Do You Go Out Of Your Way To Give Your Dogs Alone Time?

[Bubitty]

Just wondering how much importance or effort Dolers place in seperating their dogs.

I was given some advice by a very wise person to make sure Bitty can do her own thing and not completely depend on Bubby.

Even though they love each other, I have never let them spend a whole day together while I am at work. I also make sure they get a seperate walk in the afternoon and spend an hour every night with each dog away from the other dog. Despite all this Bitty is super attached to Bubby and always looks thrilled whenever she gets to hang out with him.

Despite our efforts to seperate them OH and I get quite worried sometimes because she is one and he is turning five so one day if she is stuck without him.......................

Do you seperate your dogs? Are your dogs very attached to each other? Does this concern you?

[poodlefan]

I don't separate my dogs but I do make a point of giving each of them some one on one time away from the house and each other.

I definitely try to do this frequently with youngsters.

Any of my dogs will come with me without a backward glance at the others if I'm going out. I have no doubt they benefit from each other's company when I'm not home though.

[Sayreovi]

I did when they were younger, but now very rarely do and seeing as they are 7 and 5 years old I don't forsee any seperation issues to come into play now.

I don't seperate them when I go to work either because they never formed that really close bond with each other that alot of dogs that live together do.

Sometimes I do wish they had a closer bond where they would do more things together, I feel sad every time I see photos of DOLers dogs sleeping basically on top of each other as mine never do but then again they are more attached to me than each other.

I do seperate them on occasions where I can only take one dog or where I want to train only one of them. Neither has seperation issues and a bone when I leave one behind takes care of any tantrums thrown because they didn't get to go.

Hoping to have a pup by the end of the year, and I am not sure if I want her to have a closer attachment to my other dogs or do what I did with my previous boy. Though if she is anything like her dad (who is my youngest boy) I think I would need to try and make sure she doesn't get too attached to the other dogs.

[megan_]

Mine have seperate time with me (I try to aim for every day, but it doesn't always happen in winter).

This was a life saver when Fergus got sick and had to stay in hospital for three days. Lucy seemed to cope okay because she was used to having alone time.

I think it is normal for dogs who live together to be attached, but they NEED to be able to cope with being on their own. It is in their own best interest. I cringe everytime some poor rescuer is stuck trying to rehome two dogs who MUST stay together. Their owners would have done them a much better service raising well adjusted dogs who can cope without the other one.

I can't fathom how some people think it is cute and it means they "love" eachother.

Bub - I wouldn't worry too much. You are giving Bitty alone time and she is learning to be okay on her own. She is fond of Bubs and that is okay too. One day, she might be without him, but dogs are stoic and they seem to cope better that us when the time comes.

ETA: I leave them together when I work. They like eachother but are not totally dependant.

Edited May 26, 2010 by megan_

[WreckitWhippet]

Not really, the Whippets tend to go out together for their run and the Staffords do their 5k's a might together. Mine aren't all that attached to one another, they have their own crates, own trailer berths and I can walk out of the house with one or more and leave others behind.

I spend quiet time on the lounge with them seperately and they also hang out as a pack.

[Teebs]

nope, At usually goes to bed before anyone else, so Kaos and I have time together for that, Atlas also wont go walking, so Kaos and I do that together

Kaos gets annoying at times so will have outside time while At and I hang out

Kaos will freak if At and I leave the house together, crys and barks for about 10 mins then will settle down and get on with life

[macka]

My situation is similar to Tollersowned.

My two enjoy each other's company during the day - the neighbours tell me they play a lot and I see them play a lot when I am home as well.

I still wouldn't call them super closely bonded as they are quite capable of being separated without tantrums and do not sleep on top of one another or cuddle up together.

Archer misses Leia when she is not around more than she misses him, I think because he has never known a life without her, whereas she was an only dog for 18 months before we got him.

At the moment I am taking Archer to training on his own and both dogs are fine with that.

I walk them together most days but separately a few times/week.

[poodlefan]

With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, the regime I had for Howard (my youngest) as a pup is something I'll do again.

When I got him, I wasn't in a position to do lunchtime feeds or to separate him from the older dogs. So he did "puppy day care" with a couple of retired friends at their houses while he grew a bit and got to learn the dog door and toilet training.

He spent the day in their homes with their dogs, got taken out on visits and had a pretty fat time. He's pretty much a social butterfly so I'll try to repeat the process when the next pup comes along in a few years time.

[whippets]

my dogs have their "alone" time when eating. I don't think we should hang around when they are enjoying their treats. Most of mine have their own special place to take their treats to and enjoy them.

Same goes for the horses. I don't bug them (ie:blanket them or groom) when they are enjoying their food.

[W Sibs]

My 2 are separated if they aren't supervised. They are on their own for most of the day when I'm at work. When I come home, they are more happy to each other other then see me... on the weekends, Charlie usually has sleeps over at his Uncle's house (Emmy's not toilet trained yet), but Emmy is going to start obedience soon, so she is going to be busy with that.

Emmy and Charlie will go on walks together if the boyfriend and I walk the dogs at the same time... Emmy is actually really good when she walks with Charlie. Charlie is slow and steady, and she just happily follow him. By herself, yeah, it's always an adventure.

But, at night, they sleep together. Charlie takes her out to the backyard to do their business when they wake up in the morning... they also play a lot together

There is a day where Emmy is going to be alone, but I think it will break the humans heart more than it will her... she will get over it quickly because that's how dogs are. I'm going to admit that, another reason why we got Emmy is because we know there is going to be a day where I have to make that hard decision about Charlie, and with Emmy around, she'll going to teach us that it's ok to be sad, but life goes on... she's not the kind of dog that will let us mope around and be sad a lot.

[poodlefan]

There is a day where Emmy is going to be alone, but I think it will break the humans heart more than it will her... she will get over it quickly because that's how dogs are. I'm going to admit that, another reason why we got Emmy is because we know there is going to be a day where I have to make that hard decision about Charlie, and with Emmy around, she'll going to teach us that it's ok to be sad, but life goes on... she's not the kind of dog that will let us mope around and be sad a lot.

I agree. I've yet to have to say goodbye to a dog but I'm sure that the presence of the other dogs will help ease that grief.

[Bjelkier]

I dont really make an effort to seperate them but it happens on various occasions.

They get fed, trained and groomed seperatly but thats about it. They are in kennels alone when I'm at work but they can see each other.

All my dogs are accustomed to being alone if they have to be, I take different ones to shows and leave others behind, sometimes that dog left behind is alone, sometimes the one going is alone. I have lost dogs that have bonded closely, no issues there and other have spent time at vets, the other didn't panic.

And yet they are always happy to have each other around when they are there

Edited May 26, 2010 by Wolfsong

[Sheridan]

My dogs are quite independent of each other, probably because Mini was already an adult when I got her. They run around together but also do their own thing. Miss Mini has taken herself off to bed of late. Around 9.30 each night she disappears into her crate and comes back out when she's ready to go outside. Grumpy takes himself off to the bedroom if I'm home during the day. It's like they take it in turns to mind me. Mini loves Grumpy, though, and greets him with great acclaim if she hasn't seen him for a while. Grumpy tolerates this with great patience.

[SparkyTansy]

Mine are all fairly independant... probably with the exception of Ari the Weimaraner who is more attached to me than the other dogs... this is probablymore a result of her breed than her upbringing. I have always given them alone time but not really on purpose. I have at different stages of their lives had to spend time with one over the other (obedience training/walks), and they have all been away from me at different periods again with the exception of Ari.

[ZAUBISTAR]

I don't separate my dogs but I do make a point of giving each of them some one on one time away from the house and each other.

I definitely try to do this frequently with youngsters.

Any of my dogs will come with me without a backward glance at the others if I'm going out. I have no doubt they benefit from each other's company when I'm not home though.

Yeah, pretty much the same here.

I walk each one separately everyday and that might include beach/bush walk with one in the morning and a walk through town with the other, then swap the next day. Old nanna Echo will get a car trip to visit grandma. Training is just with me, one on one. I also will have just one in the house for a few hours every other day but mostly they're all inside together.

[OSoSwift]

I do.

I seperate them from each other and also have them say in the dog run when I am at home for a hour or so.

Lewis came to me at 8 months and hadn't had that happen and he is the only one I have seperation problems with. If Rommi say had to be hospitalised overnight or similar he would find it difficult to cope. He also yodels and carry's on while I am training Rommi and he is in the crate.

If I was to leave him in the dog run and take Rommi away, or inside without him, he will scream and try and rip down the chain mesh.

He is getting better and is much better than he was. I can now leave them in a dog run (each has their own) and give them a treat and go out without him screaming the place down and trying to snap off his teeth.

All my dogs from puppies are taught it is okay to be by themselves

Edited May 26, 2010 by Rommi n Lewis

[tez]

I'm pretty new at having two dogs as we have only had Gus for nearly 2 weeks...it feels like he has been here much longer though! At 15 weeks, he is still a pup while Jane is 15 months. They spend most of their time together but I walk them separetely as Jane has much higher exercise needs while Gus gets a little walk mostly for lead training and socialisation.

I train them separately as I'm too disorganised to do them together. Jane sleeps on my bed at night wheras Gus sleeps in the next room. Jane is lab size and as Gus is a mixed breed from the RSPCA, I'm not sure how big he will be but he is 14 kg now so I imagine he will be a big lad so I'm OK with him NOT sharing my bed.

Having spent the first week at hme with them, I have seen how they respect each others quiet time so I'm happy to leave them while I'm at work.

[Loving my Oldies]

I don't go out of my way to give my dogs alone time. However, from time to time they get shut out to give ME alone time - LOL.

[Kissindra]

I didn't with Boo and it led to problems, he's made a heck of a lot of progress but I wont be making the same mistake with Atticus!