[melundie]

I fractured my foot a couple weeks ago and have been taking the dogs out on bike rides separately for the last week. Before anyone gets into a tizzy--I'm going SLOW. I'm only riding the bike because doctor's orders say I can't do any long walks and we don't have a yard, so walking is where they get most of their exercise. Anyway, the dogs usually don't do any more than a trot and Ace's ride is about 1/2 as long as Colby's.

Over the last week, I found that I actually enjoy taking the dogs out separately because not only are they a bit easier to handle (at times they get eachother worked up when we go out together and it's much more intimidating for people to meet the dogs when there are two of them) but it gives me some one-on-one training and bonding time and allows them some time apart. I think I'll probably continue taking them out separately after my foot heals...at least until winter rolls around and I lose those precious extra hours of sunlight that we have now.

Does anyone else take their dogs out separately?

 

[dagwall]

For now my '2nd dog' has been whatever foster is staying with us and the vast majority of the time I've walked the dogs together simply as a time issue. If/When I have a permanent 2nd dog I'll likely still walk them together most of the time but definitely make it a point to have individual walks maybe once a week or so. They'd also get individual attention time with classes and trips to the pet store. Haha I don't think I'd ever want to tackle two dogs together at the pet store. Keeping an eye on one while finding what I want to buy is enough for me.

If this hypothetical 2nd dog needed work on loose leash walking they'd get more individual walks while we worked on that but ideally the majority of walks would be together.

 

[georgiapeach]

Potsie has to be walked separately b/c he has terrible fear issues when on a leash. He was severely abused when he was younger and literally freezes when we put him on a leash, especially in bright light. It takes about 10 minutes before he'll even start walking. Until then, he'll throw himself on the ground and refuse to move. It takes lots of encouragement, praise when he takes a coupld of steps, and picking him up and putting him back on his feet, etc. to get him going, poor guy. I thought he'd get better with time, but not yet, and it's been two years! Once I get him going, he's better, but he'll typically have several "melt downs" along the way. We've affectionately nicknamed him Schitzo Boy!

Maddie, on the other hand, will happily walk for as long as I'll let her - typical terrier, right?!

 

[Abbylynn]

I do it both ways. I walk separately most often though. I feel like it is a one-on-one quality time this way. Blu Boy and Leeo were fine with the coupler. I recently tried the coupler on Blu Boy and Eddee .... Lol! They need practice! Abbylynn is too large to use the coupler on with the little ones ... she is such a clutz ... she would probably smash one of them!

 

[momtolabs]

Until school starts I walk them separately. When school starts in the morning they will be walked together and in the evening separately. I like walking them separately and I don't really want to walk them together but have to, when school starts. The reason I don't like walking them together is because Tank is leash reactive and that sets Bentley off and it is a lot harder to control both of them. So it is easier and safer for them to be walker separately.

 

[LadyBugAnBuddy]

I walk them Both together.

~Erica~

 

[PackMomma]

For the most part my dogs are walked together, me and hubby and a stroll in the neighorhood with the dogs, or we go to the dog park - we all get some exercise together. However, there are the days when I run 5km after work, and I just bring Thumper since Cash does not have that kind of stamina anymore, but I will take Cash for a little stroll when I get back so that he doesn't feel left out lol. Sometimes we take them for short little bike rides, I will go slower with Cash so he can get in a little bit of a run and hubby will usually go a bit longer with Thumper, or he will harness Thumper and have him pull him on the rollerblades while I just stay back and walk Cash. So its kind of a mix up with us.

In the winter its usually very short walks around the block, unless its a mild winter day then we'll go a bit longer around the nieghborhood or again, dog parks so they can get a good outdoor run in occasionally, but only if the temps allow for it. In the winter I will usually put Thumper on the treadmill for a half hour a couple times a week, since i can't get in my running and what not outside, I have an elliptical as well so Thumper and I work out together in the winter. He LOVES the treadmill, he loves it just as much as he likes going for a run outside, Cash on the other hand, is terrified of the treadmill and is satisfied with short walks in the winter.

 

[sheltiemom]

I walk them seperately. Frosty has some weird issues with walking, he tenses up and tries to run back home at around the same point every time, so I either have to stay on my street with him, or leave the neighborhood, like go to a park or something. Shiner loves to walk and we go all around the neighborhood. If we go to the park, I walk them together there.

 

[lil_fuzzy]

I had to walk them separately after Obi hit puberty and became reactive. Walked them separately for about a year, then felt like Obi was well behaved enough that I could manage both, and then walked them together for a few months. But then they both started acting silly and reactive, because Obi would huff and puff at other dogs and that would egg Pixie on, and when she reacted as well Obi would get worse, and then Pixie got worse, and so on.

So now I walk them separately again, and I do prefer it. So much easier to manage only one leash and the dogs are much calmer and I can do some training on the walk without the other dog butting in. Some days I still walk them together though, so probably about half the time they're walked separately.

So this is one of the reasons I think I would like only one dog at a time in the future, it's just easier.

 

[CJ-Neo's Mom]

I have walked mine together...one of them is really good. The other one is male, 2yrs old and rather pushy and can be reactive. He (like lil_fuzzy says above) huffs and puffs and snorts at other dogs (or deer or other wildlife)...walking him is like walking a 2 yr old stud colt on a string. Lately, I've decided to walk them separately as a weight-loss ploy for myself. I have to walk twice as far to get the job done. We'll see how long this lasts, right?

 

[JLeighL]

I walk mine separately as of now bc i have a 22 week old female lab puppy who needs lots of training on how to properly walk on the leash and a male bullmastiff that she is constantly trying to nip at when we are on walks. He's trying to get away from her annoyance and she tries to get closer to him so its leash upon leash tangle lol. Hopefully one day i can walk them together but i like the bonding that i get from walking them separate. They also have separate rooms in the house so they are not always together. Only when i'm home and can monitor their behavior. I trust my BM, but so many nips in the face from a pup can sometimes aggravate a dog i assume. Dont want any accidents!

 

[Loki Love]

We walk the dogs together - both hubby and I each take a dog He's comfortable walking them both at once, but I'm certainly not! Livia is a little bit all over the place with her walking. She pulls, she doesn't walk forward all the time, plus she's reactive at times with other people and dogs who walk by us. We usually take turns on who walks who just so we are consistent with training. I would much rather walk them seperately were I to do it by myself - much better control that way and I'll be less tense

 

[melundie]

I'm glad to read I'm not alone in this! The extra exercise doesn't hurt, either! lol BTW, I'm jealous of a couple of you who said you and your hubby walk the dogs together! My FI and I work opposite schedules, so "family" walks don't happen very often.

 

[Skyylar]

My dogs go separately unless DH is going with us and brings the other along, the main reason I don't walk the two together is because Trouble is still very nervous on walks whenever a car moves around him and has almost slipped collar (we bought a martingale for him, waiting for it to come in) a couple of times and while angel has a solid stay it seems to stress her out when Trouble gets anxious and then she gets prancy and anxious which is not good. We are working on desensitizing him to moving vehicles by asking for calm behavior when one goes by and rewarding appropriate responses.

 

[Kayota]

I don't think anyone would get into a tizzy over biking with dogs, I regularly do 3+ miles with my Chihuahua mix!

 

[dagwall]

I don't think anyone would get into a tizzy over biking with dogs, I regularly do 3+ miles with my Chihuahua mix!

I think she said that simply because I believe at least one of her dogs is under a year old and too young for "forced running." Sort of a covering her butt before people responded about damaging her dogs still developing joints as she already knows this.

 

[Cheetah]

I prefer to take my dogs out separately most of the time, because it allows me to give them each one on one time and to work on their training.

 

[melundie]

I think she said that simply because I believe at least one of her dogs is under a year old and too young for "forced running." Sort of a covering her butt before people responded about damaging her dogs still developing joints as she already knows this.

Exactly! Colby is 20 months and Ace is 9 months. Thanks dag.

 

[Crantastic]

I occasionally walk Casper by himself, but I can't take Crystal and leave him, or he will bark and talk and cry. He isn't super attached to either of us, or anything; he simply knows we're going on a walk and he desperately wants to go. I can take him alone, take both, or leave both, but I can't leave him alone.

My dogs walk great together, though (usually one on each side, by my heels), so I don't mind.

 

[Damon'sMom]

I walk Damon, and Sophie together. Max and Lassie are both still in extensive training and have too many issues. They are walked separately and only around our woods and yard for now.