I have 4 Rat Terriers. They are all different sizes, ages, personalities and have unique interests. I'd imagine it's much like people who have multiple human children. I'll admit they each have a different place in my heart, too.
That being said, finding what each dog's interest or strength is has changed that place in my heart. It has also strengthened our relationship. When you have multiple dogs (or kids) I think it's of high importance to discover what these special activities are for each of them.
Curly, my heart dog, really enjoys working on tricks, Rally Obedience and just getting out and going somewhere. I found it easy to discover his "hobbies" since I am naturally more drawn to him. There is just something about him that connects us to each other. Curly also really enjoys lots of physical contact from me like petting, hugs, kisses and snuggling on the couch.
Franky, my husbands heart dog, is crazy smart and loves to learn whatever you are willing to teach him. If you don't spend the time teaching him something he will find something to learn on his own. Ha! He was the first Rat Terrier for my husband and I, so we had a little extra one on one time together initially. His favorite things include K9 Fun Nose Work (R), going for long walks, going for a car ride and learning new skills.
Padme, our eldest at 13yrs of youth, was an acquired taste for me. I'll be honest in that I didn't really want to adopt her initially. At the time we had 4 other dogs, fostered Rat Terriers and our personal dogs were much younger and bigger than her. My husband couldn't stand the thought of her living with someone else. She also got along really well with Franky. Padme really isn't into snuggling, finds it challenging to learn new skills and can be cranky. She grew on me over time and is now a great office assistant. Her main job is to keep me at my desk. Ha! While it takes her awhile to learn new things, she's a foodie and knows it might require some work on her part to get the food.
Molly, the Nose Work Queen, was not always a queen in my eyes. She had a nasty attitude at times that was a turn off for me. For a time, she seemed to cause fights among our other dogs. Then I learned she wasn't a confident dog. We started working on her confidence and our relationship through group classes. The key to success ended up being K9 Nose Work (R). It's her thing! Molly turns into Ms. Confident when she knows she gets to do Nose Work. Our relationship went from almost non-existent to strong in about a year. Finding her interest really changed everything!
My purpose in writing this blog entry today was to inspire those with dogs (or kids) to really look for the individuals interest or strength to better the relationship. Dogs need more than just love, food, medical care and a place to live. They need physical and mental exercise, too. But they also need individual attention doing something they find enjoyable. As I drove to Nose Work class tonight, with Molly, I smiled realizing this is our special time. It's just her and I doing what she loves (I love it too!).
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