BY FRAN JEWELL
When I was a kid, very few people had dogs. And if they did, they only had one doging Very few people had multiple-dog households. Nowadays, almost everyone has two or more dogs. There are many advantages to have multiple dogs, but there are several things you need to pay attention to as well.
First, dogs are pack animals. A pack is the only way dogs know how to socially relate. Even though we have “domesticated” them, dogs still look for leadership or they are natural leaders. They may see humans as different from themselves, but they still see humans as a part of the social pack.
Dog-to-dog relationships are far more complicated than we want them to be. Most people will say, “Let them work it out.” Sometimes that is sage advice if you are indeed the overseeing pack leader and all the dogs respect that. If you are not, and you leave it to their own devices, relationships can be strained.
The important thing to remember is that, just like us, dogs may get along well with other dogs, or they may not. Some dogs will like some dogs but not others, just like we may feel with other people. It is very rare that a dog will get along with every dog it meets. Trying to force dogs into “liking” every dog they meet is unfair and unrealistic, in my opinion.
When we have multiple-dog households, this all rings true for that situation as well. The stronger the leader YOU are, the more likely the “pack” will get along. Leadership is clear, fair, and benevolent. Many humans are not really aware of how to be a leader that a dog will understand. But, that is another discussion.
There are some basic important things to consider when orchestrating a pack of dogs to live with. In this case, a “pack” means more than one dog. The first is that opposite sexes tend to get along better. Females tend to be more dominant than males. Multiple females are more likely to fight than multiple males. And whether the dogs have been spayed or neutered and the AGE they were spayed or neutered can influence behavior with each other as well.
Different breeds relate and play differently, too. Having similar breeds, such as all herding dogs, or all hunting dogs, seems to be easier for the dogs to relate to each other. As an example, Labrador retrievers play by chasing, jumping on each other and rolling around. Herding dogs don’t tend to understand the rolling-around behavior or the jumping on each other as playfulness. Many herding dogs will be offended by the jumping on each other. If they grow up together, different breeds will understand each other better. If they are brought together later in life, it may make their relationship with each other more strained that may or may not work out.
It is important that you do not treat all of your dogs equally. The highest-ranking dog should be afforded special privileges. New members should not have the same privileges as longtime members. The high-ranking dog should be fed first, let out the door first, get to go on car rides without the others, and so on. Supporting the high-ranking (note, this does not mean “alpha”) dog is imperative for a healthy pack.
These, of course, are all generalities. The dynamics of a multiple-dog household should be thoroughly understood in order for the dogs to get along peacefully. Before you bring an additional dog into your household, be sure to consider these generalities for a happy gathering!
Fran Jewell is an Idaho Press Club award-winning columnist, IAABC-certified dog behavior consultant, NADOI-certified instructor #1096 and the owner of Positive Puppy Dog Training, LLC, in Sun Valley. For more information, visit www.positivepuppy.com or call 208-578-1565.