When we added Churro to our family, I had really bonded with Mr. Darcy and been training him independently for just about a year. She and Mr. Darcy are only about six months apart in age, so she was about nine months old when she came to us. Training here is a lot of fun and games. How could I train each dog without the other one feeling like they were missing out on a big party? How I was going to include Churro, when I still only have the same amount physical space and time in a day.
Most of what I found online was either telling me that it was a bad idea to get into this.... or I was finding trainers who had large facilities and operations making it easy to separate the dogs. I did get a bit frustrated and nervous when I couldn't find anything obvious. What had I gotten into? Why doesn't anyone want to talk about it? I even saw other trainers saying that it was a waste of time for a family to attempt this and not to even bother. That was a really disheartening one!
Needless to say, I found my ways and strategies. Working with both dogs who were at similar life stages actually challenged me to be better at what I do. I had to be better at planning in advance, time management and observing dog body language. Here are some of the things I did that worked and some things I wouldn't suggest when you are training in a multi-dog. Always good to learn from someone else's mistakes!
Things I recommend:
Use a timer.
Start with crate training and make sure it's fun! There are loads of crate "games" to make crates a positive experience for dogs. I had a crate set up for each dog and used high food rewards for the dog in the crate. The dogs took 1 minute turns to start and we didn't play/train for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. The ultimate goal is to build up their time in the crate so that you can work with one dog at a time in the same space while the other can enjoy their crate. Once they get really good with waiting for permission, you will be able to just use dog beds instead.
Rotate the dogs with 5 minute turns outside with you. This was excellent and lower stress for the dogs because they didn't have to watch the other one playing while they were in the crate. Use this when you need 5 minutes to train the skill you are working on and not just one minute. It is also really great for your dogs because while you may have the mental energy to practice for 30 minutes....your dogs need some breaks. You are the coach rotating out your athletes!
Don't feel like you need to walk your dogs together or even every day. There are a LOT of ways to exercise your dog that don't involve walking them. It can be challenging to fit in a decent walk every day if your dogs aren't yet walking well together. The last thing you want is to have two dogs reacting a dog they see on the trail and getting each-other worked up.
Set up games that the dogs can play at the same time. For example, you can throw a bunch of balls around. Always have more balls in the air than dogs on the ground. Put out a buffet of enrichment activities and let them freely enjoy....like ten different treat puzzles (purchased or DIY, doesn't matter). Get them used to novel things like a splash pad in the summer. Play games that involve the dog waiting for your permission before they get the treat in your hand of on the ground. I have seen many a multi-dog handler start this with one dog and then the other(s) choose to join in the fun!
Things I do NOT recommend:
Leash walking the dogs together if one or more of them pulls or lunges (e.g. at other dogs). Teaching dogs to loose leash walk simultaneously is not a good plan.
Spending more than 15-20 minutes at a time on any one of the multi-dog activities above. You will need to build up to this and it's not a straight line. You may need to shorten up sometimes depending on the day everyone is having.
Expecting that training will go faster with two dogs because they will help each other. Be patient. You hopefully have years to improve!
Having worked with some families on training their multi-dog groups I can honestly say that there are definitely breed, inter and dog/human relationships and personal goal components to understand. If you haven't got a great deal of experience with dog training, then you need to set your expectations accordingly. Stay positive and celebrate every little win. If it's not going well - try again later....and remember tomorrow is another day.
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