Hello,
We are new puppy owners of 2 beautiful masiff/lab/sheppard girls. Emma has the normal puppy problem with the leash. August on the other hand has trouble with it. August scrounches down like she is so scared! Her legs shake and her heart is pounding so fast. Emma is more of a role model for August, she helped her sister learn to go up and down stairs, etc. Emma was running around with the leash while August sat there.. so Emma couldn't help her sister learn. How can we help August? We get down in front of her about 4 feet and call her with a cherry voice... finally she will run real fast and jump in our arms and stop. Same thing over and over again. When we pull on her leash to have her move, she doesnt. She looks like she is freaked out. I wonder if she had a bad experience with her preivous owner? They both are almost 14 weeks old. We got them thru rescue paws but was at a foster home for the last week and half until we came along. Any ideas?? Thank you so much!!!
Angel

Hi,
My first advice would be - don't attempt to train them both at the same time! They both need one-to-one concentration, focussed on you and not distracted by each other. I have raised two same-age puppies, and can assure you from experience that is the best and quickest way. Take them out separately. Yes, it takes twice as much time, but that's what happens with two puppies.

When August sits down, just stand and wait. She won't sit there forever. Closely watch her body language. When you see she is starting to relax, coax her forward with a titbit. Don't crouch down - act normal and confident. As if it's no big deal. When she moves forward, praise, praise, praise! When she stops, stop too (as jerking her forward - the first reaction -  isn't working), but ignore her. Act as if there's no hurry - you've got all day. It will probably take many days - these things can't be hurried - but I'm certain it will work.

Good luck.
:)

Thank you for your feedback! I will certainly try that! My husband and I were trying to help August while Marley, our 9 year old daughter handled Emma. So I guess both of us should concentrate on August while Emma's in the house? I will try that! I hope it works!
Thank you!!

I know you're probably itching to get them out for walks - but I think rushing it at this stage could put you back further.  Try just laying the lead by her food bowl at meal times for a few days.  Then attaching it for meals, once she's happy with this leave it on for a few mintues after each meal.  Only when she's happy can you start to pick up the other end - hold it while she's eating and go through the same step by step routine you did with attaching her to the lead with you holding it.  It may not be so much a deliberate bad experience with the previous home - it may be something as simple as somebody accidentally stepping on the lead and jarring her neck - but at her age dogs go through a 'fear period' during which a bad experience can colour how they view similar circumstances for the rest of their lives, unless carefully taught to expect different.

Hi!
Thank you for the reply. We tried the leash by the food dish tonight, neither dogs would eat. But they ate later in the evening! Oh well, we will have to keep trying! Thank you!!!

Hi ifyou say they have Mastiff in them i take it you do mean English Mastiff or do you mean Bullmastiff? as this can make a big difference and they should not be going up and stairs you will damage there bones and they should not be going out for walks at this age as the same can happen, all they need is the garden and training club,you can take them for rides in the car to the park and just sit in the park and let them look and meet people, let them have there leads on in the garden for a while. :-)  and i do have to say you should not have been able to buy two sisters( stupid breeder) as you could have big problems as they get older.

Even more worrying Corso Girl - they didn't come from a breeder, but from a 'rescue' - what rescue in their right minds places two mastiff type bitches in the same home - I dispair sometimes...... :(

Back to the lead problem, if she is happy with a collar then try tying a little piece of string the collar about 3" taller than she is and let her walk around with it hanging there when she either ignores it or plays with it try a piece about the length of the leash. Do not use a collar or lead with any chain on it, the rattle could have put her off. When she is happy to run around with the longer length of string try with the lead, just put it on and walk away, don't call, don't do anything but get on with whatever you are doing, would expect after a while she will start to walk about and if she does after a few days then try picking up the end, praise if she accepts it and put it down again, increase the length of time you hold it. Never pull a puppy with the lead when it walks follow but do not pull.

Wait a minute Digger, Mastiff bitches shouldn't be together? Oh boy! More details please! Thank you!

Corso girl is more the person to ask this - but two bitches of any breed can and do get into the most horrendous fights.  This is more likely to happen between two bitches who are very similar, and the likely hood of two bitches from the same litter being alike is much higher than two bitches who are unrelated or of different breeds.  Mastiffs are not known for tolerating other dogs anyway.........

Hi yes i dont think it was a good move of the rescue to let you have litter sisters, but you have them now and if you are aware that there could be a fight then at least you can try and stop it before hand, as they start to get older dont go out and leave them together i would crate them in the same room you can start that now, dont feed them near each other, dont make to much fuss over one and not the other, walk them one at a time, when there seasons are near which will be about the age of 6 months watch them as at this time it can trigger of fights so again keep apart unless you are around to watch them, it can work out fine so long as you are in charge, dont panic also take them to a good training club, and when older i would have one spayed first and then a year later the other one done, if you need to ask any thing just post, good luck.

Thank you Corso Girl!
That would really help. I have already spayed them, well they did. The rescue paws never said anything about them possibly fighting! That's why I was really shocked to find out from other people that there would be problems! They were really happy we took BOTH sisters. oh boy! They tend to play a lot with growling .. I try to stop them before it becomes ugly. I have been training them to go potty at different times outside I take one with me and keep the other inside until the other has went then I switch. Trying to keep them from playing outside so they can concentrate on going "potty" not playing until they are fully housebroken. I keep them in the garage when we go to work and we are going to add a doggy door on the garage door so they can go outside when pleased.
I am determined to make the puppies LOVE eachother! I want that so much! I am not going to tolerate them fighting. I want them to be bestfriends! Thank you so much for all your posts!
Angel