Many households have multiple dogs. Sometimes, going for a walk can be a hassle with only one dog, let alone 3 or 4 of them. If you are looking for tips on how to take multiple dogs out for a walk at the same time, the Atlanta dog walkers at Critter Sitters may be able to help. If you need help walking your dogs or taking care of them while you are at work or out of town, call our Atlanta pet sitting service today.
How to Walk More than One Dog at the Same Time
The difficulty of walking a dog depends heavily on the dog you’re walking. Some breeds require more exercise and have more energy to burn than other dogs, meaning that walking these dogs may mean running them instead. Other dogs might be more interested in smelling everything than actually walking or going after passing dogs. Regardless of your problem, the following 3 tips might help keep your dogs in line while walking more than one dog at once:
1. Well-trained dogs are easier to walk in a group.
Trying to take a dog for a walk when that dog isn’t really trained to walk on a leash can be a huge chore. If your dog isn’t used to walking on a leash, it’s more likely that the dog will take you for a walk than the other way around. Dogs who haven’t been properly trained often pull at the full length of their lead, choking themselves on their collar. With multiple dogs, this issue multiplies or even becomes extremely dangerous.
Cartoons and comic strips may depict a person being pulled by multiple dogs, and it seems funny. In real life, if your dogs break rank and take off, they might literally pull you and drag you through the street. Especially with bigger dogs, this could be a real problem.
It is important that you train your dogs well and teach them to walk on a leash solo, first. A dog who understands how to walk on a leash, listens to your commands, and doesn’t try to pull away or run into traffic will be much easier to walk in a big group.
2. Having the right gear can make dog-walking easier.
Like any outdoor activity, sometimes having the right gear helps more than you expect. Of course, your own gear is important. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes when walking your dogs. If you are grumpy and uncomfortable, your dogs may pick up on that and mirror your emotions. But more important are the leashes and collars you choose.
There are many types of dog collars, and dog owners choose different gear for different dogs. First, we can recommend that you do not use choker collars. A simple fabric or leather collar is usually sufficient for most dogs. If you are concerned about the dog being choked by a traditional collar, a harness may be a better choice.
Leashes also come in many varieties, and there are even special attachments for walking multiple dogs at once. Retractable leashes can be good for walking dogs of varying sizes since you can stagger the leash length to give them the room they need to walk. However, the handles often get in each other’s way, making it harder to grip the leashes. For multiple dogs of similar size, consider getting a leash coupler that fans out, allowing you to clip multiple dogs to the same lead. This helps prevent leashes from getting twisted or tangled as the dogs cross each other’s paths. Lastly, consider getting a leash belt that you can clip multiple leads to, allowing you hands-free dog walking.
3. Think about how your dogs interact.
When you take multiple dogs out together, they become somewhat of a pack. If your dogs live together, they likely have set ways they interact already. For instance, one dog may be the pack leader, bossing the other dogs around. Others may be aggressive, and you know you need to keep them separated. Remember to take these kinds of issues into account when walking multiple dogs.
If some dogs are more energetic than others, maybe keep a separate hand on those dogs. If you can attach multiple, well-tempered dogs to your belt for hands-free walking, you can leave your hands free to focus your attention on more rambunctious canines.
Remember that, as a pack, your dogs might help keep each other in line. If one dog is trying to stray off the path, the other dogs may herd them back into order. Alternatively, a good example set by an older dog may go a long way toward helping a younger or more troublesome puppy stay on task during a walk.
Our Atlanta Dog Walkers Are Always Accepting New Clients
If you don’t have the time to take your dog on walks, or walking your multiple pets is too much for you, let our experts handle it for you. The Atlanta pet sitters and dog walkers at Critter Sitters have experience walking multiple dogs and pet sitting for multiple dogs and would be happy to take care of your pets while you’re at work or out of town. To schedule an appointment with your new pet sitter or dog walker, call Critter Sitters today at 404-793-6178.
