i thought i would just share my experience as i, too am a newbie to having two dogs instead of one.
we got Hope when she was 9 wks. Shes now 18months. Ebony came into our "pack" when she was 6 months old (just 2months ago).
Hope is entire and Ebony has just been spayed.
The following i have found easiest to do:
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feed dinner seperatly (Ebony is a slow eater and Hope wants to eat hers. however i dont crate mine and Hope knows shes not allowed near Ebony until Ebony has left her bowl - then they go and lick each others bowls, i put one in the kitchen and one in the dining room but within view of each other as they wouldnt eat if they couldnt see each other. go figure.). However most scuffles are over food so it may just be easier. I always supervise dinner times
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treats, together/at the same time. Golden Rule: I do not feed them raw bones unless they are crated. … otherwise pig ears and other edibles they get given one each and they usually go off in different directions. treats for training is also given at the same time especially if training at the same time. This only works well because Hope knows to leave it (or rather "leave Ebony").
an example of how my girls get their treats. i do not advise to do this unless your comfortable to do so. I can call Hope over to me if she was to finish earlier or looks to head over to Ebony. (and have done so once or twice in which i make her chill out with me or i do some one on one training while Ebony continues to eat her treat).
- playing, they play rough and hard but they also play gentle and fun and race. at first i was shocked at the sounds that would come out of them as you never really hear those sounds just having a single dog. its normal haha. i was so concerend at first but its just vocalisations. you will know when its a bad scuffle (only heard that once and that was with a raw bone, they wanted each others, and thats why ill never make the mistake of that again)
*note: Hope is a very dominate, bold character. shes not shy and loves being the star. she loves other dogs and thinks that any other dog around loves her (rolls eyes). Ebony is the opposite; shes a very quiet, shy personality. she does not challenge Hope, but she is social and game enough to play Hopes games. I think this is what helps in their new "sistership".
Sleeping arrangements: they both sleep in bed with us. (oh yes we are lucky humans to share their bed ha ha). there are no issues, might get a growl if one walks on the other (lol). however. during the day, if Hope is in a favourite closed in kind of spot and Ebony tries to climb in with her Hope will sometimes protest but its only ever a growl and bare of the teeth, which Ebony totally ignores and flops down beside her and then Hope begins to flea her. I dont get that kind of physcology coming from Hope but go figure.
for example: Hope will protest but Ebony will continue to get in and they chill together.
another tip. I always walk them together and do something with them every day. (bonding time for the 3 of us). i do leave them unsupervised in the yard together when im at work but i find that they get up to more mischief trying to find things to destroy then fighting.
expect: lots of noises.
its totally worth it though. Having two different personalities works well as Hope is simply please by going for walks and going for her big runs whilst Ebony is simply happy snuggling in with Hope or her humans.
i have attached a few pics. you can make it work you do have to put alot of time into it. at only 4 days they still will be testing the waters and working out their pack dynamics. (for example when it was me and my partner and Hope, My partner was the boss. now that Ebony has joined us i have found that i am now the pack leader).
I want to make it work cos i love both of them to bits.
i may be wrong in my theory that their personalities dont clash as much so thats why we are making it work well. but this is just my experience and i am sure theres plenty more more expeienced people out there that would be able to give you their advise, i can only pass on my recent expeirences .
what are your dogs personalities (im aware that the new girl you will still be getting used to).