Hi All - I just signed up for k9academy. Lifelong dog owner, but have never done a formal training program.
We have an existing 6 year old St. Bernard female that is lazy and docile but has shown aggression towards other dogs in the past. She is our only dog.
We are bringing home an 11 week old Scotch Collie puppy that is going to be our farm/homestead dog.
In doing research, it looks like we should be cautious and slow with our introduction process to ensure a good first meeting between our Saint and the Collie. Any suggestions on how to do this?
Also, the new Collie is not crate trained. The Saint is not either, and she sleeps on the floor in our bedroom. The new pup is going to be super stressed coming to a new home with a new dog. I will get him home around 1pm on Saturday and we go to bed around 10:30, etc. Should we immediately start crate training? Where do we put the crate? Bedroom, garage, basement? He will likely be stressed in the crate for the 7 hour sleep time, and we want to avoid a negative reaction to the crate.
Any suggestions would be very helpful. Thank you!
Hello, I apologize for the delayed response, we have had a lot going on with moving our training facility, but here are a few thoughts moving forward. First, almost all dogs have a negative reaction to the crate initially, but this doesn't mean you shouldn't use one. Keep it simple and use positive motivation such as praise when the dog is not complaining, but also do not reward complaining behavior. that should have a negative action associated with it, such as a bump to the crate and a verbal correction. Also, make sure that you are letting the dog out of the crate frequently (every couple of hours initially and lengthening time) so that the dog learns quickly that they will be let out and that bathroom breaks and eating times will still occur. Second, for any aggression issues, we use a harsh correction with the prong collar or e-collar for unwarranted aggression toward another dog or person. This is because of the danger this behavior poses and must be stopped quickly. Typically, it only takes one or two of these corrections to stop the behavior completely. When introducing a new dog to a home, I typically keep the dogs separated, but in the same room if possible so that they can become accustomed to the presence of each other without the risk of aggression. It may take a couple of hours or possibly days for the dogs to relax around each other, but this typically happens quickly.
I know that you have had the dog for several months now, again, my apologies for the delay, so if you are having any continued issues, please let us know and I will do my best to assist you.
Joel
