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HOWLING
WHEN I WALK A SIBLING
This
email question came in, but when I went to reply it came back undeliverable.
So, I am posting this as an article - I hope Kim finds it!
Thank you so much
for your wonderful website. I have benefited more from this than any other
source including clicker training classes in my city. Combining clicker
training and modifying my behaviour is a winning combination.
I live in South Africa,
and have three rescued dogs. One of 11, and two of just over a year. Since
I am trying to train the younger, I walk all of them separately (every
day), using clicker training.
I leave two shut indoors
at home, and all hell breaks loose. Howling, begging, screaming. I have
tried walking in different orders. - Old, younger, youngest, and vice
versa. Nothing helps - only the intensity and volume differs. Loud, louder,
loudest!!!!!! Please, please advise.
Thank you so much,
Kim Orolowitz
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Dear
Kim,
Thank you for your kind
words! I'm thrilled to hear you have clicker training in your city! Where do
you live and who is your instructor?
I'm sure you have read the
'Living With More Than One Dog' section on our website. The other section you
should spend time in is the Leadership section. It is likely that they are not
only co-dependent and struggling with the missing sibling, but there is a certain
amount of "dammit, I should be the chosen one - how dare you leave me behind!"
temper tantrum going on.
Learning to take turns and
wait patiently to be the chosen one is the key piece. See the "Working
a Group at the Same Time" article for photos of what this looks like. Work
with the goal of getting them to the point where they listen for their name
and perform the cue you asked them to do. "Spot, sit." Spot gets a
treat for the sit, Suzie and Joe get a treat for staying in their last position
and not responding to Spot's cue.
When this is solid, you
can begin calling them one at a time out of the pack. Reward that dog for coming
and reward whoever managed to stay, reposition those who break. This won't solve
the melt downs, but learning that they must wait to be the chosen one, and that
each is chosen by name at your whim, will up your Leadership considerably. You
have the right to decide who and in what order and the dog who waits will be
rewarded, and he who can't be patient gets left out.
This lesson will transfer
to their behavior when you are selecting a dog to go for a walk. All dogs sit
and stay. Hold up leash, treat those who stay. Put leash down. Reposition those
who didn't stay. Repeat. When this is solid, practice moving as though about
to snap the leash on one dog, treat all who stay. When this is solid, snap the
leash on one-by-one and reward those who stay. Next snap it on and call that
dog out. Treat all who stay. Practice at the door when they can handle it well
in a neutral place.
Put two dogs on a stay on
the couch or dog bed while you practice leash work up and down the living room
with the third. Take turns rotating who gets to work while the other two watch.
Reward those who wait on a variable schedule. The dog you are working must also
sit and stay while you feed those who watch on the couch.
When you go for a walk alone,
address the chosen one, leash it. And give the other two a special something
reserved only for when you take one of them out for a walk, like a stuffed Kong
or special chew bone. These are picked up as soon as the other dog returns.
If they might argue or steal, they may need to be crated when you leave. (Crate
train separately, of course, before you add it to being left, or it will
become a negative as well.)
The combination of learning
to wait their turn, allowing you to be the one who dictates what, if, when and
how, and sweetening the situation of being left behind with a special reward,
should gradually result a reduction in their demanding hissy fits. Make your
walks short for awhile. If you can return before they have finished extracting
the 'goods' from their Kong and are still quiet, you will make it obvious that
"dang it - when they come back I don't get to finish my Kong!" They will soon
wish you'd get out and stay out longer! This will be particularly powerful if
they are somewhat hungry when you leave them with the stuffed Kong. (There are
Kong stuffing recipe links on the "Intelligent
Diversions" page if you need it - frozen ones take the longest to empty.)
If you always give the Kong
in their crates when you leave, they may see you get out a leash and all run
to their crates. You may have to drag the chosen one out so you can take him
for a walk - as being left behind may be as good or better than the walk!
Good luck! I'd love to hear
how this works for you!
- Carol
This handout
may be reprinted in its entirety for distribution free of charge and with full
credit given:
© CAROL A. BYRNES "DIAMONDS IN THE RUFF" Training for Dogs & Their People -
ditr_training @ hotmail.com - http://www.diamondsintheruff.com
