How regularly scheduled playtime helped my dogs bond
The best way to describe the relationship my two dogs have is tolerable. Rocco, my younger pup, is eager to play all the time, while the older one, Louie, likes to play but only when he’s ready. When I first got my second dog, playing in the yard or at the local dog park was a bit of a disaster. Rocco, a young two-year-old retriever mix, was bursting with energy and would bounce around and run into Louie, which would set him off barking and yelling at the top of his lungs. Louie was not thrilled to say the least.
Louie, a black retriever-mix, and Rocco, a golden retriever-mix, playing tug with a rope.
As a first-time owner of multiple dogs, I struggled to get them to play together. It seemed like they would never get along. Louie appeared to be bothered by Rocco. The thought of Louie not wanting anything to do with Rocco saddened me. I reached out to a dog trainer I know, who gave me a great piece of advice — get involved in the games. I started instituting something I call recess, a regularly scheduled 30 minutes of play outdoors where my dogs and I run around and play games like tag, fetch, and tug. At first, it was mainly me throwing a ball, launching a frisbee, or chucking a rope and having one of the dogs retrieve it. It was a lot of one-on-one time with each pup. As we had more recess sessions, the two started playing together. They would chase each other around, engage in a feisty game of tug, or investigate the yard for intruders — rabbits, squirrels. You know, all the furry animals that retrievers love to chase.
The more we played together, the stronger the dog’s bond. Now, they are fine in each other’s presence. Rocco still wants to get his brother’s approval and be all up in Louie’s face, but Louie sure has mellowed out and will engage in play all on his own. It’s been wonderful seeing the two of them get closer. The key takeaway for me is that it takes time for dogs to bond, but there are ways we can help make that journey better. For me, it’s play. For others, it’s long pack walks, puzzle games, or group training sessions. The important thing is to find the one thing your pups love to do together and then make time for you and them to do it. Drop a line below to let us know how you helped your dogs bond. Happy tails, everyone!