No idea where this should go, but here goes... Molly is 19 months now (tomorrow to be strictly accurate). Most of the time she walks nicely loose lead by my side. Occasionally she will decide that a lamp post etc cannot be passed by or there is discarded food in the hedgerow, so she dives off. I have used a Gentle Leader for several months. It gave me the control I felt I needed to teach her to walk. It is clear that she doesn't really like it, she tries to rub it off on my legs or on any patch of grass we see. I have decided it is time to look for something else. I have a Trixie harness that I bought some months ago and I walked her on it yesterday and was happy with the way she behaved. I don't really like it the webbing is quite heavy. It is also quite a neat fit having been bought last year, so I need to buy another one anyway. I am open to suggestions as to which way to go now, slip lead (seems remarkably like the old choke chains to me), harness (seem to be gaining in popularity, but there are so many variants that I frankly don't understand) or a different head collar. I tried my old Gen con yesterday, but she still makes the same snuffling noise on it that she did six months ago so I have discounted that. I would welcome any and all suggestions,including negative comments. It is her walk as much as mine, so I want her to be comfortable and enjoy it. I am still Miss Puniverse and she is 25+ kilos of exuberant, muscular, athletic dog, so I need something that she cannot get her weight and strength behind. Thanks folks
Re: Tack for dogs There really are only two types of body harness - back fastening and front fastening (some have both back and front rings and you can use double ended leads, only using pressure on the front of the dog if you really need to do so). The front fastening harnesses allow you to swing the dog round if it pulls. There is a disadvantage to these and that is that if there is pressure on the off side shoulder of the dog, it may change the way it walks. Indeed, some instructions for some front fastening harnesses tell you to walk the dog either side of you so the dog isn't always leaning to the same side. It's possible for a dog to learn to pull wearing a front fastening harness though, but if you don't let that happen and could get a dog walking normally in one, it would be the thing I'd go for if I needed extra help. I think Y shaped front fastening harnesses might be better but I tried one ages ago and it swung round in a really awkward way, and I didn't like it (and I didn't think it was very effective either) but it's possible that the front ring was just too low. I think it is a myth that dogs "get their weight" behind back fastening harnesses - walking harnesses are not the same as pulling harnesses, if Charlie lunges in a back fastening harness, his front feet lift off the ground and he seems to have a bit less traction, not more. That doesn't help if she could pull you over anyway though, a back fastening harness doesn't give you much help at all, it's just a back fastening harness might not increase the risk much but it doesn't reduce it much either. As you've seen with Molly, headcollars irritate loads of dogs. I have never seen a dog look truly happy in one, even though lots of people say their dogs don't mind them. A slip lead is a choke device, and an unlimited slip lead would tighten around Molly's neck if she lunged for something. Since I see lots of dogs pulling and lunging in slip leads, I guess they aren't always punishing enough to get a dog to stop lunging, although I do think they punish quite a bit and most dogs walk better in slip leads for this reason. A limited slip lead seems to be about the same as a thin flat collar, although you can buy some great webbing, wide limited slip leads now. These won't help you stop a dog from lunging or pulling. So, that's about it. Front fastening harness - you risk changing how your dog walks (but some might be a lot better than others). Back fastening harness - doesn't give you much help. Head collar - you risk irritating or punishing your dog (and I would worry about neck injuries from the dog's head being snapped round if it lunged). Slip lead - you risk punishing your dog and perhaps neck injuries. You seem to have done so very well with Molly, I'd put my efforts into training her not to dive towards something she wants. You can start to do this in your garden, by putting out food and training walk on by, and she doesn't get the food until you say "take it". Then in the street outside and so on.
Re: Tack for dogs I use head collars on my two dogs because of their reactivity. I have just ordered my sixth variety a Dogmatic. I've tried Halti, Gentle leader, Gencon, Swag headcollar (same as a K9 Bridle but fleece lined) and Dogalter. Ive found problems with the design of all of them, maybe I should design my own . If a muzzle clamping headcollar is required I'd recommend the Swag head collar however having read an article by Lizi Angel I'm now a convert to the fixed action non muzzle clamping headcollar which until I'd read her article I didn't know existed. As she points out a horse headcollar doesn't tighten so why should a dogs. The Dogalter is a fixed action headcollar and having used it I've found a headcollar that tightens on the muzzle really isn't necessary. My only criticism of the Dogalter is that it sits quite high up the nose near the eyes which is why I'm giving the Dogmatic a go which is also fixed action. When I contacted Lizi Angel for advice she did tell me Pets at Home own version of the Dogalter the Control headcollar sits in a more comfortable position. I only use a headcollar because I'm walking two reactive dogs. They are strong and I need to be in control of their heads if they react, which I'm pleased to say with training has improved a lot. For example a few weeks ago two dogs ran out of a house and tried to attack us. My dogs although they can give the impression of being vicious are actually very nervous and immediately tried to run away. If they hadn't been wearing headcollars I wouldn't have been able to keep hold and as there were cars passing an accident could have happened. I also use a martingale/half slip collar. I've always walked dogs on this type of collar because although it tightens when they pull unlike a full slip collar it can be adjusted so it only tightens to a certain point. This means a dog can't back out of it but also, unlike a normal flat collar, any pressure caused by pulling is spread around the neck not focused on one spot which is what can cause damage. Sorry this post is longer than I expected : This is the Lizi Angel article about headcollars if your interested. http://liziangel.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/head-collars.html as Julie has said though the only real way to stop Molly diving at stuff is to train her not to. All this tack will help you manage her in the mean time but not stop her unfortunately. :-\
Re: Tack for dogs Hi Tina......Dexter was a terrible puller,he made me cry :'( I had all of Pippas training articles,books,help and support on here and my own notes of all the notes!I used several training aids ,front and back fastening harnesses and a gentle leader head collar ......everything helped but nothing stopped him trying to pull.Unless you are teaching them not to pull I truly don't believe that anything works magically.Dexter could still pull on everything,I taught him not too ( eventually.... Sorry but it took me ages) Now we can now walk competently and confidently on a flat collar.He wears a wider one than his soft off lead collar that has his I'd on because even now we can be trotting along marvelously and suddenley he will try and drag us both into a bush for a sniff or a snack : At these times I still have to dig my feet in and stand still and there can be an awful lot of tension on the lead.....the wider collar takes some of the pressure off and he does come back to heel,when I remind him : but he really can't help himself sometimes :.The back fastening harness really helped me through the reactive phase when I wasn't managing him effectively.Im pretty strong so if he did a big lunge I could keep hold of him safely without him getting away but it wasn't the harness that stopped him lunging at other dogs,it was the reactive training work I did. All I think I'm trying is to say is ,similar to Julie,that there are all these walking aids out there to help,and they do but they are most effective when you are combining them with your training practice x
