Simple, everyone plays nice.

Let me elaborate. People get caught up in many training ideas which have been passed down from others regarding how to interact and manage multi-dog homes. The advice often goes like this: the alpha/oldest/longest in residence dog always gets...

-Attention first
-Fed first
-First/primary access to toys/space
-To behave towards the other dogs as they wish

This is a perfect recipe for creating friction, and it’s a lot of BS. First of all, there should only be one “alpha”, and that’s you. (Not my word choice, but it’s the one often used.) Allowing any of your dogs with a stronger personality to share that personality as they see fit, is a perfect way to create friction and fights. A dog with a stronger personality is already going to be prone to bullying, allowing that will only invite stronger bullying. As for the older dog, or the dog of longest residence, same thing—no special privileges. Even if this dog doesn’t have a strong personality, allowing them to have first access to resources, and likely treating them as more special (aka spoiling), can easily create a tyrant where there wasn’t one.

Whether you’re attempting to maintain some kind of hierarchy in which the dogs “work it out”, or you’re just letting your heart and sentimentality guide you, they’re both dangerous avenues. Instead of clinging to old school notions, or emotionally-based inclinations, commit to running your multi-dog home in a smart, informed, and appropriately detached fashion.

This means you analyze the individual personalities and proclivities of each dog, and YOU ensure that all the personality pieces fit. Instead of giving special privileges which might create resentment or entitlement, or allowing behavior which might create friction and possibly fights, you demand that every dog behaves appropriately. You allow zero bullying, you correct excitement which overwhelms the other dog, you address any guarding or posturing, you keep a watchful eye on all resources and how each individual dog behaves around them, and you clearly, and unequivocally, and unapologetically...lead your home.

Every dog in the home should know exactly, 100%, without any doubt who is in charge. And if they don’t, regardless of how it comes to pass, you shouldn’t be surprised if the peace isn’t kept.

By Sean O'Shea from The Good Dog Training and RehabilitationWhile I'm a big proponent of using and leveraging the very best tools available for you and your dog to be successful, the reality is that the greatest tools in the world mean nothing if your head, heart, and energy aren't in the right place.The greatest tool you have at your disposal is always yourself. Your mind and your intention. If your emotions and outlook regarding your dog (and yourself) are out of balance, you will both likely struggle, regardless of what tools you use.If you have an out of balance dog and you're: still babying and spoiling because it feels good/fulfills your need to nurture, feeling guilty for working long hours so you only share freedom and affection when you get home, shunning structure, training and discipline because it feels yucky or un-enjoyable, being too soft with a firm dog because that's simply who you are, substituting dog relationships and connection for human relationships and connection, or using your dog to fill unattended to emotional voids and needs, you and your dog will likely still struggle.The way you feel about yourself and the world, and the way you think about your dog and his training and lifestyle is what fuels the tools and your training strategy to either be powerful and transformative, or to be superficial, unconvincing, and powerless.Whether you're aware of it or not, your human animal is having a constant, 24/7 conversation with your canine animal about who you are and what role you wish to play in his life. You cannot tell your dog 23 hours of the day that he's your little cuddle bug and that you're his doting mommy or daddy and then on your walks where he misbehaves and acts likes a monster try to tell him you are the big pack leader. :) That ones not going to work. We have to give our dogs more credit than that.Every moment is valuable. You build credit towards good behavior by creating believable leadership long before you're going to need it when the chips are down. If you want to turn behavior issues around and get your dog into an awesome space state of mind wise, you have to cultivate a believable energy, and a believable presence your dog is able to buy into and follow as an ongoing lifestyle - not just in the moments you need it or that are convenient.These awesome creatures have a special knack for highlighting and exposing our personal gaps, camouflaged shortcomings, and internal struggles. How awesome is that? You live with your very own personal therapist. :) That's the awesome challenge and opportunity of dogs: you can't fool them with tools or a momentary decision of commitment or fortitude, no, they're looking and waiting for the real stuff. Your best stuff. If you want them to change they're ready for it - just as soon as you are ready to change yourself.So remember, the tools are important, no doubt, but it's your presence, your intention, your emotional balance, your energy, your decision to treat and view your dog like a dog, your force of will and desire and determination, and the constant conversation that your human animal is having with your canine animal that fuels and empowers the tools and the training strategy to actually create the possibility for transformation and change.____CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, our free weekly Q&A Saturday, and community interaction!Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself E-Collar training video/PDF training guide Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: E-Collar Training is now available for order! Click HERE to order your copy!

CLICK THE PICTURE BELOW TO WATCH THE DVD TEASER!

By Sean O'SheaI often get asked by clients and other folks why I recommend the "Heel" command and what is the value of it? It's a very good question. For me, it goes much, much deeper than just the aesthetic of having a dog walk next to you (although it does look good! :)), and there's some obvious practical value of having a dog in a well managed physical position, close to your side to keep him or her out of trouble and harm's way. But in my opinion that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are some really valuable state of mind and relationship benefits as well. Let's take a look at a few!-Dogs have to utilize a ton of impulse control and focus to keep themselves next to you on the walk in the face of many distractions and exciting triggers. This ends up being a fantastic training and state of mind exercise for the dog.-The physical position of the dog indicates the mental position as well - or in other words, if the dog is working to keep himself next to me, I know he's focused on me instead of the environment, I know he's managing himself, and I also know that his intensity level is under control. (Most dogs as soon as they get agitated or stimulated start to move around and lose position either farther back or forward, and these are great warning signs.)-A respectful, polite, courteous, and tuned-in state of mind isn't the state of mind that reacts to dogs and other things in the environment.-Having your dog honor your request to walk in a certain position, at a certain pace, and ignoring distractions, is a huge positive relationship builder.-Dogs who are paying attention, respectful, polite, and courteously walking in a heel feel far less inspired, entitled, and empowered to bark, lunge, and disagree with things they disapprove of in their environment.-Dogs in a heel, that are practicing self-control are far less stressed and anxious, and therefore far less apt to make poor decisions around dogs, people, cars, bikes etc.-Dogs in a heel are actually deeply connected to their owners. They therefore feel far less stress and anxiety because they are being guided/led through the world rather than being in charge of assessing and sorting out what is safe and what is dangerous constantly. (Especially important for nervous, anxious, fearful dogs, who make up the majority of reactive cases.)-Asking more of your dog makes you a leader. A dog with a leader is relaxed and comfortable. A dog who is a leader is stressed and anxious.-Dogs being respectful on-leash tend to be respectful to the environment. Dogs being brats on-leash tend to be brats to the environment.-If the dog is using 75% of their mental focus on keeping themselves in a heel position! that only leaves 25% to get into trouble with.If you haven't worked on "Heel" with your dog yet, and you'd like to benefit from some of these juicy "Heel/Healing" results, drop me a comment and I'll connect you with a link to my video that shows how easy it is to create this very cool command. :)____________________Here are a few links of mine to help you with healing your heeling!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nxKaTYQFJIhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrrQJto8xJU____________________CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!Click Here to visit our website.Our groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy!

By Sean O'SheaTruth be told, we almost never specifically address issues head on. What we do is what we always do - we work our foundational program. We teach the dog how to be calm, we teach the dog how to be respectful, we teach the dog that we'll be handling the big stuff from now on, we teach the dog that he doesn't have a million options, we teach the dog that every sound or sight isn't necessarily cause for a meltdown, we teach the dog who has been moving his entire life how to finally sit still, and we teach the dog that we will advocate for him.Once we create the above, the dog's state of mind is so dramatically changed; he is so much calmer, so much less stressed, so much less anxious, so used to practicing impulse control, and so used to deferring to people that the laundry list of issues he came with have almost always disappeared.Learning this and learning how to consistently create this transformation was probably my biggest personal breakthrough as a trainer. When I started out I used to try to address each problem head on - I was attacking the symptoms rather than the problem - and it was hard on me, hard on the dog, hard on the owner, and far less successful. Once I had the realization of how true transformation was created - by removing foundational stress and anxiety - everything changed.So if you're looking to change challenging behavior issues, remember that these issues are only the symptoms of a bigger, deeper problem, not the problem itself. When you learn to see how the foundational state of mind creates everything else, you finally have the magic key to unlocking and resolving all of your dog's issues.____CONNECT WITH US ON Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube for more training insights, tips, a free weekly Q&A, and community interaction!To learn more about us visit our website www.thegooddog.netOur groundbreaking do-it-yourself training video/PDF training booklet Learn to Train The Good Dog Way: The Foundation is now available for pre-order at a discounted price - click on the picture below to watch the new TEASER video, and click HERE to order your copy!

By Sean O'SheaWhen it comes to working with our dog's behavior issues, we are often told we simply need to "be" calm, assertive, relaxed, and confident. That that state of mind will change our dogs and us.Honestly, I think it works in reverse. A calm, confident, relaxed, and assertive attitude/mindset is the natural byproduct of having tools, strategies, and mechanics in place that work.When things work, it's easy to step into a different mindset.Yes we can decide/cultivate/manifest/manufacture some degree of determination, relaxation and confidence when working with our dog's problem behavior as a baseline starting point - and that's a great mindset to start with - but the real stuff, the stuff that is palpable, that changes the way your dog feels about you and your relationship - and hence changes your dog's behavior - comes about through the confidence we get when we know what we're doing works. When we use tools and strategies that leverage our abilities, that allow us to feel in control of our dogs and ourselves, we begin to truly transform. (This is one of the many reasons we utilize prong collars and e-collars in all our work; because they help everyday people to be far more successful, even with serious problem behaviors)Great training doesn't make it harder for owners and dogs to succeed. Great training makes it easier. Great training empowers everyday people, people who don't live 24/7 in dog world, people who aren't dog trainers, people who very likely don't have 8 hours to devote every day to dog training, to be successful.Real confidence comes not from the ether, not from attempting to manufacture that which doesn't yet exist, it comes from success.Visit our website at - www.thegooddog.netFor more dog training tips, info, and for help with questions or issues, connect with me on Facebook (The Good Dog Training And Rehabilitation) and YouTube (TheGoodDogTraining)