How To Treat Canine Pack Members?

[KitKat]

I've read some things that say treat all pack members under your rank the same - and let them work it out themselves. You pat whoever you decide first, you feed whoever you decide first etc etc

I've read some things that say treat them in regards to rank in the pack - you pat the top dog first and then the rest in order, you feed the top dog first and then the rest in order etc etc

And i've read other things that are a mix of the above etc etc

So..what do you do? and what do you think is more correct? and why?

[luvabull]

I treat mine all the same including Chopper.Chopper is highest amoung my dogs and the girls know that.Between the girls I don't know what the rank is.

Edited August 7, 2007 by luvabull

[MonElite]

I treat mine the same. Whoever gets to me first get the treat/pat etc.

I feed together at some distance, release to the food together each goes to its bowl, stand there watching them eat.

[Erny]

As a behaviourist I can only answer to say that :

• It depends on the dogs in question; and
  
• It depends on the owner/handler; and
  
• It depends on the presence or absence of pack behaviour issues; and
  
• What that/those issue/s are.
  

Edited August 7, 2007 by Erny

[sidoney]

I treat them differently depending on what the dog needs from me, in a non rank sense. So I play more tug with the Kelpie than with the Vizslas, etc.

[Clicking Mad]

...

Edited January 12, 2008 by Clicking Mad

[BC]

Mine are treated equally. Who ever is the best behaved and settles first when I get home is the one that gets the first pat.

When feeding they just stand in their crates waiting, and which ever bowl I pick up first gets fed first. The other just waits.

Sometimes Vinnie is on the couch with me and sometimes Cooper. They both get their fair share of everything and all is equally spread between them.

Cooper is definately the boss, but with me treating them equally I dont have any issues between them at all.

[Guest Clover]

I treat mine pretty equally aswell. The Borders get walked first so they dont howl the neighbourhood down and so Tinny does not take herself for a walk. Then Clover and Harri know they go when the Borders and i get back. I dont feed in any order, the one whose bowl is on top of the pile gets fed first (Harri gets fed seprate so he actually chews his food instead of inhaling it). Training is whoever gets to me first, and whoever looks the most keen .

[TangerineDream]

When I had a pack of 3 Dobes, Tegan ("Little Miss Dominant Bitch") always had to be first for everything...if she wasn't, you'd end up with escalating tension between them, and if she was first, all was peaceful. The other 2 weren't fussed so long as they didn't miss out, but didn't mind the order.

[Henrietta]

I don't see any tensions or issues in my pack (of two) but I will admit that I do tend to do things for the older dog (who was also here first) before the younger dog.

Now that I think about it, I'm sure it's a subconscious thing.

Edited December 26, 2009 by Emm

[horus]

I initially treat mine differently. I am currently feeding Ellie and Toby in front of and before Cleo as Cleo has only been here since June and needs to be shown where her place is in the pack. I did the same when Toby first came here ie I fed Ellie first and then Toby. I now feed Ellie and Toby together and may do the same for Cleo in time. I make all three sit and wait before entering a door or gate and Ellie and Toby enter before I release Cleo, she is always last in whatever we do.

[DeadWombat]

I treat all my dogs differently, but I do so based on which one I feel like interacting with at the time rather than any order of rank.

I tend to believe that in the majority of cases, people create more problems than they solve when they attempt to allocate rank or define a pecking order. Provided at least one human in the house provides some form of leadership most dogs will work the rest out amongst themselves.

[zacygirl]

I pat my favourite dog first everytime.. Or pay attention to the one I think needs a bit of attention (i.e. the one I might be feeling sorry for).. this is more often than not the lowest ranking dog (or a very old dog)

[B-Q]

i usually inforce what i see as their pack structure. I don't want to throw it out whack by maybe making mac seem like a top dog and getting her hurt over it. When they are being fed, i go with sophie first, then buster, then harry, then mac.

That said, Buster gets most of my attention and i do usually ignore the other dogs to pay attention to him because we have the strongest bond.

[Sayreovi]

Treated all the same. Fed at the same time, like Clover whoever looks keener is trained first, first in gets pats.

[MrsD]

I pretty much treat them the same except for when Im feeding - then Jarrah gets his meal put down 1st in the kitchen & then Jonty gets his meal in his crate. No problems there, they both know where they get fed & are usually standing there waiting for it to be deposited in their bowls.

Whisper is now at the bottom of the food chain .

[shellbyville]

I treat mine all the same. I don't consciously choose who I will pat first etc, but it is usually the one who behaves & settles the quickest. I feed mine in their separate kennels and don't have an order who I feed first, but I definitely leave any that are barking or making noise until last.

I try to spend equal amounts of time with them all, although often the youngest gets the most attention, because all time you spend with a baby is training. The oldest often gets a lot of attention as well, for sentimental reasons.

Mine all get along pretty well and I can't see a real pack order except for the oldest who is the definite leader of the pack & who is a very little desexed fox terrier male. The rest are all labs.

[BJean]

I treat mine all the same

that said, the pack order amongst the dogs is never far from my mind

and is always a consideration.

My actions do not affect the pack order amongst the dogs

Rather my actions - given the order system that has been worked out between the dogs for themselves - can cause altercations if I don't think about what I am doing, and what dogs is where etc.

My dogs are each fed seperately.

Edited August 15, 2007 by lilli

[jesomil]

I treat mine all the same. I dont think about order of feeding, I just put all the bowls down and they will get whichever bowls lands near them.

I do give my boy more affection as he is so good and so nice to be around. The pup gets more attention in the form of training as she is just a baby. The teenagers, well.....................

[kamuzz]

I treat mine all the same including Chopper.Chopper is highest amoung my dogs and the girls know that.Between the girls I don't know what the rank is.

That's interesting - I thought if you had boys and a girl, the girl would always wind up as highest ranked.

Is that just another myth?