Back in January, our sweet boy Paddy turned one and we’ve had the best year watching him grow from teeny pup to boisterous boy – even with a high level of destruction mixed in. Having a dog has always been a high priority, and whilst it’s been incredibly hard work – it was the best decision for us.
After living with a solo dog for a year, we started to consider the possibility of bringing another dog into the mix. Paddy has always been an incredibly social dog so we knew he’d thrive with another dog to play with and we were hopeful that another dog would help to keep him company and help to make him a little less nervous when we weren’t home. After much deliberation and back and forth on the pros and cons, we welcomed Arnie, an almost 5 year old greyhound from the RSPCA.
Arnie is an ex-racing greyhound, which means he’s not had the best life to date. He didn’t really know his name when we first got him (he’s only just starting to recognise it) and had no interest in toys, which we presume is due to a lack of exposure to them. Despite this, he is truly the sweetest boy around. He’s so gentle, patient and tolerant – particularly of Paddy – an over excited puppy that loves nothing more than jumping all over him encouraging him to play. Watching the two of them together is so lovely – they bring the best of each others personalities out (Paddy encourages fun, Arnie encourages rest) and it’s also amazing to see a real transformation in Paddy, where his separation anxiety has hugely reduced.
In terms of specifics, another dog equals another mouth to feed – so the costs of running the two of them have of course increased although it’s not been too bad. Arnie was a little underweight (even for such a lean breed) when we first got him so I’ve done my best to help him put some weight on which has meant we’ve gone through food a little quicker than usual. As a greyhound, Arnie is more susceptible to feeling cold weather so we will eventually need to invest in some warmer coats for him when the weather starts to drop in Melbourne – however as he is already full grown we won’t need to repurchase these sort of items very often.
The sweetest boy around
All in all, having a second dog has been fantastic. It’s done wonders for our first dog Paddy, but it also feels incredibly rewarding to have rescued Arnie and be able to give him a loving home. Whilst I find walking the two of them together on the lead on my own a bit of a challenge (my partner has no issues), in all other areas I’ve found having a second dog arguably easier than just having one. They’re able to entertain each other a little more and we definitely have more of a routine then we did with just one – which means morning and evening routines are actually much smoother. Having two dogs definitely won’t be for everyone – it’s a big commitment on top of an already huge commitment just having one, but for us it works perfectly.
Let me know if you’d like to see more of Paddy and Arnie!
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE PADDY AND ARNIE PLEASE!