So it's not really a training issue but this seemed the most appropriate section .... I read the harness article and it got me thinking ... Bella's always in her cheap pets at home one and it's not the nicest. She walks great on collar and lead but pulls on walks if sees other dogs and I can't bear it ( neck pulling) so on harness all is good but she doesn't seem to like wearing it - fine when I put on collar and lead but backs away and barks when I get harness ... Eventually I get it on but i felt it today and although it's not too tight it's quite rough plus I'm worried about her running around in it ie affecting form. It's a simple back fastening harness and as I say it's not that need for a harness to control / manage her better , as she's generally Ok and it's manageable when she sees other dogs on harness . Also they all seem to be ones to buy online ie freedom etc - I wish there were shops to try them as I'm not sure what size to get. Also whether to get front and back , front or just back again ahhhhhh stressful!!! Article was very helpful but I am overthinking things plus I want a harness all one colour not black and red etc?! What's that all about!!!!
You are not alone. I have exactly the same problem with Molly. Walks nicely until she sees another dog or, at the moment she is going through a sniffing phase, then we turn into a pulling machine. There is a bewildering array of harnesses for sale. I got Molly a very simple one from Company of Animals. There are no fastenings, it simply slips over her head and she now raises her paws to put them through the straps. I cannot claim it is beautiful, I bought it as an experiment and will buy her a better one now that I have established it works for us.
I liked the harness article very much, only I can't understand why anyone buys a front fastening harness unless they absolutely need something to stop their dog pulling (I'm unconvinced they will do that without training, but still...) - I can't see the point of them myself and worry the pressure on the shoulder to pull the dog round from the front will alter a dog's gait. Charlie dislikes harnesses, I've tried, and I'm still trying, to get him to change his mind. But sometimes he has to wear one, when I know he will lunge at distractions (other dogs around water, and other dogs retrieving). And I use a fixed version of a perfect fit (a fleece harness) - it has no front ring, just a back ring. If he didn't dislike it so much, I'd use it all the time...
As we all aim to be positive in our training I wonder why people are attempting to use harnesses when their dogs dislike them so much?
Not all dogs dislike them, although mine does for sure. A harness has a massive advantage over a collar in that it does not inflict pain on the dog when it lunges or pulls towards something. If Charlie lunges in a collar, he will cough afterwards. It hurts his throat. But his excitement levels are so high at the time he doesn't feel this pain, but it is physically damaging to him. Harnesses do not inflict this kind of damage, and this is why I want to use one. For me, with a dog that dislikes harnesses, I weigh up what I think is the lesser of two evils - and where I know there is a high risk of him damaging his throat by lunging (or when I am using a long line), I put him in a harness. Putting a harness on him is a negative thing for him, he definitely finds it punishing, although the worst of it lasts no longer than 10 seconds of unhappiness as the straps are fastened. To me, this is better than him possibly suffering long term physical injury to his neck. Where I judge the risk of him harming himself is low, which is most of the time, I keep him on a flat collar.
I completely agree with Julie I'm not happy with bella pulling and damaging her neck - she also coughs after she has pulled in the collar but I also don't want her to be wearing an uncomfortable harness , she never used to mind it so I'm thinking it's just got a bit old and a tough. Fleece one sounds much better and softer where did you get yours from Julie? Bella sometimes does a side run and the article made me worry that as she's running in it off leash it could be effecting her form ... But it's not too tight or anything. I do have a tendency to over think these things
