What to do with other dogs when taking one out

[Amazetl]

Recently moved and it’s a bit of a different set up and we haven’t figured out quite yet the easiest way for one dog to go out on either a walk or in the car and leaving the others behind without them going crazy. 

 

My dogs unfortunately aren’t crate trained. I don’t trust leaving chew toys with them, they always are inside when I’m out and are nice and settled but just get so upset when one goes out without them because they want to be the one going out instead.

 

Some ideas I’ve had are some sort of a pen arrangement or baby gated in the spare room so they don’t see the other dog going out, but I don’t know how to condition them to that without leaving them with some distraction. They eat treats pretty quickly and although they always get a treat when I leave the house, I think they’ll eat it too fast and then be upset they aren’t going with and are now in a different room. 

 

Maybe if I just condition them to that set up throughout the day? Feed them there etc? 

 

What does everyone else do who has a multi dog household? 

 

Any ideas would be so appreciated. 

[Loving my Oldies]

25 minutes ago, Amazetl said:

 

 

What does everyone else do who has a multi dog household? 

 

We can really make a rod for our own backs and overthinking how our dogs will "suffer", something that I have been guilty of over the 30 years of being a multi-dog household.  

 

I just leave LOL.  What else can I do?  Yes, I do allow myself to worry a little bit about any dog/s left behind, but I can't take them all every time one or more need to go to the vet or groomer.  

 

I have a camera set up so I can check when I am out, with or without any of the dogs.  They just generally lie around, occasionally doing zoomies and racing around the house, but generally, they are on their beds or waiting in the hallway for my return.  

[Diva]

I usually pop the ones not going outside while I take whoever is to the car. Then I go back and let the others inside.  It’s just to avoid lots of ‘pick me’ excited behaviours around the door. They have quickly worked out that routine and don’t seem to worry too much when they can’t actually see the lucky one go. They are very good in the house, never any accidents and damage is confined to a cushion becoming a toy from time to time. I can live with that. Mine have no separate anxiety, just lots of desire not to miss out. 

[Amazetl]

28 minutes ago, Loving my Oldies said:

We can really make a rod for our own backs and overthinking how our dogs will "suffer", something that I have been guilty of over the 30 years of being a multi-dog household.  

 

I just leave LOL.  What else can I do?  Yes, I do allow myself to worry a little bit about any dog/s left behind, but I can't take them all every time one or more need to go to the vet or groomer.  

 

I have a camera set up so I can check when I am out, with or without any of the dogs.  They just generally lie around, occasionally doing zoomies and racing around the house, but generally, they are on their beds or waiting in the hallway for my return.  

That’s really good, how did you get them to be calm though when taking the other out? That’s my problem. They will carry on and jump against the door and I can barely even get out with the one dog. 

[Amazetl]

22 minutes ago, Diva said:

I usually pop the ones not going outside while I take whoever is to the car. Then I go back and let the others inside.  It’s just to avoid lots of ‘pick me’ excited behaviours around the door. They have quickly worked out that routine and don’t seem to worry too much when they can’t actually see the lucky one go. They are very good in the house, never any accidents and damage is confined to a cushion becoming a toy from time to time. I can live with that. Mine have no separate anxiety, just lots of desire not to miss out. 

This is what I’ve been doing as well and it works to an extent but they can still be very hard to calm down once they see the other dog gets to go out and not them. Same, mine don’t have separation anxiety thankfully, just they want to be the one going out. 

[Loving my Oldies]

20 minutes ago, Amazetl said:

That’s really good, how did you get them to be calm though when taking the other out? That’s my problem. They will carry on and jump against the door and I can barely even get out with the one dog. 

I don't make anything of it.   I started by making a point of saying, "Stay" over and over as I went out.  Now, when they get excited and I tell them they are staying, they understand and I rarely have any difficulty in getting out the door.  Mind you, mine are littlies and a foot in the way generally blocks them if they do think they are going out as well.  Sure, they look at me as though I am the worst in the world and why would they want to live with me  . . . . . . . 

[Rebanne]

I just take whoever I want out. Only recently has my senior boy started protesting, he's 12 1/2. Seeing as how he's the one needing to go to the vets more often I still just leave. Always have. GSD's and Greyhounds.

[Mairead]

Haven't had this problem but keep in mind "reward the behaviour you want to see and don't reward the behaviour you don't want to see". 

The "those not going go outside while the one going gets in the car" sounds like it might work, but how long have they been practising getting worked up? Might be the "who's giving in first, not me!" game.

I had treats they only got when I was leaving.

 

 

[Dogsfevr]

multi dog household & its very simple whomever goes out the others just learn & know there to stay home no drama or overthinking otherwise being a multi dog household would be a nightmare .
Only dogs that get managed here are puppies or the elderly seniors everyone else is brought up with life skills & thats just how life is 

[Amazetl]

I had a good system but recently moved everything is a bit different and trying to think up some ways to train them to the new environment. Thanks. 

[coneye]

Until this  dog   i always owned 2 dogs , at a time and never had the problem ,  i will admit though that except for one stage a staffy and a shepard , it was always big dogs , 2 boxers  , GSD - rotty    , 2 rottys ,   i also in honesty usually took both out , But when i did take one out  it was always quite simple  ,  never grabbed a lead  until i had put one out the garden ,they know don't they , then simply gone out ,, mind you like i said they were all big dogs , and they were  not clingly like the little one we presently have,  Which too be honest  clingy is the reason  i would never have another small dog