Dog Pulling

manna452121

I have a rescue dog over a year and when out walking he is pulling me foward with great force.I have been told about different types of collars/harness that might help,maybe someone might have some ideas.The dog is a cross between a beagle and an alsatian so I was told by the vet

are you serious

Head collars are great for this...

Being a beagle cross this dog will have serious drive to just want to run and run and... run!

It must be a seriously funky looking dog being a cross with those 2 breeds

How long do you walk him for and how often? He will need probably 2 good length walks per day to satisfy his need to get out!

RubyGirl

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=74351556

Some good suggestions here op.

manna452121

Barney gets a long walk most days but with the pulling issue I sometimes get very annoyed.Reading up on the links given the front attachment harness seems the best system.

RubyGirl

I use the Dogmatic, I find them brillant.

Kash

Having used the wrong ones, I was anti-harnesses for a hell of a long time and thought head collars were evil made nylon.

My opinion for head collars remains the same - my dogs were really unhappy with them on - but I couldn't recommend the Premier Easy Walk front connecting harness highly enough.

It is like walking different animal,s and actually makes the whole experience enjoyable again, rather than an essential chore. I can comfortably walk two dogs using one hand, and considering that I am 23 weeks pregnant and they are 75kilos of muscle between them, that's a massive endorsement.

A plus side is that the tiniest movement of my arm has a significant impact on the dogs direction/momentum, so it has made training them to walk to heel much, much easier.

Dirk Gently

Kash wrote: »

My opinion for head collars remains the same - my dogs were really unhappy with them on - but I couldn't recommend the Premier Easy Walk front connecting harness highly enough.

.

Mine are the same, head collars really upset them, particularly when meeting other dogs. They have a fit trying to pull them off their head.

Just on the easy walk front harness. What is the position of the dog, does he walk at heal or behind you?

Ellis Dee

I've been using harness with my 8-year-old cocker spaniel/border collie (I think) mongrel since he was less than a year old. But he still pulls like hell if there are interesting smells. And in the Nordic winter, with all the ice there is on the ground, a pulling dog is a pretty good recipe for a broken hip.:eek:

One trick that I have learnt is to loop the flexi lead around his stomach when he has a really bad day for pulling; in other words, it is attached to the harness just below the back of his neck and then goes around him from the small of his back to his belly. If he pulls, it squeezes his belly and he stops. I learned the trick from a lady who has an "Irish setter". He pulls far less when I do that.:cool:

Kash

Dirk Gently wrote: »

Mine are the same, head collars really upset them, particularly when meeting other dogs. They have a fit trying to pull them off their head.

Just on the easy walk front harness. What is the position of the dog, does he walk at heal or behind you?

Typically, just in front, if my arms are by my side, then the dogs tails would hit my knee.

When training to walk to heel, then I usually have one at either side - their front shoulder is level with my hip.

They rarely drop behind, which is how I prefer it - I like to keep an eye on the sneaky buggers

Dirk Gently

Is this basically the same as the easy walk front harness?

http://www.pet-bliss.com/acatalog/copy_of_Halti_Training_Harness.html

Kash

Yep - looks almost identical.

My dad did have a funny experience with it last week when he was minding the pups - the youngest saw a cat, and shot off after it.... got about four steps forwards, and was promptly pulled off course, flipped round and ended up facing the other way

He's a huge fan of the front harness - once, I forgot to bring them with me when I dropped the dogs off and he was devastated.

DBB

Dirk Gently wrote: »

Is this basically the same as the easy walk front harness?

http://www.pet-bliss.com/acatalog/copy_of_Halti_Training_Harness.html

The Halti harness is a good workhorse of a front connection harness, but I find it a little bit clunky. It has it's place, don't get me wrong, but having tried all if the front connecting harnesses, the Easy-Walk as described by Kash is the most effective. I get them on www.friendsoffido.co.uk.

baptywallowitz

What's dogmatic? Sounds interesting...

baptywallowitz

You could try a halti collar, they have worked for friends dogs?

darrenmcc

can i suggest maybe something a little different?
keep the dog "beside you" to a "little behind you". if he/she tries to pull infront, give the lead a "little" yank. Have seen some people that instead of yanking the lead a little, they nudge the dogs back leg. i personally used the lead yank and it worked. This is just to snap them out of the thinking zone that they are in and should help show them, that you decide where your going, not the dog. this method needs consistancy, but it will and should pay off. any dog training classes i've been to, always use this method for walking your dog.

hope it helps

Dirk Gently

I clipped the lead onto the front of a standard harness yesterday while im waiting for my easy walks to arrive. Certainly works better that way alright as opposed to hooking onto the back. Looking forward to giving the easy walk front harnesses a go now when they arrive. clipping onto the standard harness isn't ideal as lead position isn't great (tends to catch the dogs legs as opposed to across the chest) but still stopped them pulling all the same.

Dirk Gently

Kash wrote: »

My opinion for head collars remains the same - my dogs were really unhappy with them on - but I couldn't recommend the Premier Easy Walk front connecting harness highly enough.

just to update on this, I had my shepherd and lab out today, both on the easy pull harness and it worked a treat. They're both strong pullers, especially for the first few minutes outside and I've used other harnesses and the head collars but this easy walk harness is the best of the lot. The dogs didn't get distressed and actually didn't pull at all. They walked exactly where I wanted them to.

Another thing, they were also less interested in things around us, like other dogs and horses, all of which they use to pull to get near before. I suppose they feel less restricted not having to battle and pull every step of the way and were calmer over all.

I'd recommend this harness for anyone who thinks nothing will work on their dogs to stop pulling. Looking forward to finally being able to teach them to walk at heal now when outside with distractions.

thanks kash for pointing me in the right direction.

Kash

Happy to help - it was a complete revelation for me.

sparkle_23

I have a Springer that would pull my arm out of its socket when we're walking and he gets excited! I might buy one of those harnesses and give it a go

Kash

I tried head collars on my dogs before getting the harness.
I cannot claim they do not work, because they do.

However, the other changes in my two hounds were not positive changes.
I assume it was because their muzzle was restricted, therefore in the dogs eyes, it was defenseless. They were insecure for the whole walk, tails down and curled under.

We only did the one walk.

Normally, any touching of the leads etc results in a quick bounce around, then an excited, sitting dog literall foot tapping until the lead is attached. When I moved the head-collar one dog went and hid in her bed, the other one rolled over as if chastised.

It put me right off them permanantly. I see lots of people with them, so some dogs must take to them easily enough, but it certainly wasn't for my two.

ISDW

Ellis Dee wrote: »

I've been using harness with my 8-year-old cocker spaniel/border collie (I think) mongrel since he was less than a year old. But he still pulls like hell if there are interesting smells. And in the Nordic winter, with all the ice there is on the ground, a pulling dog is a pretty good recipe for a broken hip.:eek:

One trick that I have learnt is to loop the flexi lead around his stomach when he has a really bad day for pulling; in other words, it is attached to the harness just below the back of his neck and then goes around him from the small of his back to his belly. If he pulls, it squeezes his belly and he stops. I learned the trick from a lady who has an "Irish setter". He pulls far less when I do that.:cool:

Are you using an ordinary walking harness? They're not designed to stop the dog pulling, just to walk the dog.