Cosmolo Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Thats true Sas- but some people can't do it with the dog they have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravyk Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 I use a easy walk harness on Spot [thanks to the wonderful insight of Cosmolo and Underdog!!] and I have to say he walks much much better now. He used to walk on a taut lead or pulled like a steam train, but now he is content walking on loose lead [except when he 'needs' to sniff that tree/post/dog] 95% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 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. Agreed, it's usually possible but not always in the time available. Another issue is safety. The majority of my clients are women with large, strong, reactive or aggressive dogs. I think it's essential that these owners are relying on the conditioning and NOT the tool, and they are highly motivated so they do learn how to train the dog. But I still ask them to use a front-attaching harness or head halter in case something goes wrong. It can be attached to a double-ended leash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huski Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 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? No I don't think that at all - sorry Cos I think you've misunderstood me... I don't mean the trainer should be able to train the dog both with or without a tool. I meant that whether or not you are using a tool, the method you use is important. I totally agree that a tool is often necessary for the owner's sake. I would be concerned if a trainer couldn't get a dog walking on a loose leash with a tool, teaching loose leash walking should not be hard for a good trainer. You see a lot of owners focusing on what tool will stop their dog from pulling, and they go through heaps of them to no avail... because they don't have the method and theory to use with the tool. The tool should not be the sole focus, a dog can learn to pull on any equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 I agree with you there Huski. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverHaze Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 I used an easy walk harness - and it did stop my older boy who's a shocking puller from pulling on the lead. A bit like power steering. Of course we did have a nasty side effect - he started screaming at me everytime he got to the end of the lead and was stopped by the harness!!! Not being able to pull left him just a tad frustrated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megan_ Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 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. Agree. If you are training a dog to walk on a loose leash with a flat collar you are meant to stop every time the dog pulls (or some variation of this method). If you have an older active dog that needs to get mental and physical stimulation how are they going to get their exercise if it takes weeks and weeks of stop start walking (for some dogs it isn't simple)? If a harness means that the dog gets a daily walk, sees new things, sniffs new smells etc then it is the lesser of two evils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkycat Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 I used an easy walk harness - and it did stop my older boy who's a shocking puller from pulling on the lead. A bit like power steering. Of course we did have a nasty side effect - he started screaming at me everytime he got to the end of the lead and was stopped by the harness!!! Not being able to pull left him just a tad frustrated Must be a spitz thing -my Lappie sat and had a massive howl when I put the easy walk harness on her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keroppiyo Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 I used an easy walk harness - and it did stop my older boy who's a shocking puller from pulling on the lead. A bit like power steering. Of course we did have a nasty side effect - he started screaming at me everytime he got to the end of the lead and was stopped by the harness!!! Not being able to pull left him just a tad frustrated Must be a spitz thing -my Lappie sat and had a massive howl when I put the easy walk harness on her Haha, I was planning to get one of these for my Samoyed, Buffy. Not sure if she'll have a hissy-fit too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkycat Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 I used an easy walk harness - and it did stop my older boy who's a shocking puller from pulling on the lead. A bit like power steering. Of course we did have a nasty side effect - he started screaming at me everytime he got to the end of the lead and was stopped by the harness!!! Not being able to pull left him just a tad frustrated Must be a spitz thing -my Lappie sat and had a massive howl when I put the easy walk harness on her Haha, I was planning to get one of these for my Samoyed, Buffy. Not sure if she'll have a hissy-fit too. Once she got over the initial shock it worked really well and she stopped pulling - then I realised that I actually need her to pull me up our very steep street Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keroppiyo Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Once she got over the initial shock it worked really well and she stopped pulling - then I realised that I actually need her to pull me up our very steep street Once she learned to stop pulling, did you switch back to a regular collar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iggy mum Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 I've been reading this thread and thought I'd do a web search re the sporn harness. Ended up looking on eBay and I found two harness that say the same but look different. Could someone knowledgeable in these harnesses please have a look at the two links below and tell me what the difference is and which type is better. thanks http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Sporn-Small-Black-D...=item2a01e4e324 http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-Sporn-Non-Pull-...=item53ddc03c1a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 They are different designs- personally, i wouldn't use either and prefer harnesses that connect at the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iggy mum Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 (edited) They are different designs- personally, i wouldn't use either and prefer harnesses that connect at the front. Where would I search for one of those???? ETA Are they adjustable to properly fit the iggy shape?? Edited March 2, 2010 by iggy mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkycat Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Once she got over the initial shock it worked really well and she stopped pulling - then I realised that I actually need her to pull me up our very steep street Once she learned to stop pulling, did you switch back to a regular collar? Yes but only down hill or on the flat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagittarian Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 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. From the perspective of a retailer, we have so many dog owners who have found that harness (or the Sporn) to be the difference between not walking at all, or enjoying the time with their dog. Not everyone will use a trainer, no matter how much we'd like them to and no matter who we recommend. And unfortunately, a lot of people that have come in have had negative experiences with training (not at all breeds clubs, I have to say) that have lead them to believe that either they are useless, or that the dog is untrainable. Fortunately, fitting an EW harness or similar will almost always show these people that their dog is not a lost cause and nor are they. Happy dog, happy owner, makes sense. In an ideal world, it would be about people spending the time and money to effectively train and bond. In the real world, not always as simple. Sags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 I liked the Sporn harness until Benson chewed it up, It works and it's very gentle on the dog......and unlike a head collar, he didn't mind it one bit. Benson was a puller, shockingly so. He's not now, but I had to do heaps of training with him to stop him from pulling.....but I still had to walk him every day and some days I just wanted to go for a walk, not constantly correct him, make quick turns to keep him guessing, continually have to be aware of how fast he was heading in front of me and when to apply the correction. Sometimes I just wanted a peaceful, pleasant walk with my dog and not come home with my arm half out of it's socket and my hand hurting from leash-burn. So anything that stopped him pulling without hurting him was a blessing. He hated head collars, but the Sporn head collar wasn't bad. The harnesses were good, because he didn't hate them and they allowed both of us to have a nice walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greying-fast Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 http://www.petshop-online.com.au/prod537.htm In response to a couple of queries, this is the one we got (or maybe the size smaller, also at the same on-line store) which looks like the first one in Iggy-mum's post. It looks incredibly flimsy and I didn't believe for one moment it would work, so when we first used it we had a solid collar and lead on her as well. It's been brilliant and she's not pulled since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giraffez Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 i have an ezy walker and you do notice straight away less pulling. Hasn't completely stopped yet but definitely less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 and maybe you misunderstood me Cosmolo. My comment was because the OP said the trainer could not get the dog to walk nicely either. One good session with a GOOD trainer to find the CORRECT equipment the dog needs and that makes the owner happy. what does it matter if i can take a dog and get it to walk on a loose lead if an owner can't? I dont know about you but I dont leave a consultation with a dog the owner cannot handle... thats why they pay me to come over, find a workable solution. The point is to find the right method and equipment that suits the owners capabilities and show them how to make life easier for all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now