Those of us with multiple dog households know how fun it is to watch canine “siblings” romp and play. However, there are a few things to watch out for to ensure that you remain leader of the pack.
1. Watch out for exclusive bonding between dogs. When this happens, you will have one or more dogs that are following each other instead of you.
When brining a new dog into your household, spend as much time alone with it as possible. Physically tethering your new dog to you or near you is a great way to bond while establishing you as the leader. Dogs that are thrown into the pack without this special alone time will often defer to the existing dog/s rather than to you. Does one of your dogs visually check in with another family dog before complying to your obedience request? Are your dogs ignoring you? If you answered yes, here are some ways to correct the balance of power in your home.
- For dogs that ignore you: Prohibit play between the dogs for one month-inside and out. When they start to play, interrupt them. Do not physically separate them.
- Interrupt dogs playing on a regular basis. Interrupt them for a few seconds and then tell them to “go play”. You are giving them permission with this method.
- Train instant recall with multiple dogs. While your dogs are playing, lure them to you with treats in both hands. Do this a few times and make the dogs sit for 20 seconds. Eventually only treat intermittently for this exercise.
- Work on getting a solid Down (Stay) while the dogs are together. If dog does not have a good Down (Stay) while alone, work on that first.
2. Other things to look for:
- Dogs moving in tandem-this shows good communication between your dogs. Dogs that communicate well are less likely to fight.
- Dogs that are playing happily will take turns being the victim and the aggressor and take small breaks to catch their breath.
- If you see tension building between dogs during play, always interrupt it.
