# Different Rules for Each Dog?



## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

What do you think about having different rules for different dogs in your house? For example.. having one dog that is allowed on the furniture, and one that is not or one that has the run of the house while no one is home, and one that has to be crated.

Do dogs actually think, "Hey, that's not fair!" ??


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## JustTess (Mar 19, 2008)

I don't think so. Lola was uncrated because she was easily trusted to follow the rules. Ilya was crated and kept close to me because he needed to follow the ruls (LOL). The rules are the same for both dogs though. They know they are not allowed on the furniture. If I let one on my bed, the other wants up too... and they do get upset when I tell the 2nd dog no. (Two dogs on the bed tend to play and stomp around )


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

My puppy and my adult dog have different rules, and it has been like that since day one, so they are used to it. I don't think dogs rationalise and think 'if he can, why can't I?' so it's all good. Puppy is not allowed on the bed or couch, while the adult dog is, and the puppy is crated at night and while we are out of the house, and the adult dog isn't. The puppy shows no signs of jealousy or even acknowledges that it's different for him.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I agree that there is no rationalization, so you shouldn't have a problem with different rules.... However, there may be specific behaviors that if one dog does it, then the other might follow... Subtle difference. For example, if one dog is allowed on the comfy sofa when no one is home, then the other may try to climb onboard for a softer bed...


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Mine have the same rules as adults, of course a puppy will in my opinion, have to earn previlages such as staying loose in the houase while we are gone & such, no dog of mine is ever allowed on the furniture of any kind & they all have to learn/obey the same house rules.


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## Pynzie (Jan 15, 2010)

Dogs know more about what is fair than you might think! I know I've saved the original paper before, but now I can't find it. An article about the paper will have to suffice. It basically went like this. Dog 1 would be perfectly happy giving his paw when asked, even if he didn't get a treat for it. Once he saw another dog get a treat for performing the same behavior, dog 1 was much less likely to perform for free. They don't have a sense of fairness to rival ours, or even monkeys, though. Dog 1 is happy as long as he gets something, even if he's getting bread and the other dog gets sausage. I always thought those findings were incredibly interesting! 

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/science/09obenvy.html


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## JustTess (Mar 19, 2008)

Regarding food, I can't trick my dogs too long. Both Lola and Ilya have different dietary needs so they get different kibbles. They didn't seem to care until they noticed they were different. Then they wanted to eat the other's food. To keep up with their different needs and to be 'fair', I put a few of each other's kibbles into the other's bowl and mixed it up. It worked for a little while longer. I have to feed them in the kitchen while cooking because once I leave the room, they'll switch bowls agreeably.

I don't think they keep score and if you're worried about it affecting the relationship between dogs and owner.... I think it has more to do with how much positive experiences and time you spend with each of them.


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

So far things seem to be going alright. The "rules" I'm talking about is mostly just one dog being allowed on the furniture, and the other not.. and this is due to George getting possessive about the bed.


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## chriley58 (Mar 9, 2009)

We have different rules for our three. One is allowed on the couch, 22 lb cockapoo. The other two aren't. Our b/c mix mainly because she's a resource guarder and tends to get snappy when the rules relax. So she is a NILIF girl and she's happier that way, no snapping or snarling at the other two. The b/c mix and the cockapoo have free roam of the house when we go out. Our aussie is closed in my son's room when we leave as she has some separation anxiety and being in his room keeps her happy and quiet.


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