Will we need to give our first dog up?

[iguesss]

This may be a bit long so please bear with me.

We got our first dog last January. We put a lot of research into it and I read three books as I'd never had a dog before (DH had lots though). We've spent a lot of time trying to train our dog. Unfortunately she still tries to run away when she can get out the gate (if I leave it open by accident or she manages to open it) and is a LOT faster than us. She also barks like mad when people come in or leave the house and having a guest is nearly impossible because m, despite trying everything, she doesn't stop barking. She's definitely strong and sometimes nips. We can't leave the room if she's in with DC (for the loo) and I don't let her near DC2 (4mo) as she's just too temperamental. We had this dog from puppy for context and bought her.

This is where it gets harder. We rescued two puppies two two weeks ago, for various reasons. They've been very good and easy enough to train but they're small dogs so maybe that's why. Dog no1 can't be in the same room as them as she attacks them, every time.

I don't know what the solution is at this point. It's not fair to give dog no1 away but I don't know what else we can do? She's not safe around the kids or other dogs and I have failed training her to be calmer and not to bark so much and to not run away. What do I do?

@pintoffginplz I completely agree

And the two pups, are the cavalier King Charles spaniels or just King Charles spaniels?

One is more energetic than the other

Frankly, I would be rehoming the puppies. They would be a lot easier to go to a new home than an older dog with problems

OP, you are a complete idiot.

I might be particularly sensitive today after having my much loved almost fifteen year old dog pts. A dog who has been an integral part of our family since she arrived at ten weeks old. A dog who was a friend to the world, including to my child who was born when the dog was a year old.

She had everything she needed all her life including love, boundaries and exercise.

What an absolute prat you are. I would suggest re-homing all three.
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Oh dear. You have got yourself into a pickle. First of all you have two Cavalier King Charles puppies not King Charles Cavaliers. I know that sounds pedantic but if you can't get the name of the breed right...
You need to give the puppies to a rescue. They're fabulous dogs. They will have an excellent chance of rehoming as puppies.
Next you need to find a good behaviourist and dog trainer and work on dog 1. The situation is not irretrievable but is going to be incredibly hard work to rehabilitate this dog. It needs exercise, both physical and mental. It needs consistency and repetition. If you can't commit to this, you need to rehome dog 1 too.

The problem is not the OP ‘getting herself into a pickle’, the problem is the OP getting three innocent dogs ‘into a pickle’.

Will take the useful advice and I'm coming off this thread now. I KNOW what I've done is wrong. It was mis-judged, not bad intentions. I want a solution, I don't want to give my dog away. I love all my dogs and adore them all.

You might love them but you’ve proven you can’t train one dog so what makes you think you can train three?

How can you love them when you can’t provide adequate training?! You’re so irresponsible!!

A quick question for the future. When your children grow up a bit and you return to work what is your plan for the dogs?

You can’t leave the barky one in itself as the neighbours will quite rightly complain to the council. So that will be a problem.

You can’t leave all three dogs in all day without having a toilet break if you work full time so you will need a dog walker. The cheapest I’ve seen one is £12 per day, reduced thereafter to £10 for multiple dogs. So if you drop kids at at school Monday to Friday and work 9-5 or even 9-3 you will need to fork out £32 a day for walking times 5 days a week. That’s over £150 a week.
Have you factored that in? Or perhaps you don’t need to work and it’s irrelevant.
I can only assume some maternal instinct kicked in when you decided to rescue all these dogs, but if it were me I’d get them all off to a rehoming centre. Pets are great but will you honestly have the time or the money or the experience to deal with them all? It’s could be just a pipe dream, a happy family all playing with dogs and puppies. The reality may be unfortunately. somewhat different. Especially when vet bills start appearing.......

I do deserve the criticism regarding the Alpha term, we live and learn though will be clear that I have never treated a dog in the way it is spelled out in the books hence the rest of my advice. Cheers to those that pointed out the failure in my post as I was wrong in posting that phrase

The cavaliers will prob have very sweet temperments, a jack russell springer cross i would not have, maybe rehome him if he is snappy

Imagine not being able to control one dog, so deciding to get another two instead of addressing the original problem. Irresponsible. Have all 3 dogs re-homed and don't get another dog please.

OP, I am a qualified behaviourist, who worked with 'difficult' dogs for a rescue for two years before I lost faith in Joe Public and couldn't bear it a day longer.

The only good advice you have had on this thread is to rehome the puppies via reputable rescue (contact the breed rescue first) and concentrate on training the older dog. All the three dogs are high energy, highly intelligent working dogs prone to anxiety and skittishness for want of a better word and all are working breeds. If you don't give a working breed 'a job' they will find their own, in your case barking at visitors.

If you cannot train one single JRT you definitely cannot train a problematic, teenage JRT and two KC spaniels. It's simply not possible. Even I wouldn't manage it. Victoria Stilwell would struggle.

JRTs, while headstrong and energetic, are super intelligent and eager to learn. They're highly trainable. With the right help and enough effort from you you could have a super dog, effort that cannot be given while also training two puppies.

None of the issues you've mentioned are major. They're all breed typical and many of them are breed typical of spaniel type dogs too.

You've bitten off more than you can chew with the first dog (A JRT puppy is not the dog for an inexperienced owner. No decent breeder would have sold to you). Please don't make this worse by attempting to train all three dogs. I'll repeat again, it is simply not possible. You're going to end up with an injured child or a dead dog if you attempt to train all three at once.

I love all my dogs and adore them all.

Then do the right thing by them. Where did you "rescue" two king Charles puppies from? No rescue would have rehomed to you. Give them to a proper rescue centre now while still young enough to find a good home which will be properly vetted to ensure they don't end up with another irresponsible owner..

@LifeOfBox sorry for your loss. I hope you take comfort in your wonderful memories and the knowledge that your lovely dog had a wonderful, happy life and knew they were loved and cherished.

How do you “rescue” 2 cav puppies?...where are they actually from? Because it’s not a rescue organisation is it? It can’t be...

“I love all my dogs and adore them all.”

Enough to look after them properly? Because with the older one being untrained still and 2 puppies you’re looking at separate walks and training sessions to meet all their needs - do you even have time for that with young children? At least 6 walks plus multiple training sessions daily for each dog?

Because if not, it’s selfish to keep them all.

Lifeofbox I was trying to be kind. I actually agree with you. It was an idiotic thing to do but bashing the OP further won't help the dogs. I really hope she takes all the advice on board and does the right thing for all of her dogs.

I'm so so sorry for your loss. You must be devastated. They do leave such a hole in your heart. Dogs love you unconditionally. All the more reason to do right by them.

Xx

Thank you so much Soola, I am heartbroken 😔. She was a very special dog.

We have three dogs and the exercise kills us - I personally would never have three dogs again. Fortunately two are happy to be walked together most of the time but there's always that nagging feeling that they haven't been out enough, particularly when the nights start drawing in. Lack of exercise manifests itself in bad indoor behaviour, and our dogs are otherwise well trained.

I would not delude yourself that you have the time to commit to three dogs, on exercise alone apart from anything else.

Seriously, rehome all the dogs and vow never to get another one!

Give all the dogs away and don't ever get anymore until you actually know how to train them. Sorry, but I have no time for people like this. Ridiculous.

dazzling no offence taken at all but the OP doesn’t deserve one flipping dog let alone three.

They all need re-homing imo and soon, while the first one still has a chance.

My beautiful Labrador was so well trained and trustworthy by the time DD was born (when I had had her for twelve months) because I chose a dog with the right sort of temperament/breeding and trained her, loved her and taught her what was expected of her.

I am a bit lost for words tonight but the OP doesn’t have the first clue.

Just get rid of all the dogs, surely life would be easier without them?

You got one dog, didn’t bother to train it and now have two more?
Hand the puppies to a decent rescue.
Either commit to working (HARD) with a decent trainer or rehome the original dog to someone who can meet its needs.

There is not a chance in hell that a rescue would allow you to adopt 2 puppies at the same time. Especially with your background of dog-ownership and the fact you have young children.

What you actually did was bought 2 puppies having no thought for the animal you already are incapable of looking after,

Agree with pp. Take the puppies to a reputable rescue and get the best behaviourist you can afford.