In a multi-dog family, you may see some very interesting relationships. My brother’s dogs, Kuma and Lily Biscuits, have a very close bond.
Kuma is definitely the Boss Dog in the house. With just a look, she can send Lily running. Whatever Lily has, Kuma can pretty much take without consequences. But without Kuma around, Lily is pretty much lost.
On Tuesday, Kuma spent the day at the veterinarian’s for some minor surgery. Lily was a wreck. She wouldn’t take a rawhide — normally her favorite treat! She sat on the couch, looking out the window most of the day, waiting for Kuma to return. Lily’s partner, her guide, her Boss Dog was missing, and she wasn’t really sure what to do.
While my parents were home, Lily wasn’t too bad. But once my parents went to fetch Kuma back from the vet, she became more frantic. She whined and trilled for twenty minutes straight. She sat at the window and ignored me completely. When I finally coaxed her outside into the yard, she ran from one gate to the other, whining.
As soon as Kuma came home, Lily was back to her usual self: a big white dog flopped out on the couch. Things were back to normal.
Two dogs of similar age who are raised together can become almost TOO dependent on one another. They may look to each other for companionship and guidance before they look at their humans. And when you need to split them up, you may see anxiety, nervousness, and even behavior problems.
And although my parents’ dog Becca is the odd dog out in the house with Lily and Kuma’s strongly bonded duo, she did pick up some of Lily’s nervousness. By the time my parents went to fetch Kuma, Becca was stationing herself at another window to help Lily watch and wait.
For more on separation anxiety, check out Merlin’s story.