[Dailydrool] Walking multiple dogs

[Pamela McQuade]

Becky, I feel for you, having one dog who constantly wants to hump. It's probably one of those pack-order things. The newbie wants to be top dog, and Morse doesn't seem to much care. Maybe he knows the interloper isn't staying? You kind of have to let them work it out. Eventually Morse will probably get tired of it and tell the newbie off.

When I walk our two hounds, I usually end up being the center between two dogs who want to go in opposite directions. When we had three, I would describe our walks as their pulling me towards different points of the compass. No one wanted to head in the same direction--and I think it would be the same no matter how many dogs I added to a pack. Eventually you have to choose a direction and make the others go that way. My neighbors and people who are driving by always seem to get a good chuckle out of us, as one hound heads east and the other west. But since I figure my neighbors figure I'm a crazy dog lady anyway, it doesn't much matter.

I never tried a coupler--it seemed to me it would only add to the confusion. But now that I know they seem to work, I may give one a try someday. With two very elderly hounds, we really don't do much walking now, so it's all theoretical, really.
Pam, food slave to the Dashing Bassets