# Raising a GSD puppy around 2 untrained dogs



## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

I have a chihuahua and a mini aussie. They get away with a lot of things that I will not allow my GSD to. In fact they haven't been formally trained. I am just not learning how to train a dog and am not going to make any mistakes with the new puppy. They are potty trained, but they get up on couches. They don't know much beyond, sit, come stay. If the GSD sees them doing something, he will automatically assume it's okay for him to do something I suppose. What would you recommend I do?

Thanks
Wil


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

whorneff310 said:


> I have a chihuahua and a mini aussie. They get away with a lot of things that I will not allow my GSD to. In fact they haven't been formally trained. I am just not learning how to train a dog and am not going to make any mistakes with the new puppy. They are potty trained, but they get up on couches. If the GSD sees them doing something, he will automatically assume it's okay for him to do something I suppose. What would you recommend I do?


Hire a trainer to help you work with all dogs.


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

Thanks I'm searching for one.


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## kam214 (Mar 3, 2012)

With 3 dogs you officially have a pack. It is grossly unfair to have rules for one dog but not the other two. It will not make for a balanced situation. Get the help of a trainer so all dogs know what is expected of them and all the rules that must be enforced equally. Just because the new dog is a puppy and you will be starting fresh and new with a moldable youngster to train does not mean the other dogs are not trainable. Dogs like having rules and continuity in their lives. It makes for a happy household. Why do you feel you will be able to train a new GSD puppy when the other dogs were not trained prior to getting the gsd? Just curious because you say you are not going to "learn how to train a dog" but you will a pup. I hate to break it to you but training a GSD pup is harder than training an adult dog. You will be frustrated as puppies have very short attention spans and will try your every last nerve. I am very perplexed why anyone would say they will not train their adult dogs because they are "dogs" as you put it but they will train a "puppy." Not fair or responsible to any of them. What happens when your pup becomes a "dog???" When you own a puppy or dog, it takes continual and very regular (as in daily) training for LIFE not just on a whim. They don't just learn things, remember and never need reinforcement and conditioning afterwards. Sorry if this sounds harsh but the way your post is written, it just strikes a major nerve that you have gotten a puppy that you believe is worthy of "training" and your adult dogs, apparently... are not.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

train all three. enforce training. train seperately until they're all solid on the training individually. Practice sessions of training together. Enforce training. If you say sit and one doesnt listen, enforce it.


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## whorneff310 (Feb 5, 2013)

kam214 said:


> With 3 dogs you officially have a pack. It is grossly unfair to have rules for one dog but not the other two. It will not make for a balanced situation. Get the help of a trainer so all dogs know what is expected of them and all the rules that must be enforced equally. Just because the new dog is a puppy and you will be starting fresh and new with a moldable youngster to train does not mean the other dogs are not trainable. Dogs like having rules and continuity in their lives. It makes for a happy household. Why do you feel you will be able to train a new GSD puppy when the other dogs were not trained prior to getting the gsd? Just curious because you say you are not going to "learn how to train a dog" but you will a pup. I hate to break it to you but training a GSD pup is harder than training an adult dog. You will be frustrated as puppies have very short attention spans and will try your every last nerve. I am very perplexed why anyone would say they will not train their adult dogs because they are "dogs" as you put it but they will train a "puppy." Not fair or responsible to any of them. What happens when your pup becomes a "dog???" When you own a puppy or dog, it takes continual and very regular (as in daily) training for LIFE not just on a whim. They don't just learn things, remember and never need reinforcement and conditioning afterwards. Sorry if this sounds harsh but the way your post is written, it just strikes a major nerve that you have gotten a puppy that you believe is worthy of "training" and your adult dogs, apparently... are not.



Sorry that was a typo "not" should say "now." I have edited it. The other dogs are potty trained and do basic things such as come, stay, down, roll over, but they get up on the couches and that's not something I want the GSD doing. Thanks for the advice


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## Ares God Of War (Jan 13, 2011)

Just reading this.. And curious as I'm in the same situation... But I have a ship tZu and EB... I've been told they aren't trainable dogs and I know that sounds stupid... But what if they can't be trained? I mean by all means they aren't wild still listen to me go to their crate but come command and so on that we'd want to teach gsd they wouldn't really do that. So in this situation is it still unfair? And can it still be done the training of the gsd?


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I have a shih tzu .. he is VERY smart. They are a little stubborn but the ones I've seen love high value treats and you can pretty much teach them anything in the book with a little bribery. Mine knows the names of different toys, the names of different rooms ... a zillion different words for 'get outta my way a'fore I step on ya'.  

Dogs will do what you require them to do .. your dogs don't do some things .. because they don't have to and get away with it. *shrug*


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## Msmaria (Mar 2, 2013)

I am going through this situation right now. My smaller dog is being trained to touch and other commands i never taught him by watching me train the gsd puppy. The other day I was teaching our gsd puppy to "touch", i had treats and was moving my hand around and treating gsd everytime he touched. Next thing i know i feel a wet nose on my other hand, it was my 5 yr old maltipoo. He was touching so he could get a treat. He has also learned how to fetch last week by watching me train the gsd puppy to fetch. However in all fairness none of my dogs get toys or special treats with out listening and no one is allowed on the human couch. As for my shih tzu she is stubborn but does listen and learns very fast. They are not dumb, she learned how to roll over after my son rolled over on the floor first.


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## Ares God Of War (Jan 13, 2011)

Galathiel said:


> I have a shih tzu .. he is VERY smart. They are a little stubborn but the ones I've seen love high value treats and you can pretty much teach them anything in the book with a little bribery. Mine knows the names of different toys, the names of different rooms ... a zillion different words for 'get outta my way a'fore I step on ya'.
> 
> Dogs will do what you require them to do .. your dogs don't do some things .. because they don't have to and get away with it. *shrug*


Ok yea mine does listen and is stubborn it's really only the EB that won't train.. He doesn't listen to anything.. I'm mainly worried about him. 


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## JackandMattie (Feb 4, 2013)

Check out this book: "Feeling Outnumbered? How To Manage & Enjoy A Multi-Dog Household (2nd Edition)" by Patricia McConnell and Karen London

Leading dog behaviorists say it's okay to treat your dogs as individuals. I agree with others here that you need to train all your dogs to the best possible level, but as far as privileges, etc., I don't feel you need to take an all things are equal approach.

My Weimaraner is allowed on the couch. She is consistent about waiting for her blanket to be in place, so she has earned that privilege. My senior GSD can't get up there anyway, and my younger GSD recently lost his couch privileges altogether, because we are restarting OB with him. Different rules for different dogs.

My younger GSD gets to play more fetch. The senior gets to play a little soft tug. The Weim gets to go visit my BF's house...because she won't eat the cats, and she enjoys the Chihuahua's company. Do the two GSDs realize they're being left at home, sure. But would it be fair to deny one dog an outing, just because all three can't enjoy the same exact outing? No. You can choose what works for each dog. Jack gets his individual outings going for training. And my senior is pretty much _always_ welcome at a human party, whereas the younger two aren't.

I'm not saying be unfair, because I _do_ believe dogs recognize a sense of fair play and you do not want them to mistrust you...but your dogs are not going to be carbon copies of one another and you don't need to feel compelled to treat them all exactly the same.


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