Ask Frog Princess: Are You Ready for Another Frenchie?

Batman (formerly Buddha) meets his cousin.

Here's a question we received last month in our "Ask the Frog Princess" post:

"I am a lucky Frenchie puppymill cast off now living in a great forever home. I am lonely and would love to have a brother or sister Frenchie. My mother is afraid that I would be jealous of a new addition to our home. How can I convince her that I would get along with a new brother or sister? I think she is afraid that I would not love her anymore. What should my mother do to prepare me for a new addition to our home?"

This is a fine question, and every pet owner should consider it before bringing a pet home willy-nilly.

Consider first the temperament of your Frenchie. Laid-back? Assertive? Consider your own abilities as leader of the group. Are you a sucker, or do you make sure the dogs know who is the boss?

Consider the personality of the dog you are thinking of adopting. If you can, arrange a meeting with the new dog on neutral territory.

Also consider expenses. Frenchies are expensive to maintain. If something goes wrong with a Frenchie's back, or your Frenchie develops allergies, you could be facing some
steep expenses. Can you afford it, or would you be willing to go into debt to afford it?

Astrid claims a comfy spot in her new home.

It's a good idea to test drive your dog with other dogs--maybe you can borrow a friend's dog for a sleepover to see how your dog reacts to another dog in the home. Introduce the dogs on neutral territory, maybe on a walk at a nearby park, then bring the dogs to your house together on their leads. Be sure to let both dogs keep their leads on while at your home so you can more safely break up any argument or fight that might occur.

Frenchies are really people dogs, but many Frenchies get along very well with another dog or two in the house. Most people we know have more than one dog, so it absolutely can be done. Because Frenchies are so people centered, another dog does not take the place of spending time and interacting with your frog, let us be clear about that. But most dogs seem to enjoy--or at least tolerate--the company of canine companions.

Astrid co-piloting the trip home.
We encourage people interested in adopting a second dog to go through obedience training with their first dog, in order to establish a good working relationship before introducing a second dog.

The Frog Princess