Totally Random Advice - 1 or 2 dogs?

Luis Caffesse said:
Can anyone suggest good resources where I can learn how exactly to 'teach' the dogs who is the 'Alpha' in our pack?

I know The Dog Whisperers book was mentioned earlier - and I"m going to check that out. Any other suggestions?
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Capt Quirk said:
There are several methods, two of which include nipping the dog's ear, and mounting it. Of course, it would be just as easy to watch the Dog Whisperer ;)
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ROFL, I have never resorted to mounting a dog to establish dominance, LOL, teehee :grin:

My GF has a good back that has some stuff in it I have not heard of before elsewhere. Rather than just a rote method of treat, scolding, praising, or bonding it had personality tests to see what your dog's dominant drives were - prey, pack, fight, or flight. While a bit reductionist like a boyfriend personality quiz in a teen magazine or something, it was pretty useful. And then it prescribes ways best to train your dog based on it's personality.

There was one category "Low Prey & Low Pack Drive" where I think the book just said, "Good Luck" though, lol. Low Prey means they won't respond to treats much. Low Pack drive means they could give a crap what you think :)

When she gets home I will ask her where / what the book is.

The most important thing is consistency whatever method you choose.

Trial and error does play a factor though.

For example, I've always used my manly man loud voice (in a controlled way) to scold various dogs I've had through the years, as I have been encouraged to do by vets and trainers as well. It works wonders with our beagle when my GF cannot get him to calm down or stop whatever it is he is doing for example. He instantly looks around like 'What? Who me? I wuddin' doin nothin I swear."

But it took about a week to realize that this was NOT the approach for Junkyard (our 10 year old, never lived in a home before, german shepherd rescue for those not reading the whole thread).

If I use the deep loud man voice I get instant submissive urinition ... woops. He just can't take "barking" from the alpha because he has such a strong pack drive and is a little afraid in general. All it takes with him is cocking my head, raising an eyebrow, staring at him and making the correction request in a quiet even tone. Anything else is too much for this K9 equivalent of a shell shocked vietnam vet.
 
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Skipped to the end w/o reading the whole thread, but...

I was in your situation about 4 months ago. My brother and I got 2 American Bulldog puppies, a boy and girl. Here's the deal with getting 2 dogs the same age, at the same time, etc.

They play with e/o so they don't get bored as easily. But they still get bored, even at the same time. Their "bad" behavior is contagious. People think having 2 dogs is twice the work...don't believe them...it's more like 4 times the work, especially when they're puppies.

Everything is harder with 2 dogs. Training is difficult b/c they will learn at different speeds. If you train them at the same time, one sits and the other doesn't, what do you say to them w/o confusing them? Or if you train them separately, one of them will cry from the crate and get jealous.

They will bond with e/o more than they bond with you. This will also make training harder. Not impossible, but a lot harder.

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would only get one dog. Having said that, there is no way I would get rid of either of my pups 'cause I love em both. My vote is to get only one dog, especially if your wife has never had a dog.

There are positives to having 2 dogs, don't get me wrong. Just beware that it will be a lot more work than you think it is (Like I said 4x's). And it might be hard for you workwise b/c you work at home and can't "get away."

Anyway, good luck. At the end of the day, you're getting a dog, brother! Yahoo! They're really cute.
 
Jack Daniel Stanley said:
ROFL, I have never resorted to mounting a dog to establish dominance, LOL, teehee :grin:

My GF has a good back that has some stuff in it...
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Paging Dr. Freud...



freud.jpg
 
There was one category "Low Prey & Low Pack Drive" where I think the book just said, "Good Luck" though, lol. Low Prey means they won't respond to treats much. Low Pack drive means they could give a crap what you think :)


Ha! I have a low prey and low pack drive dog! Full bred dalmatian that I'm supposed to be showing... sure is a great dog and just does whatever the hell he feels like. at least he's pretty - seems to get us pretty far in the ring considering he gets bored and lays down every so often...
 
The Dog Whisperer stuff has worked for us just by watching the show. We originally took our dog to classes which helped, but only so much. He was always good, except when greeting people and other dogs. Then he'd freak.
 
Capt Quirk said:
Unless you're really cheap. In that case, just find out which neighbor watches that show, and watch through the window. You can lip read, right?
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Of Course!

:)
It's not an issue of cheapness - it's an issue of a lack of willpower.
If I had cable I would simply watch way too much TV.
It's easier not to have it than it is to resist the urge to watch it.

(and it doesn't hurt that I don't have one more bill either- so maybe I am cheap)
:thumbsup:
 
tommyinla said:
I think if Brandon posted this question, it would be more like 25 pages by now... so Luis, you're doing ok... :beer:
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You saying people don't like me as much as Brandon?
(mumbling to self as I shuffle off)
That's cool... whatever...

:thumbsup:





(just kidding - obviously)
 
Claiming dominance
Okay I'm not claiming to be an expert but I have worked at a kennel for 3 years and owned dogs all my life and this is what I have observed.

Dogs naturally see the one in the house hold with the deepest voice to be the dominate one. So even if your wifey takes care of the dogs more often, they will listen to you over her in commands.
Don't let the dog go above your head. ie laying on your couch and he sits on you. Sitting on your lap isn't an issue.
When you are scolding your dog it's not how loud you yell at them it's how deep your voice is that let's the dog know your seriousness.
Train your dog ASAP. The older they get the harder it is to train them. Be constant with them and keep praticing every day.
ummm i think that it
 
3 weeks ago I had to put down the 2nd of two sister labs who we had for the last 15 years, and it was the most fun 15 years. they were our children, and unless you are ready to make that kind of investment, you are not ready. I cried at the vet's.
 
I felt the same way when I lost Dirtdog after 10 years or so. It's a shame her pup (He's already 6 years old) is dumb as a box of rocks, and aside from the same brown color, doesn't take after her. She was a dog with a human soul.
 
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