Multi-dog households.

[TNDemo]

Does anyone have a multi-dog household where they are all well housebroken? I am wondering if a single dog household is the only way to have this or if multiple dogs can cohabitate and not be tempted to out-scent the other one. My uncle had five pug mixes. They absolutely ruined his house and it seemed to be one would have to pee on top of what the other one had done. They started dying (he accidentally ran over two of them though I asked him how far he had to chase them across the yard to nail them - just joking now, don't get upset) and now he is down to just one - about 16 years old now. Since the others died this one has been perfectly well housebroken but it did not happen until the others were gone. So is this a normal thing or not?

[LuLu550]

1. I had two dogs once and no problems

but I think once one of them starts going inside, it's a big problem.

[Robb]

2. It's all about training.

You just have to be consistent in letting the dogs know in the moment that it's not OK to pee in the house. I've lived with a dozen dogs with no problem (after the first month or so).

Typically a dog who knows he's not supposed to go in the house will continue knowing that regardless of newcomers -- unless the newcomers get away with it, then all the dogs will begin to think it might be OK. Consistency and repetition!

[Richardo]

3. multi multi dog house here (6)

We have the occasional accident, but no malicious (or competitive) peeing or pooping.

Maybe 'cause all except one are girls... :shrug:

[Nite Owl]

4. I have two right now.

But we had three until the oldest passed away about two years ago. The both are housebroken. The oldest, the one who passed was a Standard Poodle who just never went in the house. He helped to train the others. The little one who is now six took longest to train but the 'baby' an American Eskimo went in the house once. He just followed the others like that's the way it was done. I was thinking of getting another big dog but so far these guys have been so easy I'm afraid to press our luck. We have no fence and they go into the woods sometimes or visit the dogs next door but never go off and always come when called. What is normal? Maybe it's just the personality.

[izzie]

5. I had 2 large dogs and no trouble.

I live behind my land lady and she has 3 Newfoundlands and I have a toy breed and they do all check out the piles out side. But you have to clean yard a lot with all these dogs.

[radwriter0555]

6. ROFLMAO! No dogs are every REALLY housebroken, they're just POLITE...

trust me on this.

I have 3.

The littlest one doesn't always make it outside for her peepees, but is very good now about the poops. This was after the rug in the study was ruined of course.

The big girl can't hold it all night. If she can't get out the dog door, if by accident the inside door is closed well, there will be a gift near the front door.

Little Joe sometimes just can't HELP himself and lifts the leg on a grocery bag in the kitchen on occasion just to, well, mark that territory. HE doesn't poop inside unless it's raining. Then he doesn't want to get wet. I don't blame him.

Pugs will NEVER EVER be housebroken. Inherent to the breed. Never heard of one that was. If the lone one is refraining, again, he's just being polite.

[Robb]

9. If you allow it, yes. nt

[radwriter0555]

15. What's to allow? When a doggie makes a dookie in the middle of the night

it's impossible to reprimand them cause you're sleeping.

You can't bust them after the fact, they just LOOK at you.

[short bus president]

18. if you crate train,

you'll seldom have any midnight "deposits." Nobody wants to sleep in their own filth.

[Robb]

19. Ain't trying to pick a fight!

:)

It's been my experience there's always something that can be done. I've never heard of untrainable dogs, it's just a matter of how far you are willing to work on it.

Like a dog pooping in the night, for example. Several tacks to try. Were it me, I'd probably go back to crate training for a week or two, until outside = poop time got ingrained again. Or you could stay up all night to reprimand, but that would suck. I'd also look at a feeding schedule where doggy would get stuff through his system earlier, or a walking/outside schedule that was more "goal oriented" (as in "nothing about this walk will be fun, nor will it end, until poopies are made"... followed by BIG praise and returning home, maybe even a teeny treat like a single kibble).

Again, you're spot on -- you can't make any kind of sense to them if you reprimand after the fact. But there's always something. Years and years of lots and lots of dogs (and dog people, you think kitty folk are weird, you should meet the musher/show folks) haven't proven me wrong.

[Taeger]

23. Reward ?????

followed by BIG praise and returning home, maybe even a teeny treat like a single kibble

So ENDING the walk is a reward for eliminating???? Most dogs LOVE walks. You could associate going home with eliminating. Thus a dog may learn to REFUSE elimination in order to prolong the walk.

Rather, I would suggest starting on a confined area. Once the dog eliminated, the REAL walk would begin.

[Robb]

27. Dogs do love walks

...almost as much as food. :)

[TNDemo]

20. Speaking of during the night pooping...

We had a basset mix for many years who never pooped in the house but one night she spent the night in the den and the door was shut so she was unable to get back to us at the other end of the house. Evidently something disagreed with her and we didn't hear her. There were 24 piles of poop in the den. I woke my husband up and told him he had to see it before I cleaned it up because if he did not see it he would think I made it up. Thankfully that never happened again. I bet she felt much better that morning.

[GodHelpUsAll2]

26. I have a pug that is housebroken

She is 5 and goes out with the others. However, I must admit I had to force the issue with her. You had to leave her out and make her go. But once she caught on she was fine. I think the other 2 have helped her learn the ropes/ They are all 3 really good about going outside.

[papau]

7. My Sister breeds dogs - handles up to 12 at a time - no problems

:-)

[Faygo Kid]

8. It's normal to love them. What's normal with another person?

The best people I have ever known have been my dogs. Unconditional love, both ways. I have had single dog households, multiple dog households, and no dog households. My sympathies to your uncle; when he is alone, it will hurt. A lot.

[mac56]

10. I'm with you, faygokid.

Our two dogs are just about the best people we know. The older one helped train the younger. Rarely, if ever, an accident. When they happen, they're usually poops, and most likely because they've eaten something that disagrees. (Which we probably gave them.)

Some breeds are better about being housebroken than others. Competitive marking & overmarking can happen. How many is "too many"? One can be too many for some people - twelve just right for others, space permitting.

[geniph]

11. My mother has five beagles,

all of which live inside her very tiny house, and while the house smells pretty doggy, none of them regularly pee or poop indoors.

One of my nieces has two BIG male dogs, the best-trained dogs you've ever seen (my niece should be a professional trainer, she is definitely an alpha in that pack, and they adore her). This holiday season, we were over visiting at my sister's house. Her little Norwich terrier female was there, my other sister's male boxer, and my niece's two big males, and there were no accidents or other problems, just a lot of horseplay and barking.

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. I have three

Two poms and a yorkie. All girls. The yorkie is the youngest and she always goes outside even when its raining. She sleeps with us and I take her out right before bed,she's good til morning. The poms go outside when they feel like it. Thank goodness my house is all tile. I can't have even a throw rug down because they will pee on it and yes they always pee in the exact same spot where other has gone first. They are the peeing-est dogs I have ever had.

[radwriter0555]

16. Yes, my little Winky loves the throw rugs too. Good thing they're

washable!

Blue and Joe do go on the tiles in desperation, bless their hearts.

[TNDemo]

13. What are the worst dogs to train?

Someone here commented on how pugs are so bad. My vet told me that Yorkies are completely hopeless. Any other breeds known for this?

[Cuban_Liberal]

14. 2 males, no pee problem.

The puppy still has an accident, on occasion, but there's no competitive marking problem at all.

[kodi]

17. all 6 of mine are housebroken.

they had better be. even though 4 are rescues, all were housebroken when i brought them into the pack.

[NC_Nurse]

21. I have 2

and they don't mess up unless they're sick or something...both girls though.

Sometimes my eskie pees when she get over-excited. Just a little though...

[Taeger]

22. Marking Territory

Dog PACKS stake out territory. Individual dogs DO NOT.

If YOU are the leader in the house, there should be no question about the household consisting of a single pack. There is no need for members of the same pack to stake out territory against one another.

If the owner doesn't establish himself as the LEADER of the dogs, than they could indeed try to form their own pack hierarchies and distinct territories provided no one dog could dominate all the others.

Every multi-dog household I've known of does just fine. In fact, the dogs are happier during the day since they have company.

One big tip ... DO NOT treat the two dogs "equal". That is NOT the way a canine society works. Identify who the dominant animal is and give that one preferential treatment. The dominant animal is always fed first (thats why YOU eat before the dogs). You should GREET the dominant dog first and give that dominant animal treats first.

If you DO NOT do this, the dominant dog will become insecure and will seek to DEMONSTRATE his dominance. Basically, he'll pick on the less dominant animal. The more you try to STOP this activity, the worse it will become.

[ajacobson]

24. 6 here (2 dogs 4 bitches)

the boys are getting older now (8+) and there has been more marking in the house lately, but nothing that I would considered "a lot". One of the girls has spay incontinence - treated with PPA, seems to take care of it most of the time- she does get leaky occassionally and the boys don't try to mark over it at all.

[RoadRunner]

25. 2 mutts, no problem. 2 chihuahuas, big problem.

them little buggers piss on everything, including each other. Gotta' get me some doggie diapers.

[Carolina]

28. I have 2 male hounds

a beagle and a basset, both adopted. Got the basset as a puppy and trained him. Got the beagle as an adult (was abandoned at the vets after an injury).

The vet techs were great about ways to introduce a new dog or dogs into a household. But training and early, scent-neutralizing clean ups are essential.

Also remember puppies are like babies, it takes a while before they have bladder/bowel control and can be completely potty trained. Thus, some degree of confinement may be warranted when introducing a puppy to a home where a trained adult dog already lives. That way the dog does not revert.

By the way, my animals are neutered and that helps too.

[OneBlueSky]

29. two here . . . a black lab mixed and a pure Jack Russell . . .

the little guy is still young and will occasionally piss in the house, but he's learning . . . in the past few weeks he's even started barking to go out, so there's really no problem . . . I've had two dogs before and, except for housebreaking time during puppyhood, it's never been a problem . . .