Do you have more than one dog?

I get it. It is hard to walk multiple dogs if one, or more are reactive.

Years ago when Stella was still around it was a nightmare!

Stella was reactive to dogs and Bruce to people, so it felt like we couldn’t go anywhere.
One day I had had enough and decided to implement more separate walks so I could have full focus on the dog I was walking.

I’m not going to lie, it was HARD in the beginning. I left Stella at home with a Kong and when I was leaving the house with Bruce I heard the howls and barks from Stella. And bear in mind, neither of them ever had separation issues. But still… It was hard. So the first time I just walked out the door and in again. And kept doing this every day for a few weeks. Slowly but surely they adapted and started eating their Kongs and stayed calm. I increased the time slowly and finally they couldn’t care less if I walked the other dog without them.

This changed EVERYTHING because now I could focus on the dog in front of me and make sure I set up the walk so he/she would succeed. An added bonus was that both dogs became more flexible. Stella hurt her back one time and had to stay home, resting for 3 weeks and me going for walks with Bruce, leaving her at home didn’t bother her because we had practised this very thing.

Here are my top three tips for a successful transition to separate walks:

HELP THEM STAY CALM
In the beginning, it will be hard, so help the dog staying at home by giving them something tasty
to eat, and maybe ask a family member to stay with them.

KEEP IT SHORT
Adjust the difficulty level to the dog staying at home. Maybe just going outside the door and in again is enough to start with. But as your dog gets calmer, increase the time outside slowly.

MIX IT UP!
When your dogs are getting used to this new routine, keep mixing it up and do at least as many separate walks as joint walks each week, so your dogs don’t slip back into their old routines.

I know it will be hard in the beginning, but separate walks are AMAZING for your dogs’ flexibility and yours and your dog’s stress levels, so I would really consider it if you have a multi-dog household and your dogs do not have separation anxiety.

If you’ve got any questions at all, just send me a DM and I’ll get back to you asap.