What You Should Know When Walking Two Dogs At Once To Save Time
Walking type describes your dogs pace. Is he a sniffer, puller or meanderer. When you combine a sniffer with a puller you speed up the sniffers pace. However if the difference is large you could result in one dog dragged behind. Meanderers usually go well with both pullers and sniffers.
Do not walk smaller dogs with large or active dogs. They could injured especially if the larger dog reacts to something.
Be cautious when pairing an older dog with a younger dog. Having a young dog with a geriatric dog could result in injury to the older dog. Please remember to walk your elderly dog at his pace not yours. If you are walking your dogs for exercise it is unlikely your younger dog will get much out the experience. It would make more sense to walk them separately.
In fact most canine sports dogs do not receive daily walks. These dogs receive their daily fitness goals elsewhere. This includes trick training, canine fitness, canine massage, play and dog sports.
Swimming is a great outlet for dogs of all ages. There are indoor pools that your dog can swim at. The best reason to do swimming is that the prices are usually for the hour (not per dog). Therefore you can bring all your dogs to the pool and save time and money.
There are two types of treadmills. Motor operated treadmills and manual treadmills. Many sports dog owners use motor treadmills. This is because we are training our dogs to become faster. If this type of treadmill worries you can get a manual treadmill. A manual treadmill moves as the dog moves.
A flirt pole is a stick with a rope attached. It encourages the dog to chase the lure.
Many dogs who are older can not move like they use to. Canine massage uses passive range of motion to get the dogs muscles moving and oxygenated. This is a form of light exercise and is ideal for owners who have geriatric dogs.
Canine fitness is like yoga for dogs. It teaches them to shift weight between their four legs. In addition it teaches them to use their core. Exercises include: Standing on Yoga Balls, Fitpaws, or having the dog move around objects on their hind or front legs. This is a great option for those looking to exercise their dog.
Most trainers do not recommend dog parks. This is because of how pet parents use the dog park. The dog park is not for dogs to play with each other. Instead it is a space for you to be off leash with your dog. Play fetch, chase, or frisbee and ignore other dogs. The dog park is a great way to exercise your dog if you live in the city or near suburbs.
If you have a yard you can play fetch, frisbee, and lure coursing. A home lure course can be found here.
Dog sports include agility, herding, and flyball. These three sports are great ways for dogs to burn off extra energy. You can enroll two dogs in the same class and work them in the same hour. While this does not save money it does save time.
If your walking both of your dogs at once to get exercise it might be beneficial to hire a dog walker. Since you are trying to save time it might be worth it to pay the $15-$25 to not deal with the stress of walking two dogs at once.
Advice For Walking Two Dogs At Once For Enrichment
Some people walk their dogs to provide them with mental stimulation. This involves stopping to sniff everything. Similar to exercise you need to consider the Size, Age, and Energy Level of the two dogs you are walking at once. If you want to enrich your dog consider the following equipment.
If you decide to do two leashes I would recommend having the leashes being the same leash. They should be made of the same material and length. This makes them easier to handle.
Having one leash in each hand allows each dog to sniff independently to each other. I would ditch the splitter in this case. Having two leashes allows you to resist one dog from setting the pace. However, a disadvantage to having two leashes is that they get tangled. I recommend a traffic nylon leash.
Waist leashes are my personal favorite for enrichment walks. I usually put my older dog on the waist leash as I need less control. My younger active dog goes on the regular leash. This prevents them from pulling each other. However, it does not prevent them from pulling me in two different direction. This might not be a good option for older adults, kids, owners with big dogs, and owners with untrained dogs.
Is It Better To Walk Dogs Separately or Together?
The answer to this question lies primarily on the dogs’ behaviors when they are outside the seclusion of their home.
If the pets are properly leash trained or are (at the very least) non-reactive to each other, then walking two or more dogs together can absolutely be a suitable option. Pack walking encourages socialization and manners in regards to other pets. They become more enriched and less distracted if they are constantly exposed to another one’s behaviors.
On the other hand, pets pick up bad habits from one another. If one dog is reactive and pulling, the others may begin to copy the inappropriate actions and now you’ve ended up being dragged down the road instead of leisurely exercising as intended.
Walking your pets separately can also promote safety. There is no need to be mindful of multiple personalities and how they interact, as well as more focus can be given to the needs of the animal.
Continuing through the rest of the information provided below will give you a more in-depth and appropriate answer for your particular situation.
5 Reasons Why You SHOULD Walk Your Dogs Separately
I have four dogs that I’d love to take for dog walks altogether. The problem is that the minute the dogs see the dog leashes they get so over-excited, they run around and bark. It takes me forever to catch the dogs to get the dog leashes on. My lab weighs 100 pounds or 45 kilos and once I am able to catch him he pulls me and steps on my other two dogs, a JRT’s and a rat terrier-Chihuahua mix. Please help me walk my pack of four dogs.