Having more than one dog brings joy to many people’s lives. Not only do you get twice (or more!) of the puppy love, but also your dogs have a live-in playmate to keep them entertained and happy. Training is a critical component for life with a dog, and especially so when you’ve got more than one. Here are some tips and tricks for approaching training when you have a multi-dog household.
First, you may be tempted to train your dogs all together when introducing a new behavior or reinforcing an old one. However, we don’t recommend doing this–it may create more chaos than good. Since treats are the most common reward used for training, your dogs might feel threatened or overprotective when you’re trying to dole out treats. It’s likely that each pup will see the treats as a resource that they have to fight for in order to keep the others from taking it. This kind of thinking can lead to distraction and slower learning at least, and at worst can instigate aggressive behavior. Neither of these situations is conducive to establishing a fun learning environment, so make sure to spend some alone time with each of your dogs for training sessions.
You may want to separate the dogs for a short period. Training sessions aren’t meant to be long–5 to 10 minute sessions once or twice each day is a good amount for one dog. Take these times to separate yourself and the dog you’re going to work with–you can close yourselves off in another room, or put your other dogs outside for a bit. This way, you eliminate distractions so that your target dog can focus solely on you. Your dog will also be more relaxed and willing to learn when they aren’t concerned about whether the other dogs will steal their treats.
Determine if it is best to use different treat rewards for each dog. While training should be done separately, you’ll still be incorporating the commands you teach into everyday life. If you’re on a walk and need both your dogs to sit, you will give them a command, then can give each of them their own, separate treats. This can help decrease anxiety they have about protecting their treat source–they’ll come to understand that while the other dog is also receiving a treat, they are getting a different kind.
Try to use more experienced dogs as motivation. Sometimes, a dog will get stubborn and simply not want to listen. If you’re reinforcing a known behavior (for example, getting into the heel position) and the dog you are working with understands the command but is not complying, it can be useful to use another dog as encouragement. Bring in another dog that also already knows the command you’re working on. Give that dog the command, and reward them heavily with treats, praise, and pets when they’ve performed it correctly. After repeating this two or three more times, try again with the stubborn dog. It is likely they will be eager to listen, now that they’ve seen how much the other dog is being rewarded!
Multiple dogs can be difficult to handle at times, but it is also an incredibly rewarding and wonderful experience. So long as you approach training correctly, your dogs can be trained just as easily (if not more so, with the extra motivation) than individual dogs. It won’t be long before your multi-dog household is running like clockwork!
Whether you have a multi-dog household or are simply struggling with a new puppy, the experts at Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training are here to help. Call today to learn more about our programs and classes.
