Walking dogs together vs separate

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a man walking near our house.  He had two beagles on one of those leashes that walk two dogs at once.  The leash was tied to his belt loop and those dogs were in perfect step with him, and he was motoring along.  Even though there were other dogs being walked in the area, those dogs just kept on trucking.  I wanted to stop the guy, grab him by the lapels, and beg him to train my dogs for me. 

It is difficult to walk my two dogs together, and they are only 15 pounds total.  The six year old adoptee is very dog aggressive and if another dog is in the are all you know what breaks loose.  It's not safe, as I'll have to focus on his insanity with the little one in the middle of it.  Unfortunately, my little one has started barking at passing dogs and acting nervou about them, something she never did before. 

So, I cannot walk my dogs together, but they are little and if they miss a walk one day it's not a catastrophe.  Sometimes I alternate, one of them one day, one the other.  All depends upon time and energy.  I know with larger dogs this would not be possible. 
 
I have on occasion called a girlfriend to see if she'd like to go walking with us, and so each of us have a dog to walk.  That works out well when I can snag someone, I get social time and a visit with a friend and the dogs get their walks.  I have one girlfriend who has  a standing date with us one day a week for a walk together, it's a very pleasant time. 

Dog walkers in this forum must have some good ideas.  My dog walker would take 5 or so at a time.  So long as they work out who's going to be where, then they seem fine.  I think Willow's owner is a dog caretaker... (can't remember if it's sitter only, or sitter and walker.)
 
I imagine you need to start with walking them together during times when it's very unlikely to see other dogs.  Encountering other dogs could be the big undoing, so you should get their "tandem" walk in place first, I'd guess.

I sometimes walk two dogs at once. If i have Kaiser (95 lbs) on a gentle leader, and Wyatt (55 lbs) on a prong, they are fine. I walk one in each hand. I also use the double loop leash, so i can walk kaiser right next to me for maximum control, because he jumps around when we pass another dog. I also have a coupler, but i don't really like it. They just put all their force into it and drag me around. If i were you, i would use the gentle leaders and walk them together.

I *have* walked my four at once. I have tried the three dog coupler, and that didn't work out so well. They do better to all have their own leash. The rule is they can walk out in front of me, but NO pulling. It takes a few mins to remember the rule sometimes. Typically June walks beside me, and the other three walk in front. If they all tried to walk beside me I fear I'd be tripping.

When I walk just two, I expect them to be by my side, or in near proximity - although wandering and some sniffing is ok. Again, no pulling. In this case they can be on the same side, or opposite sides - whatever. I just treat them like we're alone - ie if one needs a reminder about something, I give a reminder to that dog. It will take probably a few sessions.

I should add that walking four becomes more like a pack, and it can have its crazy moments. I typically don't do this for exercise alone, only when we are needing to go somewhere like that.

Thanks guys, I might just try taking them on quick 5 minute walks to get them used to it and maybe work on training and then gradually increase the distance we go...  they've been getting much better individually, but I know they like being together all the time so I hope this works out

I WISH I could walk my dogs together. I have 2 chihuahuas and they both walk at different paces. The male has a lot of energy and can go for blocks. The girl is content with around the block before she's pooped.    They are also at different stages of training. The female is a rescue and still overcoming a little fear of the outside world. The male has leash aggression with other dogs and we are working on that. I want to make sure each one gets individual training time - so, I need to do them separately.  Maybe one day!!
 

DH and I both work full time plus he has a longish commute and I average more than 40 hours a week, so to get Pofi and Mia exercised we split walking duties. Generally I walk both dogs together in the morning and he walks them both together in the evening.  We started out with two leashes, but that resulted in a lot of tangling and made picking up after them tough with both hands already occupied.  Then we tried a brace or coupler attached to a single leash. Better, but not optimal.  I ordered a sort of customized tandem system on line through a small CA company.  It has worked well for us and P and M walk pretty wonderfully together.  It has multiple slightly stretchy sections connected with hardware that allows them to rotate.  One section is calibrated to each dog's weight range (so Pofi's is thicker and stronger than Mia's) and the third section is calibrated to the combined weight.  The handles are awesomely cushy and the sections can be augmented with provided flat nylon sections to create two leashes, so on weekends we can each take a dog. 
 
It did take a little while for them to work it out, but not too long.  I did start out with shorter walks and increased and I just try to anticipate the other dog issues by making them sit and wait and treating.  But occasionally it is a dog Pofi really wants to challenge or is challenging him and then when he lurches, Mia gets jerked toward him and sometimes collides resulting in startled growls.  But we mostly do very well and have fun.
 
My rule is also that they can walk in front of me, but not pull. This system and other couplers won't work very well if you want them walking on either side of you, though.

ORIGINAL: Nikki_Burr

Thanks guys, I might just try taking them on quick 5 minute walks to get them used to it and maybe work on training and then gradually increase the distance we go...  they've been getting much better individually, but I know they like being together all the time so I hope this works out

I know that my dogs would be happy to walk together all the time but I try to remember that they need one on one time with me too.  That mostly just happens on walks.  So even when you do manage to get them walking nicely together, try to make time for them seperately.

I wish I could walk my three together.  Unfortuneately, I need to do three separate walks.  They are all so different.  The girl is little and slow and doesn't like to walk very far.  My two boys (who are about 50 pounds each) like to walk farther, but they go nuts when they are together, especially when we see other dogs.  So, they don't get walks everyday, but when they do, I sure am tired!  []

I have 2 dogs (150lbs total) and one is a charm to walk (he's training as a service dog), but the other one is a freak sometimes - doing the out of control behaviour. haha. I've consulted with a few trainers on this, and they basically say the same thing......in this order to try.....avoidance - distraction - correction.
If you can do your walks when the "problems" won't be there (other dogs, bicycles, ect) that's how to start the training. Make him focus on you during your walk.
If you do run into the problems, use treats as a distractioin. When you see it coming, stop, put him in a sit, away from the direction of the problem coming, and give him treats while you tell him "good boy for paying attention to you".
If after numerous time of trying the first 2 things, then you use correction. Whatever you and your trainer have decided is good correction, to get the point across that you are the boss, and he has to walk with you, in a normal way.
Good Luck - but dogs are like kids..................training is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I think it is a pack behavior to walk together...just that they have to determine status (with you as the pack leader). Perhaps someone else will have more insight to this!