Quote:
Originally posted by Peter Chasey
Hello,
I've been lurking for about 3 mos., which is when my wife & I adopted Tara, a very energetic Rott / Dobie mix.
Three weeks ago, the lady who runs the rescue asked us to foster Schautz, a 4 mos. old full Rott, while she helped out an aunt who had a stroke. Schautz and Tara got along so awesome that by the time the aunt 's recovery was extended we were almost happy because got to keep him a little longer.
After a week apart, we adopting him and it'd be cool to get some advise from the people here about some of the more difficult things to watch for with two doggies. Both are in kindergarden, we are kennel training them, & they've got all their shots.
Tara is 7 mos. (21.5 in @ withers) 43 lbs.
Schautz is 4.5 mos. (22 in @ withers) 45 lbs
Thanks for your help. I've already got some very helpful advice here, so a general public thanks for that stuff and a personal heartfelt slap on the back for anything you can tell me while I'm still the biggest one here and sane.
Pete |
Best wishes on your two dogs. My advice--keep them bonded with the humans more than with each other. Don't let them form a gang of two or when you are no longer the strongest your sanity will be much tested. That they get along well is better than the reverse in most ways, but is also where your problems may stem from.
Keep them in training always. Do lots and lots of training. Do not stop with basic obedience. Find the best training class you can.
Support whichever is dominant in being dominant so they don't get into hierarchy wars. That is, dominant as to each other. The humans need to be the leaders of both dogs. Sometimes this changes over time.
Let them have theri own of items--they may choose to share, but better to have their own bed, own toys, own bowls, than for everything to be a likely battle for resources. Well, it still can be a battle for resources, but at least if each can eat from own bowl it is less likely --and less likely to end up with one eating everything while other gets skinny.
Use the kennels, crates, etc. as needed. Do with each dog what that dog individually needs. Could be they need different foods, even different training methods etc. Look at them as individuals rather than as "the dogs".
If it is possible to have a different primary trainer, handler for each dog that can help, but at least plan to spend time every day working each dog separately. Bonding with each dog separately.
You can use the other dog, play time together, or special time with you as a motivator sometimes. you can certainly use it as a distraction when you get to that level of training.
I have experienced multiple dogs and having done so would preferentially choose to do it where one is already trained up to high degree before getting number two. Especially with rottweilers, which have a particular tendency to bond with each other to the point of becoming behavioural nightmares. Failing that I would try to put as much into training each dog separately if I had two at same untrained state at same time as I would if I had gotten them more separated in time and training stage.