The Fun | Focus | Play Podcast

Episode 15 Multidog Mayhem Myths

December 30, 2019 Natasja Lewis / Sarah Bartlett Season 1 Episode 16
The Fun | Focus | Play Podcast
Episode 15 Multidog Mayhem Myths
Show Notes Transcript

Today I am joined by Dog Trainer and Author Sarah Bartlett to talk about multidog household. We dive right in there and start busting myths about multidog households and cover every aspect of having more than one dog and managing the different personalities as a whole and how to avoid problems right from the start.

And we do all that without even putting the kettle on for the obligatory cups of tea! but as Sarah lives 140 miles from me meant that we had to record this chat via the internet. If you have or are thinking of becoming a multidog household, pull up that comfy chair, fix yourself a lovely hot totty and start pouring us into your ears! This podcast is filled with tips and tricks on how to have a successful multi-dog household and why we recommend you wait for 3 to 4 years between dogs before adding another one.

Subscribe to The Fun Focus Play Podcast on I-Tunes or on Stitcher Radio, or wherever else you stumbled across it and remember to leave us a little review and share the podcast with your friends and family.

Mentioned in this episode:
Sarah Bartlett
Another Pup? By Sarah Bartlett
Puppy Prepared by Sarah Bartlett

Natasja's Book No Pulling Allowed: from painfully disappointing drag to delightfully relaxing stroll.

Intro and outro music by Joseph McDade 

spk_0:   0:01
in a world where pet dog owners are bombarded on all sides with well meaning training solution. Steeped in confusing jargon to dog trainers from the Agent County of Dorset share a passion for gardening. Belgian shepherds and helping frustrated and struggling dog owners turn their unruly canine companions into the perfect walking partner. May about to simplify the dog training process using everyday examples and solutions providing the light at the end of the tunnel. Welcome to the fun focused play. You know everybody. Welcome to the fun Focus Play podcast. I'm Natasha Lewis on DH. I'm joined today by Sarah Bartlett. Sarah is also off another pop on DH. Her new book is puppy prepared. Welcome, Sara. Yeah, thanks for having me. That's all right now, your first book, another part was all about multi doc households, wasn't it? It wass? Yeah, that's what we're going to talk about today. Okay, so when we're talking about multi lock households would basically talking about people that I've got more than one dart got way?

spk_1:   1:29
Yes. Any more than one is definitely harmful.

spk_0:   1:33
S O tio? Yeah, because I know a lot of people when they have two dogs, they don't, um They don't consider themselves to be a multi dog household, is it? Well, we just have two dogs still the multi talk household because you've got more than one.

spk_1:   1:51
Yeah, definitely. On disposes. Its more common for people to just have one or two than it is for people to have more. It's really people like me and you. Yeah,

spk_0:   2:01
yeah, yeah. I'm a three at the moment. How many have you got?

spk_1:   2:07
I'm at five. Currently. We were at six until at the end of March this year, but we will be back up, but six. Hopefully next summer when I introduce yet another puppy.

spk_0:   2:20
Oh, I do it all again. Yeah. I had a glutton for punishment. Glutton for punishment. Never mind. Yeah, I used to have full. And then about a year and 1/2 ago, we lost the old girl and she wass Ah, Harold was shadow issue was she was 14

spk_1:   2:41
as a good age

spk_0:   2:42
when we lost her. Yeah, she was 14. Fortunately, council got her. But it's just one of those things, you know? It happens. They never stay with us long enough.

spk_1:   2:54
No, it's It's never long enough. The reason we went down from 65 was we lost my flat coat. Merlin. Yeah, I could retrieve us, though he and he was just shy of 11. But considering another lifetime of health problems on DH, the breed that years they don't usually get to 10. Even if the healthy family made it was amazing. Yeah, I really miss having a big dog because I've got four minutes long head rations on DH une elderly Springer who is more the size of a cocker. So I'm rid missing, having a big, black, big black lagoon in my life. So that's what we'll hopefully be joining us next year again if we still have that. My old guys, because I've got a taxi who's about to turn 14 on? Yeah, he will be 13 in a couple of weeks, so we'll see.

spk_0:   3:48
Well, see? Well, well, I'll look forward, Teo, to seeing your your new puppy. Then when it arrives,

spk_1:   3:56
yeah. Yeah, Despite thinking trainer, I am a little bit nervous, really? About getting another one. Um, just you know, it's been a long time since I've had a big dog puppy and is a big difference between having a big programme A little duck puppet because big dog book is take a lot longer to mature.

spk_0:   4:13
Yeah. Yeah, And that's one thing that people don't actually think about. Do they? When they get a puppy, no longer actually takes for the puppies to mature like you say. I mean, you've got small dogs. Not too bad, because they, you know, they matured quite quickly. But when you've got something like, you know, shepherd like I have got or like fat coats, they can take up to about 34 years to actually be mature and be considered an adult, don't they? Yeah.

spk_1:   4:38
So there's a lot more kind of work, but you have to put in over a longer period of time. But like when? I mean, when I wrote another pop, that that was just after I got a ripple on. A lot of it is the storey of how I prepared for recall in and introduced her to my existing dogs. And then how we manage things Kind of moving forward, But rebels just a little doxie little sausage dog s. Oh, really? I kind of went okay. She's gonna be eight weeks. When she arrives, she'll be mature by the time she's 12 months, you know, more or less on. So that gives me 10 months of work, and then it'll be done a bit different for a flat fee on DH. Considering that Flaherty's are known to Bay goods. Yes, but they call them The Peter promised the dog world so mentally they never really grow up. That's lovely. Yeah, I

spk_0:   5:36
like Fatties. Then, like the Belgians always always living life a 2 200 miles an hour.

spk_1:   5:44
Yes. That's what I love about them.

spk_0:   5:46
Yeah, Yeah, it's the It's the fact that you, Khun really have fun with them is No,

spk_1:   5:54
It is. Is their zest for life. Always keeps me smiling.

spk_0:   5:57
Yeah, exactly. And you know, when you have gold more than one. It does become much more of a challenge than when you just got one.

spk_1:   6:06
Yes. Oh, God, Yes s so much. So much more to think about. Really? When I got on with Ripple, I had to consider Obviously, you have to consider the dogs that you've already got. Um, yeah, not just you've got. But then if there are any little habits that you don't want the new appeal than you've got picking up on and then things getting even worse because usually what happens is the the doctor only pick up on the bad behaviours. Never. They never really kind of pick up on best things which would make our lives a hell of a lot easier. Um, they pick up on the back, grabs thing. So I had to kind of watch, you know, my dogs aren't perfect. Might be a trainer, but I'm happy to say my dogs aren't perfect and I would never want them to pay. I don't I don't really believe her perfect dog exists. Just they might be perfect for us. Just not perfection in general.

spk_0:   6:59
Ah, no, I think that's That's a very fair point, actually, because, you know, a lot of people think that dog trainers have perfect dogs and they are far from yes. You know, every dog has got his own, his or her own temperament, their own character. And there's always things that you wish that you would have done differently or handled differently when they're younger.

spk_1:   7:28
Oh, definitely. And I think as well, you know.

spk_0:   7:32
You know I got the sack. Wait, Let me just don't shut the up angles. Yeah. Hey, let's you know enough. Sorry. That was lunar. She thinks you see something, but there's nothing there. Uh, we have that. Unfortunately, she doesn't. She doesn't realise what what's going on anyway. You were saying what

spk_1:   8:08
was the same time? I'm just remember I'll be fine. No, we're talking. I don't how dog trainers don't sound. Yeah, someone. Yep. Okay. Oh, you were talking about how they're all individuals and characters.

spk_0:   8:28
That's the one. Yes, that's what happened. Yeah. Each dog has got their own character in their own personality on DH. You don't always get things right. Even as a doctor. I know. Yeah,

spk_1:   8:41
definitely, Andi, I think. But in a lot of ways that first year with them, whether you've got one dog or whether you've got multiple whatever is going on in our life and our kind of, um, stresses, frustrations, things like that Do robot rub off on the Dahlia on DH. That kind of partly forms their personality as well. I mean, I can look at any one of my dogs and kind of look at how I wasa za person when they were really young, like, Oh, I look at Moss on DH. His these ripples. That So It's another level Doxy. I'm Andi. I lost his mother. I'd read him and I lost his mother in the process, Unfortunately. So I 100 him and his five brothers. Sorry for Brooke. This finds them altogether on DH. Yeah, obviously it was quite a hard period, not just 100 ringtone, but once all the other puppies have gone home. When I was left with this gorgeous little puppy, I was kind of I was grieving. I wasn't kind of in copy mode of, you know, Let's go out on me everything, and that's gonna be sociable. And that's going to do this. And that's going to that. I was, as quite I was quite depressed. If I'm honest, um, and

spk_0:   9:54
you know why?

spk_1:   9:55
It's, um, reserved. And while most kind of has that character, naturally he was born into that character, which I'm sure we'll discuss a bit more. Yeah, he's definitely like that. He's quite aloof on DH. Crime just chilled, which is very much the personality that I was displaying at the time and then looking at Ripple when she arrived, I was a lot more active and a lot more. Right? OK, let's go out and do things and isn't. Isn't the world great on that? Rubbed off on her as well? She was a confident copy to start with, but the lab thinks that the world is there just for her entertainment. You know that. Did you just there to adore her? What do you mean? They don't give it to me. She's a very happy over. Over friendly, I'd say go. Which again is very much kind of how I wass at the time. But first year that I had it so yeah, yeah, rub off on them, especially that first couple of years and helped mould them. But there are other times where I think you know what? Actually, if we didn't a bit more of this, the dog would have been better if we hadn't have gone to this place and done that at that age with this puppy, that would be better. But then we learn from it and we can help with.

spk_0:   11:06
We do, Yeah, we do learn from it. And the other thing is, I find is that when you have other dogs as well that they they pick up on a lot off what the other dog is doing as well. And sometimes that is positive on most often that is the negative things. You know, that the negative traits that they've got the trace that we don't like seems to be what the pups pick up on on the dog that you know that you have them with death. I think when you've got more than one overseas. When I had my three belches and I got another one to go with it, that's enough. Basically, what happened, Wass that Luna's quite Barchi on. I didn't want a barking dog. This is when I got Cassie on. Basically, What I did was that when I took her out, I took her out with my old girl because at that stage, the amount of exercise they both need it. The old girl and the new pop. We're about the same. Yeah, on my old girl was really steady, you know, she was like, bomb proof on that really health, because Cassie, actually, you know, as a young puppy, she was absolutely brilliant, and she was really good with the dogs on sh iwas. Um you know, she wasn't always the most confident dog, and she still isn't. But she was able to cope when she had shadow with her.

spk_1:   12:40
Yes. Yeah. I have to say part of the reason why we got Ripple when we did was because I knew that, you know, causes the pack more or less. We was ageing rapidly. Yeah, And I wanted Merlin the flat E. On Ziggy to have some form of a positive influence. Yeah, on Ripple. So she could see the Actually, the world is is a good place. So don't get me wrong. Yeah, I do a lot with ripples on her own. And I think that's always important when you bring in a new dog, you know? Yeah, to get that bond with them individually without the office around. So you get that kind of risk bonds when you asked something off them and they focus on knew more than the other dogs, which is usually a big issue. When you have more than one dogs, they talk. They like to focus on each other because they speak the same language. Yeah, but I did take Ripple out with Merlin on with Ziggy separately. Quite often. I wouldn't I wouldn't say it was kind of every other day. I wouldn't even say it was that often. But there was at least one or two outings a week where I'd make sure that she had a good role model for new situations. Yeah, with one of those older dogs. Which is gonna be harder introducing another Flossie now, because, yes, I've got good role models, but it being a bigger dog or bigger puppy, the logistics are a bit different because taking a little dog everywhere is quite easy. Etosha. Yeah, it's much

spk_0:   14:13
more difficult when you've got big

spk_1:   14:14
talk. It is definitely on DH. I may not have. I mean, I hope they do, but I may not have Ziggy at that point. However, I know that if I took rebel out with Fern, which she's my reactive little girl, yeah, is managed. You know she is, ah, lot better. She's done cross. She's competed in rally. She's got her level six types of you know, So she's no to the point where she's really hard work or she can't do anything without being stressed out embarking. But she dog and she always will be that if I'd have took her out or, you know, let records spend lots of time with with phones from day one. Even just around the house, I would've ended up with twice, if not thrice, the problem. Yeah, Ripple would have kind of taken on all of those bad behaviours from Fern and I spent a long time or a lot of time protect getting ripple from fun's behaviour. So kind of when I knew that phone would be reactive. So for phone, it's for people walking through doorways in the house. Yeah, on DH, this's come come from her mom. This is behaviour that she's learned from there. So although it's a lot better than it used to be, there will always be. She will always perform it to a certain extent. So when I knew that was visitors come in or if I knew that I couldn't be around to protect record and take her away from seeing firm do this, then I just take her on the road with May or put in another room or, you know, separate her in some respects. So she wasn't thinking. Oh, that's what we do. Someone comes to the door and we bark bark bark. You know most dogs will bark at the door. I don't think that's an issue to Fern. It's another level. Just people walking through the kitchen door. Even people that she knows If they've pulled out and gone to the toilet and come back, she will bark again. So, yeah, I just wanted to make it clear there isn't just a case of people knocking on the door, and she barks, and I think that's a real problem, because that's that's not the case with firm No, no. But you

spk_0:   16:16
know, when you have got a dog that is quite Gardy like that he's very, very common that as soon as you know, as long as everything is settled quite happy with that. But then when you've got a dog that off of the person gets up and moves about, then they become a threat again in their eyes. Yes, so this lot they start barking again. Yes, that's fairly fairly common. It

spk_1:   16:39
is really common, and especially in my breathe, you know, taxis is Yeah, I've been very fortunate that my other doctors have not be like that, and that's that's the reason why I breed to try and get Yeah, not. But Fern is one that is like that, and we manage it. But I also means that when you know I'm planning Teo breathe from Ripple next year. Yeah, when she just have cookies, phone will actually go on holiday. She'll go and stay with a friend so the puppies don't pick up on phones behaviour.

spk_0:   17:12
Yeah, I think that's very important, actually, because especially when puppies are, you know, exposed to that kind of behaviour from a very young age it is going to rub off is no. Yes, they are going to pick up on that. And they're going to think that's the normal thing to do. So

spk_1:   17:29
they do it, Yes. And what? What I usually find is, I mean, if we want to use the technical term, which I know we're trying not to use, but I'm going to explain it. Yeah, it's called imprinting when the mother performs a behaviour with the puppies or in the presence of the pope is and then the puppies then grow up to perform the same behaviour. Those Yeah, So in ferns case it was You know what? People walk into doorways and things That's what her mom used to do on DH. I knew this, and I still took her on stupidly, but, you know, I wouldn't change it so and I knew what I was getting into. So and I went to view Fern and her little mates on the mother when she was five weeks on DH Grace. The mother was barking at me, walking through the door and things like this on none of the puppies made a murmur. They didn't even appear to notice on, you know, visited a few more times before I brought a home, and she didn't perform the behaviour at all until she was about 12 to 14 weeks. Which is usually when, either, for this breed, hormones maybe start to kick in. But they're starting to grow confined to their way in the world, and they've settled in their new home on yeah, usually find if if the mother's not had great behaviour, the puppies have seen it, and they might appear fine and not take any notice. Women with the litter bring them home. You bond with them, you have a few weeks of fun with them, and then the problem starts, which by which point you've made a bond with them and you're not going to change them. No. And that's, I think anyone looking for a poppy, whether they, ah you know, whether it's their only dog or whether it's adding to another looking at the mother on their temperament and their behaviour is so important, so important, because you're gonna take home Ah, lot of those traits

spk_0:   19:13
you are, you are. That's, You know, I think that's a really good point to make, actually, because a lot of people won't be aware of that now on there won't know that. You know, the mother's behaviour has such a great such a big influence on the puppies.

spk_1:   19:30
Definitely, it's It's kind of like, Well, Mom does this, so I must do it, too, because that's gonna keep me safe. So it's not something, Yeah, but you can get rid off or change. You know you can improve it. You can keep it under control to a certain extent, but the dog that you've bought will always want to do that behaviour. That's not so. It's almost that their instinct to do it is almost a strongest, an instinct to super examples the Nazis is to go and hunt badges. It's the wrong a drive to go and do that. So yeah is important. And it's something that I cover in my new book. I have covered it in another port, but I've covered it more in the new one, which is prepared.

spk_0:   20:10
Yes. What a brilliant title. A yes, thank you. Ah Sai, I think let's talk about introducing a new puppy to an existing dog. Okay? Because I think a lot of people that might be listening to this broadcast will at some point be thinking about if they have only got one dog, maybe bringing another dog in on DH. There are several things that you can do to actually manage it on DH. I don't know if you do the same and I can't remember. It's been a while since I read your book. Actually, E should have read it again before ask you to come on the podcast. But one of the things that I've always on and off always fun that it works really well, is that when I bring a new poppy height, you I don't just Planck that poppy down in amongst all the other dogs? No, God, no. Which I know a lot of people would dio on. I don't think that's the right way of doing it. So what I normally do is I have the existing dogs on a lead and I will take them all out into the garden. But I'll do it one at a time. Yeah, So we have poppy running loose in the garden. Obviously make sure that your garden is secure before you do this. Yes. And then I bring in on one of the older Dawgs on late. Say that I've got control. About what? What goes on. And then, you know, pop people come over because they're curious. They want to know what's going on, and they'll come over and they'll come and say hello to the other dogs. And I found that works really well.

spk_1:   21:55
Yeah, nothing wrong with doing that at all. I think sometimes that will depend on what time of year you're bringing. Probably home. I wouldn't think that in high wind or heavy rain, because that's a lot for a puppy to cope with.

spk_0:   22:10
Andi, I must admit, I think most of my puppies have come home when it was actually quite nice weather. I've always had the mind at the end of the summer of the beginning of the summer. So when

spk_1:   22:20
I personally prefer a winter property which obviously my next one probably not going to bay. So I've had more practise of doing it in either either in the dark or awful weather. So I've done it. Yep, quite similar to you in the respect the the more bouncy. Or maybe the more like with Fern. She was on the leaves on with murder, and he was on a lead on introduced Oh, um, Merlin because of his big, clumsy poles, you know, against a very tiny little taxi that was like the size of, you know, a bit bigger than a hamster at the time. Yeah, on DH with Fern. Because of her reactive t, I wanted to be able to ensure that everyone was safe. I Why did I've actually got videos of them? Of all the initial interactions from when I introduce Ripple on DH, I used a very small barrier because we're talking about very small puppet. I say it was like almost it was wired tight barrier so they could see through it, but stop them getting any further, let them sniff each other through the barrier for maybe a couple of minutes. There was plenty of space for both dogs to move backwards. You know, move away from the barrier if they wanted to. My dogs are not barrier reactive when some dogs might find area is more frustrating. So you have to think about your own dogs. And if they get frustrated behind barriers that maybe it's not the best thing to do or to work on that first before the baby comes home on DH. I did it individually. It wasn't a case of, you know, Let's let five dogs in to me ripple through a barrier at the same time. It was individually, Yeah, but I'd also spend rebel it being home for probably four or five hours before I introduced them to the dogs. So what the You know, the biggest thing I'd say is, don't rush it because dogs maker onion on each other within 3 to 5 seconds of meeting each other. You want to get it right, and you want the puppy to feel a bit more settled. Obviously, this is still the first day that you brought them home, so they're not going to be totally settled. But let them get acclimatised to their new surroundings and what the smells are and where the water is, you know would take them up to wear in the garden and things like that let them get acclimatised to where you are and where everything else is before you start bombarding them with new family members. Andi,

spk_0:   24:50
you know, saying that was reminded me that one of the things that I also do is I When I first bring a poppy home, I will possibly I think most of times what I've done is this given them the whole way and the kitchen to explore and nothing more than that. There's nothing. There s came sort of later on in that wake. So the room by what room? By room, I managed to sort of, you know, introduce the room by room a cz once they got used to each other. Yeah. Yeah,

spk_1:   25:26
and must end. I mean, even just a solo pope. Restricting them to a smaller area is always helpful to kind of reduce the chewing gum. The house help with house training and things like that. So, yeah, whether you do it in the garden or in the house, you know, take it slow that I have a real kind of book fair on. I see it all the time on social media, and I'm sure, like platforms like union lives and other things like that have shared these videos where someone's brought home a puppy in a box and just put it on the floor and let another dog or more than one dog, just shove their head in this box straight into the pope. A. Oh, really get because the poppy is trapped on a totally just walked into a new house and totally overwhelmed by these massive faith in its face. Would nose kind of no option to escape move away, make its own mind up? It's just faced with these dogs or a dog straight in the face on that is not setting them up for success or making them feel safe and secure or making them want to put trust in you because you just put them in that situation.

spk_0:   26:32
Yeah, that is, that's probably the worst thing that you could ever does.

spk_1:   26:36
Hate it, hate it. on Facebook and other things i e.

spk_0:   26:41
I don't actually know why anyone would want Teo.

spk_1:   26:46
Well, I think a lot of it is, You know, I got my dog a puppy for Christmas, and it's like, Well, no, but that's not how it should be. A You need these bombs with the dogs individually. And dogs don't actually need another dog for company. Andi think

spk_0:   27:01
they don't know what exactly. It's us. We're the addictive. Once we're the ones that were more

spk_1:   27:08
definite and I love having the multi, you know, had a multitude of household right from the start. You know, I got my own foot, my first house at jokes before 18 Andi. Within three months, I had two puppies. I'd advise doing that, Eva, but

spk_0:   27:23
thie, Yeah, but the thing is, when you've got two puppies at the same time is that it's very difficult to treat them as individuals is on DH. It's not just twice the work. I think it's four times the work when you've got two together, they totally agreed eyes just so much more difficult. Getting two puppies together than it is just that one puppy raise until its two year old and then get another one. Well,

spk_1:   27:52
I'm gonna push that a bit further, because my I mean up in that And I've done that plenty of times, but ideally, my kind of twin show that the two dogs are going to get on long term. There are other factors to this, but one of my kind of golden rules is waitinto left for and then introduce another.

spk_0:   28:11
Well, that is what I would do is well, I will wait until that dog is, you know, pretty well trained before I bring another one in. But for those people who are determined to have dogs close together Yep. Waiting what, At least a minimum off a year? Yeah. Is what I normally advice. Yes, definitely. And rather than getting to puppies

spk_1:   28:36
together because that's just a nightmare, it is. It really is. It's so much hard work, you know, training them individually, walking them individually, getting that bond with them individually, and then when they are together, you still trying to get one of theirs attention when they'd rather speak to each other and do what each other is doing. Because that's more fun. Yeah. Oh, God. It's hard work so, yeah. I mean, it's

spk_0:   28:57
it's very hard work. It's even hard work when you, you know, like yourself. I've read Belgian shepherds. Find it. My last letter I was left with Reaper pays up until I think the the 1st 1 off. Those three went when he wasa about 12 13 weeks. Yep. The other puppy didn't go for another month's. While that he was about 17 weeks before he went, It was just, you know, a situation. And I was keeping a puppy on DH. One of the reasons that Cassie he's not as confident as she could BAe is because she actually bonded with her brother. And she got her confidence from her brother. Yeah, and that. So when he went on at 17 weeks to his new home, I was left with a puppy that was scared. Stiff of

spk_1:   29:50
everything. Yeah. Should not got a brother to follow. And that agents from Yeah,

spk_0:   29:57
no, she didn't. She didn't. And, you know, even though I try to do everything with her separately from him, which they still have this really strong bond. Yeah, well, they and it wasn't

spk_1:   30:09
together. They've been together from day one. They might have been with you? Yeah. They all say again. You know, they speak the same language they've fed off the milk bar together. So yeah, the worst thing you could do is take on little mates. Yeah,

spk_0:   30:22
it is. It is so difficult. Yeah. And, you know, I I only did it for, like, nine weeks, and I thought, I don't know how anyone copes with this long term.

spk_1:   30:33
No, I've actually got a friend who is also a trainer on DH. She's got three siblings. Yeah, but they're now six on. It wasn't planned that way they would. Just keeping one. It was an accidental litter on a couple of them came back within a month on They've kept them and they've done an amazing job with them. However, that 1st 2 years, they were out training a different dog every night. If the week at different classes. And, you know, putting all the work in. And they've already got obviously the mother and the father. So the monk in the mother and the father together and then walk you each property individually each day. So it was five walks.

spk_0:   31:14
Yeah. Ah, that's hard work.

spk_1:   31:16
Yeah, and you know, Yes, she'll say she's like, I'm never doing that again. Endo, Excuse me. Now

spk_0:   31:28
I can understand Why, Definitely. Okay, Say s O. That was about introducing dogs and not having to together. Yes. Don't do it. Don't. So is there anything else that you would like to admit about multi doc households that we haven't

spk_1:   31:46
actually covered here? Okay, no matter whether you've already got multi doghouse older, whether you're introducing another or whether it's a popular you're introducing or an older rescue dog, maybe Always remember to spend the time individually with each dog. It doesn't have to be hours and hours every day. But to ensure that you are carrying on having that bond with them individually. Even if it's just you know what? I'm going to shut the other dogs out and I'm gonna cuddle with one Sam. You allow them on the sofa or even if it's once a week, you just take one of the dogs out individually for a quick walk around the block. It does make all the difference, but if it means that you have a lot more settled pack who will listen to you rather than just join in with the excitement of each other. That's probably the biggest tip on DH also too. If you are introducing gone not to rush it. If things don't go well initially, you know, keep it on phone. Panic. Yeah. Don't plan it. Keep the dogs separate on DH. Try again the next day. Maybe go on a walk, taking one dog out and maybe got someone else your other hard for a friend who takes one of the older or existing dogs out. And you walk from parallel. Yeah, Not so they can kind of come nose to nose, but so there is a distance between them. But you're walking together as it were. Yeah, by doing that, the dogs calm down really quickly because they don't. They don't have to come face to face. They're not under that pressure. And if either of them kind of do their business on that walk, then let the other one sniff it, get my information, which they will be getting around, you know, in and around the house anyway. But that helps him settle even more. And you can speed up that process if there is an issue with the initial greeted.

spk_0:   33:27
Yeah, and I think the other thing that you can do is that when you know you're going to get a puppy, is take a piece of that bed or something that the puppy's been reared on. And take that home with a puppy sent on yes, so that your existing dog could actually get used to the smell off that new puppy that's going to come in Yes, before he arrives. I think that works as well. That's always been a really good thing to do.

spk_1:   33:50
Yeah, and you can do,

spk_0:   33:51
Remember, Actually, yeah,

spk_1:   33:54
I did that I took. I think it was just a blanket. Rubbed it all over Ripple and her little mates on her mom, you know, because I was lucky that I was able to keep going and see Rickel where she was before she came home on, then abroad that blanket home, and I left it on the floor so I didn't put it on a dog bed. That's important, you know, somewhere where the dogs would normally choose to relax. But, you know, just put it on the floor so they couldn't be investigated as and when they wanted on. Over the following year, week I've got pictures, actually, over the following week, each and every one of them chose to kind of lie on that blanket. Yeah, enforce it. I didn't kind of go. Here you go. What's there? So put any treats on there. Just left it there for them to do what they wanted with on. They all chose to go and lie on it and accept it over the weak. I'm from a That was a really good sign that we're OK with smell. And I do think that that massively helped when I did bring Ripple home because it was almost like introducing an old friend because the yeah, tents there.

spk_0:   34:56
Yeah, because I've already had that sense. And that's and state on that blanket for a lot longer than you think. Yeah, definitely. So, yeah, I think that's probably all, isn't it? For today? I can't think of anything else that we should add. So thank you very much for coming onto the podcast. And thank you for having where would people find out more about you? And where can they get your books?

spk_1:   35:19
Okay. You confined my books on Amazon. That's another pop on DH Puppy prepared another pope is all about multidrug households. Whether you're introducing a puppy or an adult dog or you've already got multi doghouse, Hold on. We're all getting a bit wild. That buckle definitely helpful on my most recent one, which was, I think it was only published light in the last fortnight. Hope you're prepared is all the stuff that you need to know before you get a copy on how to find the right will pay for you how to choose the right breed. How to choose the breeder on DH. You know, it's kind of Ms busting on some things, but also it will probably give you a lot more tools than what you're aware ofthe. But it will help you pick the perfect dog for you and also pick the right puppy within the litter, because that just matter, too. So, yeah, he takes you through all. It also kind of gives you an overview of the first few days, and yet you can find that on Amazon. Or you can order direct from May I have a minimum age, which was Sarah Bartlett Facebook Page, which is at Serra Bartlett Dog trainer and said You caught up um, you'll see any talks and things that I'm doing. You know what I'm up to through there, or you can email. May sarah at town helpers dot co dot UK. Well, thank you very much. Thanks for having me. Been a pleasure.

spk_0:   36:43
Okay, take mine.