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Walking two dogs at once


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mr.coffee

Harley and Bentley tend to walk at two rather different paces, and when one stops to pee or poo, the other is somewhat indifferent and prone to pull.  I can get either of them to walk just fine on their own; any pointers for walking them together?

 

-m

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Crinkly

Time.

Sorry, I know that probably doesn't help much.

T & C are my first two dogs.  And when Cato arrived, I was DETERMINED that we would have a steady, well trained, non-pulling dog.  I read everything.  I knew how to do it.  I did it.  Only trouble was, Cato didn't read the same manual.  Bless him.

Then, when he was just getting there, along comes Tara, who was even sillier and more distractable, and MUCH more pea brained.  And off we went again.

I spent ages working through different leads using consistent behaviour, and walking them together on a forked lead (didn't work because Tara is bigger and heavier and just pulled Cato off his feet) and separate leads (Cato's sniffs took him round and round her until the leads were spiralled).

But then, about a year ago (Cato is now 4 and Tara is approaching 3), I tried the forked lead again - and they were a dream to walk.  No pulling.  No lurching for sniffs.  No nonsense.  When one stopped to pee or sniff, the other did too.  When one walked, the other joined them.  A proper pack.  Nowadays I can even have them both on separate extending leads, and they still walk harmoniously! unless they see a cat, when all bets are off

Sorry, I can't remember how old your two are, but I think the magic just happens when they are old enough and comfortable enough, and have enough experience of you and each other.  Plus consistency, from you.  They must have the same messages from you every day.

Having said all that, I have a bit of a thing about dogs on leads.  I absolutely HATE and ABHOR seeing dogs that walk to heel so strictly that they don't sniff, don't look around, and aren't engaged with their surroundings.  I think that is terrible.  So I have always allowed my two to be themselves, while trying to gently herd them into good behaviour.  Another person could have got them to walk 'properly' in much less time.  But IMHO both they and I would have 'lost' something in that process.

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Pawz4me

What Jo said -- time, patience, some work and a lot of familiarity.

And a huge ditto to that last paragraph!!! I hate seeing dogs who've shut down so much they're afraid to be dogs. And the people who think that stupid "alpha walk" crap is good training . . . :blowup:

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PipsMom

I had the same issue....Pip wants to gallop and pull full steam ahead especially at the onset of the walk..... Abby is laid back and didn't care if she got to the finish line or not. Only way I have found to control Pips excitement to get there yesterday instead of staying with the pack is stop full stop. If he pulls like a mule team he has found I freeze in place and wont indulge him in his pulling excitement, once he stops and sits I continue a few steps till he does it again and once again and I have to bring him along side to heel and he has learned pretty quick that I don't play his game and plays by my rules....He's coming up on 4 and still hard headed wanting to play the pull game...I just don't let him even if it does take us 30 minutes to go around the block LOL

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mr.coffee

Thanks - that's more or less in line with what I thought.  Jo, Harley is 8 and has been with us since he was a pup.  We think Bentley is about 2, and has only been with us a little less than two weeks now.  Walked individually, they both do pretty well.  Walking together, that's more fun.  At times, they walk just fine, shoulder to shoulder at a moderate pace or meandering down the sidewalk investigating smells or whatever but not acting like little jackasses.  Sometimes, if one pauses, they wait for each other.  Other times, Harley walks like a dufus, veering about, putting on the brakes, pulling like a freight train.  Bentley doesn't do much of that, his biggest problem is lagging behind.

 

I've been trying to just keep a firm enough grip on Har's leash to prevent him dragging Bentley about, giving verbal cues or commands, and making it clear that the walk continues or ends at my discretion and not his.  When he's walking right, he tends to lead the way, which I think is right, as he is the older dog & first dog and has historically been a gently dominant, assertive dog.

 

-m

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Crinkly

Well, from that description, I would say you are doing great!

Neither of mine are particularly in charge, although Tara would quite like to be, Cato just ignores her and does what he wants.  lol

If Bentley's mental development is anything like Tara's (in which case, good luck!!!) then he won't be settling down for a while yet.  If ever.:roflmao:

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Shihtzumummy2
23 hours ago, Crinkly said:

Time.

Sorry, I know that probably doesn't help much.

T & C are my first two dogs.  And when Cato arrived, I was DETERMINED that we would have a steady, well trained, non-pulling dog.  I read everything.  I knew how to do it.  I did it.  Only trouble was, Cato didn't read the same manual.  Bless him.

Then, when he was just getting there, along comes Tara, who was even sillier and more distractable, and MUCH more pea brained.  And off we went again.

I spent ages working through different leads using consistent behaviour, and walking them together on a forked lead (didn't work because Tara is bigger and heavier and just pulled Cato off his feet) and separate leads (Cato's sniffs took him round and round her until the leads were spiralled).

But then, about a year ago (Cato is now 4 and Tara is approaching 3), I tried the forked lead again - and they were a dream to walk.  No pulling.  No lurching for sniffs.  No nonsense.  When one stopped to pee or sniff, the other did too.  When one walked, the other joined them.  A proper pack.  Nowadays I can even have them both on separate extending leads, and they still walk harmoniously! unless they see a cat, when all bets are off

Sorry, I can't remember how old your two are, but I think the magic just happens when they are old enough and comfortable enough, and have enough experience of you and each other.  Plus consistency, from you.  They must have the same messages from you every day.

Having said all that, I have a bit of a thing about dogs on leads.  I absolutely HATE and ABHOR seeing dogs that walk to heel so strictly that they don't sniff, don't look around, and aren't engaged with their surroundings.  I think that is terrible.  So I have always allowed my two to be themselves, while trying to gently herd them into good behaviour.  Another person could have got them to walk 'properly' in much less time.  But IMHO both they and I would have 'lost' something in that process.

Everything you have written is exactly what its like with my two. I do honestly believe it's an age thing and what is familiar. Bob and Sam used to walk together in harmony, while Bob and Martha did not until very recently. Now they are delightful, and I also allow mine to stop and sniff etc. After all, it's their walk not mine, I do my thing later in the day, they could never go as far as I go, and most of the time I'm on my bike.

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Missysmom

Ahh I'm going through this right now with Missy & Molly. Most times I walk Missy and hubby walks Molly, much different paces.. Molly & hubby are point a to b types rushing through the walk to get there and back and me and Missy take time and smell the roses or even wait for them to come up I think sometimes! ;) 

but there are those times I walk them both and honestly I'm quite sure I look like a scarecrow as Molly is off to the races with her lead on one arm with Missy behind sniffing on lead on the other! I'm training Molly to wait for Missy while also trying to teach her to enjoy sniffing- she's only been with us a bit over 2 months and is doing great learning to wait. But then there's the times Missy just puts on the brakes and has to have a 'lift' to even continue the walk so I'm working to teach her too, which isn't quite as easy since it's been 'her' walk for over 3 years now! But we're getting there- with lots and lots of patience on all sides! Best of luck it's quite a fun time, huh?!! :D 

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  • 3 months later...
mr.coffee

They're getting better.  It's not easy, still, sometimes one wants to head down the road while the other is, shall we say preoccupied.  Mostly, though, they've got the hang of it.

 

-m

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