Harnesses

Cinnamontoast

Cinnamontoast

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I fear that the boys have husky DNA! They are appalling on the lead and I just don't get it. It's obviously something we've done, as Brig and Jake were the same, although learned finally that heel really means that.

Meanwhile, a friend gave me a harness: I never though I'd use it but having trialled both of the huskies, I mean springers, round the block yesterday, I think I'm a convert.

Can anyone therefore recommend a decent harness that won't rub?
 
This is going to be harsh but its my opinion.

If they are still pulling its either that you haven't found the right method yet or your not putting the effort in.

A harness will help neither of these.
 
Nope. My dog rubbed all the hair off his underarms and carved a big X across his chest with a Lupi so I would avoid those like the plague.

I find they work short term but once the dog learns to use it's weight differently, it will work against you. Just my opinion, horses for courses and all that, I know they work for some dogs.

I do have a harness for tracking but it is absolutely useless if he decides he wants to tank, but I know your guys are smaller.

Heelwork/loose lead walking can be very hard work with some dogs and you need to be *so* consistent, don't give up yet! Do you walk them apart? My two, especially if they had an audience, would try and 'race' each other to get a nose in front, sibling rivalry and all that!
 
I have heard of the ones (maybe the ones CC suggests)
where they tighten somwhere (but again have seen really bad injury in the arm pit area) as they have very thin (cord like material going under the pits) Have you tried haltis with short leads on them?
 
Hollysmum said:
Is that the 'lupi' harness?
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Yep...maybe :D Im clueless, I have seen a whole bunch of them in use but could not tell u what the names are :o:D I think all harnesses unless it's a guide dog or a pulling/sled dog look ridiculous, almsot like an extra piece of equiptment to buy that serves little purpose in most cases.

Not aimed at you there Cinnomen:p
 
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Hi there
Yes we have got 2 border terriers that pull on the lead, so we purchased
a harness for each of them from a company called snuggle pets, they are great very soft
and I think they are machine washable to!!! Our dogs are soooo much better since we got them, you can get any size and colour and very good pice!!!
 
Yeah, the Lupi is the very thin cord one which tightens when the dog pulls.
The words 'chocolate' and 'teapot' spring to mind when I think of us using it.....oh yeah, and 'rope burn'.
 
I agree with Katie:my bad that they don't walk to heel, not through lack of trying, I guarantee you! They are taking the pee and it's our fault, I know. However, as the OH generally does the walking of all three together in the week, we need an effective solution.

I stood and nearly broke down on Saturday with Bear as he was leaping forward (having Brig does not help but I don't see why he should be heeled/punished because the pups are being trained :confused:)

Time is an issue with OH's shifts and the horse needs attention, obviously. Whatever works will be used. They are walked separately when possible and I take one to the yard am, the other pm.

I've tried the halti-makes their eyes bulge, can't bear it, have used a canny collar, which is fab for Brig and needs consistent use (I can't make the OH use it when I'm not there :() as pups fight it.

Trouble is, they don't need to be on the lead: the car is a foot from the front door, straight in the boot, drive to the woods, straight into woods, no need for lead. They have the lead on to cross the road, that's it. Obviously, with Bear's injury, the lead has been needed recently, hence the whinge.:o
 
Brief as typing on phone but harness = can pull you with their entire body weight, argh, don't do it!

That said, would always choose Manmat shoulder harness, also heard good things about Mekuti as a 'remedial' harness. Ezydog padded harness good for smaller dogs. :)
 
Their eyes bulge? It won't kill them. They fight it? They'll stop eventually. Make them wear the headcollars in the house and reward them for acting passively when they are on. If you only use these tools on walks and they feel restricted and it's no fun, of course they will act up.

From reading, you seem to keep acquiescing on things?

Realistically, you know you cannot heel train two pups and walk one adult at the same time.

Even little 20 minute bursts with each dog a couple of times a day will make a difference.

The minute you say 'oh, OK then, pull for a bit, I can't be arsed fighting' without giving them an 'ok' or a command to pull, then you undo any work you've put in.
 
Sorry if that sounded snarky by the way...I've been there, tears, snotters and a very sore back, but I really had to force an attitude change, you used the term 'taking the pee' - so I had to think, no, you're not taking the pee out of me, I'm frustrated and I am in pain and I am so busy worrying about whether I'm 'hurting' you (I wasn't) or 'doing it right' (I wasn't) and think, no, not fighting or worrying, it wasn't fun for me and it wasn't fun for him.

If you pull, you go nowhere, you walk on a loose lead and we go forwards and have fun.
Yes, it was a pain and a slog and I did lots of laps of the local forest track in reverse, but in the long run lead walking is now a much more pleasurable experience! With the odd lapse :p
 
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I have agree with CC, I never get the whole, eyes bulge, they sound like they are choaking/they are choaking and I feel really bad or im hurting the dog...........if it thats bad u will stop doggy!! (this is where I keep reiterating the pain threshold of a dog, in comparison to us meer humans ;):p
I think maybe thats where im different, I have no sympathy, all I think of is me:rolleyes: "if im getting pulled/frustrated/feeling like breaking down, the dogs will suffer before me.

Luckily I don't need to get frustrated I get good results from a few sessions on a check chain for extreme pullers then life long slip lead walks (bliss) if I dont always have a check chain then I make a halti from the slip lead.
 
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CAYLA said:
Yep...maybe :D Im clueless, I have seen a whole bunch of them in use but could not tell u what the names are :o:D I think all harnesses unless it's a guide dog or a pulling/sled dog look ridiculous, almsot like an extra piece of equiptment to buy that serves little purpose in most cases.

Not aimed at you there Cinnomen:p
Click to expand...

They are quite good for 'disengaging' the front end by lifting them :lol: My previous Staffie x Nippy weight in excess of 35 kilos and if he saw someone he just wanted to give them a cuddle and I struggled to hold the ginger sod :o Lifting up his front end helped with that :lol:

What about a half check or martingale type collar CT? x

(hello btw :) )
 
When I walked my 2 together it was a constant race between them, individually they are fine, so we had lots of very boring walks where we didn't move much and spent more time going backwards. You do unfortunately have to put the time in.
I would agree about persevering with haltis or similar. When I first had a gencon for Evie (I far prefer them to haltis), she threw no end of tantrums and the first hundred yards of each walk involved her sliding along on her nose,but she got the message eventually , and its worth it when walks become more pleasant.
 
Hollysmum said:
What about a half check or martingale type collar CT? x

(hello btw :) )
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Hi, K!

I completely agree with the advice re be consistent, use the halti etc, lots of boring walks. Bye bye, Mrs Nice Guy! They're over 20kg each and no way am I suffering this anymore. It's bloody ridiculous. I'll have a big chat with the OH when I see him (he's on lates so I won't see him til Friday:()

I have slip leads and am hoping that eventually I can use them. I'm going to ensure that the pups get separate walks-Brig will have to come on one but walks to heel (without a lead:rolleyes:) like a star.

Roll on the lighter evenings so we can walk them together and take Brig separately.
 
Yay, that's the spirit, I'm not saying turn into an evil dog beater but it was actually Cayla who had to tell me 'You're not hurting him! Just don't LET him do that!' and when it's written down in black and white - I'm allowing my dog to pull my arms out and I am getting upset because I think *I* am hurting *him*?!
It's just an attitude change and they will respect you more for it rather than using you as a pull toy :p
 
I'm not the evil one: they are! (Bear tried to hump Brig earlier:eek:: it wasn't pretty! PMSL!:D)

It's a bit of a swine re timing as I can get home by 5 after work, OH walks them when he gets up after whatever shift he's on. I think we should only lead walk for a few weeks except for the yard visits (cos they're fun!) and take Brig on the 'run like a loony' walks.:p
 
cinammontoast said:
Hi, K!

I completely agree with the advice re be consistent, use the halti etc, lots of boring walks. Bye bye, Mrs Nice Guy! They're over 20kg each and no way am I suffering this anymore. It's bloody ridiculous. I'll have a big chat with the OH when I see him (he's on lates so I won't see him til Friday:()

I have slip leads and am hoping that eventually I can use them. I'm going to ensure that the pups get separate walks-Brig will have to come on one but walks to heel (without a lead:rolleyes:) like a star.

Roll on the lighter evenings so we can walk them together and take Brig separately.
Click to expand...

Slip leads are good, we use one on Ino :) I didn't want to suggest that because I know alot of people aren't fans of them :) I have the same issue 25kgs of Staffies one of which (Ino) pulls like stink when she gets it into her head that she IS going somewhere while Fudge (the newbie) walks perfectly to heel and ignores her encouraging him to be naughty aswell :lol:

I didn't think spaniels were as heavy as that, I guess they are thicker set in the legs etc than staffies? (I am not saying they are over weight btw just my ignorance not knowing much about other breeds :o)
 
CT I'm so glad you posted this thread... It has made me realise how much of a tit I am being with B.

Holding onto her lead while she pulls like a train has given me very bad trigger finger (x3).... but i took her half check and halti off because I was worried I was hurting her!

Think its time to find that halti and man up!
 
Hollysmum said:
I didn't think spaniels were as heavy as that, I guess they are thicker set in the legs etc than staffies? (I am not saying they are over weight btw just my ignorance not knowing much about other breeds :o)
Click to expand...

Brig's about 25kg, not terribly tall but very stocky. The pups are about 20kg, taller than Brig but skinny and need to fill out as they get older, obviously. I'd say they're a lot taller than the average Staffie.

Bear a few weeks ago: note the woe is me pose holding up poorly paw!
Bearandabadpaw.jpg


littlemisslauren said:
CT I'm so glad you posted this thread... It has made me realise how much of a tit I am being with B.

Holding onto her lead while she pulls like a train has given me very bad trigger finger (x3).... but i took her half check and halti off because I was worried I was hurting her!

Think its time to find that halti and man up!
Click to expand...

My favourite phrase! I've told the OH (via huge text sessions) that they will be walked separately, on halti or canny collars (love that name, dead funny!) and tough luck. If that proves hard, then they can have double leads with harnesses. Ooh, vicious!
 
Yup, they are. Brig is not hugely tall, the puppies are rangier and taller.

This is from last week:
IMAG00451.jpg


I think I measured Brig as 19 inches to the shoulder but I could be totally lying! He's hard to measure cos he just collapses for belly rubs!
 
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