So, you've decided to populate your home with not just Dog, but Dawgz. My life with one dog was amazing - Moonshadow was my boon companion, my best friend, and I was pretty much her universe. Now, three years after sweet old Moon left this mortal coil, I am the proud keeper of two pups - Killian and Adia - from the same litter. I am no longer the center of anyone's universe. They love me, of course - I feed them, walk them, and give them lots of hugs and cuddles, what's not to love? However, my dynamic duo has been together since the womb, and that's a pretty powerful bond. Because they are both fairly well-mannered, it's easy enough to take both of them wherever we may roam, but I also do my best to give each pup some individual attention whenever possible. Why, you may ask? If they do well together, why bother separating them at all?
There are three primary reasons I have for working one-on-one with my pups. The first is that it strengthens their bond with me, in much the same way a parent's bond with human children is strengthened by spending quality time independent of siblings. Secondly, obedience training - particularly leash training and agility - is also much, much simpler working with one dog at a time. And finally, I want to avoid creating codependent chaos by making sure my pups know how to live without one another. Dogs are social animals; as such, they establish very strong bonds with the other beings in their world. If they aren't acclimated to time spent apart, it can be an incredibly stressful experience. So, here are a few tips for making time for each of your furry friends.
(1) Start early, start often. If you get two dogs at the same time, make a schedule right away that allows a fifteen minute block alone with each of them. This is very simple if you have a partner; hubby takes Pup #1 for a walk one way while you take Pup #2 in the opposite direction - you meet back fifteen minutes later, and switch off. Or, take a walk together in the morning with both dogs, and alternate between Pup #1 and Pup #2 in the evenings. If, however, you - like me - are a single owner of multiple dogs, you may need to get a little creative. For short training stints, your pup should be able to survive on his own, particularly if it becomes part of a regular routine. I find that fifteen minutes a day of individual training for each dog is more than adequate to keep us all in check.
(2) Expand your dogs' social circle. When I was at Clean Slate, I enrolled Adia in puppy classes. While we were gone, I would leave Killian in his room with a couple of the other dogs from the rescue - by the time we returned home in the evenings, he would be exhausted and not the least bit concerned that he'd been left behind. If you go to a local dog park or meet other pups in your travels, try to make friends with the owners. Make puppy play dates. Offer to watch their pooch for them, if they'll take one of yours for an afternoon. This frees you up for an individual class, or just a special one-on-one outing occasionally. It's also a great way to keep your dogs socialized and part of a larger, dog-friendly community.
(3) Play to your pup's strengths. Killian is a rallying fiend these days. Adie, on the other hand, despises heeling but would play frisbee until she dropped. There are so many classes, clubs, and activities for dogs these days, you should have no problem finding something that your pup will love. And what better way to build that one-on-one bond than by sharing an activity that fuels you both?
(4) At the end of the day, Integrate! Regardless of whether you walked Pup #1 for fifteen minutes and Pup #2 for thirty-two, whether Pup 1 is excelling at agility while Pup 2 is failing basic obedience... Whatever the circumstances might be, don't forget to enjoy your whole pack at the end of the day. One of my greatest joys is watching Killian and Adie roughhouse before bed, or curling up on the couch between the great woolly pair of them for a little light reading. Always appreciate the individual eccentricities of each of your pups, but don't forget to revel in the primal flair of belonging to a pack.
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