Thanks Connie, Can you send me the links
Donna

 Quote: donna handy

Thanks Connie, Can you send me the links
Donna

Good for you.

http://www.leerburg.com/dogtrainingpodcasts.htm
I’d start with numbers 8, 9, and 10.

http://www.leerburg.com/308.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/302.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/dogtrainingebooks.htm

http://www.leerburg.com/philosophy.htm

You will get so much more out of working with a trainer when you have these basics under your belt -- you won't be sorry that you put in the effort.

Take a deep breath, hold your head high, and be in charge. You can do this.

I hope this helps!

I have two male GSDs in the house and someone said this is not possible.

I said I had always 2 males together in the house but up to now different breeds and twice 14 months + 8 weeks and twice 12 years and 8 weeks.

It alwaya worked up to the 2 GSDs, the elder 14 months, the younger 8 weeks (and very self confident). OK, so I put the pup into a crate when the big one was around, as by the first meetings the elder showed aggression. They saw each other each day (for me very important, so that they "dont forget each other" - otherwise you can start from scratch. One day, I forget to ensure the crate was fastened and out came pup - but no harm done and apart from a a few tiffs every so often, when I call "Out" (feel like a referee in a boxing ring) they get on quite well together.

It's vitally important to show that you support No. 1, i.e. the older dog.

Gillian

I forgot something. From the beginning No. 1 has to be supported in every way, but, I have found that after a while sometimes No. 1 oversteps the line, and here I have to tell him to "lay off" a little.

It works! at least with my dogs!

Gillian

I have argued with a obedience and agility instructor who owns setters about how to set the pack stucture between the dogs if you have more than one. She said that there the dogs own temperament doesn´t make any difference and owner always has to confirm the older dogs higher ranking in front of the new one. I disagree. I think if you have a naturally submissive older dog and I take a pup that grows up to be a truly dominant one, at some point when the older one has accepted the dominance of the younger, I could cause tention always preferring the one that in the dogs minds should be a step lower than the other. Am I very far off here?
I have a female dobermann who is rather submissive and calm but perfect and problem free as a family-dog. I am planning on taking a dobe pup that I will want to do IPO with so she will probably not be as soft and mild and I believe that at some point she will challenge the older ones dominance and it will be given over quite easily. Should I step in and try to prevent or reverse it? I am all for dog crates but I whould like to be able to keep them freely in the house as well (I just love the sound of those warm sleeping rugs in front of the couch when I watch TV and dobies lying behind the kitchen doog as a prepare dinner) with being able to turn my back on them without the fear of them getting into a fight because I have tried to mess with their natural ranking. If it whould be naturally set so the older the animal, the higher the ranking, whouldn´t the wolfpacks be lead by really old wolves rather than the ones that are stronger and have what it takes to lead the others? I don´t know much about it but if at some point younger and stronger take the lead, doesn´t it work in a similar way among the lower members? For some reason it doesn´t sound very logically that the leader solely sets the rakings among all members despite their personal characteristics.
I know people who have tried to keep the "older is higher"-rule and have ended up with serious fights that have ended with totaly separating the dogs or giving one up. Unfortunately they are not so close to me that I could know exactly how strong leaders they were themselves. I think that it could be better if I just affirm the order that the dogs have and not try to change it. Please, shed some light on the topic as I really don´t want to mess up...

I've thought about this off and on, changing my mind from one view to the other and back again. The conclusion I've come to is I don't care which rank either dog sees themselves at. They don't call the shots. I expect both to respect each other and of course, me. I'm not going to give more respect to one dog than I do to the other. We're not a wild wolf pack. They don't set the rank. I decide how they interact with each other. I won't give one rank over the other, nor will I allow them to decide on their own.

I do however understand that if both dogs are rather docile/mellow, the problems may be few, such as dogs I've had in the past. I would have to continually stay on top of things if I brought another dog into my home, with my current GSD. But I would get through to both dogs who the rule maker is (me).

So the conclusion I've come to boils down to this - don't keep trying to look at the rank any dog wants to take. Just require them to get along. If one dog decides he wants a higher rank and goes through measures to get there, he won't be allowed to exercise those measures.

An older dog is not necessarily going to be the more dominant dog. But a new little scrapper into the home doesn't have a right to dominate the first dog there either.

Also, a senior or injured dog has to be protected at all times from any dog in the home, whether the other dog is dominant or not. Mutual respect from both parties.

Sandy, Your post reminded me of a Dog Whisperer episode I saw in which Ceasar told a client with multiple dog problems that ALL the dogs are #2. The client asked him, "So who is #1?" Ceasar simply said, "I am." It was great! I must have played that back 10 times in a row just trying to absorb Ceasar's confidence.

 Quote: jaana aadamsoo

I think that it could be better if I just affirm the order that the dogs have and not try to change it.

"Getting into a fight because I have messed up with their natural ranking," you said.

There is no aggression allowed in my pack. Period.

Is there somewhere online to watch the episodes of the past on the Dog Whisperer?
Thanks Donna

I fully agree with what I saw up there^^
If I have ever had an issue (they are rare), EVERY dog got the same command (I also used the OUT) and then EVERY dog was crated until I was able to give my undivided attention to who was out. I think every time I had a problem, the larger issue was that I had gotten "lazy" and had started to cut corners.
I never really cared what rank the dogs had among themselves, but when one dog would start to play too roughly, I would redirect to protect the dog being picked on (like when I have a pup and an older dog out - if a pup is constantly playing rough, etc, I won't allow my older dog to be picked on until he decides to put the pup in it's place, I step in and either redirect or separate before there is a problem.)
I try not to "decode" which dog falls where, just make sure that everyone understands where I am.

Edited by Cameron Feathers (04/13/2008 06:48 PM)
Edit reason: clarification