Every dog is different. Every dog is different.
I repeat this sentence to myself as I once again leave my sweet boy Lou at home and drive off with Jackie, tongue wagging as we zoom to the dog park. You see, I hate separating them. Ever since taking the plunge of adopting a second dog, I try to be a fair puppy parent and give the each the same treatment, the same play time, the same treats, the same toys, the same everything. I’m just now realizing that’s not what they need or even what they want.
The Essentials
So, I’m pretty lucky to have two very similarly sized and shaped dogs. Jackie is a 60 pound black lab/shepherd mix, and Lou is my 50 pound border collie mix. Both are super sweet, but show their affection very differently. When it comes to treating them the same, the essentials are simple. They eat the same food and the same amount. They both have the same size crates and dogs beds that they sleep in (gates open). They both take up the same amount of space in the back seat of my CRV. All of that stuff is simple. Their personalities are what makes our relationship increasingly complicated (and honestly, much more interesting).
Jackie
So, I adopted Jackie when she was about 3 months old from a very nicely funded shelter near where I attended college. She was an only child from the get go.
It was just me and Jackie for a year and a half until I found Lou boy at a struggling shelter about an hour from where I live now. Jackie is well behaved and very well adjusted to people life. She’s basically a self sufficient pet except when it comes to eating. Jackie doesn’t like to get wet unless we’re swimming, she’s not a cuddler, but loves attention when we play fetch, and she is great at walking off leash, staying pretty darn close for a dog who would rather not be touched.
Lou
Lou was housed in a crowded cage with two much larger dogs and had a nervousness about him that could only come from a tough past life. He is territorial, standoffish, and untrusting.
After reading that, you’d probably be taken by surprise when Lou meets you and immediately jumps into your lap, refusing to let you leave him after you’ve settled into a seat on the couch. He’s extremely affectionate and clingy when it comes to the comfort of our home and his family. Otherwise, he’s a “guard dog in training,” trying to fend off any strangers (dogs) and simply putting up with human attention. He also tends to wander when he’s off leash. Weird right?
The Difference
Because of these weird personality differences and some general preferences each one of my fur babies has, I have been forced to give them a bit of a different experience. Jackie goes with me to the dog park because she thrives in social situations with other dogs and playing active games like fetch. She even brings the ball to strangers (often kids) to get them involved at the local park. This sounds great, but it’s not an ideal situation for Lou.
Lou is uncomfortable around new dogs and gets ridiculously nervous in crowded dog parks. I know this because he’s become sick on multiple occasions and when I pay close attention to him, he acts out more often when he’s forced into situations where he has to meet and interact with many new doggies. He’s so much better suited for a trail run or a long hike in the woods. He loves the stimulation of smelling and exploring, and he handles pretty rigorous activity much better than Jackie does.
I’ve had to adjust routines slightly and activities are now planned for one dog or the other, instead of me trying to force the two together on the premise of treating them “fairly.” My dogs are different and they need different things. I’m getting used to that idea, and I know they appreciate it.
What to Look Out For…
Our family went through a change recently where we switched from keeping the dogs locked in the house at all times to the pups spending most of their time outside. Look out for my Outside vs. Inside Dog post. Stay tuned!