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Creating a harmonious home filled with dogs of various breeds, quirks, and
personalities is possible. While the process may take patience and dedication, it is
worth the extra effort to create a peaceful pet menagerie. So, how do you foster a calm
and happy home containing mixed breeds?
This article contains information to help you understand the benefits of mixed breeds
and useful tips for integrating them into your home.
Why Mixed Breeds?
Mixed breeds are exciting pets that attract all kinds of pet owners. These loveable
creatures have unique personalities and physical features that result in unexpectedly
pleasant surprises.
Thanks to the mystery of their genetic makeup, there are numerous distinctive traits you can expect from your furry friends.
Health Benefits and Physical Prowess
As mentioned before, one of the greatest things about mixed breed pets is their genetic
diversity. This means that, in most cases, these dogs are less likely to inherit health
issues that affect their purebred counterparts.
Furthermore, mixed breeds typically enjoy robust immune systems, meaning they are
less prone to vet visits, making them healthier and happier.
Dynamic Personalities
The diverse personalities in mixed breeds can be overwhelming in a home, but if done
right, you can enjoy various interesting interactions in your home.
Each pet displays a unique set of traits that can complement each other and, in some
cases, even enhance their personalities.
For instance, imagine having an energetic Border Collie interact with a calm, intelligent
miniature Bernedoodle. You are bound to witness a long-lasting relationship blossom.
Maintaining a Mixed Breed-Friendly Home
Now that you understand a few benefits of having mixed breed pets in your home, here
are a few tips to help you integrate them into your household.
Understand Your Space
The first thing you need to consider is your living area and how much space you have.
This is because different breeds have varying sizes, so you need to make sure you
have enough space to accommodate your breeds of choice.
Another reason why you need to consider your space size is that these breeds require
varying amounts of exercise, which cannot be performed in limited spaces. That said, if
you have a yard, then this should not be a problem.
Putting these factors into consideration can help you select the perfect mixed breed for your home.
Do Research
While you can train most mixed breeds to coexist with one another, some blend better
than others. Therefore, you need to research and confirm which breeds interact as
seamlessly as possible.
For example, you can learn more about the miniature Bernedoodle and other delightful
mixes that can peacefully live with this breed.
Train Your Pets
To ensure peaceful coexistence, you need to train your dogs. This is a practice that
takes patience. You can teach your dogs cues like sit, stay, come, leave it, and & go to your mat & among others.
Start by training them one-on-one in a quiet room, avoiding distractions. If you have
limited space, you can use a leash to keep your pets separated.
Also, teaching them name recognition early on can help with training. With your dogs
being able to recognize their names, you can easily tell each one what to do and what
not to do. Train your dogs using positive reinforcements. These include feeding them treats, petting them, and giving verbal praise. All these can help to build trust and tame more aggressive behavior.
Slowly Integrate a New Pet
Integrating a new pup into your family of mixed breeds requires patience. You need to
take things slowly and introduce your new pet to the family. Make sure to supervise
initial interactions for a better understanding of the introduction process.
Maintain Peace in the Kitchen
Your furry companions are more likely to gather in the kitchen due to the smells from
the meals you prepare. This space is also a hotspot for fights.
So, to avoid fights, you need to teach your dogs order. This means using cues you have
taught them, such as stop, sit, and leave it.
If verbal cues are not enough, you can consider getting gates to keep them out of the
kitchen at restricted times.
Visit Your Local Veterinarian
Visiting your vet is always a good idea. For one, you can discuss tips on how to manage
a home with mixed breeds.
Second, a vet can run tests to ensure that all your dogs are in perfect health conditions.
This is important because medical conditions, especially physical ones, can cause
discomfort and stress in your dogs. So, if one dog is unwell, it can lead to aggression,
which will be taken out on other dogs, raising the stress level in the group.
Once your vet detects any medical conditions, they can take action to alleviate this
discomfort and maintain peace in your home.
Protect Fragile Dogs
As a dog parent with multiple dogs, you may have young, extremely old, or sick dogs.
These dogs may be unable to defend themselves when the time arises. Hence, it is up
to you to protect these fragile pets.
You can do this by separating them when things get too heated. Unfortunately, this is a
temporary fix for young and sick dogs. So, if you have an older or disabled dog, you
may need to take other actions.
Be Intentional About Feeding
Feeding time can be incredibly tricky when you have mixed breed pets. Therefore, you
need to be intentional about how you feed your pets.
Firstly, supervise your pets (at least at the beginning of integration). Without this
supervision, you will find your dogs growling and barking at each other for their food.
Second, ensure to give enough space between each dog, as this could prevent
aggression between them.
If you still notice that any dog is still aggressive, even with this space, you can feed
them in a separate room or a crate.
Keep in mind that some dogs may finish their food faster than others and may want to
take food from another dog. You can curb this behaviour using cues such as & leave it & If the dog stays away, you can reward their good behaviour with petting or treats.
Eventually, you will no longer need to be in the room when feeding your pets or have to
separate or restrain them.
Conclusion
Caring for mixed breed pets in your home is a rewarding experience. This diverse pool
of furry creatures allows you to experience a new form of companionship, bonding, and
love.
However, it is not as simple as just introducing them into your home. You need to take
measures to create a peaceful environment for all breeds. Using this article, you can
achieve a harmonious home containing a variety of dog breeds.
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