My goodness, this can be a challenge! Sometimes I do not know whether to laugh or cry! I am asking you, how do you cope walking with three dogs at the same time?
Apart from the fact it is a challenge, I have always taught each dog separately how I would like them to walk with me when we are out on an adventure, which could be in my own neighbourhood or away from home.
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Of course, a new puppy loves to pull, they are eager beavers wanting to see the next surprise. Have you ever watched a young toddler once they realise that they can now walk and can walk to their way of thinking very quickly! You can see their delight as they walk headlong into whatever they can see that may bring delight or just for the sheer fun of walking as fast as they can and feel the rush of independence. Mum or dad, seem to catch up quickly to their exploring toddler and ‘spoil the fun’!
Puppies love to make decisions also, and if we do not encourage them to walk nicely, they will forever take you for a walk, every time! The funny part is, that once you and your puppy are heading back home if you are out and about in your neighbourhood, and they recognise where you are headed, the pulling lessens. I wonder why? Smart aren’t they, they do know that the fun is drawing to a close and they are now not so eager to keep pulling when they are on their way back home.
So, how do you cope walking with three dogs at the same time? You may do similarly to me… teach each new addition how to walk nicely and calmly before taking multiple dogs out together.
Mind you, I have found that even though each of my dogs will walk calmly with me when we are out solo together, it is far different once they are all together. Then the charge will start, mainly with the newest member who has been added to my pack.
What do I do? I take treats with me and ask them for eye contact with me every so often. I simply stop and expect them to look at me when I ask for this request. They now know that we will not move on unless this request is done nicely and calmly.
If the pulling by one of the three is not abating, I will turn around and head the other way, if the pulling starts again once we have gone a few paces, I will turn again. This method alerts them that they do not know what direction I am likely to take next. If need be, I will keep doing this calmly and consistently until ‘the penny drops’ so to speak.
As I keep my dogs on my left when out walking, and I have decided to change direction because of pulling I will mostly about turn to my right.
To really keep them guessing and respectful I will also start turning left into them. I do not rush this turning left as we could all end up on the ground, I slowly edge around and as I am edging towards them, they will slow down and back away so that I can walk in front of them and head back the other way.
I may need to do this many times, but hey, it doesn’t matter, as the long-term goal is that we can walk together calmly. Once we have this under control, I stop every so often so that they enjoy their time of sniffing. Our dogs’ noses are so sensitive and they love to sniff and search the smells that have been left along the way.
To keep my dogs fluent with Loose Leash Walking I also keep taking them out one by one to remind them that this is the best way to walk. They need to be reminded, so let me know how do you cope walking with three dogs at the same time, or two dogs or even multiple dogs? Looking forward to hearing your input.
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Until next time…
With Love, Success and Inspiration,
Robin Oliver
www.robinoliveronline.com/blog
