08/08/2024
When you own multiple dogs, you should always make sure that all dogs within the household are trained to the same standards of expectations!
In other words, make sure you aren't:
❌️ Favoring one dog over another. Dogs sense this and it can create massive dynamic problems.
❌️ Allowing one dog to get away with bad behavior but trying to hold the other accountable. Unclear boundaries all across the board are unfair and confusing.
❌️ Working with one dog more than the other. In other words, don't take one for a walk daily and leave the other to sit at home unless there is a behavioral or health reason. Don't put in 5 obedience sessions for one dog, and 1 for the other.
❌️ Trying to walk multiple dogs at the same time. Don't do this until or unless all dogs are trained with a precision heel. The reason is because you cannot possibly work proper pressure systems and corrections with two dogs if each doesn't understand the communication individually.
❌️ Maintaining one handler per dog. (Example: husband only corrects one dog, wife only corrects the other.) Owners often say "he only listens to my husband" or "she ignores my wife". Your leadership roles should be extended to all adults within the home, for all dogs equally.
❌️ Not working with each dog separately but expecting them to respond when together. If you dog doesn't listen to you separately from the other dogs, you cannot expect that it will listen when faced with the distraction of the other dog.
❌️ Expecting one dog to simply learn from another dog's behavior. (Example: one dog sits so hopefully the other dog figures it out by watching.) This can happen, and it's called learned behavior. But don't fool yourself - just as easily as one dog can learn good habits from another dog, they can also easily pick up on terrible habits. Plus, expecting another dog to do the teaching for you is just sloppy and lazy. There are only a handful of scenarios in which we will use other dogs to teach, and those are all typically behavior mod cases.
❌️ Getting another dog for the sole purpose of entertaining your current dog. Providing mental and physical stimulation for your current dog is your responsibility. Don't get another dog thinking it'll help with behavioral issues by providing an outlet for your current dog. You'll likely end up with two behaviorally challenged dogs. Once your household expections are set, your current dog is well-balanced, and you're providing everything your current dog needs, then look at another dog if you wish to expand your family. But don't do it because you don't have time for the one dog. I promise you'll have even less time for two.
