Leash Trick #1604

Have you ever found yourself with more dogs than you have leashes?

This can happen if you drop or lose a leash; or when you want to help a friend grab their runaway dog; or when you need to leave the park but left your stuff over on the picnic table ...

It happened to me the other day, and I thought I'd share the technique I often use.

One leash, two happy dogs

Clip the leash onto the calmer, better-trained pooch's collar (in this pic it's Monkey the Greyhound). Thread the handle-end of the leash through the other pup's collar (here it's Harry the Gorgeous Mutt).

Last two fingers tuck through the handle loop, and wiggling them gives little taps to the nearby-dog. Thumb and first finger grab the middle of the leash, and wiggling them communicates with the far dog.

You can adjust how close you keep the near dog, and how much slack you give the far dog, by grabbing with your thumb and first finger up or down at different spots along the leash. In this pic, I've given Monkey just slightly more freedom than Harry.

In general - with multiple leashes or not - I try to keep the better role-models for calm, obedient walking on the outside, and the pups that need a little more reining-in in-between me and the role-models. With less leeway and wedged in by multiple pack leaders, the overexcited pooch will tend to walk better and follow more calmly.

Next up:  how to pick up two poops with one bag!

(Ok, maybe not. :)