Walking 2 while alone..need some tips

[Donna1969]

Hi all, hope this is the correct forum for this question. If, I apologize.

As many of you know I have two pups..ages 19 and 17 weeks. Since day one, the cannot be walked together by one person. Even with two people, its tough.

I have tried using the coupler, and using two seperate leashes, and walking them both on my left side, walking one on the left & one on the right but the same thing happens each and every time. They end up scrapping! Its not one more than the other starting the "fight".

I bow down to the almighty harness because until last week walking them at all was next to impossible with the pulling they did. The second I put the harness on for the first time the both stopped all pulling! It was a miracle! If they weren't pulling, they were fighting. Which pretty much left me to where I won't walk them (they get plenty of exercise tearing up my yard..have a big yard for them). But I WANT to walk with them! I want to be able to take both with me at the same time, but with the fighting they do, I won't and don't.

I have taken them out one at a time..to the pet supply store, on walks etc and they did great (once I got the harness) but together it looks like a dog fighting ring!

Anyone with two who had problems walking them together that did something..anything..that stopped the squabbles? Any suggestions would be very welcome as I am at my ropes end (no pun)

 

[SandyHG55654]

No advice but I hope you get some good replies! I walk my boys seperately. Diesel walks very well alone but if Dozer is there it's a struggle the whole time and Dozer is awful at pulling. Ocasionally Diesel will jump over and start to play fight but mostly it's a pulling contest, by the end of the walk I'm more tired than they are!

 

[Louise501]

Initially I couldn't walk mine together (17 weeks) but now I can, they just got the hang of it, more often than not when I am walking around our park I have Luka or Angel off the lead, today it was Luka, he stays with me, he also comes when I call him, with the help of yummy treats. Tomorrow I will walk with Angel off lead and Luka on. This way they both get time on and off the lead and it means I can walk them both at the same time

 

[Net45582]

I had to do some major leash training with Chancey before I could use the coupler with both her and Kiddo who was already leash trained. I also had Kiddo on a tad longer extension than Chancey's since Kiddo was alpha over Chancey.

 

[CarolynRuth]

I walk my two alone, haha and I weigh about 100 pounds! I'm sure it's quite a site! It took some training and harnesses but we eventually got it. Adrienne loves to attack Brewster on walks, so I have discovered that I keep her leash REALLY short (so she has to stay right next to my body) and Brewster's a little longer (4 feet) because he usually isn't the initiator. If you have one that wants to fight more, keep him(her) by your side while the other one trots a little ahead. I hope this works for you!

 

[MxRxSth]

I have taken them out one at a time..to the pet supply store, on walks etc and they did great (once I got the harness) but together it looks like a dog fighting ring!

Anyone with two who had problems walking them together that did something..anything..that stopped the squabbles? Any suggestions would be very welcome as I am at my ropes end (no pun)

Oh Donna...bless your Big heart for posting this because just this evening I had planned on asking for some advice.

Sorry I don't have any advice because I am in the same boat you are except Samantha is 11 month's old and Syd is 11 weeks old. Everytime we walk back in the door I feel like I could just cry my eyes out.

The only concern I ever had when considering bringing a second one home was "How in the world am I going to walk them at the same time" and my biggest concern is now an issue!

Let me tell you that everytime I come back from walking both of them that I am the one in RARE form and they are as happy as can be.

 

[Maddie's dad]

I can walk three of them together as long as one isn't Maddie. Billy and Gracie are really good and stay right with me unless Gracie sees a squirrel, then she will pull. Fred is the worst for pulling, he has to wear a harness.

The other night I went to take Fred and Maddie together. They were on a coupler with a 6' leash. I opened the door not knowing the neighbor boy was there and the dogs went nuts. They jerked me out the door, gave be a leash burn where the leash was wrapped around my wrist and sprained my index finger. They love Aaron. When I finally got to start on our walk, the Maddie Brat just wants to fight and play with Fred. She is like this with all the dogs on walks. After about three blocks of this, I ran into Larry with Billy. I had to trade dogs with him. He got the brat and I had a nice walk with my boys.

 

[SILLY6PAK]

I think you need to practice a lot seperately and the days you practice together make sure they start out tired. I find the best is one on each side. If you keep the leash short they cannot get at each other. When we go out together I walk 2 and Mark has 4. I cannot do 2 on the same side. If I am by myself Hope and Abby can go off leash even at Petsmart. Mark can do all 6 Boxers by himself. I am just not confident enough.

 

[Donna1969]

I walk my two alone, haha and I weigh about 100 pounds! I'm sure it's quite a site!

Gotcha beat..I weigh 90 pounds..My Echo weighs 27 and Carson has to be at the very least 30 pounds..they are more than 1/2 my weight together..

I tried keeping one on a very short leash and the other a bit ahead but Echo (more than 1/2 the time the one who starts the scraps) was a puller..bad! Maybe w/the harness it will be better. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice, so maybe I'll give it a shot..just walking them on lease, in harness, in the yard

 

[zoe-bear]

I'm guessing by their ages you haven't enrolled in an obedience class yet? I would be willing to bet that once you do that it will become much easier. Once they have the fundamentals of heeling correctly and politely (individually) you will probably have a much easier time of getting the 2 of them to do so together. I have never had 2 so young at the same time but I do walk all 3 of mine together. My 2 eldest were trained when we brought Porter home & he fell right in line just from being around them I believe. He knew how to heel, sit when stopped etc before we took him to his first class & I credit that primarily to Zoe & Gus. Just hang in there & get into some kind of formal training, depending on the age & maturity level of the pups you may be able to start sooner rather than later. In the mean time I'd work with them individually to get them respecting the lead & you as leader & then try them together again. Good luck!