Owned dogs all my life, but this one has me stumped!

In May 2010 there was an advertisement for a dog, that is the full- sister of my dog Armegeddon. He is a great dog, very smart, social, hesitant, but loving once he trusts someone! So I assumed his sibling would be the same! You know what they about assume.... It's make an ASS out of U & ME!

Kilo, is her new name! Like her brother, she is beautiful, very smart, social & VERY loving! But she had a very different upbringing, a very lonely one! She was an outside dog, of a family with 2 small children. Her only toys were the wood pile & she was free fed out of a huge dish!

Obviously, she had no training & not much socialization. She is friendly with other dogs, but can be very loud, barking & growling. She doesn't do this in a mean way, but she just wasn't trained to curb her enthusiasm.

While enthusiasm is not inherently a bad thing, I did not realize what it would do to the dynamics of my pack. Like all multiple dog households, there is a pack mentality. Because my three puppies are all the same age, their pack mentality is very strong.

The part that was totally unexpected for me was the anxiety that would be increased in Armegeddon. Kilo gets very excited barking & growling when other dogs are
excited &/or getting attention. In addition, because Kilo never had lots of toys, she is possessive of toys. So, if she has a toy in her mouth, and another dog comes near, she gowls.

All of This has created immense anxiety in Armegeddon. He wasn't the most confident to begin with, but Kilo's constant charging forward physically, growling & barking has created overwhelming anxiety & aggression in Armegeddon.

I can't take the dogs to the dog park, due to the strong pack mentality & Arme's aggression toward other dogs. Not that I am a big fan of dog parks, but sometimes it would be nice to meet other dog owners.

Anyhow in order to combat Kilo's enthusiasm, I have been keeping Kilo on umbilical. This means she is on leash when she in the house & the leash is attached to me. While she always follows me to every room in the house, the leash stops her from charging ahead of me. The leash also allows me to physically correct her when she barks or growls.

I wanted to share this information, because as much as I love dogs, I was seriously considering finding a new home for Kilo. But one night as I was struggling with this decision, I realized that I have not done enough to help train Kilo. I was reading a book by a local TV Show host, Brad Pattison, whose methods can be controversial. One line in his book, talked about a lady who had a very difficult dog & she was registered in classes for a year, before she felt her dog had a really improved & was properly socialized.

I had put kilo through a puppy kindergarten, but realized that wasnt even close to enough training, for any dog. So I made a commitment to Kilo to do the necessary work to get her training in order.

I have to say, within the first 2 days of having Kilo on umbilical there has been an amazing improvement in Kilo's behavior. She is much calmer. There was an immediate difference in Arme, he was hesitant to come to me when I called him to come. But after 4 times of me calling him to come & keeping Kilo from barking, he is noticeably less hesitant.

I wish everyone could experience the immense satisfaction of owning multiple dogs. I hope sharing this story will encourage to put in the work to make their a full member of the family.

Cheers,
Laura, Gabbi, Nightmare, Armegeddon, & Kilo!!