walking 2 at once - advice please !

[Saffaroo]

Well we are soon going to be looking after another cocker  for around a month whilst her owner is away.  Our 'guest' is a 3 year old who is used to living with 4 big and very boisterous dogs - and she is used to walking short distances on lead as part of a group with them and her owner.  OK so far ...now Saffy is an only child and not used to walking with another dog - she walks beautifully on her own in her harness until we get to open ground where she can go off lead.   Now, my problem is getting the new doggy and her to walk together painlessly...they have met before, and had away days together, but not walked together as me and OH had one each    I was thinking of using a spare harness on the new doggy and coupling them together eventually ?

....all you vastly experienced more than one doggy people please help   

[JaspersMum]

Personally I find the coupler harder to deal with as I ended up pulling back the wrong dog, I soon went back to two leads so I can have them in two hands if required.  Neither of mine like being on the lead for long so if extra control is needed I have two haltis (headcollar type)

Have fun with your guest. 

[cazza]

Can't comment on a coupler as I have never used one

I just walked them on two seperate leads, that way you can have one in each hand if need be 

Good luck and have fun with your house guest 

[lexi]

Out of necessity - because of Mac - I use a coupler with Holly and Byron but it has taken them a while to get used to it.
I would suggest you use two separate leads when walking Saffy and the guest Cocker since it's only for a month. It will be easier on everyone.

[suzysu]

I used a coupler for a long time and eventually decided I could never get them to walk properly together, so changed to single leads, after advice from my lovely COL friends  ...and its worked so much better ..they walk at their own pace and Daisy is'nt dragged along 

[PennyB]

I use two separate leads with my two as well --- I find it useful to have them in different colours as well

[Saffaroo]

Awww thanks so much guys - I think I'm really myself in a tizzy over this, I really don't want to mess things up as our little 'guest' may become more permanent      so two leads it is and we'll see how we go..........

.....will be posting pics of the sniffer sisters soon then 

thanks everyone

[mad 4 cockers]

I use two separate leads with my two as well --- I find it useful to have them in different colours as well 

It's alot easier walking them on my own, seem to get tangled up when OH walks with us

[Cob-Web]

I use separate leads on street/road walks and on the way to the fields and only use the coupler if I am hiking with them 

[cazza]

Awww thanks so much guys - I think I'm really myself in a tizzy over this, I really don't want to mess things up as our little 'guest' may become more permanent     

Errrm have i missed something  Guest may become permanent??   

Good luck 

[cindere528]

I have two cockers and walk them together on separate leads with Halti headcollars to stop them pulling. I use the Flexi extending leads but this takes quite a lot of practice, so is not to be advised for a novice as they can be dangerous.  I keep them close to me on the road, but once we get in the fields they can extend & run about although Nelly likes to stay close to Dillon. I can't let them off lead for several reasons, so the Flexis are the best compromise for us.

[Saffaroo]

Awww thanks so much guys - I think I'm really myself in a tizzy over this, I really don't want to mess things up as our little 'guest' may become more permanent     

Errrm have i missed something  Guest may become permanent??   

Good luck 

...ermmm well yes, our little guest may actually stay with us - it depends how things go over the month.  I had posted on another thread about this little dog.  She was a rescue and currently lives with my friend on a long term foster basis.  Like I said her companions are 4 big dogs and whilst she would always have a good home with my friend it is felt that she would fare better in a quieter household   I am so hoping that things work out and I will post how we all get on as soon as possible...   thanks again everyone

[Caticus]

I got a coupler, but gave up! I walk mine on seperate leads. We have also started taking them on individual walks once a week. Ash has become a terrible teenager and started running off and causing havoc in the corn fields, something he had never done before. Now he stays on the lead while Forrest is allowed off when they are together over the fields. On his individual walk over the fields he is allowed off and it gives me lots of one to one training time with him. Forrest loves his individual walk, normally he is off over the fields and just checks in now and then, but when I have him on his own he never leaves my side and we do all sorts of little training exercises such as roll overs and twirls. It is time consuming, but really makes a difference.

I suppose, even though dogs get on well, they must get fed up of each others company and need a break.

[cazza]

Awww thanks so much guys - I think I'm really myself in a tizzy over this, I really don't want to mess things up as our little 'guest' may become more permanent     

Errrm have i missed something  Guest may become permanent??   

Good luck 

...ermmm well yes, our little guest may actually stay with us - it depends how things go over the month.  I had posted on another thread about this little dog.  She was a rescue and currently lives with my friend on a long term foster basis.  Like I said her companions are 4 big dogs and whilst she would always have a good home with my friend it is felt that she would fare better in a quieter household   I am so hoping that things work out and I will post how we all get on as soon as possible...   thanks again everyone

Good luck hope it works out for you 

[clairep4]

I have a coupler but rarely use it at the moment - currently Bella walks in a flat collar and Zorro in a Sporn harness. Bella's heelwork around the local streets is very good but if Mister ZZ Topknot is straining away on the collar then she starts to join in, whereas if he's nice and relaxed in the harness then she walks nicely too.

You do get used to having to handle two leads after a while - I try and keep one dog at each side as they seem to be more excitable if they're up front bustling along in that "I'm sticking to you, cos I'm made out of glue, anything that you can do, I'm gonna do too" way that cockers tend to...