Does anyone have any suggestions as to why my two dogs turn into hooligans when I have them on the lead together?

Individually, they walk beautifully on a loose lead but if I try to walk them on lead together, it turns into a pulling competition between the two of them. They are big dogs and far stronger than I am and I'm worried about getting hurt as the ground gets icy over the coming months. Why do they do this and is there anything I can do to fix it?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

min are the same, but im ok theyre only little, its a fight to see who can get in front, its a power thing to see who stronger better and the leader. Your best walking them speratly if there too strong for you.

mine do the same-i just assume its a power struggle about who's gonna 'lead the pack', yet when walking individually, they're lovely. I'm investing in some dogmatics to help alleviate the situation and try and train them to walk nice together.

nicola

I kind of assumed that it was some sort of 'pack leader' issue until I noticed that they only really do it on the way to the park and not on the way home. Maybe when they're tired, they don't care who leads :D :D

I'm afraid the only answer here is more TRAINING :D   It takes a little longer and more effort, to train two dogs to walk together than to train one dog to walk on a loose leash ;)  It's usually easier and quicker if you start when the new pup comes, separate walks and together walks every day with the same rules, loose lead or we go home ;) (or in my case go back/change directions ;) )  Works like a charm :) :)

Thanks Dill, I'll try the change direction thing to see if that'll help. I know they need constant work and we have been walking them together regularly since we got the pup but I think the fact that she's a rapidly growing Newfie doesn't help as one of the things they're bred for is pulling I shall persevere...it's doing wonders for my arm muscles if nothing else :D

Mine were the same. I find it easier to walk 1 on either side so i'm in the middle. I started with them on their very short leads (about 1 ft long) and didnt give them a choice if either of them pulled we changed direction quickly and abrubtly and i also dont use commands when doing this so they dont know which way i'm going to turn The aim is for them to watch you. One of the reasons they pull on the way there is that they are excited, They wont pull as much on your way back as their tired and no longer excited as they are happy and content. This is the time to praise them for walking nicely together without pulling as they cannot be bothered but they will associate praise for being relaxed and not pulling and hopefully if you are consistant with their training they will quickly learn what you want them to do. This has worked for me and i use their longer leads for road walking so they have more freedom to sniff etc... but if they start to play up 1 session with the short leads usually does the trick :)

you're right dill-it is about training, and god knows i'm trying! I've done the changing direction /  stopping / walking backwards etc. What i find is that its one or the other pulling, not both at the same time (unless there's a dog ahead, and which case i turn round and walk in the other direction, then walk back the way we were going, and keep doing this until they relax). If say Bu pulls, Teka'll be walking loosely, so i change direction, and she's giving me this 'eh??' look as if to say 'but i wasn't pulling!'. I must say though, when walking them seperately, as soon as the lead tightens, they spin round to look at me, but stick em together and its out the window!

like i said, i've ordered some dogmatics, not to 'solve' the problem by any means, but as an aid really to make the whole training process that bit easier on everyone. We'll have to wait and see!

I have it too when I try and walk my 2 together and one of my arms I am sure will end up longer than the other as on one side I have a little JR and on the other side a huge GSD x Rottie.

Bev

Munkeemojo,

I know what you mean about either one or the other pulling ;)  As far as I'm concerned anybody pulls and we spin round and go the other way ;)  they're both used to this now and it keeps them both sharp ;)  Thing is I'm no bigger than a bar of soap so even with two Bedlingtons I can't afford to have them pulling :)  The oldest one was a terrible puller until I remembered about this method, my shoulders and arm used to ache badly and it was affecting my spine :( so I had to do something fast ;) 
I agree, it doesn't help that you have a very fast growing pup who is going to be enormous (to me anyway :) )

i'll have to get tough and consistent, Dill! I'm like a whole warehouse of soap :D, so i should have no excuse, but the little 'un is sooooo strong! He was as good as gold today mind....must have still been knackered from his beach walk this morning-either that or he was defrosting!