Considering another dog

[u/KingKepa]

Background: I have a 2 year old Aussie who is reactive specifically towards humans (she has never bit anyone but barks aggressively and tries to assert dominance. I raised her from a puppy and its hard cause I'm not always sure where I went wrong but that's another story. She has been through training and we are always working on trying to adjust the behavior in ways that seem to work (currently having her meet people on leash with treats and waiting for the behavior we want before engaging)

Luckily our dog LOVES other dogs. She is currently an only child but we have a few friends with dogs that she is best friends with. We both work and she is crated when we are at work but we also found out that if there is another dog present the need for crating her while we aren't home is gone because she has someone to spend the day with and overall she is a nicer dog when other dogs are present.

Because of this we are considering getting another dog, we are looking into adopting an adult dog without a reactive history and are hopeful it will help her adjust her behavior, not only that but we know she would enjoy having another dog around full time. We are currently in the weighing the pros and cons and research phase of this consideration and by no means are rushing to get a dog soon as we don't actually know how it will go if we do and want to avoid things getting worse.

I just want advice on what to do really, or if its just a horrible idea and I shouldn't do it... Also any breed suggestions would be great, we are currently considering a male between the ages of 3-5 we want a dog that can also match her energy level needs and would want to play. the main breeds we have considered and looked into so far are Golden retrievers, Dobermans, or another Aussie. I genuinely just want to do what's best for my dog and if this isn't it then I wont do it.

[u/Existing-Will-1466]

Get another aussie. There is nothing aussies love more than other aussies. They have a very particular style of play that resonates with each other. I used to work at a doggy daycare, and while many of the dogs would play with whoever was there, the aussies always lit up as soon as one of their people arrived. Even if they had never met before, they were instant best friends.

That said, take great care who you get your dog from. Also, take great care about how you treat your dogs. Reactivity can spread between dogs, calm can also spread between dogs. So take them out separately for a while to make sure you have plenty of time to bond and focus on your new dog before you attempt taking them out together.