From: kte@INEL.GOV (Kathryn L Cook)
Subject: Talking to 2 Dogs Re: Using names with commands/scolding (Was Re: Opal's...)
Reply-To: kte@INEL.GOV (Kathryn L Cook)
Organization: Idaho National Engineering Lab
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 92 14:17:21 GMT

(Discussion of how to train multiple dogs, how to issue a command to
one dog without the other dog responding etc. deleted.)

I'm no pro, and I don't know if these are accepted methods, but the following
is what works for me.

I trained each of my girls the puppy basics separately. Demi (almost 2yrs old)
is about 8 months older than Koby (15 months). When I first started working
them both formally I put one in an x-pen and worked the other for about
10 min then switched dogs etc.  Whoever was in the x-pen got ignored no
matter what they did, and I concentrated only on the dog I was working.
Now what I do is put the one I'm not working in an easy chair and tell her
to settle. The timeout dog can do pretty much what she wants as long
as she stays in the chair, is quiet, and doesn't bother me or the
working dog. It's amazing how fast they've learned this and I think
they learn alot about the various exercises from watching the other dog
work and the fact that they each have a distinct identity etc,
not to mention self control.  Eventually I plan to work the timeout dog
on sits and downs out of the chair, but we are working things one step
at a time and I don't want to have to constantly interupt the work with
one dog to correct the other for minor infractions permissable on a settle,
but not permissable on a formal stay. The chair seems to really get the
point across fast, fortunately my dogs fit easily in chairs. Right now they
do random sit/down stays at the same time sometimes next to each other,
sometimes across the room from each other.  These *REALLY* comes in handy 
when I just need them to be quiet and let me take care of business and
they do look so proud of themselves the whole time they're staying.

Like Valarie, I don't seem to have a problem using a dog's name as part of
a correction, my dogs know the difference between a correction, a command,
praise, and just a freindly conversation.

IMHO I don't think it would be a good idea to teach each dog in a different
language. God, if you had an emergency where you needed everyone to down,
what would you do rattle off down in mutliple languages as quickly as
possible?

Through practice my girls know who is who and who's being talked to. They
also know "Girls" means both of them and if I say a command without a name
and they are both right there with me they both know to obey.

This isn't to say that one doesn't sometime respond to the other's command,
or that sometimes one or both don't go selectively deaf, they are young and
they are terriers and they are fallable, but usually this works quite well
for us and it's getting better all the time.

Again I have no experts to back me on any of this, but it works for us
so we're happy with it.

Brag: They both lay (laid?) quietly at my feet for at least 45 minutes while
I talked to a fellow who came to give me a bid on some home construction.
Not bad for two realitively young ladies :-D.

Merry Christmas and Hope this may be of help to someone,

Kayti and the Border Terriers
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