Hi all, need a bit of advice (again : :) Maisie (13 weeks) can walk on the lead very well for a little distance around our local paths, BUT if we meet a distraction or she knows we are heading to the park she just pulls and pulls! I stand still and wait for her to stop pulling and come back to my side and then we are off again for about 2 paces! I know that this part of training is going to take ages : . So, my question is what do I do if I want to take her into our local town (only a small market town) or to something like a local fair for a bit of socialisation? We went into town yesterday and it was great for socialising but a disaster for lead training! In these situations would it be better to have a harness? What would you do?
Re: Harness or collar? I do think that a harness allows more control than a collar and lead but make sure that you keep up what you are doing re stopping etc. when she pulls otherwise she will become confused . It is quite a long job , this lead training lark , especially with an excited puppy Great that you are socialising though , so important
Re: Harness or collar? Thanks Katie, I think I'll give one a go as she was pulling so hard and starting to choke while trying to get to the next exciting person, smell, etc!! I'll keep to the collar for when we are just doing some "quiet" lead walking. I've got a "dodgy neck", so I'm determined to get the lead training sorted before she gets too strong! ;D ;D
Re: Harness or collar? Hi Debs, I too am a learner (16 weeks).I had the same as you so went for a perfect fit harness from Dog-games-shop.co.uk. Been on the harness for a week,and Latte is far easier to control than a collar, and no danger of hurting his neck, or mine. For me a good investment, and training aid However, walking on beach with other dogs/distractions around is mental, so it is for me going to be a long haul. Hope you are enjoying the journey a s much as me!! Ron
Re: Harness or collar? Thanks for that Ron, glad it's not just me!! We're having a great time thank and I'm thoroughly enjoying Maisie - she has opened up a whole new world for me Just need to sort out these early mornings :
Re: Harness or collar? We have an Easy Walk Harness, it's brilliant. My friend's dog has one too - and he's a STRONG boy and a bit of a puller. I take both pooches with no problems at all. http://tinyurl.com/oza66a8 Here they are -
Re: Harness or collar? Thanks Mags, I was just looking at one of those, they look good and not over priced too!
Re: Harness or collar? Thank you The secret with the easy Walk harness is to fit it really well, so that it isn't too tight or loose, fits high on the chest and doesn't rub under the legs. Tatze and Zaba were both in Medium 'till 9 months, now they are in Large.
Re: Harness or collar? Harley has one of these harnesses and it has been brilliant with a two-way lead . I am more able to control her when she's in her harness (I'm currently training short flat collar walks)
Re: Harness or collar? For a really young pup, myself I'd be tempted to stick with a back fastening harness and train walking nicely from the get go. It's the fastest way. Save the front fastening harnesses for if you have a problem later and have to use them. If you concentrate on lead walking now, and view all but essential trips (on a back fastening harness) as training lead walking, it'll pay off big time later.
Re: Harness or collar? Agree with Julie re back harness. I put Albert in a back harness from 9 weeks when we were just training in the garden. He's now on his 3rd size lol at 18 weeks but walks like a proper gent most of the time. I tend not to do lead 'training' on the beach as there is so much potential fun to be had off lead for him. But I use the beach for recall training constantly and it going really well so far......unless playing with a dog then not a chance. When I use the lead on the beach when young children around etc he's pretty good and I just make him sit and wait till they've passed by. Same with dogs who don't want to play. The harness has been brilliant Debs. Get a back harness and try it while she is still very young and wait till older for a front one. Good luck Jan
Re: Harness or collar? Our now 17 weeks old puppy did the same when he was 13, he pulled so hard that we quickly replaced the collar with a harness to avoid neck injuries. He still pulls when he sees highly attractive things, but at least it is not painful for him. We follow the same method, not a centimetre of walk with him pulling. He is slowly but steadily improving, often he slows down just to walk right beside me. Giving him attention and treats for doing this by himself surely has had a big influence on developing the habit
Re: Harness or collar? Slip Lead worked best for us as Jake was a real puller When he got to distracted and started pulling we made him sit then did a figure of eight , Which involves making the loop around his neck bigger then rotate to create an 8 then place over his snout this then works like a halti and takes seconds . With some harnesses they can get all the body weight into it and drag you down the street making it really difficult . Mike
Re: Harness or collar? [quote author=Mike link=topic=6452.msg87945#msg87945 date=1402721590] Slip Lead worked best for us as Jake was a real puller When he got to distracted and started pulling we made him sit then did a figure of eight , Which involves making the loop around his neck bigger then rotate to create an 8 then place over his snout this then works like a halti and takes seconds . With some harnesses they can get all the body weight into it and drag you down the street making it really difficult . Mike [/quote] Just to say, not everyone would agree with this - i don't like slip leads on dogs that pull. I know lots of people think differently though. A slip lead on a dog that pulls, acts like a choke device (unless is has two stoppers). I also think it's a myth that a back fastening harness encourages a dog to pull or makes it difficult to control a dog if it does. I find it very easy to stand still (and relaxed, as I know my dog is not coming to any harm) if my dog pulls on his back fastening harness. Anyway, whatever you use, the key is training.
Re: Harness or collar? Yeah, me too. It lifts their front feet off the ground a bit and they can't get as much traction. Also found it (fairly) easy with my previous Lab who was about 37kg and would take off after cats at warp speed.
Re: Harness or collar? [quote author=JulieT link=topic=6452.msg87978#msg87978 date=1402731605] A slip lead on a dog that pulls, acts like a choke device (unless is has two stoppers). I also think it's a myth that a back fastening harness encourages a dog to pull or makes it difficult to control a dog if it does. I find it very easy to stand still (and relaxed, as I know my dog is not coming to any harm) if my dog pulls on his back fastening harness. Anyway, whatever you use, the key is training. [/quote] I agree with Julie, the key is training. The point of any lead/leash/collar/harness is to protect the dog and not to communicate with the dog through it. If a dog pulls, it has to be trained and not given devices with different levels and methods of control. Main thing is to gain the trust of the dog to listen to you regardless to what type of device is attached to it. If a dog pulls on collar or harness, the problem is not the type of the device, but pulling itself, so the key is training out of pulling and not to use the collar/harness to try to correct the dog.
Re: Harness or collar? I know Turid Rugaas isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I very much like her approach. Here she is on harnesses: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vPuf_nhUmE0
Re: Harness or collar? I'm very much a slip lead user but when riley was young he was in a back fastening harness to protect his neck. I have a friend who changes her slip lead into a figure of eight but it really doesn't sit well on her dogs face - too near the eyes for my liking and i have concerns about hard rope rubbing on the face. I think she's be better with a properly fitted halti if that's what she wants. Nothing beats training at the end of the day
