when you work on training, is she in the harness?  describe your usual training routine with all tools.

How old is she?

Was she selected for SD work by the breeder?

sounds like she’s being a puppy. 😉

Sad to say, this if a common occurrence when you adopt two males from the same litter.  Either they grow up to be totally dependent on each other and can never be separated, OR they are in constant contention.  How old are they?  Have they been neutered?  If they are over 6 months old they need to be neutered.  This will help reduce the aggression.  

However, it is not the cure.  You need to find a behaviorist NOW!  Don’t just pick any dog trainer – look for one that can come to your home and work with you there.  Or one that specializes in aggression cases such as this.  And sad to say – the only answer may be that you have to find one of the boys a new home.  They may have developed such a dislike of each other that they will never live comfortably together.

You do desperately need help!  But it is far beyond the scope of this forum.  You need hands on help from a professional that can see your dogs and figure out what triggers the aggression.  And in the future – remember – never get 2 puppies at one time!

littermate syndrome – the issue you’re experiencing – has nothing to do with sex. it has to do with raising two puppies of the same age together and not giving them time apart for training and socializing.

i wish you luck.

my suggestions are fairly basic: crate train.  start working on leaving them in the crates longer and longer each day.  work on mental stuff (training for new things) prior to leaving, so they’re tired, and leave them with a stuffed Kong.  

i would also go back to square one with the mix you mentioned, and i would invest in a corrective collar and the training to learn how to use it properly.  (corrective collars, in this case, would be Martingales and pinch collars – no full chokers.)

I think you misunderstood me. I never said they were my roommates responsibility. I had set routines that I followed like a bible. But I do know that while I was absent, my roommates did not follow the routines, which I have to get the dogs use to doing again. I left them in their care so that I can find a home for the three of us to live and because of the circumstances of the position, get adjusted to my new work environment.

I never said I didn’t want to make the effort. Thats why I ask for advice on getting them adjusted to apartment living in the first place. If I didn’t want the responsibility, I would have never have rescued them. We are use to living in a house, which they were able to go out when they wanted inbetween walks. They have been with me for 3 years, I have taken very good care of them. They are what keep me going and give me purpose. I took the promotion at my job, so that I could continue taking care of them. And have them with me with no worries on how I’m going to afford to give them what they need.

With that being said, I tried hiring a dog walker, and let’s just said that did not end well. I am looking into daycare here, but the only place I trust is my vet office back home. They have taken really good care of us from the beginning. If I have to drive the two hours till I find people I trust with my babies, so be it.

If you get back to a normal routine, the dogs will settle in easier. There WILL be an adjustment period, and I think, in your shoes, I’d send every neighbor immediately adjacent to your apartment a note letting them know what’s going on and apologizing in advance. I’d also consider making/giving apology gifts. Even if it’s a token thing, it can make people more amenable to tolerance.

Because this is a new home for them, you have an opportunity to set the rules upon their first day in the new space. Crates back up and used daily will give them a sense of comfort.

For the collar/harness slipping, that’s why I mentioned a corrective collar. If it’s fitted correctly, to sit directly behind the ears, it cannot be slipped. We use a pinch collar for my Doberman, and a friend swears by a martingale for her sighthound – both breeds have skinny heads with necks that are very similar in diameter. Trust me on this, they work. 😀 Besides, one should not walk the dog on the collar where the tags live for safety reasons.

Good luck, Tracey!

I didn’t think it would be a good idea to have them in and out of hotels while my bosses figured out whether or not they wanted to give me the position permenantly. I thought keeping them in an environment they were use to and with people, my roommates, they felt safe with was the better idea. I spent the latter part of that time finding a home for the three of us to live. I did travel back and forth home to spend as much time as I could with them. But I did what I thought was right in not having them involved in the chaos that was going on with work at that time.

That’s why I asked for advice. Theres tips and secrets that other pet owners know and have experienced that are extremely helpful. For example, the Martingale collar, no one, not trainers nor vets have recommended that collar. Most of them have all mentioned Harnesses (which is what I had done in the beginning to get her to stop pulling when she was a puppy.) I was afraid with the new environment and getting back into the routines I did with them, she would start slipping again. Yes I have a new job but that does not mean I could before or can now afford an animal behaviorist. I know we have to get back into the routines. And I know this is going to be work, I just thought I would ask for some advice on how to make the transition from house to apartment easier on them. Because I know the change can and is stressful.

But nevermind, I know what I have to do now. They have been with me for two days and they seem to be adjusting better than I thought. Thank you for your advice.

The gifts are a great idea! Yeah I’ve spoken to the neighbors above and across from me apologizing. Though they all looked at me weird at first, they were pretty nice about it. They have been back with me for 2 days now and they seem to be adjusting better than I thought. especially since most of the furniture and things around them are from our house. So they are surrounded by scents they recognize and I think thats helping them. The only issue we are having is that one of my dogs is on high alert with every noise that happens outside. but when I say “Sylvy no barking” She stops immediately. Today while I was at work I set up a webcam in the room they were in, and they mostly slept all day and chewed bones. I was so proud, I bought them new squeaky toys and let them chase me at the dog park. Thank you! You have been so nice and helpful.

Thank you for getting back to me. I have only had her around a month and she came from the RSPCA – she has been spayed and wormed and is up to date with all health needs / injections. I haven’t noticed any other issues in her litter tray. I did take her on an outing to my parents house and let her wander (I want to get her used to moving around in case I go away and need others to look after her) She does drink alot of water and urinates a lot – but this hasn’t changed since I got her. a bowlful every two days, she eats well – mainly dry food with a treat of wet food maybe once a week.

I know when our dogs were puppies, sometimes they just were to distracted with wanting to play they didn’t want to be “bothered” to use the bathroom.  We would stay outside with them for a little while and continue to give them a “potty” command, we used “Go use the bathroom” and we would just repeat it over and over and then when they went we would make a big deal about it and immediately give them a treat to reinforce the good behavior.

If she is home alone a lot, it could just be needing more attention. Remember, puppies have A LOT of energy. 🙂

Good luck!

agreed – consistency is important during the training process.  once she’s used to it and goes in willingly, i’d say feel free to scale back, but for now keep things to a daily practice.

so, you should avoid punishing for toilet behavior in the house.  it sounds like she really just doesn’t know the rules yet.  

these two links are pretty similar and i’d read both.  they should help.

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/How%20to%20housetrain%20any%20dog%20regardless%20of%20age%20comp.pdf?token=AWxdrBqVrfn4QMSlFlT8Q67NYPYkvMS7FXamkBNxSse7MPOs_AplyTN_zFvG-Eykkm-msikrbkBvTr5xwl4zav6t5XHohLF7I01ob8FeyaYYRw

https://lookaside.fbsbx.com/file/How_to_Housetrain_Any_Dog%20(1).pdf?token=AWzFzr8QX0C6GNFaOKVxlOKyjHpjo4l1GKKLvup9PqoNRBewfhYcPaW8epVfl7TD-hzvF2V2XyFxKavjepjUKq75rqsQH7ckQTKV-VOq-pItBQ

remember, be consistent.  good luck.  housebreaking is the biggest pain in the butt regardless of the age of the dog.

Thank you so much! Those help a lot!

While it’s true that I shouldn’t physically carry him places to see if he likes being in those areas, the point is, if maybe he could see upstairs as a safe place, he would actually have somewhere to run to when he feels threatened by the dogs. I’ve heard that having “cat safe spaces” should help when trying to get cats and dogs used to each other. He definitely does mind a lot when they are in the same room, and I do find him to be afraid. I guess it’s your call though, since I am much newer to cats, so what do I know.

12 weeks is too young to expect reliability with housebreaking.  remember, she’s a tiny baby puppy right now.  you need to teach her a cue (we uses a bell hanging off the doorknob), praise her every time she uses the cue, and you need to make sure she goes out every half hour when she’s awake, immediately before and after all naps, playtime, and food.  at this age, any accident is the human’s fault. 😉

good luck.  puppies are trying at the best of times.