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I recently adopted my second dog from a local shelter and love him. I was elated to get him out of those sweltering conditions, but that's another topic entirely. I'm looking for advice on walking my two boys together. It's a bit tougher than I thought walking these guys. I'm using retractable leashes and I'm wondering if that's part of my problem. Any tips and tricks you use? Thanks for any constructive feedback.
What Zugor said, and it will probably still take some work for everyone to get the hang of things. No matter what,get rid of those retractable leashes. That is just not going to work. How big are the dogs?
I tried the coupler thing and it just didn't work for me.
However, I agree with getting rid of the retractable.
For me it was just two leashes and understanding that the walks were just not going to be calm and relaxing, lol. You'll get used to it and get better at it.
The other option is to consider walking them one at a time.
The gentle leader harness with front clip attachment is great for training to walk well on the leash. Once they're trained not to run all around, you can go back to retractables. I walk three dogs daily using retractables. I put one of the handles around a special belt I made and hold the other two. My special belt also has the poop bags attached to it.
Congrats on your new dog, very exciting! I dont care for couplers as imo there's just not enough room for them to comfortably walk, iow one might be 'going' on the other one if they lift their legs etc, I think it's just too close for comfort (theirs and mine, lol), have found they're fine for walking from the car a short distance but that's about it, would only use them in a pinch (we had big dogs when we used them though, if I rem. right the big metal hook even bent and they werent huge pullers so that was the end of that). I dont care for retractable leashes at all either even for just one dog, there's just not enough control over them. We have 2 small dogs now and walk them several times a day and they do great w/ a 4 foot leash, when we had larger dogs, they were on 6 ft leashes and that worked out fine too but the small ones have enough room on 4 ft leashes - ours are now middle aged and it's honestly worked out perfectly.
I recently adopted my second dog from a local shelter and love him. I was elated to get him out of those sweltering conditions, but that's another topic entirely. I'm looking for advice on walking my two boys together. It's a bit tougher than I thought walking these guys. I'm using retractable leashes and I'm wondering if that's part of my problem. Any tips and tricks you use? Thanks for any constructive feedback.
Retractable leashes are a terrible idea. The problem with them is that people have much less control using them than they do using conventional leashes, even if they are only walking one dog. It takes time to push the button to retract the leash, and that is time you don't have if the dog sees a squirrel/dog/cat he or she wants to get at. Someone mentioned Gentle Leaders. They and the Halti headcollars are awesome devices and I have used them most of the 20+ years I have owned Great Danes. They stop pulling cold in many dogs, no matter how large. I have had shoulder surgeries on both shoulders, so proper control of my Danes is a must. I still do not recommend retractables, however.
A coupler works great. I'm a small woman, and I walk my two Danes simultaneously using a coupler. Strangely enough, it affords me MORE control over both dogs than not using it or walking each alone. If they slip from my hands (they have once) they run in opposite directions, so they don't go anywhere Be sure to buy a leather one, preferably double stiched. The nylon ones are not as good quality.
Years ago when at an agility event with Jazz, Dash and Phoenix there were two young guys selling their leashes and they would let you try them out. They even let me take home a set up for 3 dogs to try over night as they knew I would be back at the event the next day. Walking 3 with 3 leashes was tricky as they would get tangled with one another so I took them up on the offer. Their leashes and " leash sections" have bungees in them so dogs that pull feel the resistance and tend to slow down too) Anyway I was impressed and ended up buying the set up and I would often put the 3 sections on my flexi retractable leash when we were walking in open areas that made using that leash a much more fun walk for the 3 or even when I just took 2 I would set it up for two. I love the set up and unlike the coupler I tried it gave the dogs more space between them. I do not use it so much on Chaos and Dazzle as they both walk great on leashes and tend not to get tangled and I love my leather leashes that are now so old and soft.They also spend a lot more time off leash as we now have some great off leash places but I will take a section with me as if I need to tie them up for a minute I can wrap it around a tree or post or chair arm and pull the leash handles through before I fasten it so no knott to slip out. If I do not feel like dragging the crate to agility practice I use the section to tie them to the fence or under a tree while we set up and take down equipment or even when it is not their turn to run. I used it in Solvang when I went in the pastery shop and fastened them to the bench out front that I could see at all times . I do not go in stores leaving them tied up out front but we had been up the coast at a beach and promised someone I would get some gluten free pasteries as I passed by Solvang and the day was so hot there was no way I would leave them in the car and knew I could see them the whole time from inside so that day I did it. By the way they loved it as one of the bakery women saw them and asked if she could give them some water and soon everyone in the place was out loving on them as she had made such a big deal about what beautiful sweet dogs they were anyway having that section of leash made it easy as no danger of slipping a knott. I have really have enjoyed their leash products over the years and it was a great investement for me and as I said the sections can be used with any leash not just their leash. I was very lucky to have met them at that agility event when they were just starting up and yeah the prices were lower back then too! I have gotten a few friends that own multiple dogs the leashes as gifts over the years.
I will never use a retractable leash again. I took my new rescue out for a walk and she jumped at something, and the handle came out of my hands. It clacked on the road behind her and she was terrified. She ran headlong into the woods and was gone three days.
My husband bought a retractable leash for our newest rescue and first time out, she hauled on it so hard she broke it.
Now we use two nylon webbed leashes, one for each dog, one for each hand.
I will never use a retractable leash again. I took my new rescue out for a walk and she jumped at something, and the handle came out of my hands. It clacked on the road behind her and she was terrified. She ran headlong into the woods and was gone three days.
My husband bought a retractable leash for our newest rescue and first time out, she hauled on it so hard she broke it.
Now we use two nylon webbed leashes, one for each dog, one for each hand.
I think all that can be said about retractable leashes is " different strokes for different folks". Some love them some hate them. I actually love the leash if you have a good one like a real Flexi and have the right strength for your dog, never had an issue with them except when I first got one and had Jazz on it and was sitting on the ground at a park and a skate boarder flew by and she decided to try chasing him so I grabbed at the rope not thinking and yeah it did slice my hand to the bone but rather then get angry and say this is dangerous I will not use it I learned from my mistake. ouch X 10! I would never walk a dog around traffic or in a crowd with a flexi let out as it would be in a maybe 4-6 ft lock down nor would I use it in a neighborhood to let my dog wander in and out of peoples yards. The product itself can be useful as it is nice to have a short leash and a long leash all in one. The leash is not bad but too many people do not use it right and allow dogs to wander where ever rather then reel them in when they should.
I used it more in open areas and yeah I had 3 dogs attached to one 26 ft flexi for dogs over 100lbs with my larz leash sections attached to it and I never had a problem. It allowed them to explore and enjoy being out in a more open area where I would have been fined if they had been off leash. It also allowed Jazz to play fetch at parks where she had to be on leash as sadly with those 3 dogs leash free areas were rare back then. It also worked great in training them to watch me as we walked as they would all be attached and would be out away from me and I would stop and they would keep walking until they hit the 26 ft then stop and I would wait for them to not just look at me but to come back( I would not call them) and at first it just took one and the others sort of had to come back too.Dash was my champ as attach food to something he was always first as he LOVED food. I would treat them when they got back to me and before long they started paying attention to me and when I stopped within a few feet they knew it and would all 3 come back full speed to myside they no longer had to hit the end of the leash as they were paying attention to me. Walking multiple dogs is much easier when they are all paying attention to you even as they sniff they keep checking to see what you are up too so you stop they stop without hitting end of leash you turn around they turn around and head that way with you without you telling them too. It is good for distance training. I hear people say you can not train a dog using a flexi but I guess that depends on how creative you are, how skilled you are at using it and what you are training.
So I will say I am a flexi retractable fan but as many of you that are not I will say I do hate it for some of the same reasons you do as when people allow the dogs to wander in crowds or traffic, or up to other dogs, into peoples yards and really hate it at the vets when they do not keep their dog reeled in close. So to me it is not the product as with a skilled person used properly they can be great and like so much else in life it is a personal choice there is no right or wrong choice but rather what works for you.
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Be sure to buy a leather one, preferably double stiched. The nylon ones are not as good quality.
) Anyway I was impressed and ended up buying the set up and I would often put the 3 sections on my flexi retractable leash when we were walking in open areas that made using that leash a much more fun walk for the 3 or even when I just took 2 I would set it up for two. I love the set up and unlike the coupler I tried it gave the dogs more space between them. I do not use it so much on Chaos and Dazzle as they both walk great on leashes and tend not to get tangled and I love my leather leashes that are now so old and soft.They also spend a lot more time off leash as we now have some great off leash places but I will take a section with me as if I need to tie them up for a minute I can wrap it around a tree or post or chair arm and pull the leash handles through before I fasten it so no knott to slip out. If I do not feel like dragging the crate to agility practice I use the section to tie them to the fence or under a tree while we set up and take down equipment or even when it is not their turn to run. I used it in Solvang when I went in the pastery shop and fastened them to the bench out front that I could see at all times . I do not go in stores leaving them tied up out front but we had been up the coast at a beach and promised someone I would get some gluten free pasteries as I passed by Solvang and the day was so hot there was no way I would leave them in the car and knew I could see them the whole time from inside so that day I did it. By the way they loved it as one of the bakery women saw them and asked if she could give them some water and soon everyone in the place was out loving on them as she had made such a big deal about what beautiful sweet dogs they were
anyway having that section of leash made it easy as no danger of slipping a knott. I have really have enjoyed their leash products over the years and it was a great investement for me and as I said the sections can be used with any leash not just their leash. I was very lucky to have met them at that agility event when they were just starting up and yeah the prices were lower back then too! I have gotten a few friends that own multiple dogs the leashes as gifts over the years. 
ouch X 10! I would never walk a dog around traffic or in a crowd with a flexi let out as it would be in a maybe 4-6 ft lock down nor would I use it in a neighborhood to let my dog wander in and out of peoples yards. The product itself can be useful as it is nice to have a short leash and a long leash all in one. The leash is not bad but too many people do not use it right and allow dogs to wander where ever rather then reel them in when they should. 
