Two dogs, one handler, and turns with the treats

How to train two dogs at once usually means taking turns. One dog holds a mat while the other works, and each gets paid after its own name. Swap turns often, and pay the waiting dog for staying put. Ask for the same cue from both side by side only after each can do it alone.

Should two dogs learn a new cue together or apart?

Apart. A new cue is hard enough for one dog without a second one crowding in. Give each dog its own short turn, with the other dog out of the way. That can mean another room, or behind a baby gate, or on a mat across the floor.

Working apart also gives you a clear view. You can see exactly what one dog is doing, pay it on time, and fix the setup if something slips. With two dogs moving at once, you are watching two things and paying neither well.

Keep the turns short, and switch before either dog fades. Alternate: one cue, one dog, pay; then the other. The quick swaps are for you as much as the dogs, since one handler only has so much attention to split.

Paying small and paying fast still apply with two dogs, and the training treat basics cover both. This page adds the turns.

How do you keep one dog on a mat while the other works?

The waiting dog needs a job, and the job is a mat. This page assumes that dog can already hold one; if not, start with the place guide, which teaches the mat from scratch.

Put the waiting dog on its mat, then start the working dog's turn. Between the working dog's rounds, pay the waiting dog for staying on the mat. That payment is what keeps the mat worth holding.

The waiting dog earns small, frequent rewards for staying. The working dog earns the usual ones for the cue. Two jobs, two kinds of pay, and you decide which dog the next piece goes to.

Set the mats a few strides apart so each dog can see you, and keep the treat hand low.

How do you pay each dog by its name?

In this setup, a dog's name comes right before its treat. Say the name, hand the piece to that dog, and give nothing to the other. Here is how a turn swap runs.

• Say the working dog's name, ask for the cue, and pay that dog.
• Say the waiting dog's name, and pay it for holding the mat.
• Swap: the waiting dog becomes the working dog, and the roles trade.
• Keep your voice flat, so the name is information and not excitement.

Keep the order the same on every turn, name first and treat second, so a piece never follows the wrong dog's name. To build a strong response to each name on its own, use the name guide.

Pay quickly and keep each reward tiny; the pieces arrive small and break down further, per our listing, so one bite can stretch across both dogs' rounds. The cheese starts out in New York State, and we make the bites in Malvern, Pennsylvania, one small batch after another.

When can both dogs work side by side?

Only once each dog can do the cue alone. Then ask for the same cue from both at once. Say the first dog's name, then the second dog's, then the cue. Use two hands or two small piles so each dog is paid in its own spot.

Start with a short version: one cue, both dogs, one round. Pay each dog by name, then pause. If either dog is tense around food near the other, keep them apart and bring in a qualified trainer.

Side by side work is the last step, not the first. It builds on the turns you have already practiced. The mat and the name carry over.

If a round goes sideways, go back to turns. Nothing is lost by taking a step back.

The pieces in both hands are our freeze dried cheddar bites, and every one contains dairy. They pay for turns and cues; they are a treat, not a complete diet.