Easy Walk Harnesses

[Kirty]

My mum's dally is a puller. She has tried flat collars, halties, check chains, etc. Even the obedience instructor couldn't get her to stop pulling! I saw a dog being walked recently with one of those easy walk harnesses (the one that goes across the chest). Has anyone used one of these? Do they actually work?

[Gayle.]

I used one for Benson when he was a puppy and yes it worked, although they still pull, they don't pull hard and it's easier to correct them and praise them for being in the right position.

Has she tried a Sporn head halter? I found that was much more successful than a halti and kinder to the dogs face. It's basically a webbing collar with loops, and a narrower, padded nose piece that loops around the collar and over the dogs nose. When the dog is in the correct position for a given length of time, you can slip the nose piece off and just use the collar as a flat collar.

[greying-fast]

I've used a Sporn chest halter on a largish dog (around 30 kgs - greyhound X) who otherwise pulls like a train. It fits around the shoulders under the armpits (with lambs wool buffers) and is secured at the back with a very light adjustment. I don't know what it does (in theory) but in practise it turns her into the easiest dog in the world to walk.

I've used the halti on other dogs and they tend to shy and flip out a bit (at least at first, even though it makes them much more manageable) - the Sporn harness seems to work without any adverse impact on the dog.

[Poodle Mum]

I have tried the ezi-walker on my Std Poodles.....and I am not a fan of harnesses for anti-pulling......give me a head collar any day!!!

But I decided to give it a try....& they have been great.

I am even teaching owners in my puppy classes about them.

[puggy_puggy]

Ask Cosmolo about them. It's either the Easy Walk Harnesses or a very similar product that Underdog Training use for some dogs.

[carlibud]

I love the harness They just seem to make them pull so much less but dont really know why.

[Cosmolo]

Sensible harnesses are one harness we have trialled- with some scepticism to start- and used with much success! Not for all dogs and not a cure all but can work amazingly well for those suited to it.

[spottychick]

Kirty - I have a dalmatian who pulled like mad when I first tried to walk him a couple of months ago because he'd never been walked before in all his 8 years of life. It took just a few walks with the Easy Walk harness and now he's behaving really well on a lead. But it has to be the Easy Walk harness or similar. Some people confuse this harness with other ordinary ones but the biggest thing is to have the clip part at THE FRONT and not on the back. Apparently if you clip a lead to a harness with the loop at the back it can encourage the dog to pull more (eg that's how they get dogs to pull sleds etc). But with the clip thing at the front they can't pull against you. If they pull it just turns them around toward you. They take a little getting used to (for the human more than the dog) but dogs seem to love that its NOT attached to their necks and they aren't being pulled around by the head or neck like they would be on a collar or head halter.

I also combined the EW harness with a lunge lead once I had him walking nicely on a loose leash and now I alternate between going for a jog with him at the furthest extent of the lunge lead (so he can feel free) and then he slows down when I ask him to and comes back to me and walks on a short loose lead.

I can't recommend the EW harness (or similar) enough as a training tool and have convinced two other people in my town to get one by letting them try mine on their long-term back-breaker dogs

[rose of tralee]

This is timely as I managed to lose herself's Halti when I took it off towards the end of a walk. The Halti seemed to stimulate her to poke her nose out and I'm keen to try a harness. Lola's specialities have been lightning fast reversals of direction (oops, missed that smell) and equally rapid lunges to the fence line on the right.

[slk]

I nearly got the easy walk harness, but our vet put me onto a sporn harness and I have to say - for our Max who is a shocking puller - it worked an absolute TREAT! From the first walk he went from a choking, gagging, pulling nightmare of a dog to a dream who just trots next to you on his lead!

We've been using it for a week and this morning, while fumbling around in the dark I couldn't find his halter to I just clipped to his flat collar and off we went - perfect! He didn't pull once

It's it's a sporn harness for us all the way

Edited March 1, 2010 by slk

[chuckandsteve]

My very difficult dog uses it. The trainer couldn't stop him pulling either, he still does pull but with nowhere near the force he use to. Just be careful sometimes they can rub his armpits.

Grey-fasting where did you get yours?

[CavsRcute]

A friend who has a very large staffy has been using the "come along harness" with great success.

[Nekhbet]

find a new trainer

[huski]

find a new trainer

Agreed - getting a dog to walk on a loose leash should be easy for a good trainer. It's not really about the tool but the method.

[Cosmolo]

Sorry but i disagree with huski and nekhbet- what does it matter if i can take a dog and get it to walk on a loose lead if an owner can't? Some owners cannot do whats required and need the assistance of tools that manage the dog and make it easier. Some owners do not have the timing and co ordination thats required and while many can learn it, some cannot.

I don't see the issue with using a tool that creates no issue for the dog (unlike a headcollar) that makes life easier for the owner.

[spottychick]

The thing I like about the harness is that it's completely stress free. Sure I could try to get him walking with a flat collar by using a whole lot of training techniques and working hard at training him every time I take him walking. Or I could stick a head harness on him and battle through the head tossing, panic-stricken reactions. But I'd rather not thanks.

The EW harness let me take him walking from day one with no effort and no need to push him to learn things he wasn't ready for yet. This has freed me up to just happily and calmly teach him things as I feel like it while we're walking along rather than make the whole thing a 'training exercise'. I don't come home with pulled muscles and a headache and he doesn't come home feeling uptight and stressed. And with a dog like Tango that's vital. As he'd never been walked before I wanted to focus on him feeling like going for walks was "normal", relaxing around all the distractions, meeting other dogs and socialising with people and animals etc and letting him follow Peppers lead (she is angelic on walks - on or off-lead LOL) so he could also learn from her.

I don't know how well I've explained that but I just wanted to address the comment "it's not about the tool but the method". The right tool is important because it makes it easy/easier to apply the right method/s, I reckon.

[huski]

Sorry but i disagree with huski and nekhbet- what does it matter if i can take a dog and get it to walk on a loose lead if an owner can't? Some owners cannot do whats required and need the assistance of tools that manage the dog and make it easier. Some owners do not have the timing and co ordination thats required and while many can learn it, some cannot.

I don't see the issue with using a tool that creates no issue for the dog (unlike a headcollar) that makes life easier for the owner.

I'm not saying there is any issue with using a tool, but a good trainer should be able to show a client how to get their dog to walk on a loose leash (with or without a tool). When I said it's about the method, I meant that it's not just about what tool you use, but how it is used that's important.

ETA: I've seen dogs learn to pull on prong collars because the handler is not using a good method with the tool. I'm sure the same can be said for any tool that's used to get a dog to walk on a loose leash.

Edited March 2, 2010 by huski

[Pete.the.dog]

I've tried to get the loose leash walking thing right - and for some reason I am hopelessly incompetent.

I'm going to wait for Steve to come to Adelaide for one last try - and if I'm still hopelessly incompetent after he's shown me what to do - I'm buying a harness!

Colosmo I agree - For those of us who are too dumb (or have dogs who are too challanging) I think it's probably a great tool

But Huski I also agree with your point that a trainer should be able to get the dogs walking lose leash - even if that doesn't translate to the owner being able to do it.

[sas]

find a new trainer

Ditto.

A trainers job is to train the handler how to time corrections, how to hold the lead as well....it's the most important process.

Regardless of what tool you choose to work with, they all require some sort of timing and education.

Edited March 2, 2010 by sas

[Cosmolo]

Huski do you think a trainer should be able to take any dog with any history and teach loose lead walking on a flat collar? 'with or without a tool'? How long should this take?

Some dogs cannot walk on a loose lead without a tool for various reasons. If i said tool doesn't matter and put every dog on a flat collar i would have some owners pulled down the street, others too scared to take their dog for a walk etc. There is a difference between POSSIBLE and PRACTICAL.

As a trainer you also have to recognise that some people cannot be consistent- or choose not be consistent- i would rather see these dogs on a sensible harness or front connecting harness than any other piece of equipment. And saying 'but they should be consistent' is all well and good- but if they're not going to be, why not make it easier for them and the dog?

Let me give you an example- Mum with children, walks dog to school with children, twice a day. Many methods would involve more time being taken such as stopping, changing direction etc, making the children late for school, meaning dogs stops going for those 2 walks per day. Mums focus is getting the kids to school, not training the dog. Is that better for the dog? Why not put the dog on a harness for those walks and then actively train loose lead walking on a different piece of equipment at other times?

Fitting everyone into the one basket doesn't work- this is how people and dogs fall through the cracks

This is not my preference- i want everyone to be 100% consistent, 100% of the time. But not everyone is this way and i thinkits important to have options!