Advice about a second rescue
So...here are my questions. General advice welcome too. One concern is walking two dogs - how hard/easy is it? Ralph is great on a gentle leader, but we wonder about walking two at once, one person walking two dogs consecutively, or both of us walking all the time. Right now we have "off nights" so one of us gets a dog free evening. Play - do you think they'd play a lot in the house, or would most of it be out in the yard? We're good about getting Ralph to the park almost everyday, but he really only uses his fenced area here for bad weather days. (It also isn't complete yet. We're waiting on the limestone retaining wall to get finished - Beautiful and another post.) We really want the right dog for us and Ralph and the cats. Nancy has been a great help, but I have to get information to no end - the librarian in me I guess. Thanks, Ann |
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My daughter and I took the dogs out today for a walk. Nigel is so bad for her that I took both leads. They walked together beautifully...both on gentle leaders. I just ordered a coupler from a website for dog trainers. You hook both dogs together that way then hook the leash to the middle. I think seeing them walking together like that let me know it could be done. It will be easier with only one leash though. Good luck on your rescue search.  |
| I have had 2 dogs or more for almost all of the past 9 years. Currently, I have 3 OES and walk them all at the same time. Sophie and Sherman just turned 2; Archie will soon be 9. So, that's about 250--well to be honest, probably more like 270 pounds of dog. And since sidewalks are icy here during the winter, it is mandatory that the dogs walk well together.
Yes, they play inside but just as my children learned to do, they play differently inside than they do outside. Walking all 3 together is an art and an exercise in coordination on the part of dog and human, and some days, an exercise in patience. It was an adjustment when we added Archie but he and Merlin learned to walk together and I found that Merlin taught Archie a lot of things. After we lost Merlin, we got Sophie and Sherman and learned that 3 dogs is a lot different than 2 are, but quite possible. You are correct that your dogs will have to learn to walk well on a leash, and then well together. If you are ready for a second dog, it is worth the effort. The dogs truly do keep each other company when the humans are out or otherwise occupied. They also allow each other to be real dogs and not just short, furry humans. |
| We have two OES and walk both at the same time. The first few minutes can be a little hairy as they sort themselves out. After the five minutes or so we can just do the walking part. If you have a second person it is of course easier and the second person if they want can go back after a short sorting out period.
As for playing...they wear each other out. We have a large fenced yard and when they are out..well they don't sit around. They do play a lot in the house and within the next few weeks we are going to start letting Gar out of the crate when we are gone for short periods. The reason for the crate is because they are both male and have had a few fights as they figure out who is alpha and Gar was not completely house trained when we got him. Our rescue is Gar and he is a great dog and will be a lot better when he gets a clue. He is just a big dumb lovably dog. |
| Thanks for considering another rescue!!!!
You are lucky to have Nancy handy for advice...she is wonderful! Walking two sheepies can be easy if they are trained to take a nice walk! I have four I walk together! A dog free night??? That will probably not happen with two as they always want to be with ya!
Good luck and I am sure you will be thrilled to have another sheepie Kathy |
| As you can see by my Avatar, I walk three dogs everyday. There are times when one will see something that interest her and I have to keep her back and keep "the pack" moving, but most of the walks are really nice. We walk about two miles a day. All three of the girls really enjoy these walks and I never have problems with either of them attacking the other on the walk.
You will find, as mentioned, that having another dog for the first dog to play with gives the other company when no one else is home. My dogs play together inside and out, but do know the difference in type of play allowed where. Good luck in your search.  |
| I would never consider having more than one dog without having a fenced area for them to run and play in...either my own fenced yard or a dog park that is very close by.
I don't let the dogs play and rough-house inside, so they have their energy bursts and playtime outside....And with 2 young dogs they will want to play quite often, trust me! |
| I, too am a retired librarian and will be getting an OES puppy the end of May as well as a granddaughter around May 9th. I have a tibetan terrier who will be 8 and has been our one and only the past 4 years when my 14 year old OES passed. I have done much reading and discovered I have let Rosie definitely become our "pack leader". She is a submissive dog but pretty much gets her way. I want to change some of her behavior before she teaches the new puppy bad habits. The first is to get her out of our bed...the first five years she slept on her bed on the floor and when we moved to Waynesville we had 4 months living apart while selling and finding a new house...I let her in the bed to sleep with me. She is in an electric fence now as in the mountains it's the only way...she chases every car that comes by and barks. We had one instance when she was laying by my visiting daughter in bed and actually tried to bite me when I tried to move her (first time in 7 years). I have found the best information from watching The Dog Whisperer and started doing things he recommends, I just ordered the dog collar/leash from him to work on teaching Rosie I am the pack leader and not to bark and chase cars. She also has high anxiety around other animals and has from the beginning as we got her from her breeder at 6 months and had been in a pack of 12 tibetans...I would love to be able to walk her around other dogs. She was great with Daisy, my former OES at home. Has anyone used this collar/leash and practiced what the dog whisper advocates with their dogs? I would love to have Rosie change some of these habits BEFORE the puppy comes to our home. |
| Thanks much for the advice so far. Here's some clarified information.
We have a fenced area, about 20x15 now and it will be 20x45(ish) when it is finished. We'd have the dogs play out there when the gate becomes closer to the house. Now we have to walk to the back of the lot, open the mower gate next to the lilac bush, etc. I'm glad to know they can be taught to not play as rough in the house. Ralph and the cats will go on "tears" now - either running up and down the stairs or running a circle in the family room/hall. That we can live with inside. Our "dog free" night is the night when one of us doesn't have to walk Ralph either for his long evening walk or his pre-bed pee walk. It is nice to know, esp. in winter, that you don't have to bundle up every night. What sort of collars/leashes do you use when walking more than one? |
| Ours all learn the difference about inside and outside play styles too. Granted, I have several young ones, so they do need to get rowdy and play - especially if they haven't been getting enough exercise. If it starts getting too rowdy, they go outside for a while. (In the fenced dog yard).
I prefer to walk more than one on a coupler. I am not that handy with more than one leash in my hand! Here is a picture - 
(Please excuse the pulling - Chewie was an excited puppy being in a parade! it does show the coupler well though  )
I really like this one. The green part is rubbery and stretches, so it acts as a shock absorber between dogs. And, it is long enough to accommoate 2 different sized dogs! It is nice on walk too, because they each can move a bit, without dragging the other dog around. I have 2 other coupler, but this is the only one I use now! I just use their regular buckle or martingale collars. Contrary to the pulling puppy in the picture, all of mine except 1 (husbands coonhound) have good leash manners and don't drag me. I do know others who use a gentle leader or prong collar though. |
ralphsmoms wrote: Thanks much for the advice so far. Here's some clarified information.
We have a fenced area, about 20x15 now and it will be 20x45(ish) when it is finished. We'd have the dogs play out there when the gate becomes closer to the house. Now we have to walk to the back of the lot, open the mower gate next to the lilac bush, etc. I'm glad to know they can be taught to not play as rough in the house. Ralph and the cats will go on "tears" now - either running up and down the stairs or running a circle in the family room/hall. That we can live with inside. Our "dog free" night is the night when one of us doesn't have to walk Ralph either for his long evening walk or his pre-bed pee walk. It is nice to know, esp. in winter, that you don't have to bundle up every night. What sort of collars/leashes do you use when walking more than one? When I walk all three dogs, they each have their own collar and leash. I usually have one hand holding Violet/China and the other holding Asia (she is a puppy only 8mts and new to our pack.) As we walk I do change hands and leash arrangements. I have walked with the type of leash where two are attached, which I did like. I just haven't gotten around to buying one for us. I had used the lead with the two attached walking two of my friends dogs and then one dog on her own lead. It really works out fine. One of the key things that I have found walking the dogs weither it is one or more is to keep the pack moving. Don't let them constantly stop and sniff. I allow one "sniff" time per walk and that is half way through the walk. I tell them that this walk is "their job" and to keep moving, and they do. Asia, the pup, is doing very well during the walks...she copies China. lol Anyway, good luck! |
| We have three dogs, two OES and one Border Collie. I will walk the two girls (Lizzie OES and Keira, BC) together. They each have their own (pink) leash, Keira stays to the left, Lizzie on the right. I feel like a puppet master! After the first time, they figured it out and walk really nicely together. Pirate is a jackass on the leash! Tony has to walk him. I really should look into a gentle leader for him. |
| I walk two together - sometimes (I also give them each special time alone).
I have used a coupler - not too good if one wants to poop and the other wants to go the other way - better for plain exercise walks. Right now I use martingale collars and 5 or 6 foot leads - usually the wrong lead on each dog (one is taller hence the shorter leash) I did use gentle leaders when we were learning. my guys are about 2.5 (6 weeks apart) and they don't rough house in the house. They know they can rough house outside and will ask to go out to do so - or they can wrestle in the basement. I don't remember ever making an issue of it - once the back yard was fenced they seemed to shift their energy out there. ALso though mine get alone time - during the day they are seperated when we are out and they go to different classes and events. |
| I walk my dogs together when Pete can't come on the walk and from day one Rosie who is now 41/2 months old was vey good and walked well on leash with choke chain - I've only had to correct her about 3 times in total - although it can get a bit tangly when they keep swapping sides - if the big dog walks OK the puppy will follow the leader I found.
My dogs play all the time inside and out although I have them restricted to entry foyer and laundry when we go out as without supervision I know they will lounge around on our leather sofas and rearrange the cushions to suit! George gets sick of the puppy sometimes and takes himself off to the sunroom to escape - she's not allowed down the hallway without us as she has a tendancy to leave surprise packages outside the toilet door! (we go there so she thinks she can!) You will love having two dogs - they are so much fun but consider this - 4 mops for feet is already bad but when you have 8 the cleaning up muddy pawprints is non stop!!! |
| My two full grown but young males (3 and 1 1/2) walk together every day. Both are rescues-- the youngest one has been with us only a few months. On a regular collar I couldn't manage these two at this point, but with both on gentle leaders, they do fine. I notice that if I put one on either side of me they will stay at my side, but what they really want to do is to walk side by side. When I let them do that, sometimes they act like they are walking each other will get ahead of me.
We're still working on being good citizens when we pass another dog but at least I can control them when they are on the gentle leaders. I'm beginning to think that from their point of view, I'm the slowest and least fun member of the pack. |
ralphsmoms wrote: One concern is walking two dogs - how hard/easy is it?
I did not like walking 2 dogs, especially in early morning in the rain or sleet - I had a foster for 3 months and would have given anything for a fenced area. I took them to the dog park often and they ran like the wind. I love walking Patch, it is so relaxing and she loves it. And we still love the dog park. But, I did not enjoy walking 2. |
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