How do I train my dog when we live with other dogs?

[jc0912]

We live on my in-laws rural property, with 3 rescue working dogs. We have our girl Snow, 6th old Kelpie x Border Collie, G, 4yr old Kelpie x Dingo, and D, 2-3yr old bull breed x hunting dog.

Snow is our dog, G and D are my in-laws.

G is very well behaved, he was a dumped sheep dog so he has been trained.

We have no idea what D is, but I suspect she was a feral puppy of an abandoned hunting or pigging dog. She has no dog social skills outside of instinctual pack behaviour, has no interest in toys, and is incredibly food insecure. She is LOCKED on any sniff of food and wolfs it down. She’s impossible to work with and isn’t motivated by play.

Snow has learnt a lot of good behaviours from G, but I’m struggling to keep Snow’s focus if D is around. We have to leave the property to get basic training in, and she’s learning so well and so quickly away from D, but it all goes out the window when we get home. Recall is pretty good when Snow is alone, she sits, she waits for food and is comfortable in a crate.

How do we keep Snow’s training up if she has such a difficult influence? D isn’t my dog, but my in-laws have shown no real interest on working with D, which is making Snow’s training at home an uphill battle. Help!

 

[jc0912]

Also happy to hear any tips for reducing D’s stress levels around food and increasing her security. I’ve been tempted to buy a huge bag of cheap crunchies and just letting her have free access, but I don’t know how to allow only her access but not the other two.

 

[reebern]

@jc0912 Can you just put D away somewhere else when you’re training snow

 

[jc0912]

@reebern We can lock her in the house, they’re all house trained. Snow can hear her barks and that’s enough of a distraction at the moment.

 

[reebern]

@jc0912 Okay so work Snow off the barks. What do you typically do if she doesn’t wanna listen?

 

[aaronfrisien]

@jc0912 sounds like you ask the in-laws if they mind if you train D. Obviously food motivated so go from there.

4 yr old Kelpie BC mix can learn a long "down" "stay" with distractions. You have a big one there, good luck.

 

[jc0912]

@aaronfrisien The down stay is a good idea. That might keep her focus a bit more. I need to work on a stronger recall too.

How do I calm D down though? Like she nips if she can smell food on your hands, and can’t sit still. Dinner time is scary, she dances on two legs to get to her food bowl as you carry it, snapping and barking the whole time. She’s bitten my hand when I’ve gone to give her a treat because she was so excited and obviously chomped half my hand.

 

[aaronfrisien]

@jc0912 yeah. that is tough. small steps with even the smallest sign of obedience getting positive reinforcement. Be patient and you'll find the steps will get bigger and bigger as she understands the concept of reward. Try with a empty food bowl and sometimes not empty so she gets a mind fack to reset. When she sits, you slip in a treat, when she spazzes out, no treat in the bowl. Again small steps but she sounds fun.

 

[jwalsh22]

@jc0912 Have you tried giving treats to both. My 7 yr bully is very food driven. My 11 month cane corso is not at all. My bully had possession aggression with food and toys. I trained the pup first to sit and stay. Once he caught on I added the bully. He is already trained. His problem was the food aggression. I had a gate that separated the kitchen and a small hallway that goes out to garage. I kept one on each side of gate. Made them sit or down for each treat I gave. Each would take the treat then gradually took the gate out of equation. Then I had them in same room separate sides then gradually brought them closer till they was next to each other. Now I can give them both bones and they eat those next to each other. I haven’t tested them eating together I still have them separate rooms for that. That’s a bit much and they enjoy their own eating stations. I never leave them alone unattended. My bully does not have that aggression with food anymore. Still working constantly… it will take time. Be patient they will get there. Once u are able to do treats with them do it consistently till your dog realizes there is plenty to go around. Good luck