This is entirely my opinion, as I have no research to back it up, other than my experience.
I had my dog for 9 years before giving it up for adoption. He was a Wheaton Terrier, and while such a happy and fun dog, was a constant energy ball. From year 1 to 7, it was easy. My parents were still together, my sister was living at home, I was living at home going to school. Then within my first year of starting work in the field, where I'd be gone from 6am to 6pm 6-7 days a week, my parents divorced, my sister moved out, and I took my puppy. I've made mention of it in a past post, but I made the super difficult decision to give him up for adoption.
I couldn't have given him up in a more ideal situation, where the family he was being adopted to had an identical Wheaton Terrier, who was 6 years younger. I become close friends with that family, and was always kept in the loop of how the dogs were, and always had visits. My dog gained probably 2 years of additional life from having a brother for the rest of his.
His new parents constantly marvelled how they could leave both dogs in the house for 9-10 hours at a time (keep in mind... they were house trained, and got along), and they would come home to amazingly happy dogs with no separation anxiety issues. When I took care of them myself on the occasion, I also tested these waters with them, and was amazed at the difference in my (old) dog, from when I used to leave him by himself alone, to now with a friend.
Anyhow, what I'm trying to say, is that I would consider getting a pair of dogs, similar breed, maybe same sex, and let them become best friends.
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