Multiple dog folks ?

[Southpaw]

Those with multiple dogs, do you have a hard time fitting in one-on-one time? Or do you not really worry about it and mostly just do "all inclusive" lol dog activities?

Despite the fact that we've been a multi dog household for 8 years.... I've never had this issue come up until we got Cajun. I'm waaaayyyyy more involved with her than I anticipated or wanted to be and I feel like every day I have to plan out how everyone is going to get attention! Lucy and Happy aren't really a factor because they don't want to DO anything, it's really just between Juno and Cajun that I feel like I'm dividing my time and trying to be fair.

Some days I'm great, like here's what we did today:
Both dogs walked together in the AM
Super short bike ride with Juno/While Cajun rode in the car with my mom to get Lucy from groomer
Trip to the pet store with both dogs
Walk with both dogs
Hike with Juno
Long walk/training with Cajun

There are some things where I can't bring both dogs (ie, Cajun is a bully to Juno so if I'm going to do off-leash at the park, I can't bring both, unless I'm craving frustration and disappointment) and that's when I really get all HOW DO I MAKE IT UP TO THE OTHER DOG. Especially on days when I don't have much free time. Unfortunately on those days Juno usually gets the short end of the stick because she doesn't really need the activity the way Cajun NEEDS it.

Am I the only one that has this dilemma??
Sorry for being long-winded.

 

[*blackrose]

With my current (and past) dogs, I never had an issue. They just did everything together, and the ones that did different things on their own was because the other dog(s) didn't want to do it/couldn't dog it.

But, that is one of the reasons I don't want to get another dog right now, no matter how tempting, especially a puppy. There is still so much that I want/need to do with Abrams, and if I had a new dog that also needed a lot of training/interaction, it would be difficult to balance the two, because I wouldn't be able to handle Abrams and another untrained dog at the same time (even more so if Cynder were to come along). So as much as having a playmate for Abrams would be awesome, it's going to have to wait until he's a bit more polished. Lol And I also likely won't be getting another large, protective dog, but a more medium sized "easy" dog, purely for ease of handling them together.

That being said, at times I have left one or the other dog behind, I'm normally more upset about it than they are. They get over it once I'm home, I'm the one that feels bad. Lol

 

[Dizzy]

I walked them separately when Fred was a puppy, but now they rarely (never) get walked separately. I think about it a lot as I think they'd love it, but finding the time to do it is another thing.....! I could do them on separate days I suppose, but I always feel guilty leaving one behind lol

I might walk them separately today now you've got me thinking about it

 

[FG167]

My dogs all get one-on-one except Eden, who gets to go along with almost everyone. I have "things" I do with each of them.

Ickky gets to do frisbee, swimming, house time.
Kastle is focusing on IPO only right now.
Limit is doing agility, trick training, house time.
Jentry is doing ob every day, and learning house manners.
Bones gets trained every day and is primarily DH's responsibility to have time with.
Eden gets to go along with everyone unless it's an actual class (Limit's agility class). She goes to IPO and "helps" set up blinds, she chases (and nips) the dogs during frisbee, wallows in the mud during swimming, and sleeps/hangs out in the house any time we are home.

So yeah, basically if Limit has agility on Monday nights (he does), then when I get home, Ickky gets to hang out with me in the evening upstairs (with Eden). Then on Tuesday I will play with/hike/run Ickky and Kastle (Eden goes too), and Limit will get house time (Eden again). Jentry works for breakfast or dinner every day and then a short time of house time before she gets tired and is ready for her nap. Bones goes with DH (we work opposite schedules so Bones is usually tired out by the time I get home from work). Once Kastle is done with what we're currently working with, his house time will be combined with Limit's but with the same amount of exercise/run time as before. If someone gets shorted somehow during the week, that dog gets to go hiking or whatever on the weekend. I'm VERY fair minded so I work very hard to make sure they all get one-on-one time/attention/exercise.

ETA: If I'm too tired to do a whole lot then everyone gets yard time while I brush/dremel/hang out with them in the backyard. That's usually one day a week where we spend the evening just...chilling in the backyard. The whole pack gets along so it's super nice.

 

[sassafras]

Honestly, I don't worry about it too much.

Things generally break down so that I do things with the youngsters together and Pip separately just because of the different activities they do/can do. Maisy is probably the one who gets the most shafted about alone time, since she's not a dog park dog (where Pip gets his alone time) and she's not in any classes (where Squash gets his alone time) but she also gets more snuggle on the couch time so there's that.

Eventually you'll just come to a routine that works. Dogs don't really care about fair, so I stopped worrying about being fair all of the time and just do my best.

 

[porchpotty]

Luckily, I don't have issues with my dogs at the moment (hopefully, I won't have any in the future). They're all very close and are best buds. We do activities together and bond well. As long as you show to them that they are treated fairly (to avoid jealousy), all would work out fine.

 

[PWCorgi]

Do they get even individual time? No.
Do I worry about it? No.

Siri gets to go way more places and do way more things than Frodo. Because Frodo isn't suited to do many of the things that Siri and I do.

We've been going to the park almost every morning with Megan, where they both track. Then Siri gets to do jumping grids and play chuckit, and Frodo gets to run around and sometimes work on obedience.

If I go somewhere to walk or hike or eat with friends, Siri goes, because Frodo isn't suited to that and he wouldn't enjoy it.

Frodo is the only dog that gets to go to Dairy Queen though!!
Frodo also goes to petstores more than Siri, because he is more confident in a pet store than he is on a walk.

They get walked together from my apartment complex because we never see any people/dogs, but that is the only time they go into public together. At the park they rotate car time.

I worried about it before Siri came home and when she was a baby, but I don't worry about it anymore.

 

[Julee]

Individual time, yes. I don't worry about it a ton.

Copper and Shadow go to the dump every Sunday. When Rick is mowing neighbors' lawns, Shadow and Em come along to frolic and swim. We hike at least a couple of times per week, usually Bloo and Em go. We go to the bank at least a couple of times per week, sometimes only one dog goes, sometimes everybody goes. Everyone gets training daily. Em gets at least an hour of fetch daily. Bloo likes to just romp in the yard. Shadow and Copper don't care much for playing in the yard. Shadow, Copper, and Em all get to go to the dog park when I can take them. When we need to run into town to run errands, we rotate who goes. When I'm doing ring rentals, everyone comes. Em works anywhere from one day per week to seven days per week. We don't walk around town just to walk very much, but when we do, we rotate who goes.

Everyone gets out to do something fun at least a few times per week.

 

[Shai]

My dogs do better when they get both one on one and group time so we make it happen. How much depends on what each dog needs and what's all going on. Not always easy, but always worth it.

 

[FransterDoo]

It can be a lot and I do have guilt at times. But I find that if I focus on what makes each dog happy, then I can provide that for them. So like yesterday, the agility dogs/puppy had naps when we got home from the trial. Hank played with his egge ball outside and Levi had snuggle time.

We do also do like an hour of just chilling in the backyard after work every day. Sometimes it is just my wife and I in the hammock and dogs sunning themselves.

 

[Laurelin]

It's hard for me now with Mia having her health troubles. Used to me and my two dogs did EVERYTHING together and now we just can't. And Mia can hardly do anything. I'm hoping for good news from the vet but the idea of Mia forever being the dog that has to be left behind just is so difficult.

I've tried to keep Summer on her schedule because she LOVES to work and exercise. But it sucks leaving Mia at home all the time. :/

Today we are going to petsmart and I'm going to bring both then we're driving out across town to rent a ring and I'm bringing both. I think it'll be good just to get her out of the house some even if she can't really exercise.

 

[Linds]

I tend to alternate activities a lot. So that this day Traveler does something, next day Didgie does something and so on. I try to get the one that didn't get the bigger activity out of the house for flirt pole and the like. I try to keep in mind who was the last to go to the store with me and who got the last outing but sometimes it gets messed up.

Now that Fergus is in the mix he tags along with dog park trips and things which works well.

I am starting to bike with both Didgie and Traveler together so that will probably change my system a bit but overall I do try and do a lot of one on one time for activities.

Training wise I just tend to do one after the other. One waits while the other gets their turn and then I switch a few times. That way everyone gets trained.

 

[Toller_08]

I give more one on one time to the dog that needs it the most -- Journey. And sometimes I feel bad for the others, but really, they honestly don't seem to care. So I try not to feel too bad. But they all do get one on one time at least once a week. Mostly we do group activities though, or Dance/Journey and Keira/Ripley and that works for us. With the hours I work it's too hard to give each of them one on one time all the time and that way if I either do something with all four or split them into pairs, they're all getting something at least and it allows for more time. And for training I usually do stuff with one and then the other (Dance and Journ). I don't really do much training stuff with the Dobes to be honest. They're just happy lounge around pets. Sometimes I'll throw them into the mix and work on the few things they know, but I don't tend to teach them anything new usually.

 

[Shakou]

I'm actually a lot more involved with Ma'ii than I am with Charlotte these days, and I feel really guilty for that. The main reason is because Ma'ii has so many more behavior issues than Charlotte does in addition to so much more energy that needs to be worn out in order for him to remain sane, so I'm trying to work with him out in public in addition to wearing him out. And by the time we're done, I'm to tired to do anything more than throw a ball around for Charlotte.

 

[Ozfozz]

When I lived with all 4 dogs, the only real 1 on 1 time was about 10 minutes in the "training room" with the door shut. It wasn't the best solution as the other 3 probably just stood outside the door, but it worked.
Other than that, Cobain and Rigby would frequently get a bit more in terms of exercise because quite frankly they're trained better and more trustworthy.


After the seminar I attended on the weekend, I've got a renewed interest in training and working with the dogs. So I think what I will do is try the one-on-one time when Josh is home. That way he can interact with the dog I leave at home so they're not *totally* left alone.
I could leave Rigby no problem I'm sure, but the accusing looks I get from Cobain make me uneasy

 

[xpaeanx]

I kind of don't worry about it. I have some activities we do together, some separate.... But no one seems too upset by anything.

 

[BostonBanker]

Mine are spread out enough in age that I don't feel too stretched by giving them both what they want. They are able to do a lot together (hiking, leash walks, chilling on the couch with me watching TV, traveling to agility trials). Gusto gets to go by himself to agility training sessions most of the time, because Meg doesn't really like practicing anymore. Meg gets more snuggle time at home, and I'll give her private walks a couple of times a week or take her by herself to the store in the car. She still runs classes at trials, although fewer a day than Gusto and I pick and choose which classes.

Honestly, as much as I love working them separately, I get such a thrill from what a nice little "pack" they make together, that doing things as a group is more fun for me. Nothing makes me happier than when they are running side by side bumping into each other, or laying tangled together on the bed. I don't know, we are our own little family, and love together time.

 

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

I don't worry about it too much, it all balances out in the end.

Heidi is my super-stable go-everywhere dog, so she's the one that gets to come with to pet stores, running errands, friends houses, restaurant patios, etc. I can get things done without worrying about her, she's just there, being awesome.

Jack doesn't get to go as many places, since it's something I have to actively train/manage. He does, however, get more walks/exercise (around the neighborhood, the park, etc) since he's much higher energy. He's much more fun to train, so he gets a lot more fun training sessions. He gets a lot more playtime in the house, since he's the only dog who will really play fetch or tug for extended periods.

They both get equal amounts of cuddle/snuggle time in the house.

Missy is mostly my mom's dog, so she gets plenty of time and attention from her. I just do the basics if I'm home and she's not - feeding, letting out, light training, etc.

 

[Taqroy]

Eventually you'll just come to a routine that works. Dogs don't really care about fair, so I stopped worrying about being fair all of the time and just do my best.

This.

The girls are separated all the time so they end up getting one on one time by default. Murphy will hang out in the same room as us but he doesn't usually insist on getting attention - I hunt him down at least once a day and inflict cuddles and scritches.

Sometimes our separation isn't fair at all. Part of that is because Tipper ALWAYS wants to go outside so she ends up on the kitchen side a lot. And even when she is in the living room she wants loved for 20 minutes and then she wants to go back outside. I try to go more off what makes my dogs happy than what I perceive to be fair.

 

[Paige]

Arya never gets solo time. Bandit gets to snuggle in my bed every night without Arya though. I am not really into exercising dogs at different times. It gets done all together. They are a nice combo so I can't complain.

I had to when I had Spanky and Bandit and it was exhausting. I also forever felt guilty.