How to Walk Two Dogs at the Same Time

For many dedicated dog people, one canine companion is never enough! Multiple-dog households are filled with the joy and activity of these four-legged family members and their unique personalities. However, walking two dogs at the same time can be a challenge. We’ve been there, and can help you with experienced advice (and a great product) that can make walk time quality time that you and your pups will enjoy together!

The first steps to a fun walk with your dogs

Leash-training each dog is essential. It is better to do this initial training on an individual basis, working one-on-one with the dog. Each dog should be trained to walk calmly and obey basic commands. Dogs are pack animals, and respect their leader – which should be you!

As professional dog trainer Mikkel Becker advises in her article for VetStreet, “Only dogs who are calm and relaxed should be walked together, as dogs can pick up behavior problems from other dogs. If you have one barking and lunging dog, you can soon have two dogs with this behavior after walking them together, as they pick up behavior from other dogs.”

All dogs sniff their environment as they explore, as a dog’s nose is as essential a sense organ as eyes are to humans. While we have only about six million scent receptors in our nose, dogs have up to 100 million or more – with bloodhounds having 300 million! Because dogs have an instinct to follow intriguing scents – as well as pursue small animals, such as squirrels – two dogs being walked together can pull away from you in opposite directions.

The best way to walk two dogs at the same time

Keeping with the above scenario, two dogs trying to run in opposite directions are very difficult to control when on separate leashes. The leashes can easily tangle, creating a hazard for the owner, and perhaps passers-by. Also, you will literally have your hands full, each holding a leash. If you need to use your phone, having to put both leashes in one hand while getting your phone from your purse or pocket – then making or taking the call or text – is awkward, and puts you at risk of losing control of your dogs. And forget about enjoying a cup of coffee during those early-morning walks!

We found that a coupler leash is an ideal solution to walking two dogs together. The many benefits of such a leash were a factor in our decision to design and manufacture a coupler leash as Pa Paw’s Dog Accessories’ inaugural product! We want every head of a multiple-dog household to enjoy the convenience and safety a coupler leash provides.

Advantages of using a coupler leash include the following:

• Gives each dog room to move without the leads becoming tangled.
• Encourages each dog to maintain a steady pace. Walking side-by-side, an older or laid-back dog can keep up with a younger or more energetic dog – who modifies its own pace according to the leash training both dogs have received (read on for leash training basics). This also ensures that an elder dog gets the necessary exercise to maintain optimum health.
• Makes it easier to control both dogs, as one can’t pull away to follow a scent or chase a small animal.
• The single lead allows you to keep one hand free.

To get the most out of walks with a coupler leash, introduce the coupler to your dogs slowly, going just a short distance during the initial walks. As your dogs become more comfortable to the feel of being connected, lengthen your walks gradually.

But first things first – here are some basics to successfully walking two dogs together:

• Teach basic commands, such as “sit” and “wait” (or “stop”), and work on these with the dogs together before first walking them as a pair. Your dogs should be in the habit of walking on one side of you or slightly out in front – not moving from side-to-side.
• During initial loose leash training, don’t reward your dog when it pulls on the leash by continuing. Each time your dog pulls on the leash, stop walking; when you feel slack on the leash, continue. The dog will soon learn that the walk only continues when he/she stays at your side.
• Teach your dog to heel – in this position the dog’s shoulder is aligned with your leg. Use a clicker or word to indicate when your dog is in the correct position, and reward with a treat. Again, this is during initial leash training, when you train each dog separately.
• Expect an adjustment period when you first walk both dogs together. You may need to reinforce previously taught behaviors.

With the right training and the right leash, you and your dogs will get healthy outdoor exercise and have a great time together!

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