# Puppy Bonding



## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

We recently got an awesome puppy, Grizzly. I plan to continue to work Bison for at least another 2 years baring any unforeseen circumstances, and I plan to work on titling Grizzly.

Our home is primarily a pet home, SchH is a chance to have fun and bond with my dog. It is a hobby. I have no aspirations to compete higher than the club level. Once the dogs are old enough to follow house rules, they aren't crated in the house. 

This is the first time that I have owned 2 working dogs at the same time and I am still working out the logistics.

I have always done "kitchen training" with both dogs (these and past ones) where I work on basic obedience drills with both dogs following the same commands. Since Grizzly came home, I have been careful to spend one-on-one time with him each day, but it does make Bison upset to be in a different room hearing me with the puppy. When it stops raining constantly, I can take them each outside to work in the front yard and that will help some. Maybe there is something I am not thinking of.

I wondered if those of you who LIVE with your dogs could explain some strategies that you use to spend one-on-one training time with each dog without damaging your bond with the other.


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

You need to be taking your dogs away from the house to train by themselves so they can't hear or see what the other is doing, and you should be taking them out for walks alone and together.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I do what Elaine suggests, but I also do a lot of training around the house with one dog at a time, especially when I'm in a class and have daily homework. In the winter especially, it can be difficult to find a place away from home to train because it's dark by the time I get home from work. 

If I'm working with one dog I either crate the other dog in the bedroom and close the door so they can't hear what's going on in the rest of the house, or I put them out in the garage pen. We have stereo speakers throughout the house with a controller to turn individual rooms on or off, so I can turn them off in the room I'm working in, but on in the bedroom, which helps drown out sounds everywhere else in the house. 

I think it's good to do some stuff with both dogs together, so they learn to listen to you and obey you even in the presence of the other dog, but for serious training, I always put the other dog away so they can't see or hear us. 

*Just realized this is in the Schutzhund section - I don't do Schutzhund, but I think for this question that doesn't really matter*


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I agree, it doesn't matter what venue you train in, taking the pup or dog away from the other to train is best. 
But when you go to club, that isn't an option(crated in the vehicle) and I know from seeing dogs and pups in my club the jealousy factor is there, you just have to ignore the one barking while you take the other one out on the field. Or get a bark collar!
I think Grizzly will form a great bond with you and he will also have a good relationship with his big bro, Bison(in a perfect world)


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

Elaine said:


> You need to be taking your dogs away from the house to train by themselves so they can't hear or see what the other is doing, and you should be taking them out for walks alone and together.


Yes, this would be ideal, but it really isn't possible most days because training either has to be done after 8:00 pm or quickly at lunch time. Even when it gets lighter outside, I am not comfortable going to the park that late at night by myself.

I will be doing a puppy kindergarten with Grizzly when he is old enough, but I can't do two classes per week because of family obligations. That means Bison won't get a turn.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I am working littermates. I make sure each gets their own private time with me hanging in the house. Also at times just hanging while I do stuff outside. They also spend time with me as a group outside or with another dog inside. In the winter I train in my dining room and living room. The other dogs can here and at times see. I have never worried about it. Last year I was working 3 dogs and they know darn well I am taking one out and leaving the others. They get jealous, but it does nothing to damage our relationship. Our dogs want to be with and work with us and that is all they think about when they are with us. Believe me, Donovan is not thinking, "mom was working with Deja earlier so I am going to pout and not work with mom now". He just says, "yeah, my turn, my turn........"


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

lhczth said:


> In the winter I train in my dining room and living room. The other dogs can here and at times see. I have never worried about it.


Are they crated while the others are working? Do they protest?


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

Yes. Some times, but not always.


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## Good_Karma (Jun 28, 2009)

Any chance your husband or partner could train Bison while you worked with Grizzly?


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

Good_Karma said:


> Any chance your husband or partner could train Bison while you worked with Grizzly?


No. I have tried putting him in the room with DH and giving him a chew bone while I train Grizzly though. That worked well, but I don't really want him eating a bone every day.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Ruthie said:


> No. I have tried putting him in the room with DH and giving him a chew bone while I train Grizzly though. That worked well, but I don't really want him eating a bone every day.


Can you give him a kong with peanut butter in it or a Tug-A-Jug with some of his kibble in it?

Can DH play a game with him or work on basic commands that he already knows?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I do lots of things, just depends on the day/weather/mood. 

We just bought our first house and I've been doing lots of training in our front yard. It's tiny, but both dogs are working on a few things that don't really need much space. I always park my van in the driveway, so generally I get both dogs out and but them in the van (which is a dedicated dog kennel on wheels) and then take turns. 

Indoors, I train in my basement and I have a few crates down there. Nikon can be in a down-stay while Pan is taking a turn, but Pan won't stay that long so he generally goes first and then gets crated. 

Often when I train the backyard it's more impromptu/fun stuff and I don't put the dogs away. Sometimes Pan and Nikon get silly and compete for heel position, or one starts running blinds and the other follows. Pan goes around the jump when Nikon goes over.

Because Nikon is older, better trained/behaved, and was there first, he gets more "me" time just being allow to follow me around the house than Pan does. That said though, Pan tends to be a more independent dog. For example, if I give Pan a raw bone he's fine being out in a far corner of the yard by himself whereas Nikon would prefer to leave the bone and follow me.

There are times when one dog will sound off while the other is being worked but I just shush them and ignore it. They are still getting used to being in the crate while the other gets out but they'll just have to get over it.

Of course training individually off site is best but for many people it's just not an option. My dogs can usually see the other dog when one is crated and one is working. Sometimes I take dogs to work to track them on my breaks. On these days, all three of us have to hike out to the tracking field. Then I tether both dogs to a tree or in the baseball dugout while I lay tracks, then they each have to be tethered while the other runs a track and they can see the entire time. I don't think it has effected our relationship or their performance, but either way it doesn't really matter since it is just the reality of 1) working 9 hour days and 2) living in the city so not having the option of rolling the van up to a huge open field where one dog can stay safely crated in the van while the other tracks.

FWIW I am married but my husband doesn't train my dogs or help with the training. That is not a complaint, I'm just saying. The GSDs are basically *my* dogs and it would probably be counter-productive for me to enlist my husband's help!

As far as classes and such, I do a puppy class with my puppies but overall I still give preference to the older dog. I could be doing a lot of things with Pan right now, but instead I'm looking to earn two new titles with Nikon next month and I show/enter/take classes with Pan if/when it fits. I'm in no rush with him. He still comes to Schutzhund club and gets the same turns as all the other dogs in each phase.


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## Vandal (Dec 22, 2000)

I guess I am not grasping what the problem is for one dog to be crated and seeing or hearing the other dog being trained. This happens all the time for my dogs when I am down on the field or out at training. Mostly, I get a better performance from the dog who had to wait. 
I certainly do not think you are going to damage the bond with the older dog. Might just make things better actually. A little competition can be a good thing.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

I usually have one dog in a long down and the other actively training


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## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

My rally instructor does that-crates the younger dog works the older one-and when he comes out he really wants to work-his obedience is flashy


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## AgileOllie (May 13, 2011)

Vandal said:


> I guess I am not grasping what the problem is for one dog to be crated and seeing or hearing the other dog being trained. This happens all the time for my dogs when I am down on the field or out at training. Mostly, I get a better performance from the dog who had to wait.
> I certainly do not think you are going to damage the bond with the older dog. Might just make things better actually. A little competition can be a good thing.


I have 2 dogs and 2 puppies that I am actively training. Ollie, my schnauzer, is at the head of the class and rarely needs more than a little brush up before a trial. Doc, my BC HATES to work, so putting him "up" during the day gives him that 'oomph' to want to work when it's time. Watching the others get that 1-1 time gets his goat and he works great when we do work together. The other two are puppies, but they are learning to take turns and it's not been that big of a deal for them to wait. Typically I'll train all four dogs in about an hour's time. I'll either kennel the others or leave them in the house while I work one. Do you have a garage or a carport you could train in while it's raining?


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

Lies, thanks those are the practicle type suggestions I was looking for.



Vandal said:


> I guess I am not grasping what the problem is for one dog to be crated and seeing or hearing the other dog being trained. This happens all the time for my dogs when I am down on the field or out at training. Mostly, I get a better performance from the dog who had to wait.
> I certainly do not think you are going to damage the bond with the older dog. Might just make things better actually. A little competition can be a good thing.


Not a "problem" at all. When we are training at our club, I do pretty much what everyone else does, crates for both in the truck. 

In the house it is a little different. I actually don't have a crate in the house for Bison other than in the basement and it is just a pain to use it. My house is just too tiny for a big crate in the main floor. He gets shut in the office or bathroom when I need to confine him. Part of the issue is MY issue. I have a very close bond with Bison and it is hard for me to hear him cry and be upset because he wants to be with me. The other issue is that it is distracting for the puppy. 

I know that it is something that we will work through and everyone will be fine, but I am just looking for some practicle things that I can do to make the transition easier.


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

AgileOllie said:


> I have 2 dogs and 2 puppies that I am actively training. Ollie, my schnauzer, is at the head of the class and rarely needs more than a little brush up before a trial. Doc, my BC HATES to work, so putting him "up" during the day gives him that 'oomph' to want to work when it's time. Watching the others get that 1-1 time gets his goat and he works great when we do work together. The other two are puppies, but they are learning to take turns and it's not been that big of a deal for them to wait. Typically I'll train all four dogs in about an hour's time. I'll either kennel the others or leave them in the house while I work one. Do you have a garage or a carport you could train in while it's raining?


I have a garage but it looks like Fiber McGee's closet. :blush:


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Do you have a crate in your vehicle for Schutzhund? You could use that. The other day I was thinking about getting a crate for my garage, so I can have all my dogs out with me and then if we start training, pop one in the garage (w/ the door up) rather than bring him inside the house. Then I started opening my van and using that which makes much more sense, since there are always three crates, water pails, and all my training gear already in the van. Likewise if we have company over and they don't like dogs, I crate dogs in the van rather than confine them in the house. Less annoying for both dogs and people.


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## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

For those who do long downs while you train the other, do you train your dogs with different commands? If not how does the dog in the down know that they are supposed to stay in the down and not follow the other commands that you are giving?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I don't do a formal long down that way (b/c if I do do something really exciting that might cause him to break the down I don't want to correct him for that if I've never proofed him for that and am paying more attention to the other dog) but I tell Nikon to platz and then give him his ball. He will stay and chew on it while I work Pan. If I'm using food I might intermittently drop a treat between Nikon's paws or go over and scratch his head.


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