Got Dogs?🐕🐕🐕
More than one doubles the fun, but it can also double the challenge!
Jealousy and favoritism can lead to:
🐾 aggression
🐾 marking in the house
🐾 stealing other dog’s toys
🐾 fighting over food, toys, YOU…
Homes with multiple dogs can have unique issues that create conflict. Sometimes aggression can appear for seemingly no reason at all.😞 If your home life has become stressful - and “not-so-Pura Vida - ” there is hope!
You can help create household harmony with multiple dogs by making small changes to how you live with your “pack” and bring everyone’s relationship into a healthy balance.
To prevent or resolve conflicts in a multi-dog household, make sure to follow these tips:
🌺Give each dog alone time.
Individual time with humans develops a stronger bond and builds better communication. All dogs need regular, one-on-one attention: take a walk, practice obedience, or teach a few tricks to one dog at a time. And all dogs need to be totally alone sometimes to prevent separation anxiety: set expectations accordingly, and make leaving each dog completely alone part of their regular routine.
🌺Treat all dogs equally when they are together to prevent jealousy.
Many aggression issues arise when owners give preferential treatment to one dog over the others. When all the dogs are together, it’s best to treat them the same regardless of age, size, or other factors. Every dog gets equal attention and time. Every dog is expected to obey basic obedience commands to earn privileges.
🌺Understand the needs of each dog.
An energetic puppy will need more exercise, training time, and supervision than an elderly senior canine. It’s not fair to expect the older dog to entertain or exhaust the youngster. Exercise the youngster with a long walk or play session before putting the two dogs together. Both dogs will be much happier.
🌺Never allow dogs to behave in a protective or aggressive manner when interacting with one another or human family members.
Even seemingly minor issues involving aggression can escalate to dangerous levels. Human leadership is key. Keep a drag line clipped too each dog's collar so you can gently but firmly guide them away if you see tension.
🌺Obedience training helps in many ways.
Teach each dog their name and then teach basic commands to each dog separately. Use a collective name such as “Dogs” or “Puppies” to train all your dogs to obey commands as a group. The dogs will enjoy the mental stimulation and the structured group activity.
✨Let me know if you help with multi-dog issues!🐕🐕🐕💖
