Lexi (husky x gsd is just coming up to 11 months, she is highly energetic, she's excitable and she does everything with lots of vigour.

I also have Duggy, a 13week old lab. The only walks they have had together, so far, Duggy has been in a Buggy and once when my son had Lexi, while I had Duggy, she spent most of the time trying to jump on him, but with the 2 of us we could keep them at a bit of a distance so Duggy was safe. 

Lexi is super excited about Duggy and just wants to play, by flattening him, chewing his ears, biting his neck, trying to pick him up by the legs At home, they have short interactions and are kept seperate the rest of the time (Duggy needs to get bigger before he can safely endure too much rough-housing from Lexi). Lexi is also happy to lay on the floor and have Duggy chew her neck so I'm not worried about 'domminance', this is play that is perhaps too rough/enthusiastic because Lexi is still so young herself
The problem is, this happens when I try to walk them on my own, it's like trying to controll 2 fighting cats, there is just a ball of dogs tangling around each other!!

I really want to be able to walk them together in addition to seperately, as that will be the goal for the future when Duggy can handle a nice long walk.

I do not know how to go about implementing anything that will help. I'd have thought that being out on a walk (as opposed to trying them both leashed in the house/garden)would help stop Duggy being the focus of Lexi, but it doesn't.

Any suggestion how to start working towards joint walks?

Personally I would not even contemplate taking them out together until you have taught both of them to walk properly individually.

Lexi walks fine on her own..........
On her own she can encounter all sorts of distractions and i can get her attention.

When I walk them together and Duggy is strapped in a buggy, Lexi is fine.

Duggy obviously isn't fully trained due to his age, but it's not him that is the problem, he's happy to try to explore the big wide world while on his lead, it's Lexi thats the problem by jumping on him. I can't see how waiting untill Duggy is fully lead trained, will stop Lexi being fixated on him?

I have a 5.5 month old Lab and a 4 yr old.  The older boy is good on the lead and walks nicely without pulling.

Pup is doing well and is learning to walk with a loose lead most of the time - except when something really exciting happens such as a leaf blowing in front of him making him forget himself!

To date I have not attempted to walk them together.  Pleased as I am with the puppy's progress he still needs all my concentration to help him learn good habits when he is out and about.  Even though the older boy is fairly calm and, unlike your Lexi, would not keep leaping on the puppy(!) I know that at the moment I could not manage them both effectively enough to keep them under good control and behaving well for a whole walk.  Something would be bound to happen to distract one of them and they would be quite a handful.  I would hate to undo all the hard work I've put into training each of them by letting them get into bad habits!

My plan is to start some parallel walking with the two of them - me with pup and husband with the adult and see how that goes.  I might do that quite soon.  I actually think it may be some time before I attempt taking them both out together on my own so for the time being all walks are separate.  This is actually fine as they obviously need different kinds of walking (pace, distance, time etc.) and will do for some time.

Both your dogs are still so young ... I think the answer might be to persevere with walking them separately for now.  It's hard work but in the long run it should pay off.

Of course someone else might have other suggestions but it sounds as if they both need your undivided attention for a while longer!

> Both your dogs are still so young ... I think the answer might be to persevere with walking them separately for now.

I don't want to walk them together as their actual walk, I want to teach them to walk together. Even if I can't leave the house/garden with them yet, there must be a way in which to start to train them how to walk together whilst focusing on me when needed. It seems a waste of time waiting for another couple of years to start this training, Duggy is going to need to be at least 18 months old before he can safely keep up with a proper Lexi-walk.

Thy are all ready really good at keeping focus on me whilst doing basic obedience, but that is mostly static stuff (apart from 'roll-over').............. It's motion that makes things more exciting.......

But I have actually given myself an idea. I'm working with them both separately on a sort of send-a-way (where they will go away from me to touch a target at a short distance.) I can start bringing Lexi in on this, she can stand still while he goes, then I can progress to switching them, then sending them both at the same time. That's a start, increase the distraction level of each other during training sessions.

Duggy is amazingly quick at learning, he is such a joy to teach, smart, biddable, eager, so easy. Lexi is smart, but more of an idependant thinker, it takes more work to get her to want to follow instruction to a reliable level, so leaving this sort of training for years is just not going to happen, I want to be able to walk them (as adults), and have all the ground work done. That can start now, just got to figure out out to set them up for success.

I think you are onto something there with sharing the training as it sounds like they're manic when together. You'd need to teach them separately before working them together. I'd work on a 'settle' first as Lexi needs to learn this along with impulse control.
Kikopup has some great training videos (including training multiple dogs) on YouTube

If she is playing like this with him at home as well as outside, then that is where I'd be working on it for now.  Much safer and secure and if she's really persistent, you've got the immediate option of a timeout in the next room.  Get her more sensible there, then start to work on it outside, on tiny 10 minute walks to start with then going further as she gets better (and as he grows).

Anything that involves Gentle movement would be a good starting point.  Your target sendaway idea is a good one, although I would start with the target very close by to start with.  Reward profusely whoever's staying put.

I'd also work on Lexi's recall, so that you can very quickly call her away if she starts on him and get her focus back on you.  A good strong 'leave' would be useful to and when she's trying to badger him, just constantly work on interrupting her and rewarding the absolute @rse off her when she comes away.  Doing that, it shouldn't take long before she starts to hesitate before going at him and you can then start to reward that hesitation and build on it.  Might also be worth having her on a line so you can physically stop her if necessary.

You say that rollover is a big trigger for her - so work with that.  Smaller steps.  Have Duggy doing doggy pushups (sit/down/sit/down), keeping her interest with a treat in your other hand and reward her for staying put.  Build on that then - have him lay down and just roll onto one side (relaxed hips), then flat (one full side on the floor), then into the full rollover.

Mastifflover - Ah - I see!  I think I probably misunderstood your original post - sorry.

Anyway, you seem to have come up with some great ideas - so has Nikita, as ever.

Excellent tips which I will consider for my hooligans, too!

I have three adult GRs who all walk nicely together and know which side of me their place is. I haven't yet added my new pup to the mix, she's on separate walks until she's bigger/better trained!

Thanks Nikita, loads for me to work on there :)

> If she is playing like this with him at home as well as outside, then that is where I'd be working on it for now.

Yes, she is, she's very OTT with him.

I've just had a little session with them, both of-lead (at home). I had them both walking with me from room to room, I'd also get them to sit and wait, then move away and recall both, they were both doing great but Duggy soon lost his focus and started jumping at Lexi and biting her, she was actually a little frustrated that he was interupting the 'game', she wanted to concentrate on the next command to earn a reward.. I tried with him on a lead, but it had all got too exciting for the both of them by then so I split them up.

> A good strong 'leave' would be useful to and when she's trying to badger him, just constantly work on interrupting her and rewarding the absolute @rse off her when she comes away.

Fantastic! I've just been splitting them up when Lexi gets too much, I had not thought to use this as training. I'm looking forward to starting this when Dug wakes up from his nap :)

I've also today identified a big problem I'm facing with these 2 dogs - I am too 'exciting' myself. Buster was so chilled out, I'd have to really be overly enthusiastic to train him and everything about him meant trying to 'rev him up' into action, but that habbit is just hyping these 2 up, so I really need to work on being more low-key about training/verbal praise. Poor little Duggy got so excited with  training earlier that he humped my arm to within an inch of it's life. I must take it down a couple of notches.

Thanks again, there's so many good ideas there.

ETA, just for the cute factor, I've been teaching Dug to go through a tunnel today, right now he's flat out in it , bless him.

> I think I probably misunderstood your original post - sorry.

No need for an appology it's more likely that I didn't explain myself properly. I've alwasy been a waffler, but I am much worse at making any sense since I've been unwell.

> I think you are onto something there with sharing the training as it sounds like they're manic when together.

If they are left to it, they are a couple of unruly hooligans but they've been practicing some basic obedience together nicely for a couple of weeks now, but just simple obedience stuff, nothing too taxing.

> I'd work on a 'settle' first as Lexi needs to learn this along with impulse control.

Yes, she really does. I've got her to not chase the cat (Lexi has a high prey-drive, so this has been hard), but they don't generalise things do they. I've not really done any other impulse control work with her.

> Kikopup has some great training videos (including training multiple dogs) on YouTube

Great, thanks, I'll have a look for them

little Duggy got so excited with  training earlier that he humped my arm to within an inch of it's life.

Sorry - I thought this was hilarious  
I think you're doing a fabulous job in the face of adversity - I too remember you well.
Nikita has given you great advice that you are more than capable of following through with expertise.  I'd love to hear updates on how you and they are doing

> Sorry - I thought this was hilarious

It was very funny and cute, bless him

They're having many more sessions together and there is a small improvement in Lexi, however it's Dug that's equally challenging now as his concentration doesn't last as long as Lexi and he just chucks himself at her

They mugged my food shopping as I brought it in earlier and nabbed a bag of carrots. I rescued the carrots and was going to give them one each (they LOVE a carrot), so was asking them to sit first. Lexi sat immediately, eager for her carrot. Dug could hardly contain his excitement and kept bouncing up & down, barking. Lexi held her sit despite Duggys crazy behaviour, eyes fixed on me....then, whilst still looking at me, smacked Duggy in the face! It was as if to say 'do as you're told!'

It would be a boring life without our crazy dogs

What a lovely tale (tail )
I too get mugged when bringing shopping in - blooming difficult getting through a baby gate with a big bag of shopping and mine are small and very quick - my Pap is easy to trip on   All bags have to be sniff tested too
Sounds like you are doing a fabulous job and having fun (most importantly)

I used to have a dog that was highly interested in the shopping, caught her trotting off into the garden with a box full of eggs once.

You two need these dogs!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Hd0_ew-Wv4

*****************************UPDATE******************************
Thought I'd come back and give an update on my hooligans re. walking them at the same time. Lexi is 18 months old now, Dug is almost 11 months old (and weighing in at a hefty 37.5KG ). The short story is I have been walking them together for nearly 3 months now

I did a lot of work at home, in the garden with them, walking Duggy around the garden on a lead until Lexi had no interest in mobbing him. The first time I took them out together I was worried how they would react to people/dogs/cats etc together - it doesn't matter how each one behaves when they are on their own, being together changes everything!

The main issue with them together is pulling on the lead, changing my routes daily is a massive help with this, also with changing direction if they pull too hard and/or standing still and refusing to move if they pull. Duggy is much better at loose lead walking than Lexi (I am so frustrated that my son ignored my protests and carried on walking Lexi on a flipping flexi-lead when she was a pup ). Dug has a gentle leader in addition to his main lead, to use as an 'emergency brake' if needed.

Cats are a bit if a problem - they both want to get a cat if they see it, so I avoid where possible & where not, I stop, back up a few steps untill the dogs are calmer, slowly walk forward & repeat as necessary (walking past cat when they are calm and paying attention to me).

They are great passing people (Duggy can be protective/possesive of me, so I am always aware of that) and having Dug about has really helped Lexis confidance, she will even approach strange men now (leashed), when in her early days with us, she would cower and try to get away. With Dug, I have to be carefull when someone is stroking him as he wants to jump up to cuddle & lick peoples faces, which is obviously unacceptable! Passing dogs is fine, the 'worst' thing is, Lexi is still very excitable so will sometime stand on her back legs, but they can be walked past dogs that are barking & growling at them with out issue, they are a little more of a handful with a loose dog running up to them - that bit is a work in progress as they both want to play.

The biggest thing is learning how each of them tick when out & about. At home, Lexi is not very food motivated (to the point of being underweight!), & Duggy is food OBSESSED. Out & about, Dug works so much better for praise and verbal direction, Lexi likes a dog treat (I save her favorite treats just for walks), she likes to be told 'good girl' but it doesn't have the same impact for her as 'good boy' does for Duggy.

I don't drive and the dogs were both due at the vets yesterday (routine stuff), I had nobody to give me a lift and help me, so I walked them both in on my own, 40 mins each way and some places are VERY narrow paths next to main roads. It was a little bit of a handful with them both on my own in the waiting room, Lexi barked a little at a woman that came in, but soon made friends with her and Duggy did some excited barking at some little dogs he spotted, but I did it - I feel very chuffed with myself.

Sounds like you are doing really well.

I have to be carefull when someone is stroking him as he wants to jump up to cuddle & lick peoples faces, which is obviously unacceptable!

I taught Zuma that he didn't get fuss unless he was sitting - person petting him with me going 'sit, sit, sit' and so on.

Daughters Rott was named Wichita but known as Widget ( thing in beer cans that made it very fizzy!!! ) anyone making eye contact was fair game so she was taught that she was only allowed to jump up with the command 'go bundle' and encouraged to jump at the command with people who were ok about it.