Double Your Pleasure…or Double Trouble?
Multi dog households have always been popular, but they seem to be on the rise. While it was once common to see a few farm dogs sharing a home, it has now also become a city matter, with the only limitation on the number of dogs in a family is set by the individual bylaws of that town or city.
Sharing a home with a few dogs has been my pleasure for many years now. As a resident of Toronto in the early 80’s, living in a rental unit meant no dogs. It was not against the law way back then to tell tenants that dogs were not welcome. It was a long time coming, but as soon as that was overturned, and the law was on the side of the dog owner, I got my first dog. In those early years I never dreamed I would share my home with more than one. Once I moved into my own home in a less congested area, my family of dogs grew.
Living with multiple dogs has been my passion but there are many things to consider before adding dog number two (or three). The one that comes to mind most frequently is the financial aspect. Of course, your budget should be able to easily carry the weight of the additional expenses and you should be prepared for emergencies. Consider getting pet insurance for each dog.
The time factor is also very much an issue. It is not always just a matter of tacking dog number two (or three) onto the schedule of dog number one (or two). It is often not good enough to add the puppy to the walk when he is not leash trained. Make sure that you have enough room in your vehicle for two dogs and that when holiday time comes around you can handle two dogs at the cottage or on the boat.
This brings us to the question of when to add the new dog. For many, getting two dogs at the same time, from the same litter seems like the obvious choice. This is most often not a planned event but occurs once visiting the puppies and seeing the last two left or seeing two that seem particularly bonded. Oprah did that while picking out her golden retrievers. One pup soon turned into three as she couldn’t bear to separate the group but most of us don’t have a full time staff to help us raise our pups. If you do bring home two pups, it is important to establish their own identities and to have bonding time with each dog. Give them separate sleeping areas where they cant see each other and allow them to play with you a few times a week without their sibling present.
It is often easier to raise one dog first. Even if you are adding an adult dog that is being re-homed, it can benefit from a year or so with you first. To get that dog organized, establish some household rules and to maintain a routine for a while is the key. The benefits of this can also be multiple. You will spread your known financial commitments (vaccinations, spay/neuter) over a few years. You should also look years down the road and make sure you are able to care for two senior dogs at the same time. They often require some additional care as they age and veterinary bills for two geriatric dogs should be something that is added to the budget. Sometimes you will see people add a dog once their first dog gets to be about four or five years old. This can be a good rule to follow. You will then have dogs at various training levels and various activity levels. Many dog sport enthusiasts do this, so they always have a dog to train and to work with.
You will also find that the saying “monkey see, monkey do” pertains to your dogs. Dogs will learn from dogs. This means the negative behaviors along with the positives. Your newest addition might pick up some great tips from his canine buddy but it is important to have established good household habits first. If you have one dog barking up a storm in the backyard it is rare that the quietest one will set the tone. It is far more likely that the quiet one will start to accompany its buddy on a barking frenzy. After all, what could be more fun than that?
One of the biggest emotions to conquer when living with multiple dogs is guilt. For some reason, we can’t stand to do an activity without taking the whole gang. A couple came into our office last month and wanted classes for their two dogs. Both dogs were adults, with one a few years older. Upon discussion, it was discovered that one of the dogs already had basic training a few years ago, but the newest member lacked some social skills. We suggested that they bring them to separate classes, putting each into a level that was suitable. It was the look of shock that came across the client’s face that said it all. She explained that these dogs had never been apart for the past few years, since her husband and herself had blended their canine family. Her stress levels rose as she contemplated the idea that perhaps they needed one-on-one time. Her guilt overwhelmed her. After our chat, and the explanation that she is not doing them a favor by keeping them so reliant on each other, she agreed. She grew to love the idea of a weekly outing with each dog.
It is important to the well being of our dogs to give them separate time, and sometimes separate activities. My dogs range in age from 18 months to 13 years of age. They are not only at different life stages, they are all individuals and are involved in different aspects of the dog world. It might be hard to even think about at first, but taking the dogs out alone on occasion is what parents of multiple children do. When Sarah is 4 years old she is in swimming classes and at age 8 she starts soccer. When her younger sister is 4 years of age, doesn’t it make sense that she gets to go to swimming lessons with her mother, and have the same opportunity to learn that Sarah had? Each of our dogs deserves the same upbringing that the previous dogs had.
Many dog owners fall into the trap of not taking the youngest dog to training classes, instead thinking that they know how to train it from the lessons they did previously with the older dog. That is a shame in many ways. You are missing out on working your dog in a group, and missing out on the social aspects of group classes. You might also find that there are new training methods that are much more effective, and you might have a ton of fun learning the techniques. It is also a time to spend an evening out with just one dog. Once each dog has been taught the basics, you will have more success working with them together, and going for walks will be a nicer event.
Keeping the peace in a multi dog household can be a balance. The household rules need to be adhered to, and it is worth the time it takes to teach each dog what is expected of them. Whether they have to stay off the furniture, or out of the kitchen at mealtimes, or that there is no barking at the front door, they must all follow the rules. Of course, managing two or more dogs will be challenging, but again if you add each dog after the others have the rules down, it should be easier. Keep in mind that multiple dogs can have their differences of opinions and some scraps might occur. If they are small arguments and the overall tone of the home is peaceful, that is normal and you don’t have much to worry about. We all have arguments with each other from time to time. If it escalates into the dogs having difficulty getting along with each other, it is time to call in a professional to help you sort it out, and add some order to the home. Most of the time it can be sorted out with just some slight adjustments.
One thing that I commonly hear from people with more than two dogs is the more dogs you live with, the less you take them out with you. This is something to overcome with some planning. If you live with three dogs, it can be more difficult to walk them or control them in a dog park, and leaving one behind is often too heart wrenching. By making a schedule of dog walks, you should have no difficulties. It might mean taking two walks as opposed to one, and that is a factor you should consider before adding dogs to your family. Once you go over three dogs and are into a family of four, it can be easier! You can do two walks, with two dogs each. What you want to avoid is putting your dogs into your back yard, with no walks at all.
Once you have established some rules, it can most definitely be double, or triple, the fun in a multi dog home. For those of us who love dog sports, you can spread it out. Have one dog playing flyball and one that does rally obedience. All dogs don’t have to do all activities. Just like children, one might be into painting and one might be a computer expert.
Think of it like this…there is always someone up for a game of fetch, or for a cuddle. For me, multiple dogs are definitely double the fun.
