How do you walk 2 or more dogs?

[slleipnir]

Curious how people walk their dogs. I usually walk one at a time so I can get them to heel etc and work with them..however, I discovered it's very easy to take BOTH dogs and have them BOTH heel hah. It was probably weird looking, but I walked with Zeke heeling next to me, and Jo heeling byside him. Then if I stop, they both sit..to cute! How do you do it?

[LeahMM]

Bout the same as you.

[cali]

I have 5 dogs, 1 at a time would be too many walks lol I usually walk 2 at a time, I rarly take my moms dogs for a walk, I always walk Happy and Misty together, Happy walks off leash heeling beside me. Misty does not heel outside, she does not even walk on a loose leash outside, all the trainers that I tried to help are at their wits end, so a haltie is our only choice, she does not heel on that either shestill pulls but she cant pull hard enugh to bother me lol occasionaly I take Blair with me, but not to often, my mom takes care of her dogs exersize. I walked 4 at once before....I will never do that again lol

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I usually walk all 3 separately, I have much more control over one dog than 2 at a time. I have tried walking both Tango and Winston at the same time and it did work out ok but I jsut feel more comfortable with jsut one for some reason...

[My Peanuts]

I walk all three of mine at once. When I just had Sylvia and Harley I bought a splitter, sometimes called a coupler. Then when I got Morty I added another one. Three dogs, one leash. It's nice because they don't get tangled. This works best if the dogs walk well on a leash already and are around the same size. Sylvia is 19lbs, Harley is 22lbs, and Morty is 16lbs and it works great. :)

I'll snap a picture of our set up if it will help.

[Shelteez2]

I walk Em and Clipse together. They both heel on my left, Em closest to my leg and then Clipse beside her. They are most often off leash.

When I am dog sitting I walk up to 4 at a time. Right now I am dog sitting 2 dobes so I walk with one dobe on either side, Em is off leash in front, and Clipse is off leash behind.

[cloverfdx]

Simply..... Off lead ;). We drive to the park we all hop out and off they go, whilst i wander aimlessly around behind them lol, they usually know where thay want to go and i follow.

[lv4dogs]

I walk both of mine together (and did the same when I had 3-4 dogs). I used to dog sit & assist at agility & obedience shows & classes etc... & there have been times when I'm walking 5-7 dogs.

I teach my dogs to heal but they also know to walk properly on a leash (not pulling or crossing each other all the time etc...), I call it "walk". If I don't mind if they pull & go crazy etc.. I just release them by saying "ok". Usually I just walk them like I would walk one as I rarely use the heal command. But I also taught my dogs to heal on the right side (I call it "side"). So if I need them to heal I can either have them both heal side by side or I can have one heal on the left side & I tell the other one "side" which is healing on the right side.

[cyber-sibes]

I walk them both at once. I did when I had Star and Rosie, too. They would both heel on the left side, and sit at every corner (I was so proud of them!)
Star and Sherman walk together, but I have not taught him to heel since we usually go to the dogpark so they can be off leash. Star is 8 1/2 now and she likes to walk at a calm pace, which is very nice! Been walking them at the resevoir lately, Sherman gets so excited by the sound of the waves on the rocks!

[IRescue452]

About the same way except I use a coupling leash. Now Pepper is too old for walks and just gets a romp in the yard before me and Autumn go out. If we even went around the block I'd be carrying Pepper half way home. Btw, Autumn heels on whichever side I ask her to none of that left-handed stuff for me. I still don't get what is so important about heeling on the left side.

[pitc9]

I walk both of mine (just about:o ) every morning.
Buddy stays on my left and Sierra stays on my right.
I tried having Sierra walk on Buddy's left side, but he doesn't like that one bit!!
Sierra used to be a puller BIG time, but now that we are working with a dog behaviorist she has improved greatly!!

[PJ's Mom]

I walk both of mine together all the time. However, they usually get all tangled up, trip me and each other, and drag me behind them. So, walks are usually a funny disaster. :p

[Jadapit]

I walk Jada and Diamond together. I'm going to start working with Ebony soon. I dont know if i will be able to walk all three of them at once. Time will tell.

[lv4dogs]

Originally posted by IRescue452
I still don't get what is so important about heeling on the left side.

I'm not sure what it is about the left side. I actually just searched (google & yahoo) and found no reason why they chose the left side.
But if I were to GUESS I would say it is for showing purposes. *Most* shows the dog works clockwise, with the judge in the middle, therefore the dog needs to be on the left side of the human in order for the judge to fully see the dog.
I also think that to make judging fair they should have the dogs all do it the same way. The more uniform the dogs are the fairer it is.

But I would love to find out if I am correct or the reasone behind it. I'll be searching some more to see what I can find.

If I was never an assistant in obedience, agility & behavorial training, and my pets were not used as specimans & I if I was not interested in showing I think I would of taught my dogs to heal on both sides but just using the one word, heal. But since they were specimans & my next dog I will be showing I don't want to confuse them and have them accidently heal on the wrong side.

[pnance]

I have 4 dogs, and walk them in pairs. I can't even image walking all 4 at once. Group 1, I use a couplar or splitter, one leash 2 dogs. It leaves one hand free to carry a squirt bottle (we have a lot of neighbors who let their dogs run loose). Group 2, one dog heals on the right one on the left. I'm still working on getting 1 not to pull in this group so the couplar isn't an option yet. Luckily these 2 are my friendly ones so loose dogs aren't as big of an issue. :)

[Kfamr]

I walk Nala and Kiara on the 2 dog coupler. Simba on a seperate leash. They're all pretty good on walks, Simba only goes on a seperate leash because he lifts his leg and I don't think I prefer pee on the girls. :o

[BitsyNaceyDog]

For potty time and exercise we usually just go out into the yard. We play fetch with them and because they are little that usually is enough to tire them out. On walks we usually only take Nacey and Nova, sometimes Charlie. Bitsy and Buster don't particularly care for going on walks down the road, they get often get scared and we end up carrying them. When we take Nacey and Nova I will take one and Justin the other. If we take Charlie too then one of us walk Nova and Charlie on two separate leashes and the other will walk Nacey.

If we were to take all 5 together it would be one person with Bitsy, Buster, and Charlie (I've done that before and they walk well together) and the other person would walk Nacey and Nova.

[Jamieejo85]

I just walk Chico with one hand and Guapo with the other...they do great together.:)

[Cincy'sMom]

When I walk our three, I don't make them heel. No, they are not aloud to pull on my arm, or drag me (and the three together can!), but they can wander alittle and enjoy the smells.

If depends on my mood, as to how I handle leashes. Sometimes they are all one their own. Other times I use a Y to connect to and leave the third on their own leash. Or I have a Y that connect to 3 collars, and can put them all on one leash.

[k9krazee]

Sometimes I will take all 5 if it is early in the morning or later when there are less people and dogs out. If I do take all of them Micki is on the left, closest to me, and Shadow heals next to him. Jack is "by me" which is my command for heeling on the right side. Mini will usually walk behind or sometimes next to Micki and Kyra is farthest away from me on my right side or she will go out in front. The only problem with taking all of them is after it has snowed and people just run the snowblower once down the sidewalk and the path isn't wide enough for us all to walk!

Usually I will take them in groups, it depends on where I'm going and who wants to go really. If there is a destination, like the park, Jack, Mini and Kyra will usually go. If I plan on going for a long walk I will take Jack, Micki and Mini. Shadow is getting older and doesn't like to walk as far and she really likes just spending time with me so I often just take her alone. I try to at least twice a week take only one at a time but for daily walks I usually take at least 3.

[lizbud]

Not very well, I'm afraid. I walk them separately, one at a
time. Smokey & maggie have such different personalities that
it's a lot better for them (and me) to walk just one at time.:)

[2crazypuppies4me]

I walk both of mine together. HOWEVER, I do end up doing a little dance for all the neihbors at times. To many time I care to remember :rolleyes: YOU know the dance; put you left foot up and you left foot down, (come on sing it with me) put your right foot up and shake your leash out of your sneaker and put it down and twist all about....
you know the one don't you?

I haven't seen myself on AFV yet, so I think I'm ok for now. :p LOL

[tikeyas_mom]

well it is hard with a siberianhusky, a shih tzu, and a great dane... yea...
but i manage somehow..

Tikeya and Baby are really good at healing at my side.. they willpretty well walk beside me.. Baby on the left, and Tikeya on the Right. Oscar is a lil Shih ;) though, and he usually runs ahead pulling the lead...

it takes time to teach them to walk acordingly...

[dukedogsmom]

Very carfully :p I've never had to do that so I really don't know. What about those dog walkers in the big cities? They do like six dogs at a time. I sure don't know how that do that.

[binka_nugget]

I walk mine one at a time. They both have issues to work on (Kaedyn's lunging and Kai's fears) so I find it best to focus on just one during a walk.

[king2005]

I've walked 2 dogs at once. Didn't have any problems. I was training a neighbours dog with my dog. The neighbours dog loved my dog, so she did everythig my dog did & tried to do it better. it was great walking them.

However I was yelled at wheni got home. What if they went nuts & pulled.. I was like &?? My dog is very well trained & doesn't chase anything. The dog in training only weighed 50 pounds if that, so if she freaked out I could just pick her up.. Like I did when she was nearlly attacked by 2 loose GSD's.

I've trained 200p Rotties to heel. I think I can manage a 50p sweet non pulling short haired Collie type mutt :)

When I walked my own dog, I didn't walk him. he walked himself.. I made a mini leash. it was about 6 inches long & he would pick it up in his mouth & walk ahead of me.

[K9karen]

carefully? :p :D

[Bigyummydog]

I've trained 200p Rotties to heel. king2005 :eek: :eek:

What are the chances you would talk to MAXIMUS? :D

He thinks the leash is for pulling. Sometimes he seems to be on some urgent mission. But, it's funny, if I let go of the leash, he stops. That's why he gets to go so many places for him to run free. We do have his "walk" collar in his drawer.

As for two, are you kidding? :D :D :D

[Lexi_Lover]

I used to occasionally walk Lexi and Kaeko together when we lived nearby, and I walked them at the same time. :) Kaeko pulls and barks at things going on...:rolleyes:, while Lexi is more layed back and walks quietly beside me, focusing on ebing good and getting treats when she sits when a car comes by. Its that good until another dog comes, but thats ok, because shes getting better! :) Kaeko, is SO friendly, but he has a HUGE bark,a nd it scares people, so they tighten their dog's leashes, all the better for Lexi, but he wants to play sooooo badly! :p

[GoldenRetrLuver]

My two don't really pull on the leash when I take them out for walks. Molly usually heels at my side and Daisy goes a little ahead of us to smell and explore and all that. Sometimes I'll take them for walks one at a time if I want to work with them individually.

[Rachel]

Mine need to get into the mode of walking correctly *one at a time* before I take them together. If I haven't taken them for walks for a while, we have to do refresher courses. Once they do good that way, I will take them together. One heeling and the other out in front on the expandible leash. This is the only system that works well for walking the two of them at the same time. I tried the coupler but realized that instead of two thirty pound dogs, I know had a team that equalled 60 pounds, more than I could make an impact on with a correction.

[king2005]

Originally posted by Bigyummydog
king2005 :eek: :eek:

What are the chances you would talk to MAXIMUS? :D

He thinks the leash is for pulling. Sometimes he seems to be on some urgent mission. But, it's funny, if I let go of the leash, he stops. That's why he gets to go so many places for him to run free. We do have his "walk" collar in his drawer.

As for two, are you kidding? :D :D :D

If u lived near me, I'd be glad to train him.

I use several methods. every dog is different, so I try one until it works.

I always start with a traditional choaker. I use it properly, so it works VERY well on the dog. Some dogs will freak out, so then I try the Halti. Alot of dogs will freakout at first, but it has to be the type where they just want if off their face, not being terrified to death. Then if that fails, I try a harness. Works GREAT on smaller dogs. Its the Halti upside down. the tightning muzzle part is around the dogs nect & acts like a very gently choaker.

& if a dog is REALLY bad at walking, then the spiked choaker is used. but u HAVE to know how to use it right, or u can harm the dog. The spiked choaker cannot be loose. it Must be snug & ther should always be a collar or a regular choaker on the dog, just incase something does go wrong. But if its done right (I haven't failed, only heard stories of people not useing it right) it workes great :)


oh, I also NEVER let the dog leave my side during training. Once the dog is trained, then I'll let the leash loose so the dog can walk ahead & sniff things & potty. During training there r no potty breaks. I'm in total control & I show it to the dogs & they know it.

The funny thing is, is that I'm not very big. I'm only 5'2 & 150 pounds.. I'm quite strong & know how to handle large dogs. & I am slef taught. I used trial & error with my dog. the choaker didn't work on him at all. he was thick headed
& would strangle himself..

But the halti worked GREAT. it only took a few battles until he got the hang of it & after a few yrs old, he only needed the halti on his face to control him. no leash needed. it kept him calm & alert to my commands..

then all I neded was a leash in my hands. Then I needed nothing. & thats pretty much how I walked him (I'm not stupid, I kept the mini leash in my pocket just incase a nother dog was coming. I trusted my dog, but never the other dog..

I also taught my dog how to cross the road & let me tell u it saved his life once.. OMG I thought I was gonna die. He saw dad's truck from the park & bolted for the hwy to get home.. I screamed & he ignored me.. nothing would stop him from getting to see daddy.

As he got to the hwy. I just stopped & staired in fright. But then I saw him slam on the breaks & sit down.. he looked both ways until it was clear & trotted across the hwy & then bolted from the sidewalk.

He wasn't scolded for that. How could I? In his mind he did nothing wrong, except ignor me & nearly killed me through fear.

So its a good idea to train ur dogs how to cross the street :)

[senorita02]

There is lady down my street who walks her 3 dogs all at once & her Pittbull, i think it is too much, she is clearly being pulled down the street, i walk one at a time, both mine weigh more than i do so it would not be wise to take 2 of them at once, plus it could be dangerous, if i had smaller dogs i would walk more than one, but with mine i have to be responisble with one at a time, i can control each one better, and then i get one on one time with them too, which we all enjoy.