walking two dogs together

[onlyzombiecat]

We have two dogs and two leashes. Often they need to go out at the same time and we do not have a fenced in yard.

One dog is small and slow. The other dog is bigger and more active and wants to really get moving while the other dog is pooping or go in the opposite direction of the other dog.
When I walk just one dog the active dog is much easier to work with.
I'm concerned that if I hook them together that the bigger, stronger, faster dog will just drag the smaller dog.

Any tips for training two different speed dogs to walk mostly together?

[Ola_]

I have a similar situation except that my smaller dog is the active one and the bigger one is slow.

When we lived in an apartment building I just took them on separate walks, it worked much easier especially since one is afraid of being near traffic. I would take the mellow dog on a walk first (easier to wake up to in the morning than the bouncy one) and then the active one once I've had my "warm up".

If I'm walking them together I have the leashes in different hands, that way I have more control over them. Our walks as a group tend to be more often the sniffy, wandering type so I'm not worried about them walking a certain way or anything.

[slimkins]

Maybe you could work out the bigger dog a little before you go on your walks (even if it's just throwing a ball inside for a couple of minutes or playing "hide it/find it" with their favorite toy or treat) so that it might be a little more tired. I would also suggest that maybe your bigger dog needs some leash training. Whether my dog wants to go fast or not is not up to her. She goes my pace and that is it. She was trained to not pull (took a lot of work but well worth it) and she stays right by my side. I would think if you got that under control, then you wouldn't have any problems hooking them together. When you do start to train your bigger dog it will be much easier to train it alone. Easier for you to be more consistent and easier for your doggy.
Good luck!!

[oneKnight]

Yep Slimkins had it right, train the dogs to walk whichever pace YOU select.
If you're having trouble I suggest trying either a prong collar or an Easy Walk harness, whichever tool works for you.

Also you can put a backpack on the faster dog, to make him work harder (if he's mature, bones are done growing). Ease into it, empty pack first, then gradually increase the weight.

[Dar]

I always had a right-hand dog and a left-hand dog. My old lab came to me knowing that his place was on my left, with his shoulders parallel to me left leg, and he was not happy to have tweaky border collie anywhere near that place. So, she became the right-hand dog, and now that she's mellowed out she's usually in pretty much the same place... but Keithie the lab died in 2006, so now it just looks like I walk my dog on the wrong side. I've tried to switch her over but it feels wrong to both of us...

dar

[onlyzombiecat]

Thanks for the suggestions.
The pace really isn't mine but the smaller dog's pace when we are all walking together. Has anyone been able to speed up a slower dog?
Maybe if I could speed her up and slow the other down we could all meet in the middle.

The Chihuahua is about 9 years old and we've had her for a year. Before that she did not use a leash at all as her previous home had a fenced yard. Our other dog is a smooth fox terrier mix and about 3 years old. He has been on a leash since he was 4 or 5 months old. He isn't too bad when it is just him and we are moving along.

I do walk them separately in the morning and after they are fed.

How much weight would you put in a pack?