Have just ordered a new 2 point harness for Zac, now 6 months old, from the recommendation on Pippa's post. I've used a top attachment plus separate collar lead until now but he is stronger and bigger and he's taken to testing his strength by launching all 21.4K of weight at any passer by when on lead .He doesn't jump up when off lead but I'm worried he will knock someone over or haul me over as well I've tried distracting him with treats but he is so excited to see people that I cant get through to him until they are well passed. Then its like a switch goes on and he's normal again.​Will keep you posted on how we get on.
Have you tried standing on his lead so he can't lunge/jump and then distract him with treats? At least in this way he can't hurt anyone by accident and will soon come to realise that by keeping 4 paws on the ground that he gets rewarded. Good luck
Parking a dog by standing on the lead is tricky using a harness. The angle of the lead is wrong, both to create the right cue, and for physical management. It works best when the lead goes directly to the floor with the ring of the collar on the dog's throat (both to create a clear cue and because this stops the dog raising its head, required for lunging - it's a matter of physics, the dog can't build up momentum behind a lunge because it can't move far enough to gather any speed so can't create a shock force). Gwenda - if you mean you have a harness with two points - back and front - then you could use it with a double ended lead, normally hold the lead so the back attachment would take any pressure but at danger lunge times, hold the lead so the front attachment would take the pressure and swing the dog round if he lunges. I don't use this type of harness myself (although have tried them) but it seems a key advantage of them if you need mechanical control over a strong dog. Or, use the park cue with the shorter end of the lead on the collar.
