Those who have more than one dog...

[LauraMax]

do you favor one over the other? I'm kind of struggling w/this. I love them both the same, but they're SO different! Penny, the 2 YO puggle, is a very sweet, submissive, eager to please, smart, easily trained, I was put on this earth to love you baby. Max, the 10 YO pug, is a very stubborn, dominant, jealous, not so smart, not so easy to train, you were put on this earth to love me baby (don't get me wrong, the little guy is just full of love and is very cuddly & sweet, he's just super bratty about it).

Penny has her faults too of course, but they're well intentioned. Poor little Max can't play w/any toy w/o having her snatch them right out of his smushed little pug mouth. I know she's trying to play w/him but he's not interested--he's smart enough to know he doesn't stand a chance. She's much stronger, more lean & agile than he is, & he never wins when it comes to play time.

So the problem I'm having is, I have a tendency to favor Max b/c I feel bad for the cranky old guy. If I let them alone Penny would be on my lap constantly while poor little Max sits in his crate alone. OTOH, I don't want to keep pushing Penny away to let him get closer b/c I'm afraid she's gonna get in the habit of being a loner while Max & I cuddle up. I would really hate to do that to her sweet, affectionate personality.

I wish I could figure out a way to make my time w/them 50-50, but I'm having issues. I've been told to let them work it out on their own, but if I did Max would probably never get near me again.

How do you guys deal w/this?

 

[Liann]

My suggestion would be to get a bigger chair and cuddle with both of them.

My dogs fight for position on my lap. Montana cannot stand not being the center of attention. Dakota is more self sufficient and will just go lay on the bed upstairs if he can't get a good position with me. Cheyenne likes to be right in the thick of things like Montana (see the red wiener in the background). Montana is more the loner though - he loves mommy and only mommy. You will rarely see him play with the other dogs much. Cheyenne is a daddy's girl all the way and Dakota is his own wiener. It's funny how they all have such different personalities. I try hard to give each of them their own personal attention though. I kind of look at them as "children" and would hate for one of them to feel left out.

 

[ASUDaizy]

Cute picture!! I have 3 babies....DH had a dog before I met him, a laid back 9 yr old choc lab, then I have a jack russell mut that is 2 yo, and then for christmas DH bought us a english bulldog.....the lab will let you know when he doesn't want to play by barking and scaring the puppy.....then Winston, the JR, usually wants to lay with me and sometimes will try to keep the others away or off the couch thinking it's his territory and we just push him in the floor so he has to share.....the dern bulldog is stubborn and cute and gets away with too much and thinks it's all about him, but he's the most friendly thing and gets along with both of them.....although Winston is always taking Wilbur's, that's the bulldog, toys so he hardly ever has toys.....poor thing....but we do sort of favor the puppy right now b/c he's small and can usually go more places with us.....but GL....it's hard b/c you love them all.....

 

[Liann]

OMG!!! Wilbur is adorable!!!

 

[marnold]

You know...I do. I try not to but I do and I have. I have noticed that I do this normally when one of my animals is getting ready to pass. I lost my dear husky Jake this month to old age and I have to admit that I gave him SO much more attention than my other two furry babies for at least three months. I think that is understandable. As for my two other furry babies, they have latched on to us in a very possessive manner. Zeus thinks he is my man and Athena thinks she is the other woman for DH. It is kind of comical.

We had jealousy issues with Jake, Zeus and Athena and honestly, we did our very best to make each of them seem special in little ways. Special lovie time when the other two were outside sniffing worked. During playtime, we also ensure that specific praise is given by name. The jealousy issues are fading...HTH

 

[ASUDaizy]

I know....that's why he's so spoiled.....they are all spoiled, but he is esp rotten....but literally so sweet and loving....it's hard to leave for work in the mornings when he's snuggled up with me sleeping so cute....of course, he's a bulldog and he starts snoring and it's a little easier to leave then....hehe! LOL!

 

[LauraMax]

I know....that's why he's so spoiled.....they are all spoiled, but he is esp rotten....but literally so sweet and loving....it's hard to leave for work in the mornings when he's snuggled up with me sleeping so cute....of course, he's a bulldog and he starts snoring and it's a little easier to leave then....hehe! LOL!

OMG Max snores like a lawn mower. Sometimes he wakes me out of a sound sleep.

It's just so hard when one is on my lap & the other is staring at me mournfully. Esp. the pug w/those worry lines & big bulging eyes. No, esp. the puggle w/those sad, sweet beagle eyes. My arms just aren't long enough to pet them both at once. Penny often goes to the floor next to me so I can give them both attention but like I said, I don't want her to feel like a second class citizen. I'm the only second class citizen in my house.

Such a conundrum!

 

[ASUDaizy]

I know what you mean....Wilbur will only jump up on the couch when there's food....otherwise he sits there barking and looking at you with those eyes and Winston is usually next to me growling at him like, no way mister, this is my spot.....so I try to put winston behind my legs and wilbur in front....but seriously, when this bulldog gets full grown, we aren't going to have enough space.....my husband tells me that they are dogs and they don't think like us b/c I will yell at him for giving the lab more treats than the others and favoring "his" dog....we really do live in a dog's world....

 

[celestialtimes]

Laura,

I have a dog and my hubby came with a dog. His dog is now my dog, too.

He baby is a peak-a-pom and his is a hushy hybird. I love them both and Sara wishes that she could be a lap dog...mostly cuz my little guy is or should I say could be.

I know I spend more time with my little guy and I don't mean to, but I just love to pick him up and love him.

I think it just sort of happens.

My MIL has 5 dogs...and you can tell she loves them all...but there are some that get to do certain things and others that can't for reasons such as breading or running off.

But I do notice that I spend more time with one than the other...it just happens.

 

[SirenSongWoman]

It's the same with cats. Gracie Mae (my avatar) would LIVE in my lap and dominate my every waking moment if I allowed it. So would Tangerine, my evil orange boy. If I tell Gracie to "go somewhere" after a while, she will. Tangee, though, will act out BIG TIME. That's when he goes outside (thank God for warmer weather). Meanwhile, the others get miffed and walk away any time Those Two show up. I often try hard to get each of the other three alone so I can tell them how much I love them, and scratch their little ears, before one of the interlopers figures out someone's getting some private lovin'. But Binky, my calico is the eldest and gets special attention because she's First Kitty and that's just how it is. Oddly enough, the others seem to understand Binky's special place in the house. Otherwise, It's tough in this place. As soon as I get home the jockeying for position starts - and they refuse to share.

 

[toughYrun]

I know exactly what you are going through.

Yes, I do have my favorite.....she's Trixie, the sweet little Yorkie that does no wrong....ever.

On the other hand, there's Rex, the incorrigible Cairn Terrier. He's constantly in trouble. He steals things. Any type of thing. You name it and he's probably stolen it from this house. He takes these items outside and hides them in various places. Additionally, he has an insatiable need to lick. You can't even touch him without getting licked. Other times I'll feel something weird on my leg and I look down to see him licking the leg of my jeans. He has other personality quirks but it would take me a lot of time to list them all.

After we got Trixie she quickly became everyone in the family's favorite. She's simply irresistable. But when I found dog poop on my bed it became apparent that Rex was not happy with this arrangement. He's left these reminders that he needs love just as much as Trixie does in some very unusual places. So now he gets his fair share of attention and doesn't seem to mind that it's not necessarily sincere.

I hope you figure it out so that everyone is happy.

 

[janiejoey]

Find a way to snuggle with the both of them. I think that's important for both doggies.

Janie

 

[Sunshine1528]

I had two big dogs (only one left) and would just get down on the floor with them to somehow give them both attention. They would both love it and eventually one would get up and decide to take another position elsewhere.

Maybe splitting it here and there will work rather than petting them at the same time. (Not sure how you lucked out, but whenever I would pet one who came to me, the other was definitely not very far behind, leaving me no choice but to scratch both at the same time !)

Come on Laura - I know you are creative !

 

[LauraMax]

(Not sure how you lucked out, but whenever I would pet one who came to me, the other was definitely not very far behind, leaving me no choice but to scratch both at the same time !)

Come on Laura - I know you are creative !

No luck at all. Whenever one gets attention the other one tries to bulldoze his/her way in.

I'm out of creativity. I've had Penny for almost 2 years now. Initially, b/c she was a puppy & was in training, I wouldn't let her on the sofa at all. Once she learned how to behave the struggle began.

Even our 30-60 minute "activity time" when I first get home is a PIA. I throw stuff across the yard, they both run after it, & Max w/his stubby legs is always 10 paces behind her. In the unlikely event he actually gets the toy first, she snatches it right out of his mouth, poor little guy. That's why I try to give him extra, but I still feel guilty about Penny.

 

[marnold]

Laura, when you described your playtime, I had an idea. My two GSDs love to play too and are very high energy.
I have found that when I throw a toy for fetch time, that keeping a treat on hand can be useful. I throw out the tennis balls (x 2) and use the treat to teach each dog to come, drop, sit and wait. Trust me it takes a lot of patience but it does work eventually. It not only wears them out physically but mentally too. I can usually wear both of them out in 45 to 60 minutes playing this way. Here are the treats I use:
http://www.dogtoys.com/kongbeefliver.html
You can break them up into pieces which are even smaller. Eventually during the course of play, you can give them a treat every other throw until they learn to come, drop, sit and wait without a treat. This method has also eliminated the "snatching toys away from each other" behavior.
HTH

 

[hiitdogs]

I have 5 and I love all of them but I have to admit that I do have a favorite. He and I are joined at the hip, he goes with me everywhere and he is one of those once in a lifetime dogs.

Despite of that I try to distribute my affection evenly but it also depends on their behavior, if they don't behave, they won't get petted, can't go on the sofa, etc.

I have to throw 5 balls because some of them are faster than the others and they would never be able to catch a ball I used to give treats in a similar way as Melissa when they brought the ball back and would sit and wait. These days their treat is to go to the dog park and be able to chase after the ball after our run and they will get a treat after the run and after we leave the dog park.

 

[HaveFun]

Our Chihuahua and Chocolate Lab have such different personalities. Our Chihuahua loves to snuggle and our Lab loves to fetch. I can sit with the Chihuahua in my lap and throw a ball for our Lab to fetch. Our DDs keep the puppies entertained and vice versa. My DD(3) loves to push the Chihuahua around in her stroller with a blankie on him and he just sits there enjoying the attention

 

[Muscle Car]

Liann, I love the picture of you and your wieners, too funny

Daizy your Wilbur is adorable! Wow, Winston really has his head cranked to the side in your family pic! Choc Lab is pretty too, he looks a bit older with the white in his muzzle. I had a Doberman that had a white muzzle, she was 10

I think my fave is Joe my boxer, he is always doing the goofiest things
His facial expressions are priceless! He is a snuggler.

Freddie, the mix, doesn't like to snuggle alot just a few minures and that's it.

Ruby, the Doberman we had got extra special attention when we found out she had cancer.