I didn't grow up around animals. I didn't even like dogs until I spent time volunteering on an Italian farm and fell in love with the five dogs who lived there (two have since passed away, RIP).
Adopting a dog was literally one of the first things I did as a home owner, and we've always envisioned having a couple of dogs around.
The time isn't right just yet to add a second dog to the mix, though I'm starting to think about it and plan ahead. We're working on getting Leila better trained right now - mainly around walking on lead, as she can be a bit of a handful sometimes.
She loves human attention but she also loves other dogs and I'm sure she'd love a companion. Obviously she's been an only child here so far (unless you count the chickens) but she shared her space with another dog at the SPCA for a long time.
My main concerns is around the logistics of walking two dogs (hence wanting to get her more trained) and whether I'll be able to go running with both at the same time. We have plenty of space so I'm not worried about having enough room for two. Doubling up on some things - bed, bowl, kennel leash etc - will be an initial outlay but then it'll just be food and maintenance.
Getting the right dog will be important. Probably a male this time, and of similar size or a little larger (she isn't a fan of small dogs). One that is a little lazier than her, but can still keep up with her for the most part. I'd like to adopt again - I have a bit of a soft spot for boxers, though they're rare in shelters here and there don't seem to be any boxer-specific rescues in NZ.
