it provides for them is pricelss.
im so sorry about your loss. this past halloween, we just put down FI's childhood dog... FI is an only child, so Pepper was really like a younger sister to him and a daughter to his parents! it was the saddest thing i've ever had to experience, and i've only known her for 3 years! it was the first time i'd ever seen FI break down and cry... :'(
we fortunately got our pups about a year apart. we definitely got our second for the same reasons... bailey was getting lonely and we wanted her to have a dog to play with... training buddy was REALLY easy though, because we had him jump on bailey's schedule. even though the first few weeks, he couldnt sleep through the night; he caught on right away and was house trained in less than 3 months!
i think as long as you're disciplined, you will be able to transition both dogs into a healthy, puppy love filled home!
good luck and post pics if you end up finding one!!
@AnnieAAA: I would advise getting a dog closer to your current dog's age. A lot of adjustment problems are caused by the fact that people bring a kitten/puppy into a house where a "teenage" or older dog already lives. Inevitably the kitten/puppy gets (and needs!) more attention and they are WAY higher energy than the current dog/cat.
Plus, if you get a dog that is 2-5 years of age, you don't have to housetrain it or anything because that's typically already done! Plus you already know their personalities and such because they're not crazy puppies.
You can find dogs in your area at www.petfinder.com and you can probably even bring your dog to meet a new dog you are interested in.
P.S. I hope I don't sound preach-y but I work at a shelter so I'm a big advocate of adoptions!
@HOTCHILD - Rock on for working in a shelter! I'm also a HUGE advocate of adoptions. 
Oh my gosh, we got a second dog over the summer, and they both love each other sooooo much!!! I was really worried at first about the first one being jealous, or sad that he wasn't getting all the attention, but they are totally fine. And they keep each other company - they play all day, snuggle up together at night, follow each other around the house. One goes, the other has to go to. I honestly can't imagine not having them both now!
And you are def. not dramatic! Our dogs are our kids too!!! I guess there is a chance you could end up getting a dog that doesn't get along with the other, but I'm not sure what the chances are of that. I did read that you should get one that is either a different sex, size, or age than the first. Don't know how true that is, but it said that if you get another one that is the same in all those areas, there is more of a chance they won't get along. Ours are both boys and around the same age, but our first dog is much much bigger!
Here are our boys snuggled up in bed! 
ETA - Both of ours were adopted from the humane society, and the second one was a "foster failure" LOL (we should've known better!). Had to steal that term from someone else who used it on here the other day!
boys.jpg (19.4 KB, 54 downloads) 2 years old 
We did! It was when I lived with my parents though, i was young! I got "my" dog when I was in the 5th grade (she is our family dog really :) ) and when I was a sophmore in high school, we got another dog. He was left by a homeless guy at my dad's work, so my dad brought him home. The transition was a little hard. My dog felt really left out and like she had to fight for attention. She went through a phase of being naughty, and doing things she normally wouldn't do. She didn't like the new puppy either (but she really isn't a social dog to start with!). I made sure that I gave her extra love and attention though. And I would take just her to town with me and my dad would keep the other dog at home and spoil him while we were gone, therefore they both got spoiled but thought that they were the special ones! It got a lot better though, and pretty quickly. Now, you can't get them to leave each other alone! They love each other and are always by each others sides. Its really cute. I think it has helped keep our first dog younger too. It ends up working out, you just have to make sure to be able to give both dogs lots of love. Maybe some days you take one dog and your husband takes the other. Then they feel like they are special, and they get one on one time!
We just got a 2nd dog in Sept!! A quick backrground: I adopted Romeo (came with the name) an oversized yorkie from a rescue when he was 5yrs old about 3 yrs ago (2 wks before I met FI!) and lavished attention on him! We went EVERYWHERE with us, a perfect little family.
This past summer, he spent a month with my mom while we were traveling and had such a blast hanging out with her dog, FI finally caved to my begging for a second poochie to keep Romeo company (and because, if it were up to me, I'd have a dozen dogs). I knew I wanted a 2nd dog that was a simalar size to Romie but a little younger (he's almost 8 now!) to keep him active.
We found Jules, a 3 yr old silky rescued from a hoarder, and fell in love with her instantly! I'll be honest, it's been a lot slower process than I expected getting Romeo used to another dog at home. He still gets REALLY pushy and selfish when I pay attention to Jules, but I'm hoping with time it'll simmer down. They get along fine, and Jules ADORES trying to play with Romeo but it's definitely working out as a better arrangement for her than for Romie. Part of it is probably that being older, Romeo doesn't have the same playful energy Jules does. When they "play" it tends to be Romeo laying on his back swatting at her while Jules runs circles around and jumps on him. Still super cute=)
My advice would be, if you do decide to get a second dog, take your current 1 with you and let her be a part of the decision process!!
untitled.JPG (37.9 KB, 58 downloads) 2 years old
OMG - @HONEYBUN - Too flippin' cute. Our two do the same things. They always snuggle with each other. I had to post a pic because I can't resist them.
Borismilo.jpg (50.7 KB, 52 downloads) 2 years old 
We were worried about the same thing with our first pug. He was set in his ways and we were worried about him not wanting to be bothered by a puppy or another dog. But, one thing you have to remember, dogs are pack animals. From everything I've read and from what my vet has told me, a dog will tend to be happier with another dog around, especially if he already likes other dogs. We got a little girl with him (so he would be less territorial around her) and they are inseparable now. You can't be there 24/7 and I'm sure he will be happy with the companion!
Also, I agree with hotchildinthecity, finding one closer in age might be best if you are worried about him being 5 years old. Petfinder.com is a great place to start or your local shelter. I know our shelter here will let you bring your dog in to meet with the other dogs, to make sure there are no conflicts before you bring the new dog home.
@steph: eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee soooooo cute!!!! Oh my gosh, there is nothing better than when the dogs snuggle with each other!!!! Except maybe when they snuggle with us! 
Awwww those pics of the two dogs together are sooo sweet & really makes me want to get a second doggie!
Thanks for all the advice ladies, the hubs & I will be talking it all over. Agggg its just so hard! I hate being on the fence! :)
We adopted a second dog last October, and it's taken about a year for everybody to completely transition to the change. We first adopted Louie about 3.5 years ago (he was 1 at the time) from a shelter. Last year, Louie started spending about 6-7 hours a day alone, and we felt like it was really time to get a second dog. Louie was 3.5 years old at that time.
One of our co-workers knew some people who were planning on taking their 8 month old puppy to a shelter. We volunteered to possibly adopt him, and set up a meeting. At our first meeting with George, his old family just left him with us! We were really surprised, but his family was going to drop him off at the shelter that night if we didn't take him, so we felt like our hands were tied.
The first few months were really hard. Even though Louie loves other dogs, George is way more high-energy than he is, and Louie seemed to get jealous of George a lot. George always seemed to be antogonizing Louie, and we really felt like we weren't able to give either of them the home they needed and deserved. Gradually, it got better, and this October, they finally started really "loving" each other. It's been a long process, and a lot of work, but we're finally getting to be one big, happy family.
My advice is to take your time picking a second dog. We rushed into things, and it proved to be a really hard transition. Let your first dog get to know the second dog before bringing him home (try to match their personalities, if possible), and be prepared if it's a little tough at first. There were times we even thought about giving George back up for adoption, but we stuck with it, and everyone is pretty happy now. Your old dog might have a difficult time for a little while, but in the end, it's probably worth it to give him a companion. Good luck!
We have a veritable zoo at our house -- two dogs and one cat. I wanted to get another dog last winter/this spring, but we decided to give it some thought (for the same reasons you listed!).
Our older dog is 5 years old, and we just got our puppy Braeden this past May (he's 9 months old now). It was hectic at first juggling the two older pets and Braeden because he needed so much attention with housebreaking and just general puppy-ness, but I'm really really glad we decided to get him. Our little furbaby family is complete! All of the animals get along really well together and keep each other company while we're gone.
I will note, however, that we decided to wait until it was warm outside to get him -- it was easier to wait outside with him for housebreaking when it was warm rather than standing outside in 5 degree temperatures in the winter! Also, we started taking him on short walks to get him socialized/used to walking on a leash early on, and that would have been hard in the wintertime, too. Just something to think about!
Here's a picture our two dogs laying on the same pillow on the couch when Braeden was about 4 or 5 months old. Good luck! :)
dogs.jpg (146 KB, 53 downloads) 2 years old
We were just having the same convo last night! We rescued a red heeler last year in our neighborhood. After a month of trying to find the owners we claimed her! She is our pride and joy. But recently since the FI has moved in everytime he leaves for work she digs out! He will be gone for 3-4 days at a time so I guess she knows now that he won't be back for a while and gets made or something. Well I can't keep rushing home for work to track her down or stomach finding her hit by a car. We have tried everything and she's too active to keep locked in a crate all day. We thought that maybe a playmate might do the trick. But I'm also concerned that they might both begin getting out and finding two is going to be hard. Agghhh!
@stephinPA: Thanks! I think so, but I'm a bit biased. :) Yours are adorable, too -- their heads snuggled up together is just too cute!
We havent gotten a second dog because we are still in an apartment but I do want to. But I feel the same way as you - our dog is 6.5 and very spoiled and a "mama's girl". I take her to my parents house where they have 2 dogs and she loves the big one and gets annoyed by the small one her size. She will jump on my lap and if the small dog comes up by me she growls. I really think she likes big dogs and disklikes dogs her own size. But she has been an "only" dog for so long I think it would be hard to get another one, especially a puppy her size even if it turns into a larger dog. Plus I also get the feeling like she will think we "love her less" if we have another dog. Weird I know...
My sister is a veterinarian, and she actually *recommends getting dogs 5 years apart! That way, they won't be old at the same time, but they aren't too far apart. Our dogs are about 5 years apart and it is mostly great. It's just funny that the much younger/smaller dog is always alpha-ing the older sister, so I do sometimes feel bad for her, but in other ways she is happier. She has a companion when we are at work, and she seems more confident now! It is too cute to see them cuddle into bed together! Here's them on my pillow...oops! 
cozNanSmall.JPG (45.7 KB, 43 downloads) 2 years old
oh, and don't forget dogs are pack animals! so, as long as you give them both attention, they don't really have jealousy as badly as humans do
Dogs are definitely pack animals! FI and I each had a dog of our own when we met (Australian cattle dog/heeler and a Golden mix) and though the transition period was interesting, the dogs' personalities really blossomed once they began spending all their time together! We got a third dog in May, and our crazy little pack is really complete. It's actually surprising - the behaviour of my cattle dog (super intelligent, super high energy, super naughty...) got a lot better once she spent a lot of time with another dog. I will say that having two male dogs is a little bit interesting sometimes, since they're only territorial with each other and not the girl dog...just another thing to consider.
I love all the snuggly dog pictures, everyone!
@FrenchFries: Your story sounds just like us if we do decide to get a puppy. How do you think the 5 year old dog handled the new puppy emotionally? Did you feel bad for giving Braeden more attention? I guess thats my main fear.
Also, is he a Sheltie? My family dog that was 15 was a Sheltie!
@Cannotwait: I didnt' know that! Well I guess it is a good time with my girl being 5 to think of another dog. Did you get your second dog as a puppy or was he/she older? How was the transisiton for you?
we got him @2 months old we still struggle to give them equal attention, bc it's easy to pick him up and love on him, and she was already more independent, but we make a conscious effort
also, puppies learn house training, etc. faster when they see an older dog behaving
the only other things I felt bad for was my older dog had "earned" freedom at night, but with the puppy needing to be locked in the tiled kitchen, we locked her in there...honestly, I don't think she minds, bc that is where her bed is and they really do cuddle a lot
another thing to consider - asides from ages being similar - also the breed being similar.
our "first born"...is a 5 year old black pug. he's spoiled as all get out. our "second child" is a 1 year old golden lab/golden retreiver mix that we adopted when she was 3 months. with our situation we wanted an outside dog which is what our lab mix is. She's a wonderful dog (even though she still hasn't grown out of her puppy loves to chew/destroy everything not nailed down and even some things NAILED down...) lol
but as far as the two getting along...they do for the most part but they're far from best friends. plus chloe (the retreiver) IS outside during the day while we're at work and during the summer/fall she slept outside too - but there's total jealousy between them. some times they'll play nice together but yeah unfortunately there is jealousy on both ends...
so i totally suggest similar age/similar breed. i wouldn't give up either of mine but i do wish they were closer.
@AnnieAAA: The 5 year old (Rummy) handled it pretty well. At first he was a little growly (for the first two days, maybe) but now they're best friends. As for the jealousy thing, it's not really an issue. They don't push each other aside to be petted or anything like that...we just make sure that we both pay attention to both dogs. :)
And yes, Braeden is a sheltie! He's super smart (almost too smart, sometimes) and very loving. :)
We have been contemplating this for the last year or so. Our dog LOVES to play. But all the dogs in our life are much older and don't really give her the time of the day. She's kinda in your face. :)
I think the biggest thing for us is time. Especially with the way the things are going right now finances as well. Dogs aren't cheap! Our dog now had SO many health issues when we just adopted her. For the first year to year and half of her life we were taking her to the vet almost monthly. Those bills were crazy. So we have that fear especially with the wedding and possibly a kid in the future.
But we want to adopt another SO bad!
P.S. Adopt ALL the way. ALL puppies are cute but those in shelters need a good home too! It drives me crazy when people pay hundred even thousands of dollars for a "purebred" from breeders. I can't get mad at the dog though because they are all so cute! Bred or natural or whatnot. But our hearts tear for dogs in shelters.
omg i totally struggle with this. I adopted a 3 year old corgi from a rescue group 2 years ago and he is AWESOME. He is soo much fun and i totally spoil him. The only problem is that I always grew up with 2 dogs and FI sometimes gets jealous bc Stewie is definitely a momma's boy. I always assumed I'd get another dog at some point when I could afford it.
Well... I just think that Stew wants to be an only-dog. He is super jealous and he hates when I pet or play with other dogs. He used to be really hostile towards other dogs when I would take him to my parents' house although we have trained that out of him and he is now 100% ok at other people's houses. He is still not ok when we bring a dog into our house. He doesnt attack but he does grump and growl and sigh.
I feel like we *COULD* get another dog and train him to be non-hostile but I'm just not sure he'd be happy.
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My husband and I have been seriously thinking about getting a second dog, but I don't know if we'll ever actually do it because we feel weird about it. We've had our first dog for 5 years and simply can't imagine having another dog; we worry that she will feel left out as our concerns will go towards the new puppy & I worry that I won't love another dog as much as her.
We want to get a second dog because our current dog absolutely loves playing with other dogs & it would make her happy and less bored when we arn't home. Also, my family dog of 15 years recently passed and it has really hurt us; so through this experience we agreed that when our first dog passes we would like to already have another dog there, and we think that will help lessen the painful blow vs. having no dog present.
Looking back, I wish we would of got another dog when our first dog was like 1 or 2, but now shes 5 and it makes the decision so much harder!
So are there any of you out there that have been in a similar situation? Anyone get a new pet years after you've had your "only child?" How was the transistion? Did you feel guilty towards your first pet?
P.S. I know this may seem a little dramatic because its about pets, LOL, but they are like children to us so we want to make sure we make the right decision :)