Advice on helping my daughter build a bond with a second dog (considering a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel)

Please bear with me -this needs a little context.

My daughter is 11, an only child, and most of her family (including cousins her age) live abroad. She’s very empathetic and sensitive, and she’s been having a hard time with school social dynamics, especially bullying by exclusion. This has created a lot of anxiety around being alone.

She thrives in nurturing roles… when younger children visit their class and she gets to be a “buddy,” she lights up. At home she struggles with nighttime anxiety, and I’ve been supporting her through co-sleeping and weekly therapy. Her teachers and I are in regular contact and they are also working to help her in different ways. Some methods to re integrate her with the girls (she hangs with the boys since the girls exclude her) … and others are to help her cope with her emotions, which have become deregulated.

The dog part:

We have a female pug who bonded completely to me, despite our hope that she would bond to my daughter. My daughter recently asked for a lizard for Christmas “so it wouldn’t be too much to ask,” which broke my heart a bit. We won’t give a surprise holiday pet, but we would like to seriously consider a second dog or a reptile with proper planning.

We’re currently researching Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, since we’re hoping for a mellow, affectionate family dog. If we go this route, we’d be looking for a male to pair with our female pug. I’ve owned multiple dogs, but never a male, so that part is new to me.

My goal is to support a bond between my daughter and the dog by giving her primary responsibilities -feeding, playing, training, and walking- while I step back despite working from home.

My questions for this community:

• What are your best tips for helping a child build a strong bond with a dog who is their companion?

• Are there considerations for adding a male Cavalier to a home with a female pug?

• Any advice about breed temperament, ethical breeders, bonding strategies, or things I may not be thinking of?

We’re in the research phase and want to take our time and move carefully. I truly believe that having a loving dog as her companion could give my daughter a sense of stability and confidence as she grows, as long as we choose carefully and set everyone up for success.

Thank you in advance for your insights.