A question for dog trainers!

[PastTime 10]

We've recently got phoning about some dog trainers for our 2 little pups, both 3 months old, as soon as we say we've got 2 their reactions are a bit odd!

 

First they ask what breed.. they're jack russells, ones a parsons and one is a normal jack, then they ask if they're brother and sister from the same litter... why is this??

 

When we ask why they always come out with the fact that it complicates things but never actually explaining why! It seems like if they were proper litter mates then no one would touch them with a barge pole

 

They're both well behaved and could probably do without the training classes all together but we want to get our parsons into agility when she's older and found a very local class so we thought we'll get her into a training class for socialization more than anything else.

[medusa 16]

Littermates quite often are far, far rougher in play with each other than they ever will be with another dog. They're also more likely to keep to each other more than using humans as their reference, which makes training a much harder job.

 

I do know some littermates who have come out as a fabulous pair of dogs. In fact I've rehomed 2 pairs in the last couple of months, one 18 month old pair, and one at 8 years. Both are fabulous and are an absolute joy to be around, but they're definitely different emotionally compared to non-littermate pairs and they're both really reliant on each other in a way that I don't often see in non-littermate pairs.

 

It's kind of like the difference between normal siblings and twins- it's not 'worse', it's just 'different', but unfortunately that difference does tend to make training harder and separating them for training a distressing event for both of them if you aren't careful.

[mglrgn31 10]

we have had the same problmes, we have 2 boys from the same litter, rottie-crosses and its amazing how many people dont get back to us when they find this out

[PastTime 10]

Thank you Medusa, I guess that does make sense!

 

Mglrgn - Have you tried offering to take them separately?? We originally had 2 from the same litter but sadly our little boy died shortly after we got him so we got our little pup another "brother" so she wouldn't feel so lonely, dreading to think of the trouble it would of been to get them into training classes, a lot of the trainers don't seem to want to know about jack russells either for some reason! when we mention what breed it's always "oh... ok then" lol

[sheltiepup 10]

Take them to happidogs at Wickersley, they dont descriminate between breeds nor on ones from the same litter.

 

http://www.happidogs.webs.com

 

Dont know if its too far for you though

[PastTime 10]

Take them to happidogs at Wickersley, they dont descriminate between breeds nor on ones from the same litter.

 

http://www.happidogs.webs.com

 

Dont know if its too far for you though

 

Thanks for the link, very thoughtful but sadly it is too far, I'm down south now

[Lotti 10]

I've taken littermates in my classes before and it has been quite difficult with them not wanting to be separated for training etc. that said, the same goes for dogs who simply live together and are very close.

 

I do suggest now that people with multiple dogs bring them to separate classes but I wouldn't refuse them and if they are used to being away from each other then I have no problem with it.

 

Very often, people forget to do separation training with dogs who live together and the bond between litter mates means it can be even worse with them. It is so very important that if you have more than one dog you get them used to being without the other - especially litter mates or dogs that have always lived together. I would suggest taking them to separate classes because you can then teach them away from each other and you know they're not copying each other and they're not going to get upset if they are not situated close to each other in the hall. That said, it's only a suggestion. I do not tell people what to do, I offer them the advice - at the end of the day, they're not my dogs.

 

You'd be surprised how many dogs learn to completely rely on each other having always lived together and simply can't cope if one has to go into the vets for the day or something and they have to be split.

 

I can understand why some dog trainers say no to litter mates but I try to be as flexible as I can. At the end of the day, getting the dogs trained and socialised is the most important thing. I do warn prior to booking though, that if they choose to go ahead and book onto the same course and the dogs cause a lot of disruption then they may be asked to only bring one at a time and may not get their course fee back.

 

I would take you on my course but unfortunately too far away!

[PastTime 10]

Thanks Lotti, you've given me more to think about

 

having both of them quiet ill when they were younger they've spent time away from each other weeks at a time and now they really do miss each other when they do get the odd checkup, We've picked up on this and have been taking one in the garden and doing the sit's stay's etc so they are learning apart but I think it would be a good idea to have them go to classes separate but I gotta convince the parents too cos they've ultimately got the final word on the subject but I'm gunna do some nagging and see what I can do

[Lotti 10]

Great that you are already working on the separation training. As you have a few people to work with them, see if you can get one person to wait with one doing some training/play to keep them busy whilst you take the other one for training/play/walk elsewhere.

 

Try to keep them busy whilst separated from each other and they should learn to cope with it better. Separate training will also help them to concentrate on you instead of being focused on each other too much!

[Bilbo Baggin 10]

Take them to happidogs at Wickersley, they dont descriminate between breeds nor on ones from the same litter.

 

http://www.happidogs.webs.com

 

Dont know if its too far for you though

 

Wow is Pat still doing that. I used to take my St bernard and Newfoundland puppy to her this is going back 18 years or so saddly both dogs are no longer with us but I can highly recommend her. We live in Hope Valley now sio quite a bit of a treak. We have 2 puppies from the same litter and the vet told us it would be a lot harder to train littermates, infact all the books we have read say that too. They are 10 weeks old and their training is coming on, they sit, are just about fully house trained, travel well in car and walk nicely on the lead but boy do they playfight! and when they get going they completely ignore us. It does help training them seperately but once they get together it's very hard going. Give Pat a go if you are near she's an excellent trainer x