Train 2 dogs at once?

Howdy,

My wife and I just got our 2nd dog (Hennessy), a 2 y/o Aussie Shepherd / Border Collie mix as a companion to our older 10 y/o dog of a similar mix (Zeke). the new guy is very rambunctious and hard to handle - he doesn't stay put, he jumps up on people, and snaps when taking treats or playing. luckily this all seems to be in good fun, he doesn't growl or act hostile - he's just super excited and loves to play. Zeke, the older dog, has never really been trained, which never mattered because she never really did anything that disagreeable.

here's my problem: it's difficult to train Hennessy when Zeke is always butting in! i'll be doing excercises with Hennessy, and Zeke will come in and sit right next to him. All well and good, except that it makes it difficult to reinforce with a clicker accurately and to hand out treats in an orderly fashion. Basically, I have 2 dogs I am trying to train in a small area, and nothing ever gets done because they keep bumping into each other, diving for treats, misunderstanding WHOM my commands are directed at, making each other excited, and so forth....

I have tried putting Zeke in another room with a Kong or other toys during training, but she just barks. To make matters worse, Hennessy (who we got from the pound) has gotten very attached to Zeke and gets whiny and anxious when they are separated. He even broke through our side gate one day when we took Zeke for a walk without him. So even if Zeke were calm in another room with the door shut, Hennessy just goes to the door and whines!

I know that all of these problems can be solved with a bit of training, but I can never get the training DONE without old Zeke throwing a monkey wrench into the works! Any suggestions?

what are you putting in the kong?

This is a common problem with multiple dog owners

They have to be separated.

Hennessy has to learn basic commands, and there's no way he can learn what you want, consistently, with the current distractions. After some training, they can be worked together, when Hennessy has learned to obey despite minor distractions.

My suggestion would be to leash Hennessy and work with him despite Zeke's barking (which you can also work on, by ignoring it). You may have to take Hennessy on a walk, away from the house... and get his attention on you...

The dogs getting too attached to each other has been a common problem with some of my foster dogs, so I know the feeling (and the reactions). It has to be worked past, so the dog's are comfortable when separated, because there will be a time when they can't be together 24/7.

I strongly recommend dog training classes for you and your pound puppy (kudos to you, btw) - it'll help your handling skills, and build Hennessy's confidence away from Zeke

okay, that completely makes sense. thanks!

I am putting peanut butter, EZ Cheese (the kind that comes in a can) and some beggin strips (they are large and springy and tricky to get out) inside the Kong. we usually reserve such exotic treats for when we go to work (leaving them 8-10 hours a day).

I too would leash your dog so he is totally paying attention to you. I would also seperate them. You could also tie your older dog up to a doorknob or something if you want him to be able to see you.

My trainer offers a class for people with multiple dogs. First each dog has to go through basic obed, then they enroll into the "families with multiple dogs" class.

I would also teach both of your dogs a command like "go get on your bed" or "go get on your blanket" I have done this, and while I am training one dog, the other must wait on their bed until it is their turn....but that did not happen overnight, it took time and patience from me.

to teach that, put your dog on a leash, and then have his bed or blanket on the floor. Then say, "go to your bed" and lead him over there and give him a treat when he gets on it. Then tell him "ok" and let him get off. do this over and over, taking him to his bed, having him sit or lay there for anywhere between 5 seconds to 30 minutes (over time as he gets better). Don't let them get off until you give them the "ok " command. IN the beginning you will want to leave the leash on them so that if they try to get off you can grab the leash and put them back on.

that's some great info, thanks! i'm so glad i found this forum. i guess we definitely need to get Henny a crate or bed, right now he just kind of hangs out under a table we sit at while working on our laptops in the evening.

I'm glad we were able to help keep us updated, and let us know if you ever need any help !