This will be the first time I have owned 2 dogs and was wondering if its easier to train puppy to wee and mess outside if they follow the older dog. When we have other dogs to visit if one pees the other pees etc. Going to take him straight to place Bailey uses when we bring him home hopefully the smell will make him go.

My older ones have trained the younger ones. They do have the odd accident, but I have found it much easier not only toilet training, but recall as well, as they again follow the older ones. You have to re-inforce the recall without the others present, but on the whole, I have found it is much easier.

In my experience they also pick up on bad habits like the older ones ;-)

Stacey x

Do yours have bad habits??? Surely not, I bet they are perfect, like mine :O

Yep our young Lab follows our older one everywere and it did help a bit with going outside for duties,however sadie the older one had a leg injury 4 years ago and kicks her leg out a bit when walking and Annie has started walking the same she copies all of the time.

Sheila.

Ha ha that made me laugh Shelia i just visualised your dogs walking down the street kicking there legs out together in sink. 

I suppose thats why it is best to train your first dog to a very good standard before getting another dog because they do copy, they're like kids, my bullmastiff doesn't go for a walk with my westies as they both have bad habits, so they go separately and i wouldn't wont her to copy them, so now she's a lovely dog if i'd have took her out with them she would have been a pain.

Warm regards Susan

Lol @ Shelia, I was thinking the same as Susan.  :-D :-D

Yes they do copy, very much so.  I have 2 peas in a pod.  They even lie the same way in their bed, and to be honest, I don't know who copies who, there seems to be a little bit of both going on.   My bitch is a year younger than my dog but he's picked things up from her too.  But in other ways they are also very different.

I have two dogs at the mo..cross bred greyhounds, mother and son!

The son is exactly like a grumpy teenager with the mum..as soon as she comes near him to have a lay down..he'll shoot up like a shot and go lay somewhere else, he's a acts like a grouchy old man but deep down he's a big old softie and would much rather prefer cuddling up to me and the family..he did used to copy alot of what his mum did when he was a pup but i can definately say he's grown out of it..does his own thing now, couldn't care less what his mum's doing :P

Most dogs do copy each other though..it's what they would do in the wild..go around in packs, follow each other to protect each other yadda, yadda..

Karley

LOL Mine love each other but especially in this hot weather my old boy has been really grumpy and the young one cannot understand why he dosent want to play!

Hi,
Yes, they do follow the older one's, swings and roundabouts. They always
settle better, the big one'e help train them. But! The do teach the little one's naughty
things as well egh!!
Regards
Denese

I have two older dogs, our new pup was house trained within a week, she just followed them

I wish my older dog would have helped to housetrain the pup but he has weird toilet habits and refuses to go if anyone is watching. He won't poo in the garden AT ALL and when he wants to go when we're out on a a walk he will wait until he is off lead and take himself off into the most dense bushes he can find. I'm sure the pup thinks he must never go at all as she never sees it happen!!

I read with interest this post as hopefully, :) I too may have a bitch (for the first time I add) always had males before. My male Goldie is 2 and a half, and as I too have never had 2 dogs before wondered how it would go.
I am getting a Lab, people have told me that the girls are easier anyway??any advice there?.
My goldie is from working stock and have to say was hard work in the beginning picking up at 10 weks, but we got through the puppy stage and love him to bits now. He is getting better every day now, and comes on recall. I wanted to get another dog,and now it may come to pass hope things will go ok. :(