Teaching Multiple Dogs to Heel

Alright, well, they both heel well by themselves with the prong collar on, though I'm working on downgrading that to a fabric choke collar, then a normal collar so I can heel with them with or without special equipment. I just got a dog coupler thing so I can walk them both on one leash and hopefully heel with them at the same time so I don't have to take two seperate walks with each dog every day. My problem is, as soon as they are both on the leash, they get really excited and won't listen to me tell them to heel. Usually, I can get one of them to heel, but not the other one, and it varies as to which one heels, usually it's the one with the prong collar on (I only have one prong collar and one choke collar). Do any of y'all with multiple dogs have any tips on getting them to heel at the same time? We have been practicing all of this in the back yard (although they do heel seperately with prong collars on walks), so there aren't that many distractions since they live out there. It would be like an indoor dog learning in the house. Anyway, do any of y'all have any tips? Thanks!
*Sarah, Ranger & Snickers*

 

I can sympathize with your problem completely. Separately Duke and Freckles do fine but together... I should just hitch them up to my car so they can pull me down the street comfortably.
Have you tried the gentle leader collar on them? This really does help to keep them under control.
The boys seem to heel better for me than Dukesmom. When we take them out I'll have Duke walking at a heel and Freckles is pulling her down the street. After a while we switch and then Duke pulls her down the street while Freckles heels for me. According to the dog whisperer it has something to do with recognizing you as the authority figure and paying attention to you on a walk. He never has to tell a dog to heel. It's pretty amazing to watch him work with a new dog. The dog will pull the owner down the walk but as soon as Cesar takes over the dog automatically starts to heel. He says it's because the dog senses he is in charge.
Since neither of us has that knack, I'd go with the gentle leader and plenty of treats for good behavior.

 

Ive done this with my own dogs and when Ive had multiple dogs (same owner,) come in for training, I always start them seperately with the training and about the end of the second week start working them together, this is after they both are doing well 'every time' with the heel, sit and stay. However I dont use a coupler, I tried them years ago but I could never really get the full control with both dogs on it, if one needs a quick correction the other dog gets a correction as well, I think its confusing for the dogs (just my opinion). So I use seperate leashes for each dog, it takes a bit of practice but it works once you get yourself cordinated.

If you stick to the same 'formation' it should be easy enough (after the practice). I usually find that one dog has to be the one on the outside and let them figure that out themselves.

I use 6 foot leashes, hold both in my right hand at the loop, dogs are on the left and have the leash on the closest dog also in my left hand. The leash on the furthest dog should drape in front of the closest dog which should keep the closest dog back a little but not 'that' close in case you need to give a correction to the furthest dog. If you find you need to give a lot of corrections to the furthest dog you can bring the leash over the back of the closests dog.

Its generally the more dominant dog that will want to be on the outside but sometimes it doenst seem to make a diffeence to them so you need to get them into a routine and decide who goes where and keep them in that order.

 

Another idea is to teach one to heel on the left and one on the right, so when you walk them together you are in between!

 

Well, I tried again today and they were better. i did a little heel review individually before i put them together though. i think that part of the problem is that they usually heel with 1 in their kennel, the other working with me, and both of them being on leash at teh same time means we're going on a walk where they get to drag me down the street, lol. so, we walked around the backyard for about 10 min in different directions and they were much better. they still can't figure out who is going to go on the outside and who on the inside, so they switch periodically.

and jamiya, i tried the one on the right and one on the left thing, but they have both been taught to heel before, so this is a kind've review because they were really out of practice, so they both naturally want to heel on the left. ranger because he always walks on the left even when they aren't heeling, and snickers because she was taught to heel there.