Dog Walk Needs And Leads

[Staycalm]

My dogs have two very different exercise levels and very different approaches to walks. Alfie is older with very short legs and for him a walk around the block is OK but any more than three or four blocks and he's pretty stonkered. Gracie is younger and bigger and could walk or run quite happily for an hour or so. She is a Kelpie x GSD but luckily is not a hyper dog that needs a walk every day.

The problem is that it is near impossible to walk both together easily. Gracie pulls dreadfully a lot of the time as she is over-protective of Alfie and is always wanting to be ahead of him and making sure he is safe. Her focus is on him and not me or the walking so much. She is not treat or particularly voice responsive when in this hyper alert state. Alfie just wants to trot along and sniff and wee at every tree. He gets pulled along and is not happy jogging along at Gracie's speed.

I have tried taking them on separate walks but no matter what order I do it in, they both carry on and it's near impossible to get just one out the door. The other one then races into the driveway and barks the whole time we are gone. I try to co-opt my husband or my daughter to come and take Alfie while I work at getting Gracie calmed and walking with proper lead manners but we just never seem to have the time after school/work. So the poor doggies have been missing out on heaps of walks because, to be honest, it's become this big chore/struggle. It doesn't help that Alfie is getting a bit deaf so he is not so responsive to voice commands as we walk and definitely cannot be allowed off lead at the dog park anymore. I stopped taking them to the park after they both took off across the park after another dog. I was very embarrassed. Naughty dogs!!

So.... these are my thoughts.

I am planning to make the walks small to start with but along a regular route (Away from as many hysterical dogs behind fences as we can. Way too many around here!) so that Gracie might learn to relax more. I am not a fan of routines and sometimes this gets me unstuck but I think Gracie needs the familiarity of a route.

I am wondering if a different lead for Gracie would help. I have been contemplating one of the gentle leader/halter type leads. I have been using a choke chain but I don't think it works well with Gracie's 'soft' nature. I would like some recommendations about what to use and how to introduce it.

My goal is to be able to take the two of them out more and find some way to allow Gracie to exercise more. One benefit to leaving Alfie on lead all the time is that Gracie doesn't run too far away. So I was thinking of getting a long lunge type lead to put Alfie on at the park. Should I try a retractable lead or are there better long leads I could use? I think that way he can trot along with me while Gracie gets to run back and forth freely.

So I have a plan. What do you think?

[persephone]

Take alfie in a stroller????

Train the younger one to use a crate ..and then crate her while Alfie has his constitutional?

Gracie pulls dreadfully a lot of the time as she is over-protective of Alfie and is always wanting to be ahead of him and making sure he is safe. Her focus is on him and not me or the walking so much. She is not treat or particularly voice responsive when in this hyper alert state.

I believe, from this description... she is herding him.. she is not 'keeping him safe'.... she sounds way too focussed on that little moving body.. and is in drive.... and my suggestion, if you can, is get yourself a professional consult..perhaps contact one of the excellent melbourne based professional who are on D O L ? there are a few from which to choose You're lucky!

Edited May 15, 2011 by persephone

[Staycalm]

Alfie would hate a stroller. He loves his walks

Thanks Perse but she is definitely not herding. She is very subservient to him. It's funny to see but he is definitely the boss. She is an anxious dog at times and I am pretty sure it's just that. I do have a great training contact but I want to try some other ideas first. Safety of the dogs is no issue. I am just feeling I need to get some pleasure back into the walks or I am not motivated to do them enough.

[wuffles]

When I walk my two together, I walk one on either side of me. I used to let them both walk out in front, but since they've been beside me instead, they are calmer and easier to control. One dog per hand, and I say when sniffing/peeing etc is allowed. This might be a better method for you

My younger girl needs more exercise than my older boy, but I take them together in the morning and then try get her out again in the afternoon separately.

[Pretty Miss Emma]

I'm in a similar situation, and to be honest it really is just easier to walk them separately. I find there are so many issues that are just that bit harder to deal with when both are there. In my situation Emma needs a slow walk around the short block, as she can't see well I need to watch her and warn her if there are steps, etc. Kenzie does not want anything to do with a slow walk and needs to go at least 10 times the distance!! When she has to walk slow she ends up being more reactive to things, and also reactive to things that she normally isn't (too much time to focus on things).

So I've just resorted to walking them separately. When I take Em out I know Kenzie sits in the back yard and howls for about 5 min, but tough luck. My neighbours have said it doesn't bother them because she stops after a few minutes and they know it means I've taken Em out without her!! I usually take Em first because I don't go as far or long with her, and after that she's tired enough to have a bit of a rest. Then Kenzie gets to go out for hour or so walk. I guess it's a bit of tough love, but I enjoy my walks this way and can fulfil both their needs. I think another benefit is that it actually gives them some 100% devoted 1 on 1 time with you.

If you are looking at getting a walking training aid, see if you can go to a shop that will let you try on a few different ones to see what fits your dog best and that you like (on Kenzie I was able to try on the Halti, Gentle leader, Infin8, Black Dog halter, and there was also another one - we settled on a Halti which only gets used very occasionally because it fitted her head shape best and she found it least "offensive"), also there are the various harness type aids (Kenzie also has a Gentle Leader Easy Walk harness - we are currently trying to wean off this and on to her normal flat collar!).

For Em, she also can't be let off lead in many places any more because of her poor vision. But in all honesty I don't think they really mind that much so long as they have a good interaction with you and if you take them for a decent wander to do lots of sniffing and pee-mailing while they are on lead.

It's a juggling game having 2 dogs of differing ages/health levels!!!

[Red Fox]

Which leash you use is really quite irrelevant. You need to teach your younger dog how to walk nicely on her own before you try and walk both dogs together.

Crate training both your dogs will fix the issue of barking at the gate. Whichever dog is left at home can then be crated inside the house with a treat/kong/pigs ear etc while you walk the other, then swap.

[sas]

I vote for conditioning them to be a part. i.e. take one on lead and open the door, close the door and treat both, next time, open door take one outside, coome back in and treat both....over time get further and further away. If you do it over a weekend you might be suprised at how much you can accomplish.

Also have a look at a DVD called Crate Games.

Edited May 15, 2011 by MEH

[Aidan3]

I vote for conditioning them to be a part. i.e. take one on lead and open the door, close the door and treat both, next time, open door take one outside, coome back in and treat both....over time get further and further away. If you do it over a weekend you might be suprised at how much you can accomplish.

x2, good suggestion.

[Staycalm]

I vote for conditioning them to be a part. i.e. take one on lead and open the door, close the door and treat both, next time, open door take one outside, coome back in and treat both....over time get further and further away. If you do it over a weekend you might be suprised at how much you can accomplish.

x2, good suggestion.

Thankyou! That's a great idea