“I hate having two dogs!”
This is a common saying dog owners will state from time to time. When you have multiple dogs at home, it can become challenging to deal with the pair as they run around from room to room.
As a result, you may end up deeming this to be a horrible decision!
If you hate having two dogs, it’s highly recommended to take a breath and come up with a plan of action. This will allow you to improve your quality of life without having to give one of the dogs away. Yes, if you can’t handle the stress, it is okay to give one of the dogs away, but why not give it a chance to improve things before going to such an option?
A few adjustments can go a long way when you have two dogs at home.
This article will take a look at what to do if you hate having two dogs around. These tips will go a long way in improving your ability to handle the dogs while keeping them happy too.
Table of Contents
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Tips For Having Two Dogs At Home
1. Train Them To Understand Independent Commands
A common mistake people will make is to continuously train them together.
Yes, you want the dogs to bond, but they are individuals too. This means it is important for them to understand a direct command can’t be deflected onto the other dog.
This is when dogs start misbehaving and/or ignoring commands because they know the other dog will take care of it. You have to make it clear to the dog that they are only going to be rewarded when it is them listening to the command and acting on it.
How are you going to go about doing this?
When training two dogs at home, you want to get them to listen to each command individually. This means if one is told to “sit” you are then going to walk to the other and ask them to do something else. Over time, they will start paying attention to what you are saying.
If you only train them with the same commands all the time, you are not going to have well-behaved dogs!
This is why dog owners start panicking and hate having two dogs running around all the time.
2. Gradually Sync Their Routines
You will have to train them individually but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a similar routine.
For example, when are they going to eat in the morning? What about exercise? What about going for a potty break?
All of these can be synced over time and that is why you have to be patient early on. As long as you sync these things, you will realize how much easier it becomes to raise two dogs at home.
Most of the concerns dog owners have with two dogs has to do with independent schedules.
It is not easy to take one for a walk and then have to do the same for another! This is simply impossible to manage and you won’t want to do it.
As a result, if you sync their schedules both you and the dogs will be content.
3. Use Positive Reinforcement
You will want to take advantage of your words.
Positive reinforcement is key because it will help calm the dogs down. They are going to know you are creating a positive environment in the house.
This does go a long way and won’t cause the dogs to act out.
This is especially important when you are training two dogs at home.
Take your time with them, be patient, and make sure you are using positive reinforcement. This is how you are going to see good results.
Related Questions
1. Is Having Two Dogs A Bad Idea?
Having two dogs is not a bad idea for experienced dog owners. If you are a new dog owner, it’s recommended to start with one dog and understand how the process of raising a dog works.
2. Why Should You Not Have Two Dogs?
Two dogs are not a good option for those who are busy all the time, can’t train the dogs, and/or are new to owning dogs.
Final Thoughts
I hate having two dogs!
Having two dogs is not bad as long as you are willing to train them. Once you sync their schedules (eating, drinking water, exercise), you will notice half of the work will be done as it would be with one dog!
Don’t stress too much and give the dogs a chance. It will be tough at first but the reward will be worth it.
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