Need advice on walking 2 dogs together

[thegriffon]

Lab 3 yrs old and recently adopted 9 month old GSD X.
I'm walking them separately for on lead walks and we drive to off lead areas so they can run about together.

Had a go with both together yesterday and it didn't go well. Everyone got tangled up in leads and GSD forgot all his training and tried to drag me and lab along behind him. Impossible to do the stopping/turning round lead training with another dog in tow so gave up and went home
So how do I go about training 2 dogs to walk together? Also is it better to have leads separate or clipped together?

Hi thegriffon. We have a 2 year old collie/spaniel x and a 4 month old collie so I feel your pain!

The older dog pulls on the lead but the pup is quite good as we are working on it lots. I have started from scratch with the older dog in an effort to make walks do-able. Our puppy class teacher recommends high value treats held close to the body and well out of reach so pup knows they are there but won't jump up. Reward for nice loose lead walking every few steps at first then extend the time between treats gradually. I have tried this with both dogs on my left with remarkable success (they are both very food oriented!)

I asked our puppy trainer about a lead for both of them but she advised against it as if one dog pulls the other is affected. She suggested training one to walk on the left and one on the right, which might be an idea?

Looking forward to hearing how you get on and seeing if others have good tips!

I walk my mums dogs together and I've always found a lead in each hand works best for not getting tangled up . The more you do it the better they will get about staying on their own side IYSWIM . Make sure you always have the same dog on the same side so they get used to it .

I do the same as Floral if things get tangled, but can often walk them side by side holding both leads in one hand now. They get used to trotting along together after a bit. I sometimes use a head collar on my spaniel as he pulls like a demon when hyped up but the pup trots along next to me (small dog, short legs ). It helps if they've had a good run to get rid of any excess energy, too, before you attempt the lead walk. I sometimes throw the ball in the garden for ten minutes before we head out.

I walk one on either side, short lead so they are close to my body and can't get under foot. I also use Gentle Leaders on them both so they can't pull me over. It gets better with practice too. :)

Thanks all for advice, very helpful

Head collars on both my 2 if I'm walking them together! But yes, it's very difficult to train one dog when another is there as well - you really need separate training walks, with longer walks-for-exercise done in tandem.

They're both fine when I walk them separately, calm, no pulling. So they really need to be walked together to learn how to do it, I've tried treats but that makes things worse because they get hyped up.
It must be strange for them so perhaps will be OK when they get used to it. Decided to do v short walks together after they've had a good off lead run, with one on each side. Then maybe try head collars if things don't improve.

I always walk with my 2 labs on my left. The older dog goes on the outside and the younger dog in the middle. As they both have their 'places' I now find that if they get mixed up they will rearrange themselves so that they are in the right order.

As my older dog was well trained, having her on the outside helped the puppy to learn what to do. I also ran the older dog's lead across the front of the puppy's chest as a gentle reminder to her to keep in line for a few times.

The dogs need to pay attention to you, so having some high value treats is a good idea. Also if they are pulling hard, just stop & ask them to sit and get their attention back. Then hopefully when you move off they will respond to you better.

It takes a while to get it right, but it's a lovely feeling when you can all go for a walk together and they trot along calmly and confidently by your side.