Walking Three Dogs on Leash: A Tale of Tangles

Hi, I’m Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my two crossbreed dogs, Lava and Hela.

Going for a walk in the rural countryside where I live with my three dogs is generally a pleasant experience. They know the terrain well, where to expect and see wildlife, and for the best part, there are no other people or other dogs around. This keeps their excitement at bay, and they all do their own thing, with only Hela being on the long lead, and the other two dogs, Lava and Lajka, running loose. Things are so much different when we go for a walk or a hike elsewhere, and it can quickly become a bit of a stressful experience.

Walking on the Lead

When I visit the city, or go anywhere really for more than a few hours, I take all three dogs with me. The newest addition, Lajka, although she tends to stay very close to me, has a very strong nose and is easily drawn to all the various scents. Her head is always close to the ground. This means I do not dare keep her off lead in an unknown area or places close to busy roads, as I just don’t want to risk it. The same thing applies to Hela. Being a hunting dog in nature, a mix of a Hungarian Viszla, her nose is just too strong and overcomes any of my recall attempts. This is not a big issue when we’re back home, where they all know the terrain and will come on their own accord.

Tangled Up

So, if someone were watching me from afar, they would find me walking my three dogs the most hilarious sight. It’s pure chaos, which is why I try to pick the most remote walks to avoid embarrassment. There I am, being pulled in two different directions, sometimes three if Lava is also on a lead, as each dog has their own idea of where they want to go. I am constantly trying to untangle their leads. At some point, I give up and we walk all tangled up for a few minutes, before I try again. On more than one occasion, I have let Lava walk without the lead, as having the three of them on a lead is just too much. I have no need for pulling weights after such walks. And besides the obvious disarray, there is often me calling one or all of them back, telling them no, to stop picking things up from the ground, stop drinking from the puddles, stop peeing on each other, as Lava has a terrible habit of not being able to wait for Hela to move after she pees, and she needs to mark the same spot, which often includes poor Hela’s tail, and so on.

Various Lead Arrangements

I tried various leads, attaching Lajka to Lava or Hela, or having a multidog lead, but I find them all awkward. Lava knows not to pull much on a lead, but Hela is a different story. She is quite strong, and it makes my arms ache if another dog is attached to the same lead as hers. All in all, our walks are anything but boring. Sometimes, it takes a good few minutes to sort out all the tangles, and God forbid if we come across another person with a dog. Tangles is too soft of a word to explain the outcome of three dog leads being intertwined in ways you didn’t think were even possible. And sometimes, I find the dogs do this on purpose. Just as I  manage to sort them all out, and it seems they have chosen the sides they want to walk on, there they are swapping sides, walking underneath one another, or even jumping over the smallest of the three, Lajka, as if there is no tomorrow.

Never a Boring Experience

All in all, my dog walks are never dull. My friends seem to always want to avoid walking the dogs with me, and I think I have a pretty good idea why. You can’t blame them. But really, I still do enjoy our walks, and find them hilarious, after the initial frustration of untangling the leads and the dogs, thinking, thankfully, no one has seen this besides me. And most importantly, the dogs don’t care. They always have a good time.