Hi! I’ve just joined this forum looking for some advice.
Last night I’ve moved into a new place with two dogs (both Smithfield’s, one 6yo male and 3yo female). They are already shaping up to be a lot.
The younger one is the issue. She razzes up the elder, non stop energy, has no recall and barks so loud it actually hurts. She also has no respect to authority. I house sit with my partner and we’re both at a loss where to start and how to train her to be well/better behaved because this job is 3 months.
She only knows sit, and rarely actually. I am aware that things may settle down once they get to know us, but I when I came over to meet the family a few weeks ago, this behaviour was shown then as well.
Just wanting any tips and advice. She isn’t food motivated, but loves her ball. Ultimately I want her to come when called, get in her bed when told and settle a little more (:
A few things that can help with high-energy, low-recall dogs on longer sits:
• Use the ball as your main reward since food isn’t doing it. Short “do the thing → get the ball” reps can build compliance quickly.
• Teach one cue at a time. Start with recall or “bed/place” — whichever will make daily life easier — and repeat it in the same tone, same way, every time.
• Lots of tiny training sessions beat one long one. Even 60 seconds here and there adds up.
• Give her a clear off-switch. A tether, baby gate, or sending her to her bed after play stops the razzing-before-it-starts pattern.
• Structured exercise early in the day helps: a proper ball session and a walk before you expect calm behaviour.
• When she amps up the older dog, calmly separate them for a few minutes so everyone can reset.
• Three months is long enough to create new patterns. Keep it consistent and she’ll improve.
What a nightmare!
I’m just wondering, when you went to meet them a few weeks before the sit and witnessed this behaviour, did you discuss it with the owners and ask them what they do?
As you’re there for 3 months might it be worth asking them if they’ll pay for one or two sessions with a dog trainer? I don’t mean Graham from the TV programme (he charges hundreds of pounds).
You’ve also been given some advice. I often check out training on YouTube.
Let us know how you get on and good luck!
Hi @LaraJake You could do some research into ‘herding games’, which would tap into the job that this type of dog was originally bred for, and fulfil both the physical and mental stimulation that a working breed needs. I’m guessing they would probably enjoy some form of agility training as well. Three months is a good length of time to make a real difference in a dog’s life, if you’re up for the challenge!
Hi @LaraJake, welcome to THS Forum. Sorry that it took an unfortunate incident for you to join.
Wow, ok so you’re motivated to remedy situation.
Be safe. No housesit is worth endangering yourself or partner. If concerned, contact PP or THS MS as appropriate.
Drain energy. Take younger dog on significantly longer than typical walk. With elevation and/or stimulation if available. Context - we have completed multiple sits where dogs started with excess energy, sometimes lots excess energy. Multiple potential factors - such as pet parents busy before departure; generally excess energy; dogs excited at new people. Objective - after several days of above-typical exercise then younger dog behaviour may mellow significantly. This also may aid “no respect to authority”. Tired is good, maybe really fantastic.
Separate dogs. Remove any topics (e.g. other dog) that are causing issue. See what happens. Monitor. Perhaps younger dog may settle.
Alpha dog. That’s you, not the dog! Lead with proactive authority. Set clear boundaries. Enforce consistently. Be firm.
Ask HO if they are willing to purchase a flirt pole. They are inexpensive but great for getting energy out of a dog.
Also ask HO if they would get one or two puzzle toys. Nina Ottenson toys are great and help mentally tired a dog as they work through how to get the treats. If you don’t want to do this or HO don’t want to buy these, try rolling up treats in an old towel and tie it up so pups have to figure out how to get the treats. If there is a muffin tin in the kitchen, put a few treats in each muffin tin, add water, and freeze so pups have to lick out the treats. Scatter feeding is great too - take their kibble and hide it around the house/yard and let them sniff out/find their whole meal. Sniffing really mentally tired dogs out.
I might be in the minority here, but I (an HO) don’t think sitters should train any of the pets they’re sitting. Finding a common rythm and language with the pet, sure. But not actively train them, unless it has been agreed on with the HO.
Talking with the HO about the issue should be the first thing to do. If a solution can’t be find and the behaviour is unbearable, then I would assume terminating the sit would be the best option.
In addition to WeRPAWsome’s suggestions, I would recommend maintaining control of the ball. You decide when it makes an appearance, so it is earned by the behaviors you want.
In a perfect world, yes, sitters wouldn’t be put in a position where “training” even enters the picture. Most of us would much prefer to simply follow the pet’s existing routines and keep everything steady.
But as @LaraJake describes, this isn’t an ideal, well-set-up scenario — it’s a real-life three-month commitment with a young, high-energy dog who already struggled with recall and boundaries before the sit even began. Wanting tools to keep everyone safe, settled, and sane isn’t about rewriting the dog; it’s about managing the environment so the sit can actually work for both pets and people.
That’s often the gap between HO expectations and sitter realities: the sitter is living the day-to-day behaviour, sometimes for months, and simply needs practical ways to keep things functioning smoothly. To me, a sitter who stays calm, communicates clearly, and tries to “work the problem” instead of walking away at the first hurdle is exactly the kind of person most HOs hope for.
Why did you do the sit when you saw the behaviour a few weeks ago? If you were unaware, if say cancel, but it might be hard to do that now. If you can convince the HOs to cancel, this is your best bet, as it sounds unbearable
Also, in reality - recall is a difficult behavior to train and proof. Reality is it takes (from puppyhood) 1-2 years to train AND proof it in lots of different places before it can be judged as reliable. The reason it is so difficult is off leash you would asking a dog to do something it really loves (eg chasing a squirrel) and come to you. No way, in 3 months, will a dog do that reliably, in my opinion, if the dog is starting from basically nothing. If the dog already has good recall, then you would just be adjusting that to you so that may be possible in 3 months.
3 months isn’t enough time to really train recall from scratch. I would focus on place and other things mentioned.
I’ve just read through all the thread. Was this boisterous behaviour mentioned in the listing? Before accepting the sit, did you ask questions about how the two dogs get on, how they interact with each other and whether there are any issues you need to be aware of? When you visited a few weeks before commencement of the sit, and noticed the challenging behaviours, did you talk things through with the HO?
To try and turn things around between dogs of this age - 3 and 6 years - isn’t really your responsibility, and won’t be easy. Can I just ask, do you have much previous experience with large, strong dogs (or at least with working breeds)? They need lots of stimulation or will quickly become bored (and that’s when the trouble can start). Not just physical stimulation, but brain games to keep them occupied. Lots of info available online.
If you really think you can’t handle things, then best to communicate honestly with the HO and see if you can reach some sort of compromise - such as doggy day care for one or both - or maybe even see if you can leave the sit early due to undisclosed behaviours.
Going forwards, it’s worth really asking yourself if you’re well suited to the sit pets, and to do this you need to find out as much about them as you can before confirming.
I am also curious about whether this sit had previous reviews and what did they say? I would never accept a sit like this, much less for 3 months, unless I was completely fooled bc this information or behavior was never disclosed or apparent.
I would definitely ask the HO’s if this is normal and how they address it to make them aware that you are struggling with it.
Ugh, 3 months with barely manageable dogs sounds miserable. At that age they should have had “some” training and be better behaved??
If you are going to stick it out, I’ll just add a recommendation for a great animal training book, if the dogs would give you a little peace to read it. How to reward desired behaviour and discourage unwanted behaviour.
Good luck!! Don’t Shoot the Dog: The Art of Teaching and Training: Pryor, Karen: 9781982106461: Amazon.com: Books
