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Dog walkers walking multiple dogs


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Just wondering how safe you think it is for dog walkers to be walking multiple dogs. I find the situations in these photos quite scary. A dog walker who weighs around 80 kgs walking dogs with a total weight of over 200 kgs. When I have told people I think it is unsafe I have been told that it shows that the dog walkers are really good with dogs. It makes me think of photos I have seen of Cesar Millan with multiple dogs although mostly they were unleashed. Just wondering what others think. Is it dangerous?

 

 

 

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13 minutes ago, sarsplodicus said:

Just wondering how safe you think it is for dog walkers to be walking multiple dogs. I find the situations in these photos quite scary. A dog walker who weighs around 80 kgs walking dogs with a total weight of over 200 kgs. When I have told people I think it is unsafe I have been told that it shows that the dog walkers are really good with dogs. It makes me think of photos I have seen of Cesar Millan with multiple dogs although mostly they were unleashed. Just wondering what others think. Is it dangerous?

 

 

 

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I would be concerned IF it were on a busy street or busy walk path, or IF any of the dogs was reactive.  I've walked 8 Labbies on a sand track with no probs.  Sled dog teams are often a dozen or more.  Bottom line: it depends on a lot of things.

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Dog walkers in places like New York have been doing this for years, so I would want to see the evidence on number of incidents before I would judge for those environments.

Here, by which I mean around where I live,  it would be dangerous because of too many ill mannered and aggressive loose dogs who would start trouble.

Edited by Diva
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That is a very interesting point Gillybob. I hadn't thought about it. When I walk my two dogs I let them stop frequently just to sniff at posts etc and to do a wee or whatever which I clean up.  Sometimes they go round and round in circles just to find the right spot for it. Those dogs in the photos would just have to keep on walking. They wouldn't be allowed to stop and sniff which makes me wonder about why we walk our dogs. Is it to let them explore and sniff and enjoy themselves or is it just for the exercise?

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Most councils in Australia have Limits on how many you can walk at a time overseas different .

Would I walk that many never especially with belt holders ,it’s the norm overseas and granted they are often better lead trained and have better social skills than most dogs in Australia but I do feel there is a safe limit .

 

As for walking mine don’t go on walks to sniff at posts and pee ,they go on walks to exercise .

 

Happy well adjusted dogs that don’t drag me to piss up everything or do what they want ,see far to many of those owners who think peeing up everything is right 

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Depends how the dogs are. My experience with dogs in NYC is they are bought up in that environment so are used to things like walking in groups, dog daycare etc and toilet on command due to living in apartments etc.  I have never seen a reactive dog there (not saying they don't exist). 

 

Leaving aside the rules here - I don't think dogs here would be as manageable in a large group. 

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The facts that all the dogs pictured are on long leashes, only one (the border collie) seems to be managed by individual grip on its lead, everyone looks relaxed, and none of the dogs are tangled up suggest that these dogs and dog walkers have been doing this for a long time and have it down to a good routine.  You couldn't have an orderly scene if you assembled 8 or 10 dogs at random and just started walking them.  

I don't think I'd want to cross paths with such a mob when walking my three.  But I expect the walkers have a system worked out to avoid chaotic encounters. 

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20 hours ago, sarsplodicus said:

That is a very interesting point Gillybob. I hadn't thought about it. When I walk my two dogs I let them stop frequently just to sniff at posts etc and to do a wee or whatever which I clean up.  Sometimes they go round and round in circles just to find the right spot for it. Those dogs in the photos would just have to keep on walking. They wouldn't be allowed to stop and sniff which makes me wonder about why we walk our dogs. Is it to let them explore and sniff and enjoy themselves or is it just for the exercise?

That was my first thought....the dogs can't be getting much enjoyment out of it.  When I walk my dogs it is a walk for the dogs...a chance to "check the local paper" .  

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On 12/29/2017 at 6:42 AM, sheena said:

That was my first thought....the dogs can't be getting much enjoyment out of it.  When I walk my dogs it is a walk for the dogs...a chance to "check the local paper" .  

But keep in mind many of these dogs are generally apartment dogs ,they would live a more social life than many dogs in Australia & dog walkers are employed to do that take them for a walk ,The climate is different so going for a walk is just that ,most owners take them to the offleash parks once home,do doggy daycare & take them out to the cafes etc etc ,They get to enjoy more daily life skills than dogs here .
Even in the UK in March the dog walkers are going for a brisk walk,its cold,wet & maybe sleeting  but again owners can take there dogs for other thrills to more places than us

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In NSW it is illegal to be in public with more than 4 dogs under your control - the law came about to stop dog walkers from causing danger to others around them.  

 

Having volunteered at a shelter where i was the only dog walker, i sometimes took 2 larger dogs walking and believe me, it was very hard to hold on to some of them at times, it worries me when i see certain people out and about like a local with 4 large staffy crosses, I prefer to hide when i see this person coming for the safety of myself and my dogs - if they decided to act up there is no way this guy would be able to hang on to them.  

 

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2 hours ago, Dogsfevr said:

But keep in mind many of these dogs are generally apartment dogs ,they would live a more social life than many dogs in Australia & dog walkers are employed to do that take them for a walk ,The climate is different so going for a walk is just that ,most owners take them to the offleash parks once home,do doggy daycare & take them out to the cafes etc etc ,They get to enjoy more daily life skills than dogs here .
Even in the UK in March the dog walkers are going for a brisk walk,its cold,wet & maybe sleeting  but again owners can take there dogs for other thrills to more places than us

One of the photos in the OP is local not overseas. I do think it is dangerous, and as others have said if I see someone coming with more than two dogs I am going the other way as fast as I can.

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When I used to walk my bigger dogs, who were also trialling, I used to break the walk up into sections. If I said 'working' that meant no sniffing or anything else but walking beside me on a loose lead, but then I would say 'long lead' and that meant they could then sniff and relieve themselves if they wanted. It worked well. With my current dogs I let them stop when they want to, but when they are sniffing for too long I say 'walk on' and I then walk on smartly and they follow.

 

One of the reasons why we walk our dogs is so that they don't get bored and being allowed to sniff out all the neighbourhood dogs' calling cards keeps their little minds busy. That is why I walk my dogs. I want to relieve the boredom of being inside all day. I don't use offleash parks because I don't like them.

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