[Help] I'm thinking my dog could use a playmate. How can I convince my family to get another dog.

My dog Toby is a four-year-old giant schnauzer mix. We play with him and his toys, playing tug of war and stuff like that. He does get taken on walks, maybe not on a completely regular basis due to our busy schedule. He does spend time outside running quite a bit and barking at birds overhead. A lot of times I'm out there with him, throwing tennis balls or chasing after him. He does receive exercise.I've noticed a lot of traits in him that make me feel like he needs more social interaction with another dog. I did some research online, and I've read success stories from people adopting a second dog, and I think another playmate would benefit him. I have reasons below.•My dog has had another playmate before. That dog passed in November 2015. They got along very well. Toby's playmate started out in a different home before we adopted him, and when he went back to his original house, our dog was so upset he chewed up the doorframe to the back door. From there, they lived together until he passed.•I can tell my dog likes being sociable with other dogs. He has a great time whenever we have our aunt's dogs over. I can also tell that he enjoys trying to socialize with other dogs on walks. Unfortunately, some of these others are turned off of him due to his size. Due to our busy schedule throughout the year, with school, homework, etc, he doesn't always get these chances. I feel like having another dog around would be good for him, especially because in most of the year we're gone all day. I wouldn't give up walking or exercise of course, but I think it would really help him.•I notice that he just seems heavy, laying around the house a lot, even when we're there. He seems bored a lot of the time. We do play with him, but I think back to how he and his former playmate were: They loved being outside. They would wrestle a lot, and they would even play tug of war. I know he would enjoy the company of another dog. He would enjoy more stimulation, especially when we're occupied with other things.The only real problem this situation has is the cost. Currently, we pay $150 for Toby to get groomed. We know that we would be getting a smaller dog for sure. I've done a little research and I've found that it's possible to buy your own tools and groom your dog at home. I would be more than happy to pay for these tools and learn how to, work with my parents or brother to do it if I can't. Food wouldn't be much of an increase in cost at all. We'd buy a little more than normal.I'm thinking having another dog could greatly benefit my dog. I'm trying to explain to my family why this could work, and I'm hoping I can get some other opinions. via /r/dogs http://ift.tt/2seup0J