I mentioned a while ago I thought Delilah would be very content as an only dog. While she’s fiercely independent, she’s also jealous of attention given to another dog and she’s competitive.
There is no where her competitiveness comes through more than when she and I are walking with Sampson. And it doesn’t matter if I’m walking both of them, or Hubby’s walking Sampson. Delilah will pull to the end of the leash to get ahead of Sampson. It’s not quite so bad if he’s off-leash, but if they are both on leash, she wants to lead the charge.
Having two dogs with different exercise requirements can be somewhat challenging. Sampson has to have timed walks. We started out at five minutes twice per day and are currently working ourselves up to fifteen minutes, preferably this would occur three times per day, but logistically that’s hard for me.
First thing each morning, I get up, throw some clothes on and take Sampson for his first walk. We live practically smack in the middle of a hill and I discovered early on, it’s easier for Sampson to start the walk by ascending the hill and finish the walk with the descent.
After our walk it’s time for some range of motion and weight bearing exercise, then I ice him up, ready the dog’s breakfast and go get myself ready for work.
Once I get home I prep the dog’s dinner, fix their snack and grab Sampson for his second walk of the day. Delilah needs to stay inside because when I leave her out, she tries to exit the yard with us and when I leave her, she barks her fool head off. There is nothing enjoyable about a walk, when you can hear your stinkin’ dog barking like a loon.
Once Sampson’s back home I follow the same schedule as the morning in terms of physical therapy and icing. Then it’s Delilah’s turn for a walk. Typically Delilah chooses our walk and I simply follow along. As long as I’m outside with her, it doesn’t matter to me where we go.
The whole walking two dogs is a pain in the ass, but in spite of this challenge something really awesome happens when it’s just Delilah and me.
I’m glad you’re holding onto that leash Mama, I don’t want you to get lost.
Can you see it? No?
How about now? No, it’s not the toes that need a manicure! It’s the loose leash!!
Notice how I have gathered it in my hand? She is actually on about 4 1/2 feet of leash, walking like a princess beside me and not pulling at all!
It’s totally Amazeballs to have a nice, leisurely walk without having my arm pulled out of the socket.
Have you noticed competition with your dogs? How do you handle that?
Well look at that, she is a princess and walking like a trooper, patients has paid off. Soon they both can get back to walks together. When I walk all three dogs on one big carabiner Glory pulls like a freaken moose and is dying for air. Hello if you wouldn’t pull you would get air.
When one of them “needs” some extra attention (shown by jumping up on me or shoving me), the other suddenly needs it as well. I don’t fight things and just get down in the floor with them so they can both wallow all over me.
Stuff like this is why I have one dog. Plus, Silas thinks I have to be saved from everyone and everything.
I’m trying to decide if it’s *better* to know that Delilah is capable of loose leash walking or *worse.* What do you think?
It’s our boy dog who has to be ahead on walks and he pulls like mad to be there. You’re absolutely right about having a perfect, non-pulling walk when he’s on his own for any reason.
Loose leash is how the world is supposed to be. So yay, Delilah. Meanwhile, OMG – you do a day’s work before you go to work!! I think Cupcake has made me lazy. Yes, I’m blaming her.
Unfortunately, I end up doing double walks a lot with three dogs. Katie isn’t always up for a long walk, so I take her separately, I need to work on heel with Bailie, so she needs to go alone sometimes, and when I run, often Emma runs with me so I have to take Katie and Bailie for a walk after. Time consuming! Katie and Emma, as well as Katie and Bailie are great combinations, but Bailie and Emma, or all three get Bailie pulling like there is no tomorrow. Something with Emma in the mix that she just pulls and it isn’t much fun!
Callie and Shadow have always been easy to walk together, even at the park. They’ve never really been competitive with each other. Though Shadow was always “needy” for our attention, while Callie will give us a certain look and wait to be invited over. And, once she’s gotten what she wanted, she goes back to one of the dog beds and lays down.
Add Ducky to the mix and it’s chaos! Actually, out in the yard it’s easy. I just let them roam around at will. If I have to go somewhere, I’ll just put Ducky on her leash and walk her around the yard so I don’t have to deal with her wanting to suddenly stalk a squirrel. At the park? No way! As reactive as she gets with people sometimes, there’s no way I could take all 3 at once without hubby’s help.
I’m not surprised. Ours do the same thing…lol. We have worked long and hard to get them to honor one another. After all these years Thunder and Storm are capable of being walked side-by-side by one person. Freighter is not quite as far along although he is good on lead if he is alone.
hahaha!!!! “amazeballs” love it!!!
Yes! Big time competition with my dogs as well. Three huskies who all want to be in the lead, and the only thing that has helped me with it has been using different harnesses to help with the pulling. I do my best, but the arm gets sore sometimes thats for sure!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
I can not pet either dog with out the other one getting in my face. Especially Torrey, she has to be RIGHT THERE. She also likes to take the lead when we walk. She is getting better though, and we can actually have a loose leash too.
LOOK at that Loose Walkin String… your mom is doing MUCH better about not wanting to have it all TIGHT. Hope you gave her some PRAISE fur the Good Walkin.
When WE are on OUR walkin strings… Ernie seems to want to be out in front… Until he sees somethingy “scary” then he PUSHES ME… OUT FRONT… Just sayin.
Moses and Alma are both definitely better behaved on solo walks. There’s no outright competition, but it’s just a difference in needs. Moses likes slower, slightly shorter walks, so he’s often dragging behind when it’s the two of them, looking for excuses to pause and sniff. Alma has a naturally faster pace, so when it’s just her and I, we can move a bit quicker and it keeps her focus on me a bit better. Their leashes are both looser when it’s one-on-one, but I also think I’m more relaxed, which plays a part.
I sometimes look after my neighbour’s elderly corgi. He has some hip issues and is slow as a glacier… unless I’m up ahead letting Gwynn have a half-block of regular-pace while my sister is holding Calvin, and then suddenly this tiny ottoman bursts into movement like the dog/footstool in Beauty and the Beast. He did the same thing when we were out walking and fireworks went off – it is a decidedly odd feeling to have to jog to keep up with a corgi whose usual speed is molasses. He definitely doesn’t like for Gwynn to be ‘winning’ the ‘race’.
It’s interesting that Delilah isn’t trying to stay closer to you on shared walks too – to keep your attention for herself.
We have no competition. Ever. The dogs do exactly what Misty the alpha Poodle tells them to do and, fortunately for me it is what i would want them to do for the most part.
My two or getting very competitive and although it is so sweet it does make me a little worried. However, I make sure that they both get exactly the same. I don’t think I can do much more than that!!
Gotta love a loose leash! Hmmm. This makes me think we are better off staying a 1 dog family, like we’ve always been. (Been toying with the idea of adding a second, but it does sound like it could be complicated at times.) Hope Sampson’s recovery is going well!
As much as I hate the term, all three of my dogs are “dominant” in a way. With other dogs, not people. I know they all enjoy each other’s company, but I sometimes think Neeko would be happy being an only dog.
I did the two dogs and two separate walks thing when I had my two dogs, Shadow and Copper. Shadow hated being left behind and she would let me know by barking pretty much the entire time I was out with Copper. It was often 3 blocks later when I could no longer hear her. And that was with leaving her INSIDE the house. I was always surprised the cops weren’t waiting for me each time I returned from a walk with Copper. My neighbors are saints. (Plus they have pretty barky dogs too, so I guess they may not have noticed.) Shadow didn’t like being separated from me. At all. When I would take the dogs on a long drive to visit my folks – it was often challenging because I would have to stop at least once to take each dog out for a potty break. For her turn, she was fine – but when it was Copper’s – or mine – she made her displeasure known. I don’t pee well under pressure and I always heard her voicing her protest while I was in the restroom. I loved that dog like crazy – and honestly, I didn’t really realize how high maintenance she was (I only went on a couple of vacations the entire 14 years I had her) until she passed and I later adopted Blueberry, who could care less if I leave her alone, in the car, in the house, in the bedroom, doesn’t matter. Blueberry doesn’t even get that excited when I return home after being at work all day. She’s the polar opposite of Shadow. Of course Copper was the easier dog at the time, but I think Shadow overshadowed (no pun intended) his mellowness because she took up so much of my energy and I didn’t really appreciate how easy he was.
My hat is off to you for making the conscious decision to make sure both dogs get walked – despite the inconvenience of it. It isn’t always easy – but when you think about it – the love they give back so liberally makes it all worth it, doesn’t it?
Luckily, there’s no jealousy here. Maggie is mostly invisible to Jack and she adores him, so it works out.
Sheba walks way better when it is just her and me. But Cricket always thinks she has to be in the lead and Sheba just tries to keep up with her, and she is much stronger when pulling than Cricket is. As a rule I walk them separately anyway, since they are both pullers, but more because I don’t want to leave one dog at home alone. Maybe someday I can walk three….we’ll see about that!