Walking two dogs together

[Beth Pladson]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas/suggestions for this problem. I like taking my two kids for a walk together, and I have the halter that allows you to walk two dogs side by side using one leash. Walking them together but on separate leashes is kind of impracticle and hard to hold on to. Anyway, the 5 mo old puppy is better heeling than the 13 mo old, who is stronger and is an expert leash puller. Her side of the halter is shorter so I have more control over her. So, do I have to work with them individually to get their heeling under control before I walk them together? or is there a way to do this together when they're both on their walk?

[heathea]

I would train them both while holding 2 seperate leashes, once they are older and better trained to walk at a heel, then you can introduce walking them together. I have 2 dogs and I don't like to walk the two on them on one leash, I have tried it and prefer the control of having each on their own leash. I hold the leash in a way I was trained by a trainer, I have never seen anyone else use it so I think it was just her preferred method, but it works for me. The best way I can describe it is to make a "thumbs up" gesture with your right hand. put loops of leashes over the thumb, open fingers and allow leashes to lay across palm, now relax your hand so you don't look insane, and then walk dogs. I walk with my right arm parallel to the ground.
I have no idea if that made any sense or not, and if not I am sorry.

Other than more training, I am sorry I don't have any suggestions to make walking your puppies on a single leash instead of two.
Good Luck!
-Heather

[Jill Ramsey]

We use one of those leashes that you can attach around your waist for one dog, and a regular leash for the other. The one around your waist, of course, would be for the best trained dog.
When we had our other dogs (RIP), and jogged, these worked great for that.

[Beth Pladson]

We use one of those leashes that you can attach around your waist for one dog, and a regular leash for the other. The one around your waist, of course, would be for the best trained dog.
When we had our other dogs (RIP), and jogged, these worked great for that.


Where can I find one of those waist-wrapping leashes? Of the two, Roddy is pretty good on his leash and still small enough that if he did go crazy at something, it wouldn't be too hard to control.

Oh, Jill, we weighed our two at the trainers a couple days ago and El is 64 lbs and Roddy was 46! I can't believe how fast they grow!

[Jill Ramsey]

I think you can get them at Petsmart or petco. I need to take Fischer in and get him weighed. I can't lift him into the suv any more. Luckily, we have a ramp from our old yellow lab who had arthritis.

[Lesly Stevens]

Well, Beth, it's more work, but if you want your dogs to learn how to walk on a loose leash without any pulling, and to learn to properly heel, then you need to train one at a time. (sorry!) It's tempting to take them both (I know, I've got two!), but you'll just be reinforcing unwanted behavior on leash. It takes time and effort to train one dog - trying to do two at a time just doesn't work. Once each dog understands what is expected, then training them to heel/walk in tandem will not only be possible, it'll be considerably easier! You can use the walks as your one-on-one time with each dog - so necessary when you have two or more dogs.

Lesly, Maddy, & Bo

[Daniela Jantzen]

Well, Beth, it's more work, but if you want your dogs to learn how to walk on a loose leash without any pulling, and to learn to properly heel, then you need to train one at a time. (sorry!) It's tempting to take them both (I know, I've got two!), but you'll just be reinforcing unwanted behavior on leash.

Yup. :)
When walking more than just one dog, your attention is divided by the two or them. If you really want to see quick results, train the dogs one-on-one first before walking them together.
And even when you start walking them both at once, start out with areas of none to mild distractions only.

Danny

[Beth Pladson]

Thanks for your replies... I guess I'm gonna be speding lots of time walking! :-P