Dog owners - is it possible to walk three dogs alone?

GillianMcK

Never had a Beagle, but always been told that you don't let them off lead or they disappear (nose to ground and off they go), have you tried to find out if there a Cani-Cross group in your area, cani-cross is specifically for people running with dogs.
I walk a 115lb ridgeback, however he went to obedience from a puppy and will not let me out his sight (hiding behind trees is very entertaining), however beagle puppies that went to the same classes are still not allowed off lead just because of the reputation they have.
Cani-cross would probably be a good idea as they have the harnesses for the dogs that then attach to you, would probably take a bit of practice but sure Beagles could be encouraged to learn!!

withabandon

Shock collars with a hand held remote. Found in the hunting/training section of a good sporting goods store. Expensive investment, but dogs all respond and will be putty in your hands.

Spoken like a true novice. Shock collars are for people who have no idea how to train dogs, no desire to learn, and no interest in building a good relationship with their dog. In short, these are the people who should never have dogs. Ignore this advice please. Any other respectable trainer will tell you the same.

My dogs are rescues who clearly have no prior training. I've tried to train them but been unsuccessful. And beagles are especially difficult.

Beagles are very intelligent dogs, but notoriously stubborn. However, they are also well known for being highly food motivated. Use treats when working with them.

Also, I suggest enrolling in a positive reinforcement group obedience course. Do it with one and you will learn how to train the others. I also suggest getting 2 couplers so you're not holding 3 separate leashes. Here's a pic of me out walking with 4 of my dogs ranging in size from 70-85 lbs.

I think I love you. Took the words out of my mouth.

I am also really impressed to see you promote positive reinforcement while owning a breed that is so typically trained with physical correction!

Zomoniac

Should be fine. I used to walk my (now all departed) quartet of hyperactive nutjobs (two dalmatians, a lurcher and a deerhound) alone without a problem.

geebusuk

Yes; I used to walk my St bernard/Rotweiller cross (100lb or so), a friend's Akita (93lb, say) and another friend's GSD/Rottweiller cross (85lb) together.
My dog walks to heal fine, though can still be a bit dog aggressive if not reminded (massively better than when I got him). The GSD/Rottie is mostly trained but a bit too enthusiastic/cheeky and walks better off lead (which wasn't happening when I've got two other dogs) and the Akita is barely trained and pretty stubborn - won't walk to heal, pulls on the lead etc.
Walking through the Asian areas of town around where I lived the streets would magically clear for me with getting on for 300lb of dog .

yes, be the leader and train them.

This too is generally depreciated with current training methodology focusing on getting the dog to WANT to please you by doing the right thing.

Previous owner of my dog only walked him with a halti because he pulled so much. I never used it and fairly quickly got him to walk to heal.
When I had the aforementioned Akita for a couple of weeks, even got her walking to heal, though needed reminding ever 100 meters or so to drop back a little - unfortunately the owner didn't continue training, so I haven't bothered when I've looked after her again.

Finally; should be noted that even when I wasn't doing weights etc, I'm reasonably strong - I can pull back big dogs.

BUT, really what I'd be doing is focusing on training the dogs - all of them - to walk to heal appropriately.
I'd say start with clicking training if this hasn't been used and work from there.

Shriffee

I have two dogs, one is a shepherd/hound mix and one a chihuahua. The shepherd mix is a puppy still and will pull if she gets excited by something. I recommend a good harness!!! Petsmart's EasyWalk harness is fabulous!!!!

jonnyman41

Of course it is possible with well trained dogs. Every night when I am out dog walking I pass a man who walks between 3 and 5 dogs on his own, a mix of collies and german Shepard but.......these are really well behaved. Meanwhile I am passing him usually with just one of my dogs as they are not so well trained and both are big strong dogs so I normally walk alone unless doing a really quick walk or going somewhere where one of the dogs can run off lead (he is great off lead!!!) but other dog has to stay on lead.
Both are adult rescue and have improved since we got them but think we have hit the limit. Saying that the bigger dog walks fine on her own, no pulling as she is the pack leader of the two so is not trying to take the lead when its just her.

roxylola

Beagles are easy enough to heel train - mine is a rescue - totally food motivated she walks great to heel, off lead is a bit more interesting!

Invest some time in training each dog individually - like a few months and it will pay off in triplicate. You will have dogs who are a pleasure to walk and to work with.

I walk my beagle, my springer and my house mate's stafford all together both on and off lead and have no problem.

misschoppo

I walk my 4 dogs together at the same time. I have 2 chihuahuas aged 3 and 4, 1 working cocker spaniel 9months old and a 5yr old cockapoo who was crossed with a standard poodle so he is pretty large. All 4 have been trained to walk well from day 1 including the little ones so they are no trouble, even with the pup who is still pretty excitable, they are manageable.

SingingSingleTracker

Spoken like a true novice. Shock collars are for people who have no idea how to train dogs, no desire to learn, and no interest in building a good relationship with their dog. In short, these are the people who should never have dogs. Ignore this advice please. Any other respectable trainer will tell you the same.

Not true. My labs are well trained bird hunting dogs and I never have to shock them, the warning tone is all that is needed if they get too far out of range. I trained them without the collars, but use them mainly to protect them from other hunters and them getting too excited by various wildlife that they may give chase to when out on the hunt. There is no leash law in my town, but dogs must be walked and "in control". Having the collars to use the warning tone in case they are tempted to venture up into a yard or out in the street has worked for 10 years when I walk them off leash. It's also a common use for pet containment systems in yards that don't have fences. We don't have the pet containment system in our yard as the dogs are well trained and will not venture outside of the yard.

Collars are one more addition to a trainer's toolkit for controlling animals. Be it for pet containment systems, hunters, or dog walkers in areas that allow off leash dogs.

Myths of shock collars here...

http://www.chicagonow.com/training-the-wolf/2013/07/shock-collars-myths/

geebusuk

Would it not be better to have your dogs come back when called?

My dog does after training. My dog doesn't venture where he shouldn't because I either use "come here"/"Heel" or "not too far" which means he shouldn't be going around a corner/out of might sight and should come back a bit closer but doesn't have to come to me.

Not that I'm saying there is or isn't justification for using them.

As far as 'containment' systems I believe it's been shown they can cause considerable problems and often not actually solve the issue - for instance a dog is walking past, they feel fearful so go towards it barking. They then experience pain.
Pain is associated with seeing the dog.

Or there's running towards the zone and experiencing the 'flight' bit of fight or flight - they are in pain, so they keep running to get away from it.

Greytfish

You can walk many more than three, if you take the time and effort to properly leash train them.

Shock collars with a hand held remote. Found in the hunting/training section of a good sporting goods store. Expensive investment, but dogs all respond and will be putty in your hands.

Spoken like a true novice. Shock collars are for people who have no idea how to train dogs, no desire to learn, and no interest in building a good relationship with their dog. In short, these are the people who should never have dogs. Ignore this advice please. Any other respectable trainer will tell you the same.

My dogs are rescues who clearly have no prior training. I've tried to train them but been unsuccessful. And beagles are especially difficult.

Beagles are very intelligent dogs, but notoriously stubborn. However, they are also well known for being highly food motivated. Use treats when working with them.

Also, I suggest enrolling in a positive reinforcement group obedience course. Do it with one and you will learn how to train the others. I also suggest getting 2 couplers so you're not holding 3 separate leashes. Here's a pic of me out walking with 4 of my dogs ranging in size from 70-85 lbs.

:drinker:
Thank you.

Causing an animal pain because you cannot be bothered to train it, is a terrible human vice. Even worse when the expectations have not even been made clear to the dog.

Also, your pups are beautiful.

Spoken like a true novice. Shock collars are for people who have no idea how to train dogs, no desire to learn, and no interest in building a good relationship with their dog. In short, these are the people who should never have dogs. Ignore this advice please. Any other respectable trainer will tell you the same.

Not true. My labs are well trained bird hunting dogs and I never have to shock them, the warning tone is all that is needed if they get too far out of range. I trained them without the collars, but use them mainly to protect them from other hunters and them getting too excited by various wildlife that they may give chase to when out on the hunt. There is no leash law in my town, but dogs must be walked and "in control". Having the collars to use the warning tone in case they are tempted to venture up into a yard or out in the street has worked for 10 years when I walk them off leash. It's also a common use for pet containment systems in yards that don't have fences. We don't have the pet containment system in our yard as the dogs are well trained and will not venture outside of the yard.

Collars are one more addition to a trainer's toolkit for controlling animals. Be it for pet containment systems, hunters, or dog walkers in areas that allow off leash dogs.

Myths of shock collars here...

http://www.chicagonow.com/training-the-wolf/2013/07/shock-collars-myths/

You actually made the previous poster's point.

ebayaddict0127

I don't believe in shock collars. I use harnesses on dogs who pull, and have tried basic commands but it ain't workin. My ultimate plan is to take my girls to a full training course.

BrianSharpe

yes, be the leader and train them.

^^^ This.....

I have a 125lb Shepherd/Great Dane mix and an 80 lb Lab/ ?? (I suspect Husky) mix and can walk them both at the same time.

geebusuk

I don't believe in shock collars. I use harnesses on dogs who pull, and have tried basic commands but it ain't workin. My ultimate plan is to take my girls to a full training course.

Have a look on youtube, there's loads of techniques.


First, I may have mentioned but think it was another thread... I'd start with 'clicker training'.
This works on the "Pavlov's dog" principal and is an excellent way to be able to tell your dog that it is doing the right thing. Because we can't directly communicate as you can with (some) adult humans you generally need to be more precise when confirming they are doing the correct thing - if five seconds after doing a command properly they get a "good boy", it maybe they were just going to sniff some leaves and associate that with praise. It's also less distracting than giving a treat in a lot of situations.

For loose-leash walking I have used a basic 'walking in circles' technique. Generally the dog who is pulling wants to be walking forward, to see the next bit of park, to be making progress.
So, when the dog to start with has it's rear legs get past my legs, I stop and turn around, walk back a couple of meters (dog on the outside of me) and go back to walking forward. Any time the dog gets past me, repeat.
You may walk in circles a LOT. But slowly the dog should realise that the only time they actually get to carry on walking is when they are close to you - if they stay close to you they continue to get what they want, while it gets boring seeing the bit they just saw if they aren't.
YOU do have to be patient doing this. Some dogs pick it up quickly, others slower. Not found a dog it hasn't helped yet.

Greytfish

A standard harness (vs. say one of the trick harnesses that apply uncomfortable pressure to obtain compliance) actually encourages and can worsen pulling because it gives the dog more leverage. If you have small dogs with sensitive tracheas, however, harnesses may be a necessary short-term evil until you can begin proper training.

geebusuk

My friend with the Akita did just that - got a harness which actually encouraged pulling, if anything!

I'm not sure which ones you mean by 'uncomfortable pressure'.

You do get normal designed harnesses that you attach the lead at the front, which means the dog tends to get turned around a bit if they try and pull, as it's more an out of line 'push'.
Then you get haltis which work like horse stuff - so it turns the head around if they try and pull, which naturally slows them.
Doing Krav Maga (real world self defence martial art), one of the exercises was doing this to people and it actually works pretty well on us - put someone's head where you want them to be and the rest follows.

Greytfish

My friend with the Akita did just that - got a harness which actually encouraged pulling, if anything!

I'm not sure which ones you mean by 'uncomfortable pressure'.

You do get normal designed harnesses that you attach the lead at the front, which means the dog tends to get turned around a bit if they try and pull, as it's more an out of line 'push'.
Then you get haltis which work like horse stuff - so it turns the head around if they try and pull, which naturally slows them.
Doing Krav Maga (real world self defence martial art), one of the exercises was doing this to people and it actually works pretty well on us - put someone's head where you want them to be and the rest follows.

There are loads of them, including the ones you described. There used to be only about a dozen, and I could succinclty lay out those options and differentiate them. Now it would take forever to summarize them all.

They aren't inherently bad, just overused, substituted for training, and too often a crutch. All of them work my making the dog phsyically uncomfortable when engaging in the activity the device is designed to prevent. They can be a very helpful tool to transition and provide relative safety while a dog is learning proper leash walking, but they effectively work on the sam proncipal as a citronella or shock collar.

Positive training teaches a dog to think and to make the choices considered desirable for life as a companion to humans. Devices that prevent or reduce unwanted behaviors by causing discomfort or pain just teach avoidance. More than that, when they are used in place of training (as opposed to as a stop gap while training) you get lots of bad associations as well as some phsyical damage to the dog which may not be noticeable until later (or in the event of shorter lived large dogs like labs and danes, the dog may actually pass from soemthing else before the damage become symptomatic in old age). This is only encouraged by people using them and thinking they are magic and have solved a problem. But, the problem is still there. The relationship of trust is diminished, the bond is less, and the dog hasn't learned choices, he has learned avoidance.

Krav Maga is a lot of fun, but no rules street fighting is probably not a good analogy for a healthy relationship with a dog. That said, it's generally true of any sighted mammal that where the head goes, it will follow - it's how we're built. It's also a pretty heavy portion of our bodies. It's one of the reasons I teach "watch me" with treats almost before I teach anythign else. It makes it sooo much easier to teach leash walking and almost anything else where you want a dog to stay somewhere or to follow you.

I was a bit bored with KM, but I do Muay Thai and BJJ and know so many pressure points and body weight movements to take control of a man almost twice my size it's almost unbelievable. I'm not saying that there aren't times when making a dog actively uncomfortable isn't necessary or useful, just that it does not teach a dog to make better choices, or really any choices at all.

mreeves261

I would walk them 1 at a time and work on the behavior. I did that with mine (rescues, lab/shar pei mix, lab/spaniel mix and Shepard/Wolfhound mixed, none of them are small.) When they start getting rambunctious I simply stop walking. They love going for walks but they HATE when I stop. There are so many ways to train them, just have to find what will work for the breed and the the individual dog. After you get them trained you should have no trouble walking them all.

Dear Mr. Shock Collar, I wonder how you would feel if your wife put one of those on your nuts. If you don't have a woman in your life, I'm not surprised.

kathystrauss1

I walk my 3 dogs together every day. They weigh 70lbs, 34lbs and 28lbs. I use prong collars when I have them all together and it works wonders. It doesn't bother them and I can still control them if they see a squirrel or a cat or something. Ive tried the no pull halters and those leads that go over their snouts and they HATE them. I know the prongs are controversial but it works for us and my dogs are happy. As a matter of fact when they hear the metal jingling it's mass hysteria happy time at my house.