• Home
  • About
  • Which Service is right for you?
    • Board and Train Program
    • Reverse Board and Train
    • Private Lessons
    • Boarding
    • Swimming Lessons
  • Contact
  • Free Advice/Blog
  • Check out the Fun!
  • Video Library

Hey, Have You Heard Yet? There's Some Free Advice Here!

Multi-dog household: What to do when they are not all one big happy family

4/4/2024

 
​Let's talk about owning more than two dogs. Having more than  dogs falls in the category of the multi-dog household. When you have a multi-dog household, you basically have created a pack of dogs. A pack of dogs is usually a family pack but since it is highly unlikely that your dogs are related with each other unless there was some breeding happening, your dogs don’t share much other than the place where they live and the person who takes care of them. Hence, it is not given that your dogs get along with each other all the time; sometimes, even dogs that are related to each other don’t get along. Dogs will always be dogs, competing for resources like privileges, entertainment, food, and attention. What do you do if you have some individuals who do not get along?
The answer is simple: Crate and Rotate.
It is absolutely doable to live under one roof with two dogs that do not get along with each other by keeping these two individuals separated all the time. Does it take more time for you, the owner? Yes, but what are your other options? Rehoming one of the dogs? Trying to make them get along? Sure, you could try but be honest, do you like every single person you meet at the grocery store or the gym or the coffee shop so much that you would hang out with them all the time? Why are you bringing stress upon yourself and your dogs by trying to make them like each other if they clearly don’t? Using crates where everyone gets their turn to be outside and hanging around the house will create a much more peaceful environment. Does this mean twice the time for potty breaks, leash walks, and playtime? Yes, but don’t forget, they didn’t make the decision to live with you. Separating the dogs with structured time in and out of a crate can eliminate their need to compete for resources like attention and toys, including giving both the peace to eat food and drink water stress-free in their crates. You definitely want to discourage any kind of taunting of each other while one of the dogs is in their crate; that would not be fair. 
Crate and rotate has been a long-time procedure in my very own household since I own two female dogs that will not get along with each other. The only time both can be out together is when everything is absolutely controlled, and everyone is following obedience commands, and there are no items around, that the dogs see as high value. However, since it is not feasible to keep this status quo all the time, crate and rotate makes for a more relaxed environment. It allows each dog to be themselves, play in peace, and enjoy their life. 
Can you create an environment where both dogs can coexist with each other? Yes, you can, by doing a lot of obedience training and impulse control training to teach the dogs to regulate their emotions, but this means you will always have to supervise any and all close interactions of the dogs and be in control of them at all times to be able to intervene as soon as there are any tensions. Quite frankly, we cannot look inside the dogs’ brains and see what they are thinking about each other, so even with a lot of training, the status quo may stay fragile, and the ultimate solution will remain crate and rotate.

Comments are closed.

    Archives

    February 2025
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    March 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    August 2016
    May 2016

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About
  • Which Service is right for you?
    • Board and Train Program
    • Reverse Board and Train
    • Private Lessons
    • Boarding
    • Swimming Lessons
  • Contact
  • Free Advice/Blog
  • Check out the Fun!
  • Video Library