Karmann and Emma

Question
I have a 18 month old German Shepherd named Karmann, and a 16 month old mix named Emma. Karmann has always been a very big handful for my husband and I. Emma came along and has been the sweetest thing, but she does nothing but follow Karmann around get into whatever it is that Karmann is getting into. I have never had to scold Emma for doing somthing when she is alone. Karmann on the other hand, is constantly getting into things. She chases our cats, and has since the day she came home(at the age of 12 weeks), she chews on everything, digs in the back yard, runs off, and steals and destroys things all the time. They were crate trained when they were puppies, which worked marvels for potty training. They are now kept in an empty room in my house while we are not home( where they ripped the carpet up). My issue is that I beleive that Karmann has established herself as pack leader. She is very smart...She knows what the rules are, but has no fear of the consequences when she gets caught breaking them. Emma on the other hand, whom I hardly even raise my voice to, is terrified of being disciplined and runs and hides, and on occasion pees on the floor, when I am not even angry with her. My question is since I have two dogs with such different personalities, yet they do EVERYTHING together, what is the best way to discipline Karmann and establish myself as pack leader without terrifying Emma so much.

Answer
Hello Jessica,

I agree with you in that your difficulties seem to all stem from Karmann. However, I question if your emphasis on disciplining her is the best approach.

Reading between the lines of your email, it appears you sense that Karmann has some evil agenda to wreck havoc on your life. I suspect you are making the issue a wee bit too complex.

Sounds to me like you've got a dog that is bursting with energy and is discharging it by running amok in your home. I would assume she is neutered. If not, that should be taken care of. Most importantly, it sounds like Karmann needs a job other then forming a canine posse to hunt down the cat.-:)

Get the girl a doggie backpack and weigh it down with a couple of heavy bottles of water. Then walk her until she's tired and then walk her some more. If you have a bicycle, it would be even better to run her next to you while biking. My guess is that if you give Karmann a job, you'll see a different, more relaxed dog. As you noted, Emma just wants to get along. Calm Karmann and Emma will follow right along.

Bottom line is "A tired dog is a good dog".

Good Luck!
Sandy
Perfect Manners Dog Training
http://www.perfectdogtraining.com