When you have a multi-dog household one on one time is hard to find for each dog especially when you have a husband and children to take care of as well. Now that Luna my fourth dog has entered our family alone time with each dog is more difficult to find. While I'm unable to give them alone time each day I try to make time for walks with them singly each weekend. I try to play games with each dog or a pair of dogs that they enjoy.
All four of my dogs enjoy ball play but Luna isn't yet comfortable playing fetch in Wyatt's presence. He's a ball hog and borders being OCD when it comes to balls. Josie doesn't really play fetch in the truest sense but she loves chasing the Orbie balls and will make her way back from whence the ball came. But the ball thrower ends up having to get the ball from her. That's actually an improvement from the beginning of the summer when she used to chase, catch and run circles with the ball. Now she at least returns. Luna chases and brings the ball back we just need to work on her dropping the ball. She will release when we ask it's just not automatic the way Wyatt plays. Dexter doesn't actually play fetch he likes to have a deflated soccer ball thrown that he'll chase and grab with his mouth and then run circles around the yard until he's tired. Wyatt is my true fetcher. He'll wait until you throw the ball, then chase and retrieve the ball and run it back to me and immediately drop it for the next toss. I use fetch to work on his basic commands and lately I've used fetch to improve his patience. He's my demand barker and easily excited so I use fetch to reinforce his wait and to improve the tricks I've taught him. His reward is the chase.
But often those games are played with one or all the other dogs around. I also admit I've spent more alone time with Luna to forge a bond with her. She's shy and still acclimating to our home and I want her to feel comfortable. When she first came home with us she scooted on her belly to get away from us when we would take the other pups out for their bedtime pee. She still belly swims as my daughter calls it occasionally but we don't press the issue. We back off; grab the cheese and her leash. Right now the leash is a comfort item for her. I believe it represents to her that she'll be allowed back in the house. Once outside Luna does her business and then waits patiently at the backdoor to go back inside. Once inside she calmly and confidently goes to her crate to wait for her pats and to have her collar removed. We'll never really know what happened to her in her previous home and rather than speculate whether she was abused physically or otherwise we're helping her overcome her fear. The typical Golden temperament is there and each day brings her a step closer to her true doggie self.
While Luna gets most of the alone time right now the time my other pups get with me alone is important in maintaining a balanced relationship with them.
Until next time Woof, Woof, Woof and a Roo!
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