Dog talk #1 - How is it to have 3 dogs?

Very often I have been asked: "Are all three dogs yours?" On my affermative answer they usually respond with: "Oh my goodness, how can you handle them? Isn't it a lot of work?"

As with anything else there are pros and cons:

• You have to take the time to walk your dog, either you have one, two or more dogs
• The dogs usually learn from each other, so if you trained your first dog well, the following ones will be easier to train
• If you are lucky, they play with each other and keep themselves company
• They might not miss you when you leave them alone at home, so less or no separation anxiety may occur
• A short hair dog is easier to maintain. Long hair breeds need a lot of grooming so that the fur doesn't mat
• As dog owner you have dogs hair all over. The more dogs, the more hair

How do I manage my dogs?

My first dog Perla is a rescued dog from Sicily. For about 5 years she was a rebellious girl. She troubled me whenever she could. Very often, after a walk (no matter short or long), she didn't want to be placed back on the leash. Calling, whistling, treats, yelling, hiding, walking in opposite direction - none of these training tips worked with her. She looked at me with a big smile saying: "I know what you are trying to do!"

When did she stop doing it? After I got my second dog Ciccio (Perla's son)!

Ciccio is so attached to me, that he, up until today, follows my heels closely. When I called Ciccio he came always happily to me. So Perla learned after a while that we both would "leave" her behind if she didn't allow me to put her on the leash.

My third dog Ringo

He is a rescued dog from the Caribbean, who was very independent, that as soon as he was off the leash he would simply walk himself alone.

He is used to cars and dogs, so he wouldn't put himself in danger. However, in Switzerland you get in trouble if authorities or other people see your dog walking alone. So I needed to teach him, how to stay close to me:

1. I tried to bond with him, by playing, hand feeding, brushing his teeth or cleaning his ears
2. By showing patience and no aggression! He is scared of humans caused by his bad experiences as stray dog, so intimidating him was not an option.
3. During our walk I would repeatedly take him off and on the leash every few meters
4. Show your dog that you trust him! If Ringo wouldn't come immediately, I waited patiently on him and eventually he came.
5. Normally he wouldn't return to me if we did not do the whole round that he used to take. So I understood I had to first finish the round and then I could call him to put him back on the leash.

After a few months he bonded with me and my senior girl Perla, so he makes sure that he stays close to his new family.

• Are you thinking about getting a dog?
• Do you have more than one dog?
• Is your dog a trouble maker?

I am not a professional dog trainer, however since at an early age I have read dozens of books about dog training. So everything I put in practice was by book.

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