Three legged dogs find it easier to walk at a faster pace, and may have difficulty making quick or sharp turns.

They also have less balance, and are more prone to falling down.

Walking with a 3 Legged Dog

1. A Harness Can Provide Support

Using a harness can give our three legged dog more support, when we are out on a walk. I found this to be especially helpful, in the beginning.

We can also use the harness to quickly and safely turn, restrain, or move our dog. This is useful to stop a tripod dog from running ahead, and to get her safely away from dangerous objects, for example broken glass.

I was using the Ruffwear Web Master Harness on Shania, and it worked out well. It is strong, provides good back support, and has fleece material over the leg straps, so that they do not overly chafe her at the joints.

However, this harness may limit air flow during hot days, and cause the dog to heat up more easily.

Another weakness of using a harness is that it gives the dog a lot of pulling power. Shania has very strong prey-drive, so it was very difficult to control her pulling, whenever she spotted a squirrel, cat, or deer. For leash training exercises, I find that it is more effective to use a thick, no-slip collar.

Siberian Shania wearing her RuffWear harness before a walk at the park.

2. How to Stop Pulling

Siberian Shania is good at hand targeting.

Being a Siberian Husky, Shania does a fair amount of pulling during walks. To stop her from pulling, I have tried using the Gentle Leader head halti.

The halti works well in controlling the direction of her head, and redirecting her away from undesirable objects and situations. However, Shania really dislikes wearing it, and she will occasionally plop down on the ground in passive protest. It is difficult to get her up again, by just using the head collar.

The same applies when she decides to hang back, dig in, and not move forward. For dealing with these situations, I usually have Shania’s collar or harness on, in addition to the halti.

Also note that the head collar is not a long-term solution. It does not train our dog not to pull, but just prevents the pulling. Once we remove the halti, our dog will likely start to pull again.

To train Shania not to pull, I use a combination of hand-targeting and treating, when she is voluntarily walking by my side. If she starts to pull, I first give her a verbal warning to slow down. If she does not listen, then I stop her, make her do a Sit and Wait, re-target her on my hand, and then move on. When I am using a collar instead of a harness, I sometimes use my hand to hold back her chest. This gives her more support, during a forced stop.

Some trainers suggest doing a 180-turn-around, to stop pulling. This does not work as well with three legged dogs, because forcing them to turn quickly may cause them to fall, and place undue stress on their feet. When I need to turn or change direction, I make sure to do it slowly, and at a pace that Shania is comfortable with. It is also possible to use leash-jerks to discourage pulling, but I no longer use aversive techniques for a variety of reasons.

Nowadays, I almost always use a flat collar while walking Shania. She is better at walking now, and although she still pulls when she sees a squirrel or other prey, she will usually stop when I tell her to. I use the Premier Nylon Martingale Collar, which works very well for preventing collar escapes. It is also nice and thick, which helps to distribute the force around the neck, when a dog pulls.

Shania seems most comfortable with just a flat-collar.

Ready for a nap after a morning walk in the hills.

3. Short Walks and Rest

Three legged dogs tire more easily, so take them for short but more frequent walks. During longer walks, make sure to stop often (in a shady spot if possible), provide plenty of water, and keep our dog cool.

Three legged dogs will take some time to build up their walking stamina, so start with brief walks, and increase the distance slowly.

Stairs, uneven ground, and raised surfaces, may be difficult to navigate, so be patient, and provide help as necessary.

4. Protect Our 3 Legged Dog

Three legged dogs may feel vulnerable in the presence of new dogs.

Siberian Shania deals with new dogs mostly through appeasement.

Three legged dogs may feel more vulnerable in the presence of new dogs. When threatened, there are four possible dog responses – fight, flight, freeze, or appease. Conditions are often fluid, and a dog may decide to change from one strategy to another.

My Husky Shania deals with unknown dogs, mostly through appeasement. She will roll onto her side or back, and offer them her tummy. Sometimes, when there are highly active dogs nearby, she will choose to run away.

It is important to step in, and protect our three legged dog from unwanted attention.

Sometimes, I bring Shania to a dog playgroup. When there are overly hyper dogs about, I step in and body block them away from Shania. In this way, she does not have to deal with stressful situations alone. If necessary, I do the same when she meets new dogs during walks. By keeping things positive, she will hopefully gain more confidence, and feel more comfortable when interacting with her dog friends.

Be vigilant and keep bad social experiences from occurring, as that may cause our three legged dog to become fearful. This may ultimately lead to dog aggression, depression, or other dog behavioral problems.

In fact I would step in and protect any of my dogs from rude dogs and rude people, although I have to admit that I am more protective over Shania.

Protect our 3 legged dog from unwanted attention.

If we have multiple dogs, be aware of how the whole pack acts in the presence of unfamiliar visitors. The rest of the pack may feel the need to protect their more vulnerable sibling, and become aggressive to other dogs.

My Shiba Inu is very protective of Shania. I always supervise very closely when introducing them to new dogs. Usually, I keep Shiba on a lead, and let Shania interact with the new dog first. Once they are getting along fine, I let Shiba loose, and continue with close supervision. If Shiba displays any aggressive behavior, play stops, and he goes on a mini time-out. What the whole pack should understand, is that we are in charge of their safety, and we do the protecting when it is needed.

My other dog, a Shiba Inu, is very protective of Shania.

5. Socialize Our 3 Legged Dog

Socialize our 3 legged dog at a pace that she is comfortable with.

Note that three legged dogs may feel more vulnerable, and may be more fearful of new things.

It is important to socialize our dog to as many new experiences (garbage truck, umbrella, all types of people) as we can, so that she gains confidence, and is less likely to show fear aggression.

Let our three legged dog approach new experiences at her own pace, and make sure to reward and praise her well for taking small steps.

Let our three legged dog approach new experiences at her own pace.

I have never looked for others with tripods until today and find myself doing so because I believe we are coming to the end of a wonderful 11 year odyssey.

Alex lost her left foreleg for reasons unknown to us. She was reportedly a 3 yo American Rottweiler, with a fresh surgical wound when we adopted her from a shelter. She has touched many with her jaunty little walk. Often people would assume at first that she was limping, but woould then stop when they noted a missing limb. After hearing her story, many would then continue on with their day with a little more “can-doedness.”

Arthritis has taken the grace from her step and cataracts have clouded her vision, but her nubby tail always greets us with a rapid wag and makes us feel loved. The shelter staff still keep in touch with us and often remark at how lucky Alex was to find a home with us. However, it is clear that it is us that should be giving thanks for the blessings that she has brought to us.

For those of you just beginning with a “tripod wonder” and wondering how it will impact your family. Both of our daughters were yong when Alex came and both learned about tolerance and acceptance in the procee. One is finishing her doctorate in physical therapy and the other is in her first year of premed, as tribute to what they have learned.

Sorry for the windedness, but just wanted to share what we have gotten in exchange for our little bit of effort. We will certainly miss our Alex when her years are done. God Bless to all of you just taking up this uncertain and sometimes painful path…it is worth it!

Thank you for the story Nicole. Shania and I enjoyed it very much. We would love to see Alex, so please post us some pictures when you can. Below are some pictures of Shania giving licky licks 🙂

3 Legged Dog Story - Siberian Husky Shania giving me licks and kisses.

3 Legged Dogs are Awesome!