NILIF in multi-dog households

[DeeNtheChillas]

So, I am going to start a new training regime and NILIF for Blazer. Ever since he came home from staying with my parents while we were taking care of my husband's great grandmother, he's been a different dog (and a pain to live with). So, he needs some re-training and re-direction.

How do you handle NILIF in a multi-dog household? Do I enforce it for both dogs? Or no? I want to use NILIF in conjunction with his command refresher and possibly some actual obedience classes (I need to find one that fits in my crazy schedule).

[Marinepits]

With five dogs in the house, we do NILIF with all of them, just not all to the same degree. Katy and Indy really don't need it but I do it as a "refresher" type of thing. Tucker is very responsive to NILIF and follows along really well -- he seems to enjoy it and just offers up behaviours, so we do it for fun. Shorty couldn't care less but she'll do it if forced, LOL. Mac is on a strict NILIF program because he NEEDS it and it helps him immensely, plus it keeps our house running smoothly.

[TheRedQueen]

I'm more of a fan of Shirley Chong's "Leading The Dance" than NILIF...if you're looking for a true "program" to follow. It has more than just obedience and earning things.

http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/dance.html

That said, my gang all have to earn certain things...but what they do to earn privileges are different. Score, Sawyer and Inara have to sit by the door and wait before going out the door. Xander and Ripley have medical issues that keep them from sitting comfortably (torn ACL and arthritis)...so they just have to wait while standing. Fig is small and didn't always want to go out the door as a younger pup, so he just has to wait while standing...I like to keep his forward momentum.

For dinner time, the same thing...Ripley doesn't have to sit before dinner, nor does Xander. The younger ones have to sit and wait before diving into their food bowl.

So they all have to do different things, but it's based on their abilities and what they know.

[DeeNtheChillas]

I'm trying to decide exactly how I want things to go.

My big things are 1.) Obedience refresher - I'm looking for an obedience class to get him in to, as I think formal training would be better for him than at-home - he doesn't even want to sit when I tell him to these days and 2.) More manageable at home - I need him behaving like the dog I know he can be. He has some issues, which he has always had, but in general he has been a good dog.

So I guess I'm open to suggestions!

[furever_pit]

I like that "leading the dance" link. I had never seen it before...thanks for sharing.

Like others said, I tailor my NILIF to the individual dog.
For Gator, I don't have near the same expectations as I do for Dylan just because Gator is still young and he is very immature mentally still. He sits at the door to go outside and also to have me take off his leash once inside and we are just starting to work on elongating the duration of a command. For Gator to eat he either needs to go into his kennel and wait while I load up whatever work-to-eat toy I grab or he has to work for it through obedience.

With Dylan, I make his NILIF harder because he is a butthole and it helps to keep him on his toes and improves his general obedience. He also does not eat from a food bowl, but earns his meals through training.

[DeeNtheChillas]

Well it's good to hear that it can be done on different levels. Lizz is supremely well behaved (well, aside from being a grump sometimes, but she's old) and I don't want to make her feel punished or confused, while Blazer really could use it.

If we're going to become a 3-dog household like to we plan to after we close on the house, and if we're going to add a dog of pit bull background as is the plan, things need to tighten up around here.

I need to do some research, maybe find a couple of good books, and lay out a game plan for the husband.

[DeeNtheChillas]

Well, hubby is on board for the obedience classes. That's the first step, now I have to find one!

We started some stuff tonight - he had to wait at the door, had to wait for food etc. He really does just want to please, he just has some issues.

[amazincc]

We do NILIF. I usually focus on individual weaknesses in obedience, so it's a little different for each dog - but we have basic ground rules that apply to everyone.