Walking a three legged dog on a leash, can sometimes be a challenge.
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.
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.
2. How to Stop Pulling
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.
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 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.
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.
5. Socialize Our 3 Legged Dog
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.
Hey Shania and her mum!
What a beautful looking dog you have.. she is amazing! :o)
I just wanted to ask you a quick questions about the RuffWear Harness.
My beautiful Rotty Spike recently lost his front right leg to cancer and I am not having alot of luck finding a harness to stay on. Not that he cares… he just loves his walks. hehe.
I had a quick google of them, but thought I would check if you would recommend one?
Regards,
Tijana
Hello Tijana,
The RuffWear harness stayed on well for Shania (Siberian Husky – medium sized, between 40-45 pounds). I mostly used it at the beginning, soon after her amputation.
The one issue that we had was that Shania has really thick fur, so having all that material on her body got uncomfortable for her, especially during hot weather. However, all that material is necessary to keep the harness in place.
Once Shania no longer needed the extra support, I switched to a thick no-slip collar, which works well for our walks.
Glad to hear that Spike is doing well and enjoying his walks. Big hugs! š
if you have any luck, post your findings ok?
My son has a tripod husky she was born with the cord around her leg so she has what we call a chicken wing, our problem is her back legs and hips are not good she is in so much pain and she yelps when she walks and her back leg looks twisted, the problem that they are having is they don’t have the money to help her with her hip replacement or what ever may be needed, she has had a hard time walking since birth but needs more care, where can a person get some help financially for a dog, they may have to put her down as she is in so much pain, please help if you can, the person who had the dog should never have offered it to anyone and taken care of it themselves so now were faced with this problem , there is also two little girls who love this dog and want to see her well. please what can they do?
With Shania, I first took her to a vet and then a specialist to see the extent of the damage and to get a list of possible options. The specialist was really good about evaluating Shania’s condition, and he gave us several options with associated costs, and future quality of life.
Once we had that, we could decide what was best for Shania, and then we addressed the associated financial costs. In this way, we have a clearer dollar cost figure, and the hospital we went to helped us out some, friends helped us out some, and so did relatives. Another possibility is to go to an SPCA clinic. Our local SPCA had a vet clinic with very reasonable prices, and they were also very willing to help out people with medical costs for their pet. Many hospitals also allow us to pay in installments.
Another possibility is to get some added help from local rescues, or even from online rescues (e.g. through Facebook).
But first, I would get a better understanding of the damage, and the options for reconstructive surgery.
hi there, im in the uk and ive sadly just lost one of my best friends my lilly dog she left her 3 legged brother behind and we are now trying to get him out and about to keep his mind active and his body healthy. im glad i came across your site its fantastic and very helpful. im always worried his other legs would suffer if i walked him and i now know its safe to just like any other dogs. thank you i wish you well
Thank you Emma.
Big hugs to your boy.
Thank you for all the great advice.
My boyfriend and I recently adopted a 1 year old 3 legged dog in Thailand. Your advice is extremely helpful but I’m curious if its entirely applicable because our guy is missing one of his hind legs. Thoughts?
Thanks again,
Cam
There are certainly differences between missing a front-leg vs. missing a back-leg, however, there are also many shared experiences with all three legged dogs. In addition, all dogs have different temperaments, will be motivated by different things, and will likely have differences in terms of what they excel in, and what they may have more difficulty with.
I talk about many of my experiences with Shania in the article above, and some of them may apply to another dog, while some will be less so. One of the most important lessons I learned from my Shiba Inu, is to be flexible and to listen to my dogs. I make sure to modify training techniques to suit their temperament, their needs, and based on what they say to me through their body language and behavior.
Is there something in particular that you feel is very different for a dog that is missing his back leg? If so, please let me know so that I can add that into the article.
Thanks and big hugs to your new furry companion!
Thank you for the information on this website! Our 4 year old Great Dane, Scoobert, had his left front leg amputated on Tuesday…cancerous tumor in his elbow. This is his second night at home. Looking for any advice. Tonight he wouldn’t go outside to go to the bathroom and I know he had to go. Fully expecting a huge mess in the morning. We couldn’t even get him to sit up to get a towel under to help him stand. He’s 150 lbs so lifting him isn’t an option. He’s begrudgingly gone out since coming home and always needs lots of assistance to stand, but tonight he just wasn’t having it. Any suggestions on where we go from here? We’ve tried coaxing him with treats, food, commands etc. when does it start to get easier? So sad to watch him like this. Thanks.
Hello Jaime,
How is Scoobert doing?
One thing that helped with Shania after the amputation is that we had a potty pad area for her in the house. In this way, she only had to walk a few steps to get to it. Size is an issue though, because we don’t want the pads to slip and slide. We had a potty pad holder, but I am not sure if those will be big enough for a Great Dane.
Another possibility is to get a tarp or something similar (i.e. something that doesn’t absorb smell and that we can throw away later). My breeder does that when she has puppy litters. She secures a tarp really well onto the floor, and if the puppies go on the tarp, it is much easier to clean, and she can just throw the whole thing out after the puppies are grown.
Sometimes, though, the dog may not even want to get up. My Sibe, Shania got bitten by a rattlesnake recently, and she spent a couple of days in the emergency hospital. They told us she did not want to get up at all the first day and a half. They just let her do her stuff in-place (on towels), and then gave her a bath after she started to feel better.
In terms of recovery, that is probably very variable. Shania had a very short recovery time because she was very young and still small, when the amputation was performed. I would chat with his vet and see what he says. Also, check-out http://tripawds.com/forums/ . A lot of good information there and many people who have gone through the same thing.
Hugs to Scoobert. Let us know how he is doing when you have the time.
My dads Pomeranian had puppies 9 Weeks ago (she only gave birth to two) & one of them was born with no paw, so her leg isn’t completely gone but not enough to put weight on it. I ended up keeping her. & after reading about the harness u use I was wondering if u could use a regular harness or does that not provide enough balance?
Hello Rikki,
The trouble I had with regular harnesses is that many of them would not stay on properly. The extra material of the Ruffwear helped it to stay on more securely, whereas the lighter weight harnesses often did not stay in place (because of the missing leg).
However, Shania is a much bigger dog, and it may be different with a smaller Pomeranian. Let us know how it goes.
Thank you for writing all of this material about caring for a tripod. I adopted at the beginning of October and ended up adopting a 4 year old tripod shepherd/chow mix. He had been in the shelter for 2 years and my heart immediately melted for him; so I knew I had to take him home…but wanted to make sure I knew how to take care of him properly (considering any particular situation).
His leg was amputated 2 years ago, so he’s adjusted to it already and can out-run most of the other dogs we encounter in the fenced yard in my apartment complex. He absolutely loves playing fetch and would go on forever if you allowed him to. We also average at least 2 walks a day, ranging somewhere between .75 to 1.25 miles (each walk).
Thank you again. This has become my ‘go to’ location for any questions I have while still learning what I need to be sure to do to make sure he has the best home possible.
Four paws up and a great BIG WOOF to you for saving him. He must be a really handsome guy being a Shepherd and a Chow.
That is so good to hear that he has finally caught a break and found a great home and a great companion.
Shania sends many magical licks! š
Hello thank you for your website. My husband and I recently rescued a tri paw, he is three yrs old, and seems despondent. How long does it take to get his pep back? He just wants to lay in the corner..is hard to get outside for potty breaks etc
I think it depends a lot on the dog and his history. Dogs that have a more difficult history will take more time to adjust to a new environment and new people. Did he just have his leg amputated? Or did that happen a while ago? Was it a result of a car accident or something else?
Generally, I try to give new dogs their space and let them come to me in their own time. Dogs generally love food, so I find that it is a good way to get my dogs motivated. My Shiba is a pretty aloof dog, but he will usually move his butt when he smells me cooking sausages. š
What breed is your rescue? Breed characteristics are also a good way to identify good motivators for a dog. My Sibes, for example, love to pull, run, and they like chasing games (high prey drive). How long have you had your rescue?
I’m about to have my beloved 10-year old Cairn’s (her hame is Rua) left front leg amputated due to an aggressive, but localized (thankfully) sarcoma that has come back twice. Other options were 4 weeks of radiation/chemo five time a week away from home, or a drug that would delay the inevitable. I chose amputation for her for a variety of reasons, mostly that it will give her the best chance of having a ‘normal’ lifespan, and because I will be with her during recovery, and she will be in her home for complete support. I thank you for this wonderful site and the articles. They give me lots of hope and tips on how to handle both the emotional (on my part) and physical (on her part) challenges that she will face. I live in a remote area where there is no access to hydrotherapy, so I’m thinking of a deep kiddie-pool for her swimming needs, supervised, of course. How long do you walk or exercise your sweet husky? How do you care for her pads and feet? How did you help her find her balance when it first happened? Thanks, so much, again. We will keep you in the loop!
Shania is almost 5 now. I walk her every day but she mostly likes to rest outside, in the shade, and look at people or greet people. We stay out for over 2 hours or more, but we don’t cover very much distance. I let her set the pace and tell me when she wants to relax, smell, and look. She is more active in cold weather.
I used to put Dermapaw on her pads, when she was younger and more active. Now she does not seem to need it. I do check her pads after we go walking on nature trails to make sure that there are no grass seeds or anything else that get stuck in them. I also try to trim her pad fur. If it gets too long, she may slip on it.
Shania got her leg amputated when she was very young – a few months old. The bones in her front leg didn’t connect, so the leg wasn’t ever weight bearing. I think because she never had use of the leg, and because of her age, she very quickly got used to walking on three legs.
I recently talked to my vet about hydrotherapy and he didn’t think she needed it yet. As I understand it, hydrotherapy is often used in cases where the dog has difficulty walking. The water helps to support the dog’s weight, and this enables him to exercise and rebuild leg muscles.
Big hugs to Rua. It warms the heart to see that she has such a good and caring family. Please give us an update when you get the chance.
I love your page! My husband and I rescued a tripaw named Winnie almost a year ago and I found your site very helpful! Winnie had her leg amputated at 4 months and she is now 1 year old, but she has NO idea anything is missing lol. She could be a champion musher the way she runs at the dog park! My other dog, Lola, is also protective of Winnie, so it was nice to read that your dogs are this way too. Keep up the great work!
That is so true! Shania is like that as well. I often wish she would be more careful. š
Many thanks for your awesome comment and BIG hugs to Winnie and Lola!