Multiple Dog Owners... Quick Question!

[ChiChi]

Heyy this is a quickie:

How do you "even out" the love between the dogs?? lol i kno this might not make sense but ummmm...... how do you keep from loving one dog more than the other? i kno there is that special dog, but how do you.... AHH loss of words but i am sure most of you kno wat i mean! so how is it done????

[fireworksinjuly]

when my fiance and I are home with his mother we each take a dog to cuddle with and pet...well they usually chose us actually...

if we dont have the same number of people as dogs, then no matter who we pet, unless its him, Kino throws a fit and trys to nudge them away from us...

[gaddylovesdogs]

I am constantly asked "Which one is your favorite?" I answer, "I love them all equally. In different ways." They all have different personalities, and I love those personalities in certain ways. I love how Colby is hyper. I love how she can take a nap, but she's willing to take a 5 mile hike any time. I love how May loves giving kisses, how she comes up to me, and stares at me with adoring eyes. Those eyes make me feel so loved. She knows she's a lucky dog, and she appreciates it. I love how Tippy is so silly. She loves it when I'm a "dog" and run up and "attack" her, pushing her over and pawing at her. I love their individual personalities--I love them for who they are. I have a special love for every one of them. Occasionally it is hard to give them all attention, but if they didn't get it they'd go crazy, so I make sure to give them all their fair share of hugs and kisses and pats on the head.

[Carrie]

I don't really do anything consciously. I love each of them equally because they are each such individuals. I think they all get what they need in the way of attention. Bonnie is the one dog who has always been a little more independent. If I hovered and fussed over her to the same degree I do with the Chi's for instance, it would probably irritate her. LOL. She loves affection, but she also likes her beauty sleep and space. No dog needs or should have constant attention. So, they learn to entertain themselves too.

So, in other words, there's enough to go around. It's like when you're a Mom and have kids. When the next one is born, your love that you have for the first isn't divided between the two. It is just begotten...there's always more where that came from, I guess you'd say. Supply and demand. LOL. (supply keeps up with demand.)

[My4Dogs]

I have four dogs and each one has a very different personality than the others. Some days I do love one a little bit more because of some of the things he/she does. But I really do love them all the same.


Two of my babies: Rex and Kelley

[ChiChi]

LOL! the reason i am asking is because i am thinking about getting another dog.... for brody, he needs a puppy friend or prehaps and older friend! lol, but yea idk if my mom will let me but i MIGHT have 2 dogs this summer......

[Rip's Girl]

I love both boys sooo much.. When you live with a dog and get to know it well, you come to appreciate different things about it.. For example, Ripley is smart as a whip.. He understands more words than your average 3-year-old and he can always make me laugh. Dakota on the other hand is sooo sweet and affectionate, and so willing to please..

There's something great about all of them. If I want to play tug, or rough-house, I go to Ripley. If I want to lay around on the couch, or play frisbee, I go to Dakota. If I want to train an advanced trick, I go to Ripley. If I want to do some heelwork, Dakota's my guy. etc.

I do different things with each of them, and it's very easy to split up my attention between the two.

[Carrie]

When Lyric was a pup, it took a while for me to really bond with him. I thought something was wrong, didn't think I'd ever love him as much as the others. He was a major handful at first and irritated me a lot of the time. It took me some time to learn where his buttons were so we could get down to the business of getting to know one another and bond. LOL. But lo and behold, he grew on me. And now he's such a special boy and means the world to me. Like Rip says, they each are so different that their individuality touches various aspects of ourselves or our personalities in different ways and at different times.

[Rip's Girl]

That was exactly how it was with Ripley, Carrie. It took ages for us to bond, I'd say we didn't really 'accept' each other until he was about 10 months old. Ripley was very, very irritating as a youngster.. He had just about every kind of aggression in the book, he scarred my hands up from attacking me with those puppy teeth.. It took so long for us to finally be at a point where we respected each other and could live without constantly pushing each other's buttons.

Dakota and I bonded very shortly after I got him. I'd say he trusted me completely after about a month.. He was just so easy to click with, being so eager to please.

[sheltiepups]

I do not know... I think its like when you have more then one your love doesn't divide.. It multiplies.. Does that make sense?

[kjm]

I agree with Sheltie. After having Smokey in the house, it was weird at first, but now I just love on both of them equally. There's no dividing attention or affection. There's plenty to go around.

[Pugdawg1]

I adore all three, and I try very hard to make sure they ALL get the attention and love, equally. However, Winston IS my heart dog. He is the one I raised from 8 weeks. BUT I do not love the others less, I just feel.. oh I don't know.. closer? maybe to Winston. I make every effort to give each pug equal love, attention and play time, and I do enjoy taking ONE pug for a walk, for one on one time, and I sort of cycle through them when I dothat. They seem to really treasure that "it's just me!" going for a walk thing.. although often I do take all three together on a walk. Winston can be a bit snippy/grouchy sometimes, and a car ride or a walk with just him, really seems to help him to "lighten up".

[IceyBlueSibes]

I love my 3 all the same, for their individuality. I love Sheiba for being such a sweety. She's so docile and loving, but if she wants to, she can be one crazy dog! I love Denali for her goofyness, and she feels like a big teddy bear when you cuddle with her. But I have to say that Sarge is MY dog, and I love him very dearly. As pugdawg said, it's hard to explain, I guess you just feel closer to a certain dog. Sometimes when I don't think about it, I kind of favor one over the other (getting extra treats, or getting a treat without the others knowing ). But I can make sense of what sheltiepups said. It's more like multiplying your love. If you get a new addition, it will probably take a little while longer before you feel as bonded as you do to Brody.

[fireworksinjuly]

I have to admit I dont feel as close to the Min Pins as I do to Kino.
I do love them, but not like I do Kino..

heres why...
Kino is my dog...I bought him, I take him to the vet..he sleeps in my room...I have trained him and raised him since he was 3 months old. He chose me.

the Min Pins were my fiance's family's dogs and lived here LONG before I ever moved in. They are their dogs. I never even met them till Runt was 6 and Shredder was 8...I have NO say in what they eat, where they go to the vets, etc...I care for them and everything, and I do love them....

I just dont have the same connection to them as I do Kino...they really are my dog-in-laws...where as Kino is like my son in many ways.

geesh now I sound like a horrible person for saying that....

[DarknessDivine]

I will say that Zeus gets babied by me way more then the others...I try not to but since I got him at 4 weeks and then his paw was broken..ugh it gets hard..I think I've stumped his maturity though..