Plus, there's no easier way to win over "pit bull skeptics" than by showing them the adorable tricks like "say hi" and "turn" that your pit bull can do. A dog hardly seems vicious when she's waving hello.
We get asked pretty often how we handle dog training at our house. With multiple dogs, I'm sure it seems like a herculean task to most people. The problem is, the more dogs you have the more important it is that they're well behaved, so you can't slack on training just because you think it's going to be hard.
So here's how we do it: We train them one at a time.
When the dogs are first learning something new, we take them out one at a time to teach them the trick or behavior. Having other dogs around is a big distraction, and I've found that it's next to impossible to train something new when you can't keep a dog's attention. The individual training sessions aren't usually very long. They can be as little as 5-20 minutes depending on how much time we have.
Here's a little video of a short training session I had with Heidi the other day. We've been working with her a lot lately to prepare for the Canine Good Citizen test that she's going to take in a couple of weeks. Tricks aren't really part of the test, but they're fun and a great way to strengthen the dog-human bond. Plus she's just too darn cute when she does this stuff! Her newest trick is "turn," so you can see her working on that in the video.
Once they've learned the trick we'll start working on it with the other dogs around. Training multiple dogs at the same time can be a funny experience. They can definitely learn from each other, so if one dog isn't getting a trick, seeing another dog do it (and get treats for it!) can connect the dots for them. Sometimes I also get the sense that there's a bit of competition going on between the dogs. If you tell both to "stay," but only one does, you better believe the other takes notice when they don't get a treat too.
When we practice obedience and tricks with more than one dog at a time I always try to keep things fun. If one dog isn't quite "getting it," I know that it's time to do a little more one-on-one work. Training is supposed to be a fun time, so if one of the dogs is getting frustrated I switch things up and reinforce the behaviors they do know. I can always come back later to help them work on the harder stuff. I like to think of it as extra "tutoring" after "class." Doing things this way has the added bonus of making sure that each dog gets some individual attention too.
I know a few of you have multiple dogs too - do you do it differently? I'd love to hear how you handle training multiple dogs in your house.
p.s. I'm only three likes away from having 50 facebook fans! Please come over and help me hit this milestone! Not only will you get my posts through your facebook feed, you'll also get adorable Daily Dog photos that don't always make it to the blog!
We do it in a similar way. Separated for the bulk of the initial training, then together. I feel it's important to do it together also because our dogs so often come when the other dog's name is called. We have to practice "Macintosh stay, Aspen come" and vice versa often! :)
ReplyDeleteWe also need to work on training Aspen outside since she doesn't listen as well with outside stimuli. Inside she is completely in tune with us, but add in a dog walking by and she could care less about food. Boo!
GREAT advice!! Our poor goofy mut learns all his tricks but refuses to do them. So stubborn hahaha
ReplyDeleteThis was interesting to hear. I had to do so much training with Miss M because she was my first pitbull and she had so much energy. Mr. B just really wants to make us happy so we didn't have to do as much training with him because he started picking up cues from Miss M--he just started mimicking her. I do need to do a lot more individual training with Mr. B.
ReplyDeleteAww I love all the pictures! Is it weird that teaching pets tricks is something I miss about only having a cat? Maybe it's my equestrian background, but I loved teaching my parents' dogs tricks growing up.
ReplyDeleteThink I could train my cat to do anything but eat and sleep? Haha!
we fail at this. Especially with the little rat... er Big Carl
ReplyDeleteKari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/
Mrs. Foot - I sporadically try to get one dog to do one thing while another does another (like have Nemo stay while Heidi does a turn). It's hard, lol! The dogs do pretty well with it, but I know they would do better if we spent more time on it. Right now all of them do come to you when you just call one of them.
ReplyDeleteMichelle - Mel is by the far the most "stubborn" of our dogs. I actually think she's the smartest one though and she's super food motivated, so it's hilarious how excited she gets when she does want to work, haha.
Pitties - Mr. B seems like such a sensitive love bug! Our guys do tend to pick up some of the routines from one another, but with the harder "tricks" we've really had to do things one on one. Especially "leave it," haha. It doesn't work so well when one dog leaves a treat just to have another steal it away ;)
KT - There's a great video of a cat doing an agility course at Rescued Insanity. It's crazy what you can teach cats!
Kari - lol. Big Carl is cute enough he can get away with it ;)
Aww, thank you so much for the sweet thought. I don't know if I'd describe Shiva as a wonder dog, especially after she decided to eat out of the garbage can this morning, but it's nice of you to say so.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things that worry me about getting another dog one day is juggling the training. It's great to hear how well you have made it all come together. I think it speaks a lot to your skills and your patience!
Good luck with the CGC! I bet you'll ace it no problem!
I crate and rotate to teach each dog a trick individually. Then, once they have it down, I have both dogs come out and take turns doing what I ask. They learn self control (waiting for their turn) and also some name discrimination and know, if I say Pallo, Down, Koira, Sit, the correct dog does the correct behavior.
ReplyDeleteWe struggle with training our lab mix Izzy, but always have fun with it. I'm trying to teach her which toy is which so she'll go get the "piggy" when I ask. It's not going well!
ReplyDeleteWe're thinking about taking in a foster dog so your points are very helpful!
Good luck on CGC! I know Izzy would fail the dog portion because she absolutely would need to play!
Our approach is similar to yours. Chick doesn't know a ton of tricks but he is well-versed in being a good dog, and that's enough for us. We try to teach all of our fosters first how to be a good dog and THEN work on treats and commands later, after they have grown comfortable in our home. For the first few weeks (we are still in this period with Stevie) we try to teach fosters to "just be" without working on any commands just for the sake of themselves. During this time the dogs learn how to be comfortable in the house amidst normal life, which furniture they can and cannot get up on, what it is and is not appropriate to chew on, when it's ok to be in the kitchen and when it's not, etc. I find that adopters appreciate these skills more than they care whether the dog can shake or roll over, so we spend a lot of time on the basics first. With some dogs, like Stevie Wonder, it takes more time for them to just get comfortable in the house. We will probably start obedience training with her later this week, though. Thanks for a great post!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the photo of Nemo and Heidi - SO CUTE! (Sorry I don't have anything intelligent to contribute to the training multiple dogs topic.)
ReplyDeleteKristine - Shiva can DANCE! That's all that needs to be said about her superior place in the world of dog tricks :)
ReplyDeleteK-Koira - That's a really smart way of doing it. We don't crate all of them (just Heidi), but the way we do it on our deck is similar. I don't think you can see him in the video, but Nemo was in the kitchen waiting for his turn while I was working with Heidi :)
Skinny Fat Kid - Keeping it fun is the most important part. And learning to distinguish between toys is hard for a dog! That'll be a huge accomplishment when she gets it!
loveandaleash - 100% agree with you about the difference in training a foster dog. I think "life skills" are so important for a dog to learn out of a shelter. Not only does it make them more adoptable, but they also have an easier time in a new home once they've learned some boundaries.
Holly - Thanks! :) Sometimes they're so cute I don't know what to say about them either, haha.
So impressive!
ReplyDeleteWe've taught one of our bassets to stay with a treat on his snout, bang bang (roll over and play dead), stay for a treat on the floor, shake, shake other paw.
Our other dog is too impatient to learn.
Supposedly bassets are one of the hardest breeds to train (they do what they damn well want to) so I'm proud of what they can do!
kenpen - We're not quite in treat-on-the-snout territory yet (but I'm close with Nemo!), that's really impressive!
ReplyDeleteAnd I completely understand having a dog that's hard to train. There's a reason Melanie isn't in any of these pictures!
Awe! That video was so cute! What a great dog!! I haven't trained any dogs yet (although my parents have 3). I'm excited to get a dog one day to try myself!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to have found your blog. I have two very loved old pups, and the real boss of the house, the cat. I've been contemplating another dog, but of course most people think I'm a bit nutty. I watched the video of your "crazy" four dog house where everyone was sleeping. That is about all mine do most of the time. What was your experience of bringing a younger dog into the mix? This is one of the things that has me hung up. I don't want the venerable elders to freak if I bring a young kid home.
ReplyDeleteBrittany - Thanks! It's all about keeping it fun :)
ReplyDeleteSylvia - Heidi is actually about 3-4 years old. I think sometimes she seems younger because she's smaller than the others. She's still the youngest in the house though, and while she still mostly sleeps, she is more energetic than the others. She and Melanie (who's 9) play almost everyday (she doesn't play with Nemo even though they're closer in age). Since we already have older dogs (like you), we shy away from puppies. When we had Winky last fall it was pretty rough on our oldest dog, Molly. Just a couple years makes a big difference in a dog's temperament. I would also do really good introductions with all of the dogs to get things started on the right foot before you bring a new dog home (I'm going to try to do a post on introductions soon). You may also find that a younger dog will energize one (or both) of your current dogs. Since we brought Heidi into the house, Melanie seems more "youthful" and happy to play more :) Hope that helps!
I commend you for all the training you do with your dogs to break the stigma that should not even be on them. This is something I try and explain/emphasize with clients who have bully breeds. You already are up against so many opinions and ideas and by getting one for yourself you are responsible for really making them ambassadors for the breed to help end all this breed based hate/assumptions. But in the same sense, I set the standards high for my own dogs to be good citizens and role models for all those people out there who just don't like dogs, or think they should be limited in public.
ReplyDeleteAs far as training our dogs, I also agree that one on one sessions are key. As well as a lot of one on one time when you first bring a dog into your home, especially if you have another dog already. It is crucial to building a good bond between the humans and the new dog... rather than the dog becoming a "dog's dog." I often will work the dogs separate when training new things, but then will challenge them to offer the same behaviors while with each other. It is a fun process as a whole, and I'm happy with where each are as a whole. it never stops though, i just have to wait for more inspirations.
Great post
Anna
www.akginspiration.com
akgvizslainspiration - I completely agree. Bullies have such a troubled reputation already that it's so important that the people who have them, work with them to present a positive image for the breed. There's no question though that all dogs, regardless of breed, benefit from training. Like you said, it helps so much with the dog-human bond - plus it's just fun to watch your dog improve!
ReplyDeleteWe have to do it the exact same way! Doing two at a time just increases the confusion for everyone. I am am always so impressed how they learn from each other!
ReplyDeleteJenny - They really do learn from one another, it's so cool to see them work things out.
ReplyDeleteAmazing, I was wondering how you handled so many dogs! Were not big on trianing, bigger on manners. But its interesting to learn how to train more that one pup.
ReplyDeletewww.twogradstudentsanadapittie.blogspot.com
i actualy have 12 dogs and im not sure how to train them .....any advice?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - Are they foster dogs or all yours? I've never had that many dogs, but my advice would be pretty much the same I think. Start by practicing the basics with the dogs one at a time (or even two at a time) and then as they learn you can do things in small groups and gradually expand to the whole group. I saw this great video once of 7 or 8 puppies who had all already learned to "wait" before they ate their meals. All the puppies were lined up with a food bowl in front of them and waited for the command before they went for their food. It was really impressive and showed that it is possible to train a bunch of dogs at once!
ReplyDelete