For those of you with more than 1 dog......

I have two dogs. My Viszla is my favourite as he is my old boy at 11.5 and such a gentle, beautiful nature who I would be lost without and then my Border Collie is my favourite as she is my rescue at 22 months and just so intelligent and responsive and understands when I talk to her. I walk my favourites for miles and miles and enjoy their company so much but having just had a knee operation, the three of us are having to hang around home, hence the forum chat today!!:D
 
totally adore all 3 of my dogs,have a 9 yrs old,5 yr old and a 19wk old. The old girl i have to admit was the first one in so would always be the last one out,i have to admit she is very much a mummy's girl :) although the other 2 never leave my side on a walk and she is the one to b**ger off if she sees a pheasant! Love them all so much,they all mean a lot to me and each has their own little thing about them that i love,they all totally love each other too and cosy up all in one bed even though they have have 3 huge ones each!
 
Not so much a favourite because I wouldn't have my young dog if I hadn't had some of the good experiences I have had with my older one, but having two very different dogs has shown me properly what a huge diversity there is in my chosen breed, what is good about it and what is bad about it, first hand, and shown me what I should be looking for in the future.

I have had dogs (both females, incidentally!) that I just did not gel with and they were both rehomed (for other issues) as I did not feel it was fair on them to keep them here.
 
I'm going to be completely honest...

I have 2 dogs, Millie who was my first ever dog, and I had known her since the day she was born, and Suzy, who I adopted from GRWE last year she was approximately 18m-2yrs old.

As you can imagine, my bond with Millie is far greater than that with Suzy - although i do have a fantastic bond with Suzy, I think Millie is more on my wavelength - so I wouldnt say i have a favourite, but I feel closer to Millie. Certainly Suzy is definitely the nicest to live with, she just wants to sleep all day!
 
Yes, it sounds awful, and never thought I could 'prefer' one of my dogs over the others, but what I feel for Daphne I have never, ever felt for any other dog ever - she is a part of me, what I feel for her is much more similar to the kind of feeling/bond I have with my horses.
 
Mine is Harry Puppy.
We have four (mum, dad, harry and a sister from a later litter), but Harry is my baby.
Mother nature would have probably seen him perish, but I bottle fed and he turned out not just special but "speshul"....old mother nature just didn't get round to those "finishing touches" with Harry!
His sight is a bit crap, he is a bit brain damaged, and for want of a better word "quirky", but I wouldnt change a bean about him!
 
Hard to say! Brig, my 8 year old, is the love of my life, really, as my first owned, best nature, can do anything with him, totally reliable re recall, does as he's asked. He was a doddle to train.

The youngsters, however, are very different. Bear, gorgeous nature, runs for the sake of running, just wants cuddles the whole time, Zak, serious issue re dog aggression, dodgy recall, but oh my, the most affectionate, clever, quick, repsonsive dog I've ever known, definite sense of humour!

I think the one I think about the most because I have to, is Zak and he is top dog at home and the most demanding, but the one I'd rather have on my knee. :o

If people have kids, do they have favourites? I reckon I would! :o
 
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I have 3 dogs, 2 rescue Dobes brother and sister and a nearly 8month Lancashire Heeler pup. I thought Darcy was my favourite as I do so much more with her,obedience and agility as she is the brainy one but I do have a soft spot for her brother Diesel as he is so loving. Pip our LH pup is a real character and I have to say I love them all equally but for different reasons.

I have to say much as I love them they are not close to the feelings I had for my last dog who was an absolute b*****d when I first took him on but turned him around and he became my dog of a lifetime. I lost him at 4yrs old and without doubt he was the apple of my eye, I could not stop looking at him and I was so proud of him. Perhaps Im still grieving for him it still brings tears to my eyes to talk about him.
 
What a horrible/ hard question ;)
I just hope that I never ever have to make a decision to keep just one, I dont think I could.

Teal is a total mummys boy, hes on me right now fast asleep keeping my feet warm. If somewhere new like a friends house etc he follows me everywhere even if my OH in the room. When on a walk he gives me no trouble at all other than a bit of fear aggression which we are getting round slowly. But can be a bit deaf with my OH hes always at the door when my car pulls up.

Dylan is the first dog I owned from a pup and really the first dog I owned away from my parents. And I have learnt so much more in the last year about dog ownership/ feeding/ training than I have in my entire life being around dogs. TO the point I question almost everything I do (thank you HHO :) )

Buster is just easy except for is annoying playing bark I dont worry about what if a dog comes round the corner or where to walk him etc.
 
Up untill July last year my oldie was my favourite I got her when I was 15 and she was 15 last year but sadly I lost her, she will always be my first own dog she was my shadow, even though I had another. Now I have my 5 year old and a 6 month pup I don't really have a favourite there both so different and I love them for different reasons, although I would say the pup probably gets more lap time although now he's getting bigger not so much!!
 
There must be something about dogs named Zak....! I have one too, he was our first and although he has so many qualities that I adore, I often want to strangle him! He can be so stubborn and frequently makes me call his name 3 or 4 times on a walk before he deems it appropriate to come back to me! Rosie, his half sister we rehomed 3 years ago, she is the most loving, quiet, sweet natured dog you could ever wish for but she is very stoic and sadly is just too shy and timid to make a good working dog despite all of the encouragement but I adore her all the same. Finally there is Bea, our newest addition and I must say I am just completely in love with her. She is SO intelligent, has been an absolute delight to train, never pushes my buttons, is so eager to please and wants to work for you no matter what. She is so tiny for a lab so she can curl up on your lap like a cat, she makes these adorable squeeks when she yawns.....Oh I could go on and on! I hate to use the term favourite as I do love them all dearly but I am very taken with her :)
 
FrodoBeutlin said:
Yes, it sounds awful, and never thought I could 'prefer' one of my dogs over the others, but what I feel for Daphne I have never, ever felt for any other dog ever - she is a part of me, what I feel for her is much more similar to the kind of feeling/bond I have with my horses.
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If memory serves, is she a little Italian Greyhound? If so, there's no wonder. She is beyond gorgeous :)
 
At the point where we had 3 dogs.... Millie (who we have now) is my favourite!!

She was the one i picked at 6 days old, visited every week until she was old enough to come home.... she slept on my bed from 6 weeks old and never left my side.

My other dogs i adored but my favourite was/is Millie.... :o
 
I only have one dog now :(, as Pickle is my daughters and though I love the little s*d he has never been my dog. However over the years I have had many dogs all of whom I have thought the world of, and have been broken hearted when I lost them, BUT I have had 4 very special ones, who were a part of me and losing them was devastating. I lost Chaka (Buffy's dam) in 2006 and still have a tear in my eye when I think about her.
 
Wow - that's a little like trying to decide which of my children is my favourite!

Daisy is most definitely a Mummy's girl . . . follows me everywhere, would prefer to be ON me, sleeps with me, etc. . . . but Fred was my dog first and he holds a special place in my heart. Fred is more obedient but he's also more neurotic and has "issues" which only makes me love his quirkiness. Daisy is a bit dim (we call her the "simple dog") and she doesn't instantly obey every command the way Fred does, but she is the easiest dog in the world to live with - no issues whatsoever and really, really laid back.

They are both utterly gorgeous and very sweet - I really couldn't choose.

P
 
Hmmm, I have three, 2 x GSD and a Bouvier/ c o o n hound.

The Bouvier came with the farm when we bought it, he's a great old boy and we love him dearly.

The male GSD is a huge softie without two thoughts in his head to rub together bar "what can I carry about next?"

The bitch is mine, or rather, I am hers, she is very possessive of me and I suppose she is my favourite. I do make a point of spending time alone with all of them every day - which is no effort, and my OH and daughter spend extra time with Boston and Rip too, Poppy is not happy to spend 'me time' with anyone but me, she won't stay with them.
 
Enfys said:
Poppy is not happy to spend 'me time' with anyone but me, she won't stay with them.
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That's Daisy. I used to take her to the yard and leave her with the (very nice) folks in the office . . . she yelped and whined and cried and was generally a pain in the behind until I got back. Ditto when my daughter and I took her to a local show in the summer - daughter tried to take Dinks with her to get a burger - Daisy planted and refused to go and eventually slipped her collar and ran back to me.

P
 
Everybody who knows the dogs favours Ricoh over Dax. :( It's because he is affectionate, cuddly and a bit fick - all he wants in life is food and to be allowed the mistaken belief that he can fit into a human lap.

I do love the big furry sod and did do quite quickly after we got him, a matter of a couple of months really, but still reserve my deepest affection for D. :o After all the trials we went through she is just so good now, she will never be a click-your-fingers-perfect dog but often appears to be able to read my mind. It doesn't matter to me that she isn't physically cuddly, she shows it in her own way - sometimes in the evening she'll come and settle by the sofa and expect me just to rest a hand on her; if I move it, she looks up expectantly until I put it back. She also won't Be A Good Dog for anybody else but me whereas Ricoh is anybody's dog.
 
I'm really not sure I could pick a favourite as our there are all so lovely and special in their own ways.

Big Dog (going on 12 years old and a rescue mongrel) has been through so much and he's been such hard work but it's just so rewarding seeing him happy and contented and cuddling with our other two. We've had him nearly ten years now and there were plenty of times when we wondered what the hell we were doing with a lunatic like him as our first dog but it's definitely all been worth it.

Little Dog (nearly 4 years old and another rescue mongrel) is the one I find hardest to get on with. She's highly neurotic and as I am as well we tend to feed off each other's anxiety and upset each other :o She finds it hard to relax sometimes and it can be hard dealing with her without upsetting her sometimes. But then get her out on a walk and she's amazing, she's so trainable and loves to learn and work together as a 'pack' and that has made training the new puppy a breeze as he just follows her lead all the time. She's wonderful at bedtime as well, she loves her dad but for some reason bedtime is the only time when she wants cuddles from her mum and most nights I'll fall asleep with her curled up under my chin.

Puppy Monster (7 month old pedigree whippet) is an absolute hoot. He's so full of character and just completely silly all the time. He loves cuddling, he's cheeky, daft and just the happiest little soul ever. It's been an unbelievable difference to have a puppy from a breeder who has given him the best possible start in life (we got Little Dog at 7 weeks old but her short life had been rather traumatic) and he's maturing into an absolutely lovely boy.

So no, I could never pick a favourite :D
 
I dont have a favourite I love all their personalities and little quirks.

Sonny(the big dog) is our first dog. We got him at 6 months and he is now 4. He was nervous and aggressive, had no concept of leads or even going for a walk :( We had to carry him to the car then carry him into the house. WHen we let him into the garden he promptly hid under a bush and would not come out. I spent days sitting on the lawn in front of his sanctuary, talking to him, pushing his food bowl under there and just sitting letitng him get used to me.
Now he is my shadow, I dont even have to turn around I know he is there. He is still a bit aggressive and nervous but we have socialised him a lot and we take no risks. He loves both of us but is more my dog than OH's. He would protect me until his dying breath and I him.

Jake, the dog JRT, was the first puppy we got. OH bought me him after a traumatic event. I was so happy, I picked him and I was so excited to pick him up when he turned 7 weeks old. He has come everywhere with us, is fantastic on the lead, gets on great with other dogs and people and is a total comedian, loves a cuddle but gets too warm so gets on the floor and you do not disturb him when he is in his bed, he just doesnt want to know when hes sleepy!! He is my shakey Jake and I love him to bits.

Holly, the bitch JRT, is my princess. She is the most adorable little thing ever but she knows it and plays on it. So very cheeky, she is the girl who bats her eyelashes at you and expects to get away with murder. But she is so loving, wants cuddling all the time and will contort into any postion just to be near you. She had no voice till she was 6 months old till she scared the life out of us with the biggest howl out of that tiny body, even now she howls but never barks. Gets on with everyone but has but be right next to me or OH all the time. She is my angel and she knows it ;)

So in short no I do not have favourites, just 3 very happy dogs who are more family than pets.
 
We have 3, they are all different and each one is my favourite in different ways.

Murphy my 14.5 year old collie x golden retriever was 'my' first dog of my own,I knew his parents before he was born, and was the first dog I'd ever trained. We did obedience, agility and flyball, had a great bond and he is still a very special old man, but is different now as he's very quiet and likes to sleep a lot (he's had 2 strokes). He doesn't really interact with us as much as the other two now, but is still my special boy.

OH and I then got 2 flatcoated retrievers, Tarn is nearly 4, is very clever and trainable, but a bit needy and sensitive. He is a real clown and makes me laugh every day. He has some issues, can be barky at strangers, chews anything left in his reach, takes toys off the others, but he's really loveable and cuddly.

Quincy ('the puppy') is nearly 3, and was the easiest puppy ever! He's so laid back, was so independent as a pup, almost aloof, the opposite of needy Tarn!
Some people find him boring as he's so good, and not as quirky as Tarn, but life is easier with him, he's never naughty, doesn't bark, you can take him anywhere and he behaves. As he's grown older he's become much more affectionate and is now as cuddly as Tarn. I often think he's my favourite (he is officially 'mine' and Tarn is OH's) but maybe that's just because he's got no quirks and is 'easy', but when Tarn shoves toys in my face and does his silly noises I think he is too :D
 
Oh dear......here goes:o
I have ALOT of dogs and as you know all rescue/misfits/rejects for one reason or another and I have to say some only remain because they are safe here and I doubt any other could manage with their issues should they rear an ugly head again. Although I do have set favourites and always think "please don't let anything happen to ....." , to my surprise when my pointer fell ill (he is by no means a fovourite) I went to the ends of my wits and the earth to figure out what was wrong and do everything in my power to keep him alive (where OH I think would have taken the vets answer and PTS), I knew deep down something was amiss......so, the little barsteward is still here today, becasue of me:rolleyes::D

I have to admit the dog closest to my heart and gives me a felling of dread to be without is my beloved rottweiler (regan):) although I did not chose to keep alot of my dogs out of attatchment/love, I origonally took her from my mams rescue as I has lost my shepherd and there was no shepherd in:( (I work lone nights shifts sometimes) and needed a big dog. I thought well I have never had a rotti (lots of experience of them) so I will take her, and from then on we where inseperable (she comes everywhere with me) and protects me and makes me feel very safe (which is what I wanted) she is a lovely well mannered girl with a huge heart and a huge love of life and loyal beyond belief.
Then a close second comes my akita who has learnt me alot about (owning a beast of a animal):D she is a laugh a minute with a huge character and although stubborn as hell and not typically loving she has the most fabulous nature and is actually the best behaved and most obedient dog I own (I put alot of hard work into her), she is an absoloute joy to own in every sense of the word.

I did keep my whippet X greyhound boy because I love his cheeky character (I love whippets/grehounds)) and a cross of the 2 is perfect and like most of the males I have had of this x he is very clever and cunning and also fits the bill of being a very good hunting dog (for OH). I have to say though he can clear over 8ft in height and that is what worried me about rehoming him at first.

The rest I do care for and would never let anything happen to them and would not part with them but they where not kept out of choice. They did atleast get a good home though:) I am not sure they would still be alive had I rehomed them, esp not the pointer, he would have been shot no doubt as he was about to be placed in a free ad paper (and he was one of the nastiest pieces of work you have ever met) still has a schitzo side:rolleyes:

My OH on the other hand does have firm favourites and did keep Flint our shaggy lurcher out of choice (plus he was aggressive) and he also had a very soft spot for Pancake:)
 
I have no favourites at all with my current boys but last year I had another bitch who was a rescue and although I liked her I never truely loved her. I used to get ratty with her easily which I felt was unfair as all she ever wanted was to be with me. At christmas we made the decision that she would go and live with my parents in Ireland.Best thing I ever did, she is now as happy as my parents are with her. She sticks to my dad like glue and has settled very quickly, plus she gets to go to the beach every week which she loves.
But still none of my dogs come close to my first childhood dog. She is still sat in her box on the mantlepiece 1.5yrs laterand I cant bare to move her
 
When we had our Clumber spaniels and boxer. The clumbers lived in the kitchen as there were so hairy and the boxer stayed in the front room. The boxer was the fave by everyone as spent more time with but phoebe had something special about her as we bred her and all pups died expect her so we had a bond, she didn't like people kept herself to herself but she adored me and I adored her. Sadly we lost her from cancer and her mum died 3month later of old age (16).

We still had our family fave boy Hugo. We got a Gsp the bred I always wanted. Digger was blind in one eye, had no hair and very underweight. We got him back to health. But the rest of the family found him hard work as a puppy as he chewed everything, needs so much attention.
As we've had Hugo years and hes such a perfect behaved dog, hes the family's fave but I must say that digger is my boy he's cheekie, naughty but the most cuddly, affectionate dog. But every dog I've had I've loved and treated the same.
 
If I had replied to this thread an hour ago then Gadget my 7 month old gorgeous pup would have been my favourite, we've been training tonight and he was brilliant. Then he shredded the car boot liner on the way home, tried to steal my dinner and then surfed on the coffee table.
Right this moment my quiet, old, faithful collie who has given up trying to keep up with the hooligan and has taken himself off to bed is my favourite. We will be spending a nice day on our own tomorrow while the ASBO kid is in for neutering!
 
Only got one dog at the moment but have had two at the same time before. In 2003 I was given a lurcher (pointerxgreyhound), wasn't looking for a dog but was told he would be left at a dodgy local rescue or PTS so I couldn't say no (I was young and very naive). I thought he would make a nice companion for my wonderful GSD who was and always will be my favourite dog. Whilst he got on great with Boss that dog made my life an utter misery for the two years I had him, he was extremely unpredictable and displayed unprovoked aggression when you least expected it, I spent my honeymoon in tears because I was dreading going home to him. Then in Jan 2005 my father in law had taken him for a walk and as he was taking the dogs coat off he suddenly turned and shredded his hand, completely unprovoked. I wanted to give him one last chance so wood green agreed to take him, I gave them a full history but within a month he had been put to sleep for the aggression. So I have definitely experienced favourtism , Boss was a legend for putting up with him and I am eternally grateful that his behaviour was unchanged for living with such an aggressive dog.
 
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