# Help: Training in Multi-Dog Home



## Jessica Hodges (May 16, 2014)

My home consists of four resident dogs. One is a current working guide dog; another is a retired guide dog; and two are pets. One of the pets is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel whom I am attempting to train for fly ball and perhaps scent detection work (for fun). The problem I am running into is that when I'm trying to train one dog, the others are having fits because they want to train and be with me too.
I've switched locations I.E., everyone not training stays int the living room behind a baby gate and I go into the kitchen/basement/upstairs. And they know what's going on and are noisy in their protests.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep them occupied while it's not their turn to train or how to manage a multi-dog household in general?
Thanks


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Jessica Hodges said:


> My home consists of four resident dogs. One is a current working guide dog; another is a retired guide dog; and two are pets. One of the pets is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel whom I am attempting to train for fly ball and perhaps scent detection work (for fun). The problem I am running into is that when I'm trying to train one dog, the others are having fits because they want to train and be with me too.
> I've switched locations I.E., everyone not training stays int the living room behind a baby gate and I go into the kitchen/basement/upstairs. And they know what's going on and are noisy in their protests.
> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep them occupied while it's not their turn to train or how to manage a multi-dog household in general?
> Thanks


These ideas will solve the probem


training at a different location....

boxes or kennels are pretty good at keeping dogs contained.......

taking the time to train the other dogs to chill the F out might work as well.....

muzzles and/or ecollars.....


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## Jessica Hodges (May 16, 2014)

Joby Becker said:


> These ideas will solve the probem
> 
> 
> training at a different location....
> ...



Thanks for your reply. The training at a different location won't really work for me as I'm completely blind and getting to different locations without my guide dog is a bit tricky and you cannot take pet dogs on public transit. However, this technique would be useful for someone else. The use of Ecollars and muzzles is not practised with service dog training; however I am certain it is effective in other training areas.
Do you have any suggestions on training the dogs to be calmer while I'm busy?


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## Matt Vandart (Nov 28, 2012)

Definitely use crates. I have currently six dogs and that's what I use. Best thing is to put them in there and completely ignore the noise, your dog will.


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## Meg O'Donovan (Aug 20, 2012)

How about putting each dog that is not being trained into its own crate and putting a sheet or blanket to cover it. Then leave and give yourself 5 minutes to relax and visit quietly in the more distant training area with the dog that is to be trained. That gives you a chance to settle. Maybe the other dogs will go quiet also, if they don't see each other. 

However, this won't work if they key off of each other's noise. Maybe each "resting" dog crated in a different room, each with a treat that will keep them gnawing/busy for a while in the transition? 

Is there an online forum for visually-impaired people working/training with guide dogs? I ask because my niece is blind (retinitus pigmentosa). She is too young to have a dog yet. If there is such a forum, I'd be interested in reading about some of the training/handling issues that people meet in their daily lives/work with their dogs. If there isn't such a forum, it would be nice if someone developed a forum like that.


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Jessica Hodges said:


> Thanks for your reply. The training at a different location won't really work for me as I'm completely blind and getting to different locations without my guide dog is a bit tricky and you cannot take pet dogs on public transit. However, this technique would be useful for someone else. The use of Ecollars and muzzles is not practised with service dog training; however I am certain it is effective in other training areas.
> Do you have any suggestions on training the dogs to be calmer while I'm busy?


I gave that answer already, crating..and training them to chill out.


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## Jessica Hodges (May 16, 2014)

Meg O'Donovan said:


> How about putting each dog that is not being trained into its own crate and putting a sheet or blanket to cover it. Then leave and give yourself 5 minutes to relax and visit quietly in the more distant training area with the dog that is to be trained. That gives you a chance to settle. Maybe the other dogs will go quiet also, if they don't see each other.
> 
> However, this won't work if they key off of each other's noise. Maybe each "resting" dog crated in a different room, each with a treat that will keep them gnawing/busy for a while in the transition?
> 
> Is there an online forum for visually-impaired people working/training with guide dogs? I ask because my niece is blind (retinitus pigmentosa). She is too young to have a dog yet. If there is such a forum, I'd be interested in reading about some of the training/handling issues that people meet in their daily lives/work with their dogs. If there isn't such a forum, it would be nice if someone developed a forum like that.


Thanks to everyone who has replied. Crating with engaging toy, I think, is going to be the best bet. 
As for the guide dog forums, I think there are, but I don't know exactly what they would be. I will look them up for you though and send you the links. There are some of them dedicated to program trained dogs and some to those interested in training their own guide dogs which are called owner trained; for obvious reasons. I would be happy to answer any questions that you or she may have as well.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

it might be easier to offer suggestions if you had stated you were blind when you described your problem.

not being able to rely on sight complicates everything; for you and the dog

is the retired guide dog your former guide dog or is it another person's dog that you adopted ? 

do you have a plan for training the flyball dog without relying on sight ?

do the dogs have bells or another way you can identify them by their movement besides their barking and/or touch, etc ?

of course you can isolate them by crating, but if they won't stay calm in a crate when the door is open you will probably still not have enuff control over them to work without lots of background chaos

it's hard enuff to train multiple dogs even if you have all your senses and you have to be able to let each one know if they are being worked or not. what do you use for training the "off switch" ?
example :
dog #1, 2 and 3 : "DOWN"
dog #4 : "HERE.....Weave polls"

looks like you might have to isolate the dogs you are not working with out of sight/sound and get one solid first
- then add ONE more, and only add a third when the first two are solid together

or.....you might have bit off more than you can chew; especially if you are going to do flyball with one since i haven't thought how you would teach that with only hand signals and verbals and no one else to assist you


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

muzzles and Ecollars may still help you since you are not training all these dogs to be service dogs. They are control measures and you didn't state specifics of how much control you needed.

giving a dog a toy and expecting it to stay occupied by playing with a toy might work, but I have not seen that many dogs who will act that way, and i have worked with many pet owners who tried doing just that.
- personally i think it is wishful thinking ... with a dash of hope ... i don't consider that "training" per se 

being able to control a group of dogs in the manner you are describing is a skill that comes through practice and I haven't seen that many people who can do it effectively

but i think it all boils down to how well you can control each dog separately before you can do it together with all of them

example :
- can you tell all dogs to down in a line next to each other ?
- can you then walk away and recall them, one by one ?
if that won't happen, i wouldn't pass go and move on to anything more complicated

IOW, to suggest how to get more control, it might help if you would describe how much control you have over them now as a group. What you have described sounds like very little, so this would be one way to build a foundation


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

btw....
simply crating the dogs you aren't working with and concentrating with one at a time doesn't sound like a training plan at all. sounds like a management plan.

if you can put them in a crate and have them all stay in place when you move away from them, with the doors open.....THAT would be a training accomplishment, imo


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## Sarah Platts (Jan 12, 2010)

Jessica Hodges said:


> My home consists of four resident dogs. One is a current working guide dog; another is a retired guide dog; and two are pets. One of the pets is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel whom I am attempting to train for fly ball and perhaps scent detection work (for fun). The problem I am running into is that when I'm trying to train one dog, the others are having fits because they want to train and be with me too.
> I've switched locations I.E., everyone not training stays int the living room behind a baby gate and I go into the kitchen/basement/upstairs. And they know what's going on and are noisy in their protests.
> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep them occupied while it's not their turn to train or how to manage a multi-dog household in general?
> Thanks


You don't say how long you have been doing this but some dogs will ease up over time. I am like you and don't have a bunch of crating in the house. I also use a baby gate to fence out the excess dogs from a room if I'm doing training in it. Do you have someone who can help you? I would have that person stay back with the ones left behind and have them deal with the noisy ones. That person can correct for being loud and reinforce that being quiet gets rewarded with treats. Gradually, you can phase that person out. 
I would also practice dry runs with taking one dog away and leaving the others behind and then rotating them around. You don't have to take every dog, every time. Also You can take one dog away and then sneak back and correct the noisy ones. Step just out of sight, wait a short bit, and if they are quiet immediately return back and praise/treat everyone for being quiet. You can gradually extend out the time.
Eventually, if your's are like mine they will settle down over time because they will know their turn is coming. If training the same exercise, I've worked two at the same time. It turns into a real competition between the two to see who finds the item first.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

I wish you could answer my Q about the retired guide dog. If it had worked for you it could be a potentially bigger problem than the others. I have talked with guide dog trainers who have told me retired guide dogs often have troubles adjusting since they were so closely bonded to their owner. as you know, they are trained to not always follow what the owner may want them to do, and if this was your former dog it may be having a very difficult time allowing the other dogs to interact with you.


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