Hi there, I have a couple of questions to ask. I have 3 dogs and a cat. One is a scottish terrier/poodle mix, he is 11, one is a bichon frise, he is 6 and one is a 4 months german shepherd. The german shepherd pup is pretty good usually but sometimes he plays too rough with my older dog and I noticed that sometimes he breaks the skin, his back is full of little cuts. What can I do to make him stop from doing that? Sometimes he stops when I call but most of the times he ignores me completely and I have to go and pull him away and I have to correct him 5 or 6 times before he stops. We also take him to puppy school and he is good with other dogs, he just barks at the beginning but then he gentle and playful. The first class he listened to all the commands and walked nicely, but on the second and 3rd class he just didn't want to listen! He pulled, he didn't want to sit or stay and he just wanted to lie down. He ignored us totally, he didn't even look at us once! Could it be that he gets distracted from other dogs and gets too excited? Or maybe he gets tired from all the excitment? I know he is still young but should we worry about him? He is pretty good in general, it didn't take long to house train him, he doesn't chew anything, he knows most of the commands, but sometimes he just doesn't want to pay attention to us and ignores us...Another thing, does just one person have to train the dog or can we both do it so he can listen to us equally? Thank you for your help and sorry for the long email.
I forgot to ask another question about my other dog. The older dog always barks at other dogs and our cat and he doesn't stop until he get closer and sniffs them. He is not aggressive and he doesn't bite but when he barks he seems like he wants to go for the kill and he usually scares other pets! Is there anything I can do to make him stop doing that, I tried everything but he just can't stop doing that. Our cat is always upstairs because he is afraid of him!
Hi marvin and thanks for your post. It sounds like you have quite a little pack of animals there and they are all trying to be in charge. Sorting out a dominance order and then implementing it should sort things out. I would reccomend the following pack order from what you have told me:
you all other humans cat terrier bichon shepherd
In a wild dog pack the dominant pack member controls : -access to food -access to favoured sleeping areas -any interactions with lower pack members -access to favoured items such as toys
The pack leader (you) takes first access to, and all control of, these resources. The pack leader will then offer access to these resources to the next member down then the next and so on.
For example: 1) You should always eat your meal first then feed the cat, then after that ask all three dogs to sit and offer the terrier its bowl first, then the bichon and last of all the shepherd. Never feed any of the dogs from your plate as this is a sign that they can challenge you for your meal.
2) They should never walk through doors before you. A good way to practice this is to walk around the house and make them sit at each doorway and wait.
3) If any of your dogs is lying in the hallway or anywhere you have to get past make them move. If you think they will snap leave a lead on them so you can move them whilst maintaining a bit of distance.
4) When you arrive home completely ignore the pets for 15 minutes. Don't look at them, talk to them or pat them. After this go to them and give them some quiet attention in order of their dominance for example greet the cat first then the terrier etc, only as long as they are relaxed and calm.
Only interact with the pets on your terms. If your or someone else is petting one of the dogs or playing with it and it becomes aggressive or badly behaved immediately remove your attention from the dog by either removing yourself from the area or moving the dog to another area. You should do this without displaying any emotion such as anger just be a calm but decisive pack leader and the dog will appreciate knowing where it stands. Similarly you can assert your (and the cats) dominance by not allowing the dogs access to beds and couches or by only bringing out favourite toys when you want to play, allowing first access to them to the dominant animals, and removing them when you are finished.
Also when taking the dogs out for a walk or into the car the highest dog should have its lead etc put on first or get put into the car first and then the others in descending order.
This may seem unfair or like favouritism but remember the dog pack is not the same as the human family and non-pack leaders are familiar with such controlled access by their dominant pack mates. Dogs feel much more secure when they know their position and asserting the cat as dominant should stop the problems with the cat getting barked at. Remember interaction with the cat should be similar to interactions with you in that if one of the dogs barks at the cat it should be removed from the situation immediately for a short time out. Most importantly make sure to reward all good interactions between the members of your little pack for example if the dog stands near the cat and does not bark give praise or treats.
hope this helps you sort out your little pack, please let me know how you get on and if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask.
