Walking More Then One Dog?

[MissMolly]

I have three cavaliers, and would love to be able to walk them all at the same time, but they go nuts crossing over in front, behind me and pulling in different directions.

Now when i walk them one at a time they walk quite well and stay beside me, how can i teach them to all walk with me??

[Dogs4Fun]

Reinforce correct behavior in the same way you taught them to walk well with you alone.

Add additional control if you need it - check chains etc.

[Reddii]

I feel your pain, I have 2 BC's who on their own are just about perfect on lead. Together they are a complete PITA. They just constantly compete and I have been too lazy to fix the problem - aside from the fact that I can physically manage them if I need to.

It's on my list of things to do and we will be using the 'no walk properly no walk' method and then rewarding correct behaviour. With them it doesn't take long to see an improvement, it's just a matter of staying consistent - something I have failed miserably at. (I like to get out of our street!)

I really need to get on top of this because we will have another dog at some point in the next few years and I really don't like the thought of trying to walk 3 super fit, reasonably strong, somewhat out of control dogs on lead all at once.

Pick a strategy and make sure you stick with it.

I don't want to start an argument - I'm not totally against well used check chains, but one thing I did find is that with the two of them on a split lead was that correction collars weren't really workable as you'd end up correcting both dogs or the dogs would correct each other - either way they would be corrected for the wrong (correct) behaviour. I've found head halters (love them or hate them) are a gentler alternative with less accidental correction.

cheers.

Tony

[Erny]

Start walking two at a time and get that going right before you walk three at a time.

ETA : I'm not inclined to use split leads for the reason touched on by Reddii above. I prefer separate leads so that each can be adjusted/utilised for the individual dog as required - even if doing so is not as 'clean' as it might be when walking only one dog, if the dogs know and understand Loose Lead Walking they should understand a correction when/if delivered.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Erny

[huski]

I still don't walk Micha and Daisy together unless someone comes with me so we can have a dog each. Micha is worse around other dogs if Daisy is with us, so I would prefer not to have to control him and Daisy on my own. That and they encourage each other to pull, and will play with each other as we're walking! As others have said, separately they are more often than not angels.

I have tried walking them on joint leads and it was bloody awful... much easier with separate leads

[Just Midol]

I've walked on a joint lead before.

BUT each dog also has a seperate lead with their prongs.

Didn't really work, I just got confused with the amount of leads and jerked the wrong ones when giving corrections. I'm hoping I can use my e-collar to replace the prong collars on walks.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Lord Midol

[mixy]

I too would like to know. I'm always just about tearing my hair out with my 3, Molly tries to charge ahead, Milly is always stopping (lying down!) to sniff things and Barney crosses from one side to the other, tripping me up!

[spyda62]

I walk my 3 dogs on seperate leads, all on my left side. They walk really well together and all know their place.

I used to practice at home so they got used to it. Then I started taking them for short walks and gradually increased the distance as we got better.

I have found the biggest thing is to remain calm with them, not to get stressed when something goes wrong.

I gotta say it is sooooo cool taking all 3 dogs out together. Hang in there, keep working at it as the end result is really worth it.

[Reddii]

Start walking two at a time and get that going right before you walk three at a time.

ETA : I'm not inclined to use split leads for the reason touched on by Reddii above. I prefer separate leads so that each can be adjusted/utilised for the individual dog as required - even if doing so is not as 'clean' as it might be when walking only one dog, if the dogs know and understand Loose Lead Walking they should understand a correction when/if delivered.

Very true - comes back to me being lazy. when we run I use two leads, but otherwise it's just easier.

MUST FIX.....MUST FIX......

[ruthless]

I walk Ivan, Trixie and Chopper together in the mornings. I find the key is to keep the leads short and they have no option but to stay where they're supposed to. No marking or stopping to sniff things. I am a bit of a drill sergeant, but it's my walk so they have to behave. Chopper will insist on being ahead of the other two so I give him a fraction more lead to appease him and prevent pulling!

If I try and bring Angel as well it's a nightmare cause she likes to lag behind [and the footpaths aren't wide enough for 4 dogs!] so she gets to come on the second walk with just Chopper.

[Sonic]

Didn't really work, I just got confused with the amount of leads and jerked the wrong ones when giving corrections. I'm hoping I can use my e-collar to replace the prong collars on walks.

I walk 3 Labs and each has a different colour lead so I can always quickly correct the one who steps out of line.

[rexiam]

I used to find walking my 2 a nightmare. Sam is a puller, even with a check chain. When we got Rex, well he is just happy to be with her. He is great to walk. Walking with 2 leads and 2 kids on bikes has just been a disaster

So I decided to try a split lead, if thats what its called Its a v shape that goes to each dog and attaches with one lead. It works great for us. It has seemed to slow Sam up for whatever reason and Rex is just happy to plod along. I know that you have to be careful in the lengths of the split lead as if its too long the dogs get tangled. Mine don't get tangled and we have practised in the yard before test running it Much more manageable.

[Diva]

I walk two v. large young dogs together and the only way I could get it to work was to set a much higher standard of behaviour - eg you walk next to me, both on the left side, you don't walk in front at all, you don't swap sides, you don't play with each other along the way and you don't stop to sniff until we get to the park. Happily as soon as I got serious about those rules so did they, and they walk nicely on separate leads. I do insist they start off calm and I make them sit at the door, at the gate etc. If they bounce around or pull at the start we go back inside and try again in a few minutes, we've only had to do that twice and they got the message. One of them seems to enjoy the more structured walks more than the more lax ones, which suprised me.

[Bjelkier]

I started walking mine together as soon as I got Mistral. I had the help of my partner in the begining and we walked the together, each being taught what to do and what not to do. Slowly they got use to it and now I can easily walk both together alone.

[skip]

I like walking my dogs and do so every day, rain or shine. I would hate having to walk dogs seperately. I walk 2 or 3 at the same time on normal collars.

If dogs are trained and know how to heel and are not doing it as a bigger pack maybe it is more about leadership. Of corse you might not be heeling exactly but I expect mine to walk on loose leads, I don't want any tugging and no stopping unless at first few mins they need to toilet.

I normally walk fast which I find makes it easier. If the male dog walks a bit ahead and I feel a pressure on the lead I stop. Wait for eye contact, then walk again. If he still edges a little forward again ,I might say his name. I might vary my speed to slow and fast to get him watching for next choice.

My aunt has 2 poodles that when I visit we walk together to the beach. Her poodles run all over the place, crossing back and forth etc. When I take her dogs with mine I simply walk straight ahead purposely, no stopping. I am not dragging or pulling them along. If at first one stops or changes direction I trot and encourage them to move faster. Soon her 2 will be be trotting along very nicely with mine. I don't really do anything but they see their owner very differently than how they see me.

Of course when they are moving nicely I let them know with praise. I don't treat them with food as the walk itself is a reward but maybe you could at first. I don't really care who walks where, each dog normally picks a side. This is easy if they are small, when I walked 2 GSD they both travelled side by side on my left side. And another dog took the right.

Maybe a lot of training is needed but I love walking along with dogs attached and you can't even feel them. Good Luck, it is worth getting right. More enjoyable for everyone. Maybe somebody can go with you and help at first and pass all the dogs to you after they get that first 10 mins or so out of the way. Give you a chance to get the hang of 3 leads.

And I'd always go seperate leads too. Happy trails.

[juice]

i walk my 3 together, and they know their position, as i am locking the front door, they swap to get in their spot ready to go. i have my dally and cattle one side, my wei the other. i keep the leads short, so they can't cross in front.

however i do understand, i know 2 gsd"s who cross in front and behind me to trip me up if i allow to much lead length

try shortening the leads, so they are next to you, perhaps just 2 at a time to start with.

[MissMolly]

Well thanks everyone for your good advice, hubby and i walked the girls last night, he took one and i took two, and while we were walking we were taking notice of what they were doing, i have worked out that if Miss Charlotte (who is the easiest of our three so laid back and soft), is on the outside of Miss Molly (and Miss Molly is near my leg) it keeps her in line, she doesn't try pulling and snifing everywhere ( and she is the strongest of the three) and i also shortened the leads.

So this morning been very brave ( oh and trying to drop some kilo's) after hubby left for walk i thought why not and so i took them all for a walk, i started out at a decent pace, Miss Charlotte and Miss Molly on one side and Miss Sophie on the other side, AND i loved it, we had to stop a couple of times but there was no pulling and going nuts, i think it was my mood also that help, i felt like i commanded their attention and their behaviour improved so much, (does that make sense)...

Must say i will be now known as the crazy dog lady of (insert suburd here) as half way through our walked it started pouring with rain, but guess what it didn't faze me as i was having a ball, and i am sure the three girls were too...

(Not saying it will always go as smoothly but it is a great start, will get hubby to walk with me again tonight just to help reinforce the good behaviour.)

[jacks4life]

I had the luxury of having one JRT first, who I was taught Loose Lead Walking with, then did the same when our 2nd rescue JRT came along.

Having both on correction collars, they both understand the rules of Loose Lead walking, and despite my earlier experiences with my JRT Rescue dog 1, both walk well together!

Good luck!

[Tilly]

My two used to walk well together (thank goodness) but when I was walking a friends two hypo staffies I used a short length of chain to link the two dogs together (collar to collar) and then clipped them onto their seperate leads (so it sort of formed a triangle). That way both dogs would be seperately corrected but they remained close together ... just look out for street signs

[Diva]

Well done on your progress!

i think it was my mood also that help, i felt like i commanded their attention and their behaviour improved so much, (does that make sense)...

Yep, it makes perfect sense

Must say i will be now known as the crazy dog lady of (insert suburd here) as half way through our walked it started pouring with rain, but guess what it didn't faze me as i was having a ball, and i am sure the three girls were too...

Lol, welcome to the crazy dog lady club. I think a few of us are probably known as that! (only by people who don't understand, of course)