20 Signs Your Dogs Are a Bonded Pair
Dogs sniff for one main reason: to get the lay of the land. There are two anal sacs positioned near their behinds that produce pheromones and scents that can tell other dogs lots about their gender, happiness, owner, the food they eat, and their overall health.
Sniffing isn’t only important when a dog meets a new friend, though. It can be a sign of companionship, interest, and friendliness when dogs sniff each others’ butts or bodies repetitively.
Although this sign may occur in dogs that are simply friends, bonded pairs find comfort in each others’ presence and scent, which may mean they sniff each other way more often and for much longer than usual.
Basically, the equivalent of new parents constantly wanting to sniff their new baby’s baby smell.
#6: They keep each other happy
One of the pros to adopting bonded pairs is that they keep each other from being sad.
They’re never alone. So they can keep each other entertained even when you’re not around.
Single dogs often get stressed when you leave them alone at home.
When my friend got married, she took her dog, Hela, with her.
She and her husband moved to the next state.
Hela went from having 5 doggo siblings to becoming the only dog in the house.
The first time they left Hela alone, disaster ensued.
She pooped and peed on the furniture in the house. And even destroyed anything she could reach.
It took a lot of time. And a few toys. But Hela was able to adjust properly.
How can you tell if dogs are bonded?
There’s a real light in their eyes; they smile, wag, rub into you, and makes great eye contact. When you come home, they brighten up, becomes animated, and may even vocalize their joy. Other signs of a strong bond include: Keeping tabs on your location when they are off leash.
How Your Dog Chooses His Favorite Person
When it comes to both dog adoption and ownership, an important thing to consider is that any two dogs on the face of the planet, regardless of of age, size, gender, or breed can be deemed a bonded pair, as long as they have spent significant time together. Though the common underlying issue is rooted in that at least one of the two dogs is generally co-dependent, there is actually quite a variation of bonded pair types that can exist in nature.
While the norm, and what most people have come to expect of a bonded pair, is typically two dogs of the same or similar breeds, you may come across a chihuahua bonded to a Great Dane in your quest for a new pet, or two. Stranger things have happened, after all!
So whether you are in search of a bonded pair of pooches to adopt, or you are worried that you may accidentally create a bonded pair with the dogs living under your roof, the first step is to identify the bond type.