Throughout the years at New York Dog Nanny, we’ve had the priviledge of meeting many interspecies families. Families with two or more dogs or ones with a variety of pets- cats, dogs and rabbits. We get countless phone calls or even casual comments about how one pet likes to fetch and play with balls and the other is more laid back. To the untrained eye, this may look like each pet has their own personality and we leave it be. We know it is sometimes another dynamic going on.
With pets of the same species (two or more cats, two or more dogs) there is always a pecking order. One dog is higher and one dog is lower. The one who is higher is the one who will play with the balls, eat the food first and be the first to snuggle up on your lap. It’s just not that one dog is necessary faster than the other at retrieving the ball or that one dog just isn’t as affectionate- it’s that the other dog/pet is allowing the one that is higher up in rank those privileges. We know this is also true of our kitty cat children. Whether you are a cat or dog parent these fun facts about our kitty friends, many of which are about the personality of cats, can help you learn more about specific personality types.
Sometimes the higher ranking pet will also exhibit preventative behavoirs to the other pets- especially if they are the same species (notice we said species and not breed). That’s for another article. At times this “resource guarding” is noticeable and other times, it happens when you are not around (at work, in the other room and or more visible to other family members/roommates).
Here are some personality traits that you may be mis-attributing to with siblings:
- desire to go on walks
- eagerness to lead on the walk
- faster to retrieve a toy in a game of fetch
- eagerness to eat
- snuggling in a prime position on your lap/bed/couch
- one dog/pet is always sunbathing
- one greets you first
- ones overall distinct personality shines through more prominantly
Bottom line: each pet has their own unique personality, likes and dislikes, preferences etc. Many times parents only realize that the less dominant pet has a “different personality” after the other pet has passed away. Most all pets have a desire for affection, attention and play. Your job as the pet parent is to foster each pet’s unique quirks, preferences and to take into consideration that one-on-one time with each pet in separate rooms or inside/outside of the home can have tremendous benefits to their quality of life and shining as your pet!
For a pet’s personality reading you can contact Madrette, Paw Print Reader. She is locally based in NYC.
This blog post was written by Cynthia Okimoto, New York Dog Nanny. To even out the balance of the pet dynamic within your family, please contact info@Newyorkdognanny.com.