Our family has had a dog for over a year now, and are accustomed to her activity level, food needs, etc. She is very social and active (she’s a black lab) and I’ve been a little nervous about her energy around our (soon-to-be) baby at home.

We decided to accept a dog from the facility who occasionally boards our dog for a week trial to see if they occupy each other to the point that it is somewhat easier to have 2 dogs than 1 (the new one is an Australian shepherd).

Anyway, I’ve never had 2 dogs before. They’re getting along great today (day #2) and the new dog seems very friendly yet calm.

How do I decide if we should keep the new dog?

What should I know about having more than one dog in my home?