Signs Your Dog is Not Adjusting to Living Between Two Homes:
In an ideal world, living between two homes is something that all dogs would be able to do. This is not an ideal world, however, which is why some pooches may not be able to withstand the strain and stress that can be associated with living between two homes, while others can. This is why it is important to complete a trial session with your dog if having them live between two homes is something you are looking to accomplish.
That being said, there are signs that you will need to look for to determine if your dog is adjusting well to the new living conditions. The first, and most obvious, sign is changes in their temperament and overall behavior. For instance, if your dog is normally obedient and energetic, you would notice if they have become lethargic and unfocused in their new (second) home. If this is the case, it is clear, your pup is having trouble coping with the new living situation.
In addition to a changing temperament, it is also common for dogs to react to living between two homes by acting out behaviorally. You read right, dogs can be just as sensitive as children when it comes to reacting to stress, which in turn can result in them misbehaving in the new situation, most likely because they are acting out of fear. This misbehavior can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including relieving themselves in the wrong spot and destroying furniture or objects by chewing or biting them.
These are some signs you will notice when your dog is not adjusting well to living between two homes:
Some other body language signs to watch for in your pooch include:
The Science of Dogs Living Between Two Homes
You may be wondering why it is that dogs have trouble living between two different homes. Well for starters, this has to do with the fact that dogs are social creatures, and rather than becoming attached to houses, dogs actually have a tendency to become attached to humans. As a result, its not the actual new home that is detrimental to your dogs development, but it is the absence of the human they are most attached to.
In some cases, this could be avoided if you are living between the two homes with your dog (e.g., you and your dog visit your vacation home together every other week in the summer). It is likely in scenarios like this that your dog will take some time to adjust to the new living conditions, but because they are with you, the impact of living between the two homes is far less then if you were not there (e.g., you are sharing your dog with your partner between two homes).
Interestingly enough, research supports the notion that the bond between pet owners and their dogs are similar to that of a parent with their child. This bond between owner and dog is known as the secure base effect where the animal uses their pet owner to provide them with a base or basis for interacting with the world around them. The secure base effect is normally found in children, but recent research indicates this is also present in animals, including dogs.
As a result, canines behaviors are directly influenced by their owner. As you can imagine, if a dog is young and is being trained to live between two different homes, its likely they will be concurrently experiencing the secure base effect, meaning that they will have trouble in what ever home their secure base is not in.
“Dogs and cats are different in this respect,” claims an animal welfare researcher.
Divorce rates are still high. Debates have raged for decades about the best solutions for children regarding custody, residence and visiting rights when their parents split up. One our readers asked us what solutions are best for family pets:
If a couple separates and they have a dog or a cat, can it harm the animal in any way if the owners choose to share it? For instance if they have the animal one week each? Is it better for one to have the main responsibility while the other takes care of the pet just now and then?
We passed the question on to Cecilie Mejdell. She is a researcher at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute and one of her specialities is animal welfare.
Mejdell thinks that dogs and cats are disparately disposed as regards switching homes from week to week:
“Cats are more attached to a place, whereas dogs or more attached to people.”
The researcher thinks that dogs can make the adjustment of spending alternate weeks with each of the two owners than cats are.
“But the best solution for a very young puppy is to get the stability of a single residence,” she adds.
Certain adult dogs will also be happiest with just the single household, for instance when it is especially attached to one of the owners.
“Maybe one of the owners has been involved with training the animal, walking it and other positive tasks,” suggests Cecilie Mejdell.
Then the best thing could be for the animal to live permanently with the one it’s most attached to.
One challenge, however, is that having sufficient time for the pet can be a problem when one person takes over the responsibility that was previously shared by two.
Sweden has a law, in fact, against dogs being alone for more than six hours a day:
“I’d like to see that limit reduced to four hours. Dogs are gregarious and it is unnatural for them to be alone for lengthy periods,” said a Swedish Veterinary Inspector to the ScienceNordic’s Norwegian partner, forskning.no.
A dog-sitter or a dog-walker can be a solution for some single owners of canines.
In any case, divorces pose a big change in the life of a pet. Even if great solutions are found for where the animal lives, it can develop behavioural problems.
“Just like children, cats and dogs can react to a divorce,” says Mejdell.
The animal can start acting differently and the owner might experience behavioural problems. Cats might start relieving themselves around the house or show stress in other ways.
“Dogs are concerned about their pack and don’t like to split up. You see that when you take a walk together. The dog reacts if one of the human owners suddenly takes off in a different direction.”
“It’s important to remember that dogs and cats are also individual and not all of them react the same,” adds the researcher.
Mejdell thinks it essential for owners who are parting ways to give their pet real consideration and try to figure out what’s best for it.
Translated by: Glenn Ostling
GETTING A SECOND DOG? PROS AND CONS – ADVICE ON HAVING 2 DOGS
What is dog co-parenting? It’s a relatively new idea of literally sharing a dog with someone else who doesn’t live with you! The dog has two owners and splits time between their homes.
There are some very appealing benefits to caring for a dog in a co-parenting relationship. Apart from the fact that it makes owning a dog really fun all the time, the cost of keeping the dog can be shared, while annual vaccinations and health checks can also be split between the dog’s owners.
You might even find that one person is earning more money and is prepared to contribute more in terms of finances but is therefore unable to devote as much free time to the dog. This is where co-parenting is useful because the dog then gets the love and care from the other parent who has more time.