[gemy]

Separate leads always. But we have two large dogs. We walk either the Yorkie alone - or if we go out with a Yorkie and a Blackie it is one dog per human. We also know that if trouble looks to be brewing we create space between us. Like a large dog coming in uncontrolled. I usually have my big boy on lead as he is obedience trained by me. My hubby walks the Yorkie.


We do the same drill if we each are walking the big ones. Trouble coming create distance - helps with control because your pack will act as a pack which can escalate things very very quickly.


We will switch this up at indoor shows where space is always limited as one can not create space there - so as hubby is the stronger I will take the younger weaker Blackie - distance again and hubby takes my big one. It is a trade off - Magic is highly geared to protect me - not so much hubby - hubby is both stronger and if another big dog goes for him Magic might not be so much in protection mode and hubby can lift n turn Magic away if necessary.


We once had a situation at the hotel we were staying for our Nationals - now here there was mainly lots of space - but as my joints were sore we were going down the handicap ramp - and low n behold we turned a corner and there was two Blackies coming up the ramp! I had the big boy hubby the young gal. Well hubby went by - I scampered up the ramp with Magic and started to go down the stairs which TG had a central bar. The couple that had been coming up the handicap had also turned to go up the stairs. Well as I had figured when I saw them they had no control - their male leapt up those stairs in attack mode to Magic - I quickly wrapped Magics lead around that bar and held on for dear life hoping the couple would get their dog under control. Luckily inches away from each other they did. They apologized to me - but it would have been a nasty fight if that young male had tried to take on Magic. My fallback plan was to quickly unhinge Magic - and try to break up the fight from a rear lift.


The point is things happen quickly and if you do a bit of pre thinking when bad stuff happens you can re act quickly and hopefully successfully.