Posts Tagged ‘leashes’

As a professional pet sitter and dog walker, I run across quite a lot of dogs who pull as hard as they can when we go for walks. I don’t enjoy walks when being pulled (even when it’s a small dog), and I honestly think the dogs get a lot more out of a controlled walk than just going dog wild (haha). A walk should be enjoyable for all parties involved, and it’s possible with the right tools and understanding of the dog or dogs that are being walked.

What will work for one dog doesn’t  necessarily work for another. You should never put any sort of tightening collar on dogs like shih tzus, as you can cause a lot of permanent and painful damage to their trachea. In fact, any tightening collars (martingales, chain choke collars, pinch collars, etc), need to stay off of the mid-throat area, and stay under the chin and close to the ears. This gives the walker more control over the head of the dog, and keeps the excited dog from choking himself on the collar and causing throat damage.

There are so many choices of harnesses, collars and other tools that you can choose from, the list goes on and on. Listed below are some of the tools that I have used or have seen being used. If you have any experiences, good or bad, with any of these or have something to add, please leave a comment.

Cesar Millan’s (The Dog Whisperer) Illusion Collar- This collar just arrived at our home yesterday and we tried it out on Josie, our golden retriever/shepherd mix who is “in training.” She does pretty well on walks for a lot of the time, but when we first set out to walk, she likes to pull. If she sees another dog, or sometimes a kid, she jumps around and goes nuts! This collar seems to be working very well. I’m in total control while walking her (along my other two dogs on their leashes), she walks right beside me, and there is no worry that the collar is hurting her neck. Below is a picture of her wearing the collar.

The Illusion collar isn’t for everyone. Here is the warning on Cesar’s website:

WARNING: If your dog’s neck measures less than 13 inches at the base, or your dog weighs less than 18 lbs, you should NOT use the collar. The Illusion collar is not intended for puppies under one year of age. Dogs with any breathing problems, such as “pushed-in faces” that restrict breathing; dogs with trachea or throat problems, such as Pomeranians; and dogs with elongated, overly slender necks, such as Greyhounds, should NOT use the collar. Consult your local professional for further advice.

The Gentle Leader- When we fostered a very rambunctious wire haired terrier mix named Dixon, we knew immediately that he had issues on the leash. He was out of control, jumping every where, biting at the leash and our legs, trying to get anything that moved….we needed some help! We tried a regular harness and a slip lead, but neither really helped. The only way we got him even halfway under control was the Gentle Leader. This is a collar that goes around the actual head of the dog and loops around their mouths, and the leash attaches under the chin on a loop. Sounds uncomfortable, and it does take some dogs longer than others to get used to it, but it helped us teach Dixon what we wanted him to do. I don’t have a picture of Dixon on his Gentle Leader, but I found a random picture to share.

Here is what the Gentle Leader website says about the head collar:

Millions of dog owners today enjoy the benefits of stress-free walks thanks to the Gentle Leader Headcollar. Designed so that owners can communicate with their pet in a way they instinctively understand, the Gentle Leader painlessly and effectively removes the dog’s natural tendency to pull by placing gentle pressure on calming points and eliminating uncomfortable pressure on the throat. In addition to reducing a dog’s desire to pull away, the Gentle Leader is also a very effective tool in combating lunging, jumping, excessive barking and helping to calm an aggressive and/or anxious animal.

Easy Walk Harness- I don’t have much experience with these harnesses, but I’ve seen them work with other people walking their dogs. When the dog tries to pull, this harness makes them feel like they’re turning back around, so they stop pulling to stop themselves from turning. Here’s what the Easy Walk Harness says about their harnesses:

Traditional harnesses can actually encourage dogs to pull harder because of the “opposition reflex.”  That’s the reflex that makes sled dogs do what they do. The Easy Walk Harness’ unique front-chest leash attachment stops pulling by tightening slightly across your dog’s chest and shoulder blades. The gentle pressure steers your dog to the side and redirecting his attention back towards you. The Easy Walk Harness never causes coughing, gagging, or choking because the chest strap rests low across the breastbone, not on the delicate tracheal area.

These are just three of the many tools to choose from. I don’t choose to talk about pinch or prong collars or choke chain collars, but they are an option out there for the right dog, if and only if they are used in the correct way. Never yank or pull your dog by the neck, or really at all. There are always positive things that you can do to train your dog. Remember that food is the way to a lot of dogs’ hearts. Feed them a little less at meals if you use treats for training (so they don’t get overweight), and while training give them a delicious treat that they only get at training times. Cooked chicken or little bits of hot dog always work well for me.

Your dog wants to please you, his master, but we need to try to understand that the dog is a DOG trying to live in the human world. With patience and understanding, the sky is the limit for your dog. It’s in you to help your dog understand what you want. You just have to find your groove.

Always be a little kinder than necessary.  ~James M. Barrie