It's no secret that I've been considering getting a second dog for a long time. Those of you who have been following this blog may have read about my struggles with finding good playmates for Alf, who also manage to appreciate his (sometimes) somewhat violent play.
That's why there was extra sadness in our little home when Alf lost one of his only playmates, (the neighbor's dog) Alfred, in late summer.
Read more about it here: https://dogcoach.dk/blogs/dogcoach-blog/farvel-til-alfred-om-at-miste-sin-bedste-ven
Since then, I have had difficulty filling that void and organizing a daily routine that caters to Alf's social needs. And so, deep down, I knew that it was probably just a matter of time before Alf would have a little brother. But getting another dog of course requires a lot of consideration and, not least, the right timing.
After four or five months and a look at my calendar for 2019, I could see that the timing was unlikely to happen by itself. And even though I had sworn never to have a winter puppy again (which is just much more difficult), the right puppy suddenly appeared – and was even ready to leave home around the Christmas holidays. And that's how it came about that at the beginning of December we picked up our new family member: Little naughty Alvin.
I was a bit nervous when I stepped over the threshold with the little one in my arms. How will Alf react? Will the little one be afraid of him? Do I dare to leave them alone in the long run? Will they even get as much pleasure from each other as I imagined? – Many questions were buzzing in my head.
Fortunately, my worries were put to shame. Although Alf did start by running straight up and jumping on the little one, then he yelped loudly and heartbreakingly, it wasn't long before he realized that he had to be careful. And already on day two, the dogs were so comfortable with each other that Alf allowed the little one to crawl around him, bite his ears and steal both his food and chew bones.
In other words, Alf has been a better big brother than I could have ever hoped for. And although things may change when little brother reaches puberty, they are still the best of friends. In any case, Alvin is very fond of his big brother, who has also helped a lot with his upbringing. At least I think I remember that it was a bit more of a task with Alf when he was a puppy – especially because he was sad to be alone for the first many months. Fortunately, that story has not been repeated with the new one, and therefore I can safely drive to work without a guilty conscience. Because when I am not at home, the dogs have each other.
So to those of you who are considering getting another dog, I can only encourage you to turn thoughts into action. Such a decision must of course be well thought out! But with the right considerations and framework, I am sure that a little new one will spread just as much joy in your home as it has in ours.
Behind the blog
Celine is 28 years old and works with social media on a daily basis.
Alf is a 1.5 year old French Bulldog who calls himself a "professional lifesaver". Most of it is something he came up with himself. As bloggers, we get to blog about life on the go, as we are often out and about. Alf was born in Denmark, raised in Germany and has visited 5 countries. Alf has just become a big brother to Alvin
Plus, we have many great stories to tell about a life that is pretty much all about dogs. So much so that I've sworn that I'll have to keep all updates far away from Facebook for fear of becoming known as the crazy dog lady among my friends.
Alf has (finally) got a little brother
It's no secret that I've been considering getting a second dog for a long time. Those of you who have been following this blog may have read about my struggles with finding good playmates for Alf, who also manage to appreciate his (sometimes) somewhat violent play.
That's why there was extra sadness in our little home when Alf lost one of his only playmates, (the neighbor's dog) Alfred, in late summer.
Read more about it here: https://dogcoach.dk/blogs/dogcoach-blog/farvel-til-alfred-om-at-miste-sin-bedste-ven
Since then, I have had difficulty filling that void and organizing a daily routine that caters to Alf's social needs. And so, deep down, I knew that it was probably just a matter of time before Alf would have a little brother. But getting another dog of course requires a lot of consideration and, not least, the right timing.
After four or five months and a look at my calendar for 2019, I could see that the timing was unlikely to happen by itself. And even though I had sworn never to have a winter puppy again (which is just much more difficult), the right puppy suddenly appeared – and was even ready to leave home around the Christmas holidays. And that's how it came about that at the beginning of December we picked up our new family member: Little naughty Alvin.
I was a bit nervous when I stepped over the threshold with the little one in my arms. How will Alf react? Will the little one be afraid of him? Do I dare to leave them alone in the long run? Will they even get as much pleasure from each other as I imagined? – Many questions were buzzing in my head.
Fortunately, my worries were put to shame. Although Alf did start by running straight up and jumping on the little one, then he yelped loudly and heartbreakingly, it wasn't long before he realized that he had to be careful. And already on day two, the dogs were so comfortable with each other that Alf allowed the little one to crawl around him, bite his ears and steal both his food and chew bones.
In other words, Alf has been a better big brother than I could have ever hoped for. And although things may change when little brother reaches puberty, they are still the best of friends. In any case, Alvin is very fond of his big brother, who has also helped a lot with his upbringing. At least I think I remember that it was a bit more of a task with Alf when he was a puppy – especially because he was sad to be alone for the first many months. Fortunately, that story has not been repeated with the new one, and therefore I can safely drive to work without a guilty conscience. Because when I am not at home, the dogs have each other.
So to those of you who are considering getting another dog, I can only encourage you to turn thoughts into action. Such a decision must of course be well thought out! But with the right considerations and framework, I am sure that a little new one will spread just as much joy in your home as it has in ours.
Behind the blog
Celine is 28 years old and works with social media on a daily basis.
Alf is a 1.5 year old French Bulldog who calls himself a "professional lifesaver". Most of it is something he came up with himself. As bloggers, we get to blog about life on the go, as we are often out and about. Alf was born in Denmark, raised in Germany and has visited 5 countries. Alf has just become a big brother to Alvin
Plus, we have many great stories to tell about a life that is pretty much all about dogs. So much so that I've sworn that I'll have to keep all updates far away from Facebook for fear of becoming known as the crazy dog lady among my friends.