Why your attempt to train your dogs together is backfiring
If you have more than one dog, tell me if this situation sounds familiar…
You want to train your dogs together. They usually get along quite well, so you hope that they will be good and take turns.
I totally get it.
Training takes time and we live busy lives. There’s always so much to do!
But instead, the following happens.
You tell one dog to sit and stay, they follow obediently.
However, when you turn around to face the other… and the first has already gotten up and wants your attention again 😵💫
“Sit, Stay!” you repeat.
You face the dog you want to work with again, but the other one is still not staying in place…
In fact, they are now trying to steal bites from your bowl of training treats.
Argghhhhh…
You wonder, “Maybe I can just train both of them at once?”
So, you try to both give them the same verbal cue.
“Sit… Stay…” you say to both of them.
This time, one responds well, the other one doesn’t respond at all.
Uh oh… Now what?
In the end, this whole training session is confusing, frustrating … and totally ineffective.
Not to mention, it’s a waste of your time!
But enough with the frustration…
What SHOULD you do if you have two dogs and want to train both of them?
I recently broke down this exact topic in my podcast. It’s something that comes up so frequently, I decided to dedicate an entire episode to discussing it.
Managing two dogs well in training can really make or break your success. So I highly encourage you to check it out.
After listening, you will know:
- The #1 reason why training two dogs at once basically never works
- Why making them take turns might be a bad idea
- How to manage dogs that do not want to be separated for training
So that you can turn your multi-dog training chaos… into structured success!
Click here to listen to the podcast “Training Two Dogs At Once”!
If you have more than one dog, how do you manage training time in your household?
Feel free to reply and let me know! I’d love to hear from you.
P.S. Here’s the transcript of today’s podcast, if you prefer reading to listening.
P.P.S. In the podcast, I mention how it is actually a skill for dogs to wait their turn.
If you enjoyed the podcast and want to learn how to teach your dogs to take turns the right way, I invite you to check out Taking Turns, the perfect course on transforming your dogs from chaotic mess to patient, calm companions.
