2 puppies - training/obedience

[sunshine]

Well it seems that we have done the wrong thing and have purchased 2 puppies, both male, from the same litter.

Seemed OK to us, puppy preschool or the vet never said anything was wrong with that.

Trying to get them into obedience training and finally found one and spoke to the "lady". Well, I got the biggest serve about how we have bought a pack of dogs now, and you never get two together. Get one dog, train it up and then get another. On and on blah blah blah.

No prizes for guessing where I am NOT taking the dogs now.

Our biggest problem with them is that they jump up and one of them nips the kids clothes and puts holes in them (grrr). They sit on command. They are pretty useless to walk with separate handlers, as they both want to be the leader but they are good boys and know to sit while waiting to cross a road. They walk well when connected with a single lead, but still pull. (Good tow when walking up hills).

I am trying to find another dog trainer but in the meantime, I would love to hear from someone who had 2 puppies and kept their sanity intact with the training or some advice on training would be appreciated.

Sunshine

 

[weg]

One option is to get rid of one... while it's still cute.

 

[sunshine]

Nah, couldn't and wouldn't.

We have had them for six months and are way too attached.

Sunshine

 

[rugrat]

Nonsense. It doesn't matter if they come from the same litter or not. Any time you have more then 1 dog it is a pack. It can be harder trying to train two puppies at once - double the work, but it is still doable and they grow up to keep each other company. Make sure you train them seperately as well as together, ie take them for individual walks as well as together, and work on the obedience training whilst on these walks. Walking them seperately you will find they are alot easier to control and teach. It is much like having two young kids at the same age - they 'can' cause each other to act out, but if you know how to handle them and treat them as individuals as well as a couple it can work out well. Just be aware that they will go through periods of dominance assertation - where they will both be fighting over who is leader of the pack, let them sort this out themselves. The important thing is to teach them basic obedience skills and get them both socialised with other dogs - many dog clubs won't teach both puppies in the same class, and if they do you will need one dog per person to actually teach them. (ie, you take one puppy, your partner takes the other).

How old are they? What breed (or breeds)?

 

[sunshine]

Nonsense. It doesn't matter if they come from the same litter or not.

Thanks so much for that reassurance.

Walking them seperately you will find they are alot easier to control and teach. It is much like having two young kids at the same age - they 'can' cause each other to act out,

Yep know about the 2 young kids about the same age bit. Thats why we got the 2 dogs, and so they can keep each other company.

They hate being separated, but I will be doing more 1 on 1 training with them, now I know it is the right thing to do.

Just be aware that they will go through periods of dominance assertation - where they will both be fighting over who is leader of the pack, let them sort this out themselves.

This is happening more frequently now. Advice I was given was to sort it out for them and let them know we are the leader, is this OK or should I just let them go at it? They are starting to get very jealous as well. I have started giving them time out apart. Should I continue this? (I lock one in the outside toilet for a couple of minutes).

The important thing is to teach them basic obedience skills and get them both socialised with other dogs - many dog clubs won't teach both puppies in the same class, and if they do you will need one dog per person to actually teach them. (ie, you take one puppy, your partner takes the other).

They just love other dogs and other people, and do try to get them out as much as possible. If we do obedience training, I will be taking one at a time.

How old are they? What breed (or breeds)?

8 month old - English Cocker Spaniels. Hubby reckons they are "girly" dogs and didn't want them but he has realised they are actually chick magnets. He doesn't mind the attention he receives when he takes them for walks!!

Thanks for your advice rugrat very much appreciated.

Sunshine

 

[rugrat]

English Cocker spaniels are great dogs, very affectionate, loyal and are good to train. They are pretty good family dogs too.

With the fighting for dominance, this can be a tricky issue (talk to a breeder or trainer for good tips to deal with this). You really need to make a judgement call in each situation. If they are getting too agressive then yes you do need to step in and set them straight - YOU are the pack leader. However alot of this will be sorted out by them, and it will likely be an issue that cropps up again and again. If they have determined that one dog is top dog, go with it - don't try to change which dog is alpha. The Alapha dog will generally eat first, want to be in front when walking together, etc. It can be very distressing for the dogs if anyone tries to interfer with this pecking order. We always made sure that both dogs were fed at the same time, at least 2m apart from each other (they snap at each other otherwise). They also don't like being seperated, but the more often you do it the better behaved they are in general. I think like people they do really just need some time out from each other occaisionally.

 

[Pablo]

Sunshine,

We bought 2 puppies from the same litter and plan on doing the same again in the future.

The biggest problem we had was the amount of damage they did, the backyard looked like a battle zone and we probably went through about a thousand dollars of clothes that were ripped off the clothes line. As we had 2 dogs they sort of egged each other on and when they were getting told off there was comfort in numbers.

When I used to walk them I just used to keep them on short leashes and have one on either side.

To stop them jumping up teach your children to raise their knee whenever the dog jumps up.

To stop them biting I quickly grab the dogs lower jaw whenever they go to bite and hold it. Try to get some off the dogs lip between the dogs teeth and your hand but of course don't hurt the dog to much just enough to let them know that it can hurt when they bite.

Also If you have kids around the dogs it is important to teach the dog not to snarl or bite when eating by taking their food/ bones away from them occasionally and then giving it back, get them to a stage were you can take the food away without the dog even battering an eye lid but of course still tell the kids not to go near the dogs when they are eating.

Hope this info is helpfull
Pablo.

 

[HiEquity]

I second the bit about going with whoever they work out is "top dog". It can take awhile, particularly if they are from the same litter and same size but they will work it out eventually. Give the same preferences to the top dog and everything will be hunky dory. Just remember that YOU are the real top dog, followed by your kids and the dogs are just trying to work out who comes second last. If there are issues with respecting the kids, then make the dogs wait while the kids go through the door, let them see the kids eat before they get to, get the kids to give them their food etc etc. Ultimately you need to give clear direction to them what the hierarchy is in ways they can understand. Once they know their place in the pack, they will be very happy. Problems come when you send confusing messages...

If they pull on the lead stop walking, pull them back to your side, make them sit and then start again. They soon realise that walking in front of you makes everything slow down! Better to do this separately with each otherwise you are stopping the good dog and this will just confuse it.

Keep up the regular obedience training - it will provide mental stimulation for them and make them less likely to take their boredom out on the clothes etc. Also, remember puppyhood requires patience and perserverance so go easy on them - things will improve as they get older!

Hope this helps.

 

[Old Mate]

I can't offer any advice I'm afraid, but please post pictures if possible. I'd love to see them

 

[Gee Cee]

I cannot offer any advise.
We have a female Labrador that has just turned 12 mths old.
I am at home a lot whilst the wife and kids are at work & school.
Nellie; the dog spends the day with me at home and we go out a lot.
But as soon as the kids get home and my wife i get thrown to the bottom of the pack.

She obeys my wife and one of my sons.

But wants to attack and play with my other son and me.

My wife says Nellie sees us two as at the bottom of the pack.
That is why she attacks & plays with us. But obeys her .

I just say we are fun and my wife is old & cranky

 

[sunshine]

Photos for you Old Mate

They were fresh from the beauty parlour where they had the treatment and their coats clipped - very spoilt and now very clean.

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Sunshine

 

[Sunfish]

I only have one dog and she's part of a pack.

I'm the alpha male and she takes notice of what I say. (Makes me feel good, no-one else does) Mrs Fish is the Boss B.... (I can't say that here) and still has authority (easy to ignore though) but Asti (poor dog, named after a cheap plonk) will sulk to her if things go wrong. My daughter has no authority, is just a sister, but still good for sympathy. My son however does not rank. He should piss off and find another pack.

Study your dogs and try to understand life through their eyes if you wish to discipline them. They can control you if you let them.

 

[Old Mate]

Thanks Sunshine, they're adorable. Love the first one lounging in his chair

 

[twodogs]

From my name, you may guess I also have 2 dogs. 2 dogs are much more than twice as good as one! But, training together is near on impossible, well at least for me, because their attention is focused on their own competition.

The second dog came from a litter of 10 (thanks Simon) and is a much more dominate and assertive dog than the first. We have tried to maintain the first's "top dog" status but to no avail, they sort this out themselves.

I can't advise if 2 from the same litter is better or worse, my only advice is train separately at first and above all, set yourself (then other humans) as the real top dogs at all times. Even when they are at their most cute and fluffy, do not allow them to think they are higher in the pack.

 

[wylie]

I know nothing really about training a dog but seem to remember someone who knew dogs once telling me that you always feed the top dog first. I don't know if you should possibly choose one of the dogs to be top dog and feed it first from now on?

We have a toy poodle who will sit by our front door when I leave the house without him. Even with my husband and three sons in the house he will not leave the door. If the phone rings while I am away he howls.... ow, ow, owwwwwwww!!! like a wolf!!

We should have had him trained but probably too late now. He doesn't do anything bad except he would love to bite the legs off the milkman and the postman, but aren't all dogs the same?