Milo our 9 month old choc lab can pull on the lead,usually only badly if he sees other dogs or people.He's getting much better but to avoid damage to his neck we have been using the walk your dog with love front fastening harness with success.Thinking of getting a fleece one as the current one could rub.Looking at the ones with front and back ring and double ended lead.Anyone tried this? Spoke to a lady at fleecedogharnesses and she said shouldn't use just front ring with any front fastening harness.Planning to buy from the website and try out with view to using just back ring as pulling improves.
Re: harnesses I walk Charlie on a front/back ring harness and a double ended lead which is the only way I will now walk him as he is strong. I have a Cozy Dog which has front & back rings, I did use on just the back ring and it was hopeless he pulled so hard he got away from me and hurt my hand/elbow/shoulder trying to get to a Squirrel so never again I honestly personally do not see the benefit of a back fastening only harness but many people use them, it just seems to me the point of pulling power is moved. Just using the front ring seems to pull the harness round and made Charlie walk a little strangely too. xx
Re: harnesses Hi yes I've found if he pulls the harness does tend to go to one side a bit which is annoying. I certainly would struggle to hold him using collar/lead if he decided to go. My husband isn't keen on the idea of the double ended lead_ says like having a puppet lol.The idea is balance though isn't it. Do you find walking has improved through using it?
Re: harnesses [quote author=charlie link=topic=9671.msg139709#msg139709 date=1422290503] I walk Charlie on a front/back ring harness and a double ended lead which is the only way I will now walk him as he is strong. I have a Cozy Dog which has front & back rings, I did use on just the back ring and it was hopeless he pulled so hard he got away from me and hurt my hand/elbow/shoulder trying to get to a Squirrel so never again I honestly personally do not see the benefit of a back fastening only harness but many people use them, it just seems to me the point of pulling power is moved. Just using the front ring seems to pull the harness round and made Charlie walk a little strangely too. xx [/quote] I use back-fastening harnesses for my pups, but that's because they're not used as a corrective device, but for safety after Shadow slipped his collar when he was scared by a bin lorry when we first had him. I'm still teaching them to walk on a loose lead, so it's just like using a flat collar as far as that's concerned. You're right - they certainly don't stop a dog from pulling, but they still have their place
Re: harnesses I'm a fan of fleece harnesses, back fastening ones. I'm not a fan of front fastening harnesses, but understand why people find them useful while they train dogs to walk properly. I wouldn't use a Y shaped harness as a front fastening harness, it will swing round, and I can see why using the back D ring when you can would be preferable to only using the front ring (which does change a dog's gait). [quote author=charlie link=topic=9671.msg139709#msg139709 date=1422290503] I honestly personally do not see the benefit of a back fastening only harness but many people use them, it just seems to me the point of pulling power is moved. [/quote] Back fastening harnesses are an essential bit of kit - because they don't stop a dog pulling. So if your dog walks nicely on a back fastening harness, it's because he has been trained to walk at your side and not because the harness gives you a mechanical correction, or a collar acts as an aversive when the dog pulls. Even if he spots a squirrel. Here is Charlie in his walking harness yesterday, while we watched other dogs retrieve - we don't use it often, only when there is a chance he might pull (watching other dogs retrieve is his biggest temptation). If he lunges in this, all that happens is his feet lift off the floor slightly. image by julieandcharlie, on Flickr Here is a pulling harness, which shifts the dog's power to pull a weight behind him. image by julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Re: harnesses I use a back fastening harness for safety too, and because it puts no pressure on the neck. It's easier to manage the lead when it's attached at the back too. If there is pressure on the harness it's symmetrical and spread over a large area. When we got Obi he'd learned to pull in a collar. So we switched to the harness and simply refused to allow pulling and started rewarding no pulling. Pulling became futile and not pulling became worthwhile. The harness helped us break the association between walking and pulling ie "in this harness, pulling doesn't work for me like it did in that collar".
Re: harnesses I am also a big fan of the fleece harnesses. I have an XtraDog one which is basically the same as the cosy dog or dog games ones I think. I got mine when they were a bit cheaper as they have gone up in price recently but honestly I think they are worth it. Best of all about them is that my Penny has physiotherapy due to her hip dysplasia and her physiotherapist highly recommends these sorts of harnesses as they take the strain off the neck and shoulders of a dog who pulls.
Re: harnesses I have a cosydog fleece harness which I use at training classes and use a double ended lead. It does help a bit, but still needs working on. I usually use a k9bridle head collar which I have found to be brilliant. Harley never pulls with this on - my dog walker asked if I minded her using one, I agreed, I seen the difference so had a go and it has changed our walks to off lead areas. I use harnesses and head collars as an aid due to spinal injuries but am working on walking on a flat collar without pulling
Re: harnesses Charlie does walk nicely on a double ended harness but my problem with the back ring is if Charlie sees something that I don't he will pull get up on his back legs, he is 30 kgs and very muscular so that's me a gone, I am a very petite person with no weight to keep me firmly planted on the ground, I value my safety aswell as Charlie's. Being rural there are many, many things that jump, run and fly out of every direction so it's very difficult but we do train every day One day no doubt we will be 100% and I won't need the harness at all, David walks Charlie on a flat collar and lead. I guess it's horses for courses, but as long as your dog walks nicely and you continue to train a slack lead on a head collar, harness, lead that's all that matters, nobody wants a choking dog xx
Re: harnesses I've never used a harness so I can't help on which to choose. However I have two reactive labs so I have done a lot research into equipment to help and a double ended lead attached to harness with front and back fastenings is usually recommended. I know your dog isn't reactive but if when he pulls its usually towards another dog then he is reacting in a minor way. I use a head collar, frowned upon by many. I've done a lot of research into these and tried a ridiculous amount of designs and the best I have found is a swag head collar very similar to Naya's K9. Behaviourist also advise a double ended lead with a head collar and a martingale collar. Unfortunately I don't think I could manage all that lead. The aim is to walk the dog on the collar with a slack lead but if the dog meets its trigger the other end of the lead is attached to the head collar if needed. The same applies to the double ended lead and harness. Walk on the back ring with slack lead but the other end of the lead is attached at the front should it be needed. I'm sorry I can't find the website/book I read this in. I've read a lot. :. I will have another look and see if I can add a link.
Re: harnesses Hope you don't mind me joining this thread! Did you use harnesses when you're pups were wee things? When Seren is fully vac I'd feel much more comfortable using a harness as he's a bit nervy around new situations at the mo, so I'd be anxious he'd slip a collar, and I don't want to be worried about things like that when I'm socialising him. Any ideas on the best harness for a small puppy? He'll be 11 weeks when I take him out walking on a lead... Thanks in advance
Re: harnesses I like the mesh harnesses for small pups, they are not too expensive either, which helps as they grow out of them. (You can get cheaper ones than puppia...) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Puppia-Soft...22439040&sr=8-1&keywords=puppia+dog+harnesses
Re: harnesses I use the Puppia harnesses on my two and have since they were about 15 weeks, after Shadow (the yellow one) slipped his collar and nearly ran in front of a bin lorry These are large ones they're in, and still wear the same size at 5 months. PetLondon sell them (http://petlondon.net/index.php/retail/collections/puppia/harnesses.html) in a range of colours and sizes. These ones are the "A" design. You may need a smaller size to start off with - the website has a sizing guide so you know what to go for.
Re: harnesses I've used harnesses on both mine as pups. Riley labrador had a plain webbing one from Pets at Home. Obi spaniel has gone upmarket and had mesh as a pup and a new fleece one now he's bigger: Pulls like a train so just off to do some clicker training on his loose lead walking!
Re: harnesses Is the mesh material so it reduces rubbing? I'm using a car harness from pets at home with another lead attached for walking and Bella seems ok with it and doesn't really pull but it's a heavier material.
