Any tips for walking 3 German Shepherds together. Have a dog Ice who's 11 month old and 2 bitches, Stella & Lucy 15 months old (girls from same litter). The girls have only been with me a few months but Ice from a pup. Walk them one at a time and all's fine, no pulling, recall is great. Take the girls out and although it's not to bad, they really pull on the lead. One tends to only do if the other one does, they sometimes have a few niggles with each other, which can get quite heated but hasn't got out of control. But take boy and girls together and Ice (who got his name because he is so chilled out) forgets he's got a brain - and becomes the most stupid example of a Shepherd you've ever seen.

Ice is boss when all three are together and girls have no problem with this. BUT all three together and well I get home looking like Stretch Armstrong. My other half does help out but works long hours and isn't always around. Any suggestions, apart from walking one at a time, as you can appreciate this would take all morning and all evening.

Simple - don't do it. I'd never walk 3 big dogs together no matter how well trained they were. It's a pack of dogs and even two will egg one another on, so you know all about three being utter chaos! If they decide to take off after another dog, it could all end in tears.

The only thing I can really think of if you're determined is put head collars on them so you're in control. Although if I were you I'd use it as an excuse for some individual attention and quality time with each dog.

Hi,

I have 4 medium dogs all under 2 years and would never even attempt to walk all 4 on lead! I either take two at a time and have seperate walks or go to a local woodland or parkland where I can put all my dogs in my car, and just open the door for them to run off lead.  You are asking for big trouble having 3 German Shepherds on leads all together, especially if they are quite young dogs. Big dogs especially need to be well trained on a lead not to pull and to walk to heel.  Once your Shepherds are older (over 2 years) if you train them properly they will not pull and you will be able to take all 3 out at once with no problems. But until they are more mature, I honestly would not even attempt it, they will be in competition as to who is out in front, it is dangerous for you and others around you. Just be patient until they are older and then you can have the pleasure of walking all three.

Wow walking three together, i do it sometimes but only when im stuck for time. i tend to take my youngest out with one of my older girls then take the remaining one out last.Its hard work having to take two out then setting off again with the other but safer for all concerned...regards polly_45

My apologies if this sounds harsh but I don't see how you can manage three large breed untrained juveniles safely (well, you're not obviously) and I can't for the life of me understand why you've chosen to acquire so many youngsters in that time frame either - but what's done is done so don't want to chew your ear more than that.

Individual exercise and training is your only option - if that means three short morning walks and three longish evening ones well that's what you have to do - with of course at least once a day doing three separate training sessions. 

I'd never have multiple dogs without ensuring the original resident was already physically and mentally mature, fully trained, sociable and reliable both on and off lead before introducing a second dog, then same again with that one before a third etc.  Dogs pick up bad habits more quickly than good and find each other far more exciting than us if they are all still naughty pups and/or rebellious teenagers at the same time :(   I have easily walked four BSDs and let them all free run together - although usually would put three back on lead if there were other dogs around which I didn't already know (don't want to terrify a local newbie with a loose "pack" that they, naturally, don't know whether are behaved or not ;) ). 

I had a friend with at one time 7 BSDs - all males and all but one a stud dog - yet all able to walk on lead in an orderly fashion, all able to be let off lead and not annoy anyone else etc - they were trained, thoroughly, and ranged from 6 months to 13 years. 

IMO you've taken on a huge responsibility and so you have an enormous amount of individual work ahead of you - particularly as from your description you've already let the situation get very out of hand.  The onus is on you to put in the many long hours and eventually miles - individually - with each dog otherwise you will find your only other option is to rehome two of them, separately, where they can be given the one-to-one time, care and dedicated attention which it is the duty of a responsible owner to provide any young dog - but none more so than in a large guarding breed :(

Good luck.  Teri

Don't do it, If something happened, one got away and hit by a car or anything you would never forgive yourself.
I only have 2 young dogs a Rottiex GSD and a Jack Russell but NEVER walk them together and won't until they are better trained and stop being in competition to see who can go the fastest.  Like yours they are brill on thier own but not ready to go out together yet.
So yes pain as it can be off i plod with one then back and off again.  Do this twice a day and although time consuming does allow each thier own quality individual time with me, which is important.

Bev

Thanks for all your thoughts. Just putting a few things a little more clearer, like - "I can't for the life of me understand why you've chosen to acquire so many youngsters in that time frame either". Earlier this year I lost Jessie girl (another GSD) fit and healthly, very well behaved but I couldn't completely cure an ear infection. So we opted to have her ears syringed and finally get the problem under control. She had a reaction to the anaesthetic and I lost her, she was only 18 months old. Heartbroken couldn't describe how I felt. A few weeks previous to this I thought I was to lose Ice too to Hemorrhagic GastroEnteritis, thankfully I'd detected it early and after 4 days at the vets- he survived. Ice had never been without his best friend, he just loved being with her and she with him. In fact Ice just loves being around all types of animals, he spends at lot of time at the farm with my daughter-in-law (who's a dog trainer and yes she has her opinions on this sudject too). After Jess, I went in search of another dog deciding against a puppy. Many phone calls and visits later, we came across an owner who was emigrating. They had 2 beautiful girls, they'd never been seperated from birth, temperaments, background and health were excellent. To cut a long story short, they fitted just what we were looking for. After considering the implications associated with rehousing, I decided NOT to seperate them. I could accommodate them, have plenty of time and love for them and enough money to care for 3 doggies and health complications should they arise. And you know what - I was right to keep them together. The girls settled brill. I hadn't changed breed and was knowledgeable enough re Shepherds. I went into this with eyes very wide open and never expected it to be easy and knew I had taken on a "huge responsibility".
My initial description to some may have come across that I've "already let the situation get very out of hand." My apologises for this - I described a situation that has happened on a few occasions and rectified it by continuing to walk individually or girls only. Obviously further down the line I would like to be able to do this collectively and asked if anyone else who was already doing this had any tips or suggestions.
Many Thanks once again

Hi Anita,

If it's unavoidable taking all three out together, I really would recommend head collars, particularly the Dogmatic. More expensive than Haltis and Gentle Leaders/Controllers but in my experience well worth the money as they are so robust and sit well on the dog's face. 

I have a rescue GSD who was a nightmare in traffic and the only way we could get safely to the park without both of us going under the wheels of a car was this method.  There are certain members of this board who seem to feel that this is cheating for some reason but if it gets the job done, why not?  (Our dog was on his third rehoming so it was a head collar or death for him.)

Take heart: they all calm down in time (I find if you keep saying this to yourself you almost come to believe it...)

Best wishes, Linda

I don't walk my 3 Boxer bitches out alltogether, they range in ages from 1 3/4 yrs, 4 1/4 years and
7 1/2 years.
1) I'm not strong enough
2) I'd be like you with arms pulled out of their sockets
3) I wouldn't feel safe nor able to control 3 together if someone
else's dog decided to come up to us etc.
4) I want to keep my sanity ;)

I do however walk the youngest two out together, they only have free run in
the park if no other dogs are around. As I can't trust the older of the two's recall
with distractions plus I don't want the youngest one learning that to go selectively
deaf is ok...
The older of the pair is walked on a headcollar which helps with the 'competition'
of wanting to be ahead of the other dog. Normally the younger one doesn't really
pull unless completely over excited.
The oldest bitch gets walked on her own, she's a serial puller and a complete nutcase.
Although saying that on our last walk she was really good and didnt once pull even wearing her
headcollar so perhaps the old bat is deciding to chill out in her old age (she's 7 1/2 years old).
She is walked out seperately as she'd teach all her bad manners to the other two, something
which I wish to avoid.

Sometimes I take them out all seperately which is the easiest option when you want to train
them. Which is important whilst they are young.

If you've got a friend that would help you walk them maybe that would be another option??

My situation is slightly different from yours, but I do take 4 dogs out together, 2 goldies (age 13 and 6), a Dobe (3) and a Spaniel (nearly 2), all are on headcollars (the only way I can do it with confidence). I take out my 5 month old Dobe on her own and will continue to do so until I am sure she will behave sensibly etc. and is bonded with me rather than the other dogs.  Also fairly soon the old Goldie will be going out on his own because he doesn't need the amount of exercise that the others do. I always walk with a friend (who has 1 dog) so if anything should happen there is a spare pair of hands (never needed so far, and we have come across cats, squirrels etc.).

In your situation I agree with the other posters, and you should take them out separately, 3 unruly teenagers is asking for trouble.

An idea might be for you to take them out somewhere they can run, in the car - and then, once they are a bit calmer, do training sessions, if necessary teaching the other 2 to wait patiently...I did this with my first 2 BSDs and after lots of training they did walk beautifully together. One thing I found was to set criteria of what i wanted, and this helped the dogs and I be consistent - for instance, the bitch always walked on my left, the dog always on my right hand side. That sort of thing.

Hth a bit

Lindsay
x

It is easy to walk one dog there is no competition as there is when there are two, walking then can become a competitive event!

I have often had to look after another dog and I would never exercise more than two together as two dogs weighing as much or more than me is what I can realistically control, 3 is not a pleasure and would be a risk.

So I am afraid the only advice I can give is don't, unless of course they are extremely well trained.

Yup training is the key,

I have two Beddies and had the first one trained and mature before the new pup arrived.  I spent a lot of time walking and training them separately, but equal time training them to walk together and to be obedient off lead together.  This meant at least three walks for me every day and two for each of the dogs :) If I'd had three untrained/partly trained dogs it would have had to be -

Each dog walked and trained separately
Dogs 1 and 2 walked and trained together
Dogs 2 and 3  "         "       "         "
Dogs 1 and 3  "         "       "         "

In addition the youngest would need extra training walks and in house training. 

This would go on until all are reliable in all situations before considering walking them all together :) so basically a full time job ;)

I can't imagine trying to walk three juveniles of any breed together, it would be a nightmare   What on earth can you do if they all decide to go in different directions??

I on the odd occasion walk all 4 of my goldens together , 2 sometimes 3 off leash but never in high traffic areas , just small streets or to the park. All 4 on leash i could not handle , off leash they are fine but i wouldn't recommend off leash unless the proper training was thier.

I've seen people walk 3 dogs , what they do is just teach loose leash and have all 3 dogs out infront but not dragging.

Hi Anita

For daily exercise, we take our 6 two at a time - not always the same two, just to keep things on a level :D - and then every day, one goes out for a nice long walk on his/her own with me.

It means a lot of walking - OH does 2 walks in the morning, I do 1, then I'm doing 1 (single) walk/exercise lunchtime-ish, then OH does another 2 walks evening & I do 1.    Sometimes the pair of us walk together, so effectively taking 4 at once, but not every day.

Think it is important that they all get some individual "me" exercise!

Margot

Think I'll have a go with head collar never used one before any tips? And pet shop on Ebay is selling Dogmatic headcollar for £17.99 is this about right or has anyone found any cheaper?

Before you use the Dogmatic try to soften it (saddle soap and a bit of bending) as they are quite rigid to begin with, but are IMO the best headcollar on the market. I paid £18.99 each direct from Dogmatic, so that price is fairly good. You need to make sure the size is correct (check you can return it if you order the wrong size) and let your dogs wear it in the house without a lead attached to get used to it, but only for a short time. Mine still don't really like headcollars and have been wearing them for years, so be prepared for a bit of protesting. I would suggest distracting with food or a favourite toy and do one dog at a time.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for that Pedlee  -