# Tips for training in multiple animal household



## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

After taking a few-month break due to laziness, visiting relatives, and household stuff, I'm back to working with my dogs on reinforcing basics and introducing new skills. I have a very small house that is also all open, except for the bedrooms. I'm really struggling with working with one dog without the other, and sometimes the cat, getting in on it. Even if I put one dog in the bedroom, the other freaks out, and the one training can't focus and/or just tries to get into the bedroom. I was just doing dual duty with "sit," "down," "stay," etc., which was fine, but I'm also trying now to work more with "touch" and "heel," and it's a circus. I try to do some things outside, but it's hard to teach there with so many distractions. Open to any tips and advice.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

you need to train each of them to remain on their mat if you have one. google kikopup for a video how to do this. here


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

I started some basic mat "go to bed" training, but stopped when my mom came for three-month visit. Time to start again. 

I forgot about kikopup. She was my first introduction to clicker training when I got Watson a couple years ago. I guess it's back to basics for as well as my dogs. Thanks, Dave.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

"Mat" is great, but you also can, until you get that, just crate the one you are not working with where they can see what you are doing for now. It sounds to me like your two are a little too "tied at the hip" if the one you are working with is leaving you to try to get into the bedroom with the other one.

To start with, you need to take one at a time different places with you, so they both get comfortable with being alone... both with you and at home. Once they are comfortable with that, you may find it easier to work with them individually outside the house, with REALLY high value treats, so that they really look forward to that "special" time with you.

I don't have ANY problem with the dog I'm working with paying attention to me... the one who is a problem is the jealous older boy, who thinks that ALL training time should be his!  Even if sent to his bed, he sits there whining piteously. The other dog doesn't mind, but I have to work hard not to let it distract ME!!!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

the reason I like the mat idea is that it teaches impulse control . Putting in a crate they don't learn anything.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> the reason I like the mat idea is that it teaches impulse control . Putting in a crate they don't learn anything.


Absolutely. But that means you can't work on ANYTHING else until you've got that behavior with both dogs... And you might have to separate them to be successful teaching it.

Also, it doesn't address the issue she's having where the dog she's working with is leaving her to join the other one. That, to me, is the biggest problem of all.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

yeah Karen ,impulse control (staying on the mat) is a good prerequisite for all training . Yes it will take longer to solve the problem but you'll kill two birds with one stone in the end. If you watch Emily's videos you will notice quite often that her other four dogs are all sitting nearby watching as she trains one of them alone. This to me is one of the most important things we can teach dogs I think.


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## boomana (Jul 9, 2015)

My dogs are definitely a bit too "tied at the hip." Once Lola is spayed, I'll be taking her to daycare once or twice a week alone so she can learn to pay with other dogs. I've been taking them to training sessions separately since I got Lola, but they spend 99% of the rest of their time together. When she was in heat, I tried taking Watson to the dog park alone. He LOVES the dog park, but he cried in the car, then barked at the gate to leave the whole time we were there. They need some separation.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> yeah Karen ,impulse control (staying on the mat) is a good prerequisite for all training . Yes it will take longer to solve the problem but you'll kill two birds with one stone in the end. If you watch Emily's videos you will notice quite often that her other four dogs are all sitting nearby watching as she trains one of them alone. This to me is one of the most important things we can teach dogs I think.


For me, though, there are just too many foundation skills to be willing to work on just one, but everyone has different goals.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

I think impulse control is the basis for all training. A dog has to be calm to teach anything. A default sit is an example.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

davetgabby said:


> I think impulse control is the basis for all training. A dog has to be calm to teach anything. A default sit is an example.


Absolutely. But mat training isn't the only way to work on impulse control. For instance, one of the very first things I've worked on with each of my puppies is "doggy zen". I can hold a handful of chicken in front of any one of them or all three, and they will sit there and drool, but not approach my hand. They know that I will hand it TO them IF they stay where they are. If they move forward, oops! They lose! I can drop the chicken on the floor in front of them and they won't move until I pick it up and hand it to them. Even Panda will do that, and she has not yet even been introduced to mat training of any sort. 

In fact, I've had to "undo" her "Doggy Zen" training a bit... I've recently started working on scent discrimination with her. To start this, I set out 3 small tins, with smelly food in just one. YOu want the puppy to approach the tins, and nose the one with the food, indicating that this is the one they want you to open for them. (eventually the finished behavior is to bring you an article scented just with your hand, out of a large number of articles, but this is the beginning)

The first few times I did it with her, she immediately sat down, looking at me. I could smell the wood burning... "This is a trick. The food is in one of those things, but I know that GOOD puppies WAIT for mom to hand it to them!"  I had to really encourage her to go to the tins before she believed that, in THIS case, that was not only "OK", but exactly what I wanted her to do.

Likewise, Kodi is learning the signals exercise. He knows that when he changes (on a hand signal only) from a stand to a down, and then to a sit, he must not move forward at all. The last signal is to come, again, just a hand signal. He'll twitch, you know he WANTS to come, but he's still not sure if that's the right "game".

So much of dog training is teaching the impulse control, but then ALSO to respond promptly to the appropriate cue. On the "Drop on recall" exercise, it's an NQ if your dog breaks his stay before you call him, but it's also an NQ if you have to call him a second time. It's an NQ if he doesn't drop when you ask him to, but it's also an NQ if he doesn't promptly resume his recall on cue.

All of these examples are from formal obedience, but they are JUST as applicable in real life. We all want a dog who comes promptly when we call, but if he will also stop and stay the moment we tell him to, it can be a life saver in some instances. So, I guess, if all you want your dog to do is not bite you, stay in one place and to leave things alone when you tell him to, impulse control becomes the number one priority. But if you ALSO want your dog to "do things" as well as "not do things" you need more than just impulse control.


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

I practice impulse control with Emmie everyday. When I put her food bowl down, she know she has to sit and even though her dish is close in front of her, she doesn't eat it until I say OK. I can even leave the room and go to the bathroom and she won't touch it. And whenever we're going out the door I make her wait until I give her the go ahead. This was a very important skill to teach as I didn't want her to dart out the door and potentially put herself in danger. And on leashed walks, she must stop at the curb and wait for me until I tell her OK. I've been working with her on these things for a long time and I continue to do so everyday.

One of the first things you can do with a puppy is put a treat in your hand and if the puppy paws at your hand you close your fist up tight. Don't say a thing. Wait your puppy out and once they're calm (no whining or grabbing), open up your palm to give her the treat.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

MarinaGirl said:


> One of the first things you can do with a puppy is put a treat in your hand and if the puppy paws at your hand you close your fist up tight. Don't say a thing. Wait your puppy out and once they're calm (no whining or grabbing), open up your palm to give her the treat.


That's the bsaics of what we call "doggy zen".


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