@tiyashrivasthav I’ve helicoptered my now deceased pom mix from a GSD and multiple pit attacks (possibly same dog)
tiyashrivasthav
New member
outbackhatter
New member
@pasquale Yeah, I have handles on both my dogs harnesses so if needed I can grab them like a brief case, it's not an ideal way to hold them but it's saved my older dog a few times because the dog walkers around here have like 10 off leash out of control dogs typically aggressive dogs and are hard to avoid
@outbackhatter THIS. THIS. THIS.
123456christian
New member
@musha Harnesses distribute the weight across the body, so it is easier for dogs to pull. Dogs can 100% learn to loose leash walk while wearing a harness. Collars put all the pressure onto the neck which can cause damage, especially if they pull. Dogs don't automatically pull when in a harness, they need to be conditioned to pull or just allowed to pull and not trained to walk on a loose leash.
A harness or a collar are tools, but the dog needs training. If you want to use a harness, do it.
A harness or a collar are tools, but the dog needs training. If you want to use a harness, do it.
faithbased
New member
@123456christian Exactly this. The biggest problem (imo) with harnesses is that some people use them as a cure-all, instead of training the puppy not to pull. Harnesses, collars, even prong collars, are all tools to use in training. They are not a replacement for training.
@123456christian Ok that’s what I thought but people kept telling me all dogs should be trained with prong collar and not harness as harness teaches them to pull but so far my dog is doing fine on it while I teach him
@musha Those people are nuts. If you don’t use a harness with such a small dog over years they will develop a collapsing trachea and you’ll have to listen to them suffer with a honking cough. I had two dogs that suffered from it before I knew I was supposed to harness such small dogs (thanks a lot, vet). My current puppy is 5 lbs and the only time she’s been in a collar is when she isn’t even leashed.
ministeroftruth13
New member
@ministeroftruth13 I third this my 6 month old pulls like mad and whines if he can’t
@tashiya So I tried a few leashes and the one that worked the best is the one with bungee. This is the one I got:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R56CBWX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
I start by going on a run with my husky in the morning. He runs at a perfect heel distance from day one. I don't know how or if this is normal for huskies, but I take advantage of this. After about 1 hour of running he starts getting tired. At this point I change to walking him. If he pulls I just stop. I wait until he stops, put him in sit, then I grab the short leash handle and walk him for about 3 minutes before loosening the leash. At first it took many attempts before he settles and walks to my pace. Gradually he will do this more. I did this everyday for a month before he started walking normally without pulling. I can tell if he's about to run ahead and I just pull him in to the short leash handle for a bit until he refocus. So right now on evening walks, even without running an hour first, he walks pretty well.
Just to add, my husky was 1.5 years old when I adopted him from the shelter. So he was already an adult and not a puppy when I got him. Also, everyday I take him on a one hour run in the morning. Then I take him on a short walk with my GSD puppy around noon. Then in the evening he walks for an hour. And wherever I go, I usually take him. So he's very used to going out and doesn't get crazy excited. He's still happy to go out, but not crazy in the sense where he acts like this is the last walk he'll ever go on. Which I think contributes to him being more calm going out and going on walks.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R56CBWX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
I start by going on a run with my husky in the morning. He runs at a perfect heel distance from day one. I don't know how or if this is normal for huskies, but I take advantage of this. After about 1 hour of running he starts getting tired. At this point I change to walking him. If he pulls I just stop. I wait until he stops, put him in sit, then I grab the short leash handle and walk him for about 3 minutes before loosening the leash. At first it took many attempts before he settles and walks to my pace. Gradually he will do this more. I did this everyday for a month before he started walking normally without pulling. I can tell if he's about to run ahead and I just pull him in to the short leash handle for a bit until he refocus. So right now on evening walks, even without running an hour first, he walks pretty well.
Just to add, my husky was 1.5 years old when I adopted him from the shelter. So he was already an adult and not a puppy when I got him. Also, everyday I take him on a one hour run in the morning. Then I take him on a short walk with my GSD puppy around noon. Then in the evening he walks for an hour. And wherever I go, I usually take him. So he's very used to going out and doesn't get crazy excited. He's still happy to go out, but not crazy in the sense where he acts like this is the last walk he'll ever go on. Which I think contributes to him being more calm going out and going on walks.
@jg76 I got my heeler walking loose leash pretty reliably- it took a few months, but really kicked up when I started being super consistant. I bring her breakfast on our morning walks and use only positive reinforcement and redirection. Super praise and treat any time she checked in with me, stopped whenever she started pulling (it's so fn annoying but I swear to god it works, especially if you always have a treat ready for when they slack up), and from there she learned 'slack' or 'loose' which I would say as soon as she would loosen the leash again after I stopped.
I was able to train an 'easy' walk by periodically turning 180 during our walks and leading her in the other direction (I'd say 'turn' to warn her, but I only use a harness or else I probably wouldn't do this, since the first few times they will likely still keep walking in the direction you were going hahaa) After a few turns, she'd get that she'd have to see me to know where I was headed so I was able to reinforce her walking closer to me and called that 'easy' or 'heel' if it was a true heel. Now I'm able to use both of those in walking when she would start to get ahead of me, I can say 'slack' or 'easy' and she slows down. She's still a teenager so obviously she's got a ways to go, but it IS POSSIBLE. We do it every single day (which is why it's so much easier to use a meal). If you want to make it happen faster, take treats on every walk- alternate between that and praise but definitely more treats at the beginning to drill your expectations early. Sets them up for success on the rest of the walk. That's what worked for my heeler who makes her own decisions
I was able to train an 'easy' walk by periodically turning 180 during our walks and leading her in the other direction (I'd say 'turn' to warn her, but I only use a harness or else I probably wouldn't do this, since the first few times they will likely still keep walking in the direction you were going hahaa) After a few turns, she'd get that she'd have to see me to know where I was headed so I was able to reinforce her walking closer to me and called that 'easy' or 'heel' if it was a true heel. Now I'm able to use both of those in walking when she would start to get ahead of me, I can say 'slack' or 'easy' and she slows down. She's still a teenager so obviously she's got a ways to go, but it IS POSSIBLE. We do it every single day (which is why it's so much easier to use a meal). If you want to make it happen faster, take treats on every walk- alternate between that and praise but definitely more treats at the beginning to drill your expectations early. Sets them up for success on the rest of the walk. That's what worked for my heeler who makes her own decisions
diogenestousinope
New member
@diogenestousinope Absolutely not. We booked a six week training class where day 1, she was putting prong collars on all the dogs- no exclusions. We never used it and never went back. Our puppy was six months old.