So your favorite pooch looks lonely, or you love them so much that you want to get them a friend, or you come across a stray at a shelter and have got to give them a forever home. Any one of these scenarios, and many more, may make your household go from a one dog home to a two dog home.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, and no one will ever complain about a shelter dog finding a place to call home, but there are some things to consider. Firstly, you may think that as pack animals, dogs would just naturally get along. After all, you are just bringing home a member of the pack, so all should be good, right? Secondly, even in packs out in the wild, there are rules and regulations that apply to all of the dogs that are banded together, and if these rules are not tolerated by single members of the pack, they will be expelled. So, keeping all of this in mind, here are some tips to make sure that you’ll have an easy time managing two dogs in the house.
You are the Alpha of the Pack
Every dog pack or clan has an alpha female or male that lays the groundwork and the rules. In your home clan, you are the alpha dog and what you say goes. You should not play favorites and treat each dog as equals. A stern “NO” will keep either of the two dogs in place, and fighting between dogs is absolutely not allowed. (Of course, play fighting doesn’t count.)
You rule, and you enforce the rules, and if you have to when one misbehaves, send them to the crate or their bed for a few minutes to teach them that what they did is not acceptable.
Feeding Time
A lot of fights and bad manners happen around feeding time, so keeping them separate during feeding is a very wise choice. Always feed the calmest member of the two first, and make sure you keep the other dog’s attention away from the first dogs food.
Fair is Fair
Make sure you divide your time equally between the two dogs, Fair is fair and neither one should feel neglected by you for the other. If one begs for more attention, make sure you reciprocate in kind to the other dog so they both see there are no favorites.
My Space, Your Space, Everyone’s Space
Unless there are dedicated bedding spaces for each dog, or dedicated crates, then all the space around the house should be shared equally. If one dog lays on the bed the other should be allowed that luxury too. If one likes to sleep on the couch, then let the other one sleep there as well. Obviously, if they have
their own beds that’s something else, but then just make sure they each have their own bed. If you can make them feel equal, you won’t have to worry about one or the other trying to take control.
Play Time
Playful dog fighting is common, and biting necks, tails, jumping and mouthing each other is all a part of the game. But make sure to watch them for the first several times they play together. If one tries to assert dominance and turn a play into genuine rough housing, you have got to be able to nip that behavior in the bud. If you don’t, you’ll have all kinds of trouble down the road.
Treats
Dogs love treats and you probably love to give them treats as much as they like getting them. But never tease one or the other and never ever show a preference for one getting a treat while the other just watches and gets nothing. If one gets a treat they both get a treat, and that way there will never be any animosity towards each other
Twice as Nice
If you use the tips above, both of your dogs will become great friends, they will respect you as a leader, and they will both do their best to please you any which way they can. That’s twice as nice for everyone.
About Author
A special thanks to Mary Nielsen who is a passionate dog lover, blogger, and part-time music teacher. She started MySweetPuppy to share her ups and downs of being a pet parent to a bunch of adorable mutts. When she is not playing with them or teaching, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen. Here is the link to Mary’s website website: http://mysweetpuppy.net
Holiday Tails Untold Personalized Pet Book donation recipients:
Please consider adopting first! Boxer Rescue L.A. www.boxer-rescue-la.com ASPCA-www.aspca.org Little Shelter http://littleshleter.com Bideawee www.bideawee.org North Shore Animal League www.animalleague.org
When you are in the market for a new dog, you may wonder about adopting the pet or getting it from a breeder or pet store. Some people fear that if a dog is in a shelter or with a rescue organization that there must be something wrong with it. While this can be true, there are many different reasons why dogs are put in shelters. It can be due to illness or death of the owner, a move that will not allow for a dog, or someone in the family is allergic to the pet., among other reasons. On the negative side, the owner couldn’t take the time to properly train the dog so it was given up.
Just the act of adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue organization is rewarding and fulfilling, knowing you have saved a dog’s life. You may need to invest a lot of time initially in training your newly rescued pet. But once over the hurdles of ridding excess doggy baggage, the love and bonding you have from your pet is priceless.
If you go to a shelter, interview the staff and volunteers about the pet’s personality and habits. They will usually tell you if the dog was a stray or had to be given up by its previous owner. Ask about the reasons the dog was given up. Ask about health or behavioral issues that have been evaluated. Work with the staff to figure out which dog is a good match for your lifestyle and personality.
Often shelters or rescue groups have covered the costs of spaying or neutering, vaccinations and flea or tick treatments among other things. This can save hundreds of dollars over the initial vet costs you would pay for a purchased puppy. Adoption fees vary but are much less than the cost of a dog from a pet store or breeder.
Remember, when you buy your dog from a pet store, thinking you are freeing it from life in a small cage, you are actually perpetuating the puppy mills. These are dog breeding factories with overcrowded and less than healthy environments. Often these dogs are inbred and may have genetic problems. Mixed breeds, which make up about 70% of a shelter population, are less likely to have inherited genetic diseases since they are not inbred.
Dog rescue organizations often save a pet from euthanization, which is common in over-crowded shelters. These rescued dogs may then live with a foster family who can take the time to assess behavior and do any training needed before the pet is adopted. There is also the added benefit that if for some reason the adopted dog does not work out for you, the rescuers will take the dog back.
Whether you adopt from a shelter or a pet rescue organization, you are saving a dog’s life. Plus, you are creating an opening for another dog that needs rescuing. It is a win-win situation for all of our abandoned friends!
Tails Untold is so pleased to announce that we made another donation. Our donation went to the Sean Casey Animal Rescue. Our first encounter with this no-kill organization was at an event in Washington Square Park in NYC. They have a wonderful dedicated staff and volunteers that work very hard to find homes for homeless animals.
Here is their mission statement. You can also go to www.nyanimalrescue.org to read more about this wonderful Animal Rescue Organization.
Sean Casey’s “MISSION STATEMENT”
The purpose of this endeavor is to aid unfortunate animals in the interest of a higher quality of life. We take in rescued, confiscated, neglected, injured, ill,
unmanageable, or otherwise unwanted animals from private owners, zoos, shelters, and other public organizations. These animals are cared for, and/or rehabilitated to the best of our ability and means until which time they can be found healthy, happy homes – whether it be through adoption to qualified candidates or legally released into habitats suitable to the specific species in conjunction with licensed wildlife rehabilitators.”
New York
| Name: | Weezie |
| Nickname(s): | The Boss |
| Gender: | female |
| Characteristics: | One eye, white face, very large pointy ears |
| Personality: | stealthy, determined, quiet, funny |
