If you are here, chances are you are living in a multiple-dog household, or thinking about adding another dog. Hopefully, you are searching for ways to improve the efficiency of your purchases and looking for fun and practical ways to entertain, train, and enjoy your time with your four legged friends.
There is a lot of dynamics that goes on in a multi-dog house, and it is important that you, as the one who pays the bills, remains the Alpha dog among your pack. Pack dynamics can change for many reasons and managing the dynamics within the pack is an on-going process.
This site will touch on dealing with pack situations and help guide you on dealing with them. However, every dog and every situation is different, and as pack Alpha it is important to keep an open mind and to remember to look at things through the dogs perspective. This is not a training site, rather an options site, as there are many products that can be utilized to help keep the peace. Please know that not all dogs do well in a pack, whether due to prior experiences or breed type, some dogs like people, are just loaners. If you are having dangerous conflicts among your pack, please seek private trainers and/or behaviorists that can come to your house and see the situation first hand.
I have been fortunate enough to be able to foster a number of dogs. Luckily, I have a large barn with secure stalls and pens where I can first segregate new dogs and assess behaviors, health issues and any prior training. Dogs come to me from many different directions, I never seek them out, they come to me.. They may come from the local rescue where they may sit for years, becoming more and more un-adoptable, They may be a stray, or a dog that has just hit hard times.. What ever the situation, all basic training begins in the barn. Sometimes the hardest decision to make is to adopt these dogs out. I have had some absolutely great foster dogs, dogs that went on to become incredible members of their new families, dogs that I would of loved to have been able to keep… But all things must be considered first… The first question is: What does the rest of the pack think of this dog? The second: what does this dog think of my pack? the cats? the other animals? And the third question is : What is the right thing to do for this dog? Once I get the answers to these three questions, my goal is obvious. I am proud to say I have adopted out many more dogs than I have kept, and my current pack of 8, including one foster dog, get along great. Training is an ongoing process. Three of my dogs, and my foster dog, get kenneled when I am out and at night, My foster dog still spends some time in the barn pen, but if some infraction occurs when I am out .. I know who not to blame..
Please take the time to check out my first two lessons; “The Leash and the Fence” and ” Crate training in a multiple dog household”. I would love to hear about your pack and what and how they taught you.
Thanks for visiting!
Shelley Whittington
moredogsmorefun@gmail.com