Jump to content

Multiple Dogs Misbehaving


 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi All,

Not asking for any training advice here - just posing a question.

As a newbie to handling multiple dogs a few things have popped up that amuse me a little. For example - when I walk each dog seperately, I have really nice LLW with both. Walk them together.... what LLW?!?!?! :rofl: Does anybody else have that?

Do you also find that one dog may egg another on a little in the way of playing with other dogs? Even with just two - mine seem to have formed a tight pack and when they play with another dog they tend to 'gang' up on it - not in a bad way, they just stick together, play by themselves and you can see that the 3rd dog is an outsider... this also used to happen when I used to walk Leo with a friends 2 dogs.

Does anyone else have interesting quirks that their dogs do while together but not when they are apart?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I am sitting here watching something very amusing right now.

I have a sliding screen door out the back that the dogs can open. They are in & out of the house, but outside at the moment.

None of my dogs individually will open the door AND come in...but...

The girls open in but do not enter, then the boys come in. The girls wait to see whether I have noticed that the boys are in. If after a minute I say/do nothing, then they come in. If I send they boys back out, then there they are looking all innocent.

LOL, I don't think they know that it is them opening the door. It's like a pack conspiracy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the topic of walking multiple dogs. I have four here.

I started by walking them in pairs, and rewarding the dogs for walking in the places they seemed happiest to walk, without swapping around places too much. It wasn't the same pair each time: I would mix up which two I walked together.

Then I combined the two pairs and now I have four dogs I can walk on loose leads, in a group of four. They all have their preferred place. I carry treats with me and treat often for doggies being in their places. I prefer them beside or behind me when I have this many dogs, not out in front. Although I do practice sending a dog out in front and then crossing behind it, so it's on the other side, when I want. I don't let the dogs change sides behind me. (This is partly for agility and partly because it reduces lead tangles.)

Edited by sidoney
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had an interesting thing happen at the park yesterday with my two.

Yesterday, the pup was running around when this other dog took after her. She started to run full pelt as she became scared.

My adult saw her becoming distressed and from a fair distance, sprinted over to her and then shoulder slammed this other dog so it fell and rolled over (no harm done). He then stood over it for a few seconds, wagged his tail and walked away. It was amazing as he completely aviods conflict at all times and never behaves like this with other dogs.

It was as if he was saying, hey, back off, she is just a pup, cant you see she is distressed. He was amazing.

He took a while to warm to this pup after loosing his best friend last year, but now he adores her and wont let her out of his sight.

I love watching multiple dogs interact.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I find I teach all my dogs 6 of them to respect me. I don't like them pushing pass me or rushing thru gates and doors etc. So from when they first comes to my house or as puppies are old enough to learn. I expect them to do as they are told. The one word I use more then any other word is "Wait"

Its very handy when going thru doors, gates, small passage ways etc.

I can have 6 dogs all waiting at a gate I can open it wide and one at a time call a dog and only that dog is allowed thru, if the pups break or any dog they are then ask to come back and they are the last to get called thru.

It has become a game now i open the door/gate and say wait and I have 6 pairs of eyes peering at me, all crouching down ready to go. If i want them all to go I normally stand back and just say "OK" and off they go.

Trim learnt this in one day and its easier as you add dogs as the old ones know the drill just need to spend abit of time with any new dogs that come.

Even dogs that come for lessons learn this very quickly.

Tracey

Edited by fidelis Border Collies
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel that i am very lucky to be able to watch the interactions between our 4 dogs as it teaches me something new on a regular basis. I can walk all 4 together without too much of a problem, they don't compete with each other as it doesn't get them what they want anyway. The only reason why i avoid having all 4 dogs on my own in certain situations is because our newest dog will sometimes 'spook' at people or noises and if she panics, it can be difficult to deal with with 3 other dogs right there. The good thing is that they take absolutely no notice of her whatsover- i think they think she's being a bit ridiculous!

Couple of other interesting things- our second youngest dog had always been at the bottom of the pack until the youngest and newest came along. The 2 young girls play together all the time but when Cosmo (older) tries to tell Georgie (youngest) off, it is rarely effective as she has never done it before. So, on occasion, Jess (older head of pack) will intervene and back up Cosmo to give Georgie an effective correction. Just love being able to watch and learn- we are very lucky.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something that I find easier when I have dogs en masse is to train a new one to wait for release in the park.

The four of them sit, and I take the leads off. With some treaties for sitting still while this is all happening. Then I walk away. At first it's just short distances but it's not long before I can run away and jump up and down and so on. The latest is the BC, who is sooooo ready to run but she takes her cue from the others and waits. Only a very few times has she moved and then I just replace her where she was.

It's also easy to teach the release cue as she can see what all the other dogs do when they hear it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry if this is off topic but do those of you with multiple dogs have different release words for your dogs or teach them to release on their name as well? Mine all have the same release but will release one by one on their name .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry if this is off topic but do those of you with multiple dogs have different release words for your dogs or teach them to release on their name as well? Mine all have the same release but will release one by one on their name .

I think having different commands for each dog would be very confusing. Use the same command for each action but let each dog know who you are talking to by using its name.

I guess I have a different command when i mean all dogs

Tracey

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL - it is great to watch the dogs interact. Another thing that amazes me is the ease that my two get along with each other and other dogs 'outside' of their pack also. I was suprised at how much the 'top of the pack' changes... Kinta is 'top dog' in terms of my attention/pats, Leo for toys (without a doubt there!), Leo for food... It is amazing to see the way they interact - each has their own way of 'asking' (sometimes politely, sometimes not) the other to play!

In terms of walking on the lead - my LLW is usually by my side.... with the two of them it is at the ends of the lead (but they aren't pulling.... well unless they see another dog :rofl: ). they actually are quite easy to walk but if you have one person walking one dog and another walking the other it proves to be a little harder!

A couple of times I have recalled the dogs (usually they are excellent) and it is as if you see them look at each other, contemplate "should we?!" and then come racing back :angel:

FBC - our house is the same - either in a 'stay' of some sort or going through doors - unless I say "off you go" they must wait until each dog is called/released!

how much more do you learn from watching two dogs interact constantly rather than just seeing them hoon around a park!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry if this is off topic but do those of you with multiple dogs have different release words for your dogs or teach them to release on their name as well? Mine all have the same release but will release one by one on their name .

:rofl: Cosmolo

I have two different release words simply coz i'm the only trainer and should I ever decide to put both dogs in a 'stay' I didn't want to release them both when I only wanted one to get up :rofl:. So I have "free" and "Party". I am actually quite suprised at the fact that I have rarely said the wrong word. I've done a bit of proofing with the 'release' words (ie: saying the wrong one to the dog and praising them for staying), so if I do say the wrong one - I usually get a "uh mum... thats not MY word" look :).

I was contemplating having different bridge words too, but decided against it coz it would just play too much with my brain :D. So both respond to "yes" and a clicker... would have been a lot harder to get my head around this as "yes" is such a reflex for me now..... (hmm... would that be classical conditioning :angel: )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh this is one thing I don't like about having multiple dogs! All the dogs are so well behaved on their own, put them together and they become a bunch of very naughty dogs! It's the running through the back door thing and all through the house when I first let them in that REALLY annoys me.

They know to sit before I'll open the door, and they'll do that...and wait. But when I give the release word all hell breaks loose and they go zooming through the house because it's all so exciting :rofl:

I can't find a way to make them caaalllm down after the release word. They're not hyper after getting the 'OK' to eat, or get up from their drop or stay or anything else, just coming in the back door.

I HATE it :angel:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL - say "free" to Leo and you get a big blue thing springing up to give you a kiss right on your schnoz! When you are not expecting it....

then say "Party" to Kinta and you get the same process, maybe with a bit of a playbite (working on that)!

I swear I go to work and people think i'm abused or something with all the scratches.... I am abused... by my DOGS!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use "wait" for both but the release incorporates their name so I would be "Gemma Come" or "gemma Free"....Lawson did anticipate earlier on with this and would move on his name but later took his lead from Gemma and followed her in his actions. My two play together at the off lead park but if Gem is approached by another dog or bitch...even if both know the other dog...Lawson gets antsy and possesive over Gem if the other dog does not approach him first, he will try and herd Gem away from the other dog. She on the other hand will stand her ground and bluntly put him in his box :rofl: If the other dog approaches him first, he's fine with that. :rofl: Interesting point leopuppy04 about food and toys, Gem is toy orientated/play motivated and Lawson is STRICTLY a GUTSACHE GARBAGE MACHINE :angel:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They know to sit before I'll open the door, and they'll do that...and wait. But when I give the release word all hell breaks loose and they go zooming through the house because it's all so exciting :confused:

LOL thats what mine do as well hahaha, funny thing is 80% of our house is tiles including right near the back door, so once given the release word they try too run around but end up sliding everywhere usually into the laundry door :o They calm down once they realise they arent going anywhere fast and yet they do it every single time!!

If i open the door and they dont notice it is always Nova who enters first and if he doesnt come out after about 5 minutes Darcy enters LOL

I have one release word for all dogs and yes ive noticed they lose manners when together.

When i have a foster i love sitting there just watching how they interact, mine dont really bother with each other much but if there is a new dog its amazing too watch all the body language used.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They know to sit before I'll open the door, and they'll do that...and wait. But when I give the release word all hell breaks loose and they go zooming through the house because it's all so exciting :dropjaw:

LOL thats what mine do as well hahaha, funny thing is 80% of our house is tiles including right near the back door, so once given the release word they try too run around but end up sliding everywhere usually into the laundry door :banghead: They calm down once they realise they arent going anywhere fast and yet they do it every single time!!

Unfortunately my house is all carpet, the only tiles they hit are in the laundry for about one lunatic bound, they slip, hit the carpet and they're off again. They have put scratches in the carpet in the lounge room from chasing their toys...I hope that's considered 'wear and tear' otherwise I'm replacing it AGAIN :confused:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry if this is off topic but do those of you with multiple dogs have different release words for your dogs or teach them to release on their name as well? Mine all have the same release but will release one by one on their name .

My dogs do not want to play or be released to do their own thing. They know, where their satisfaction comes from. Me.

But then again, I may not be understanding your question, release........to do what?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...