Doggy Duos – Tips on Training Two Pups at Once

What’s cuter than one puppy? Two puppies! For the dog lovers out there who can’t resist taking home sibling puppies or rescuing a pair of dogs that came from the same home, double the fur oftentimes means double the love. However, two dogs require twice the work, whether training, exercising, grooming, or just spending quality time.

In celebration of canine combos that come to It’s A Dog’s World for basic, obedience, and advanced training, we’re offering insight on welcoming and training two dogs at once! Keep reading for tips on mindset, home preparedness, and individuality, and two high-paws for pet owners who adopt doubles!

Mental Preparedness

Before adopting two dogs, it’s essential that you ask yourself – am even ready for one? Dogs require a great deal of attention, and while having a four-legged family member can be very rewarding it can also be very time consuming. No matter the number of pets you’re considering welcoming into your home, take time to ensure your schedule permits appropriate time for training, recreation, and love.

Home Preparedness

Mental preparedness is essential to becoming a new pet owner for multiples, but so is home preparedness. Before committing to two puppies or rescues, ask yourself some very realistic questions. Do I have space for two dogs, two crates, and two sets of needs? Many families own more than one pet but ensuring the environment is appropriate before bringing them home is essential to healthy, happy relationship with your pets.

Separate but Equal

Just like humans, dogs can have different personalities and should be approached as individuals. One dog may be more passive while the other is more outgoing, and one may pick up training at faster pace than the other. Co-training is definitely a great option, but don’t be afraid to spend time one-on-one as well. If you need to kennel one pup to focus on certain areas with the other, do so! Whatever the dogs need to be successful in training is what should be presented to them.

Distinctive Praise

Keeping in line with the philosophy that dogs can have different personalities, it’s important for them to understand that when one pup is being praised they realize it. The same can be said for disciplining. Identify a praise word for each pet and use it when training – so “good” is positive for praise for one pet and “yes” is praise for the other. This helps when one pup is misbehaving but the other is not.

Welcoming a dog into your home is a great joy – and welcoming two can be twice the fun! It’s A Dog’s World has a team of skilled trainers that can help you acclimate your dogs to their new home and each other, and pick up basic obedience habits in the process. For a free consult visit www.ItsADogsWorld.biz.