This was a wonderfully complicated pack. I run a tight ship and allow no nonsense on my watch. Tilley and Jessie simply coexisted as they grew to adults. Jessie (Jack Russell) knew not to discipline Tilley and Tilley let Jessie think that she was the boss. Luke was constantly pushing to be the pack leader but feared both Tilley and Jessie if they got angry. I adored these days and cannot believe that it was over 10 years ago.
It is so wonderful when our dogs get a long. “She’d love a companion, we should get another dog,” I often hear from single dog guardians. It can be a perfect idea but it doesn’t always end up like the image we conjure up in our head. I will state that I am a big two dog advocate; I think that every dog deserves a dog companion of their own. But, and this is a big but, you the k9 guardian need to want a second dog and if you do then you have to choose carefully.
My blanket opinion on second dogs is to get the opposite sex. Why make it more complicated by adding another male or another female to the mix. The risk of it not working out goes up when it is a same sex union. Of course male/male and female/female can work out beautifully but if you have the choice, I always recommend getting the opposite.
Personalities need to be considered so that you limit conflicts. It makes me sad when I’m contacted about dogs not getting a long. Some people opt for the segregation type of life for their dogs when this happens. But in my opinion dogs are not happy living in a separate room from the rest of their pack. Dogs are meant to live as a pack and if they cannot do so peacefully; even after much work from a professional trainer and the guardian then one should be placed. No dog should live in fear, a heightened state of aggression or stress. It’s just not a good place for a dog to live.
The act of placing one of your dogs in another home can be heartbreaking. But just imagine moving a dog from a toxic environment into a home where they can live peacefully without having to look over their shoulder constantly. Even if you have the best intentions, try really hard to work it all out with your leadership intervention and guidance, sometimes it just doesn’t work.
What I see as the biggest problem when there is unrest in the k9s at home is a lack of leadership. The leader of the pack makes the rules, educates everyone with regard to the rules and enforces the rules. The leadership role should be filled by YOU, but if it is not then one of the dogs will step up and into that roll. Often just taking back the reins, offering an education and enforcing the rules in the house is enough to change everyone; and give you back your peaceful home and pack.
But like I said, sometimes it doesn’t work out. Life is about being happy and that is not just for us; our dogs should be happy as well. So if you have unrest between dogs at home, you have work to do. If work doesn’t work then you need to consider what is best for everyone involved.
We owe this to our dogs.