Am I The Only One These Days?

[OSoSwift]

Mine walk on limited slip collars purely for safety - they can easily slip flat collars due to the fact their heads are barely bigger than their necks. It means I do not have to worry about them getting away from me.

Benson can back out of a slip collar, he's the only dog I've ever seen do it deliberately. He walks quietly beside me, relaxes his neck muscles, drops his chin and somehow or other, just a bit of a gentle flick with his head and voila, he's off and running.

So, I walk him with it up under his chin and on a short, taut lead. He has way too many brains for his own safety and figures things out that I would never think a dog could understand.

Haven't had that happen as yet!!

They walk in front at the end of their lead as such but not pulling, sometimes Rommi drops back beside.

I have them done up firmly so they cannot slide off if they drop their head, and then there is the limited slip bit so they tighten more if required. I have never had one back up and drop their head or anything so thankfully I don't think they know they could?? Well I don't think they know.

Benson is a smart lad, hope he only uses those brains for good!

[whiskedaway]

We've done almost every type of collar available due to Akira's pulling. We started with a flat collar, then a harness (she now only wears that in the car or if we're walking a short distance because she pulls the worst in it), then the obedience school suggested a halti (which didn't work), then we tried a martingale and now we use a slip collar. Slip is the only thing that's really helped so far, or maybe we're just making a break through in her training finally!

[Niques]

We alternate between a Halti and flat collar when walking. The Halti was not bought for LLW, but rather to have much more control over him when we approach other dogs as he is prone to going nuts. We're making progress though and he will now nearly always settle on a flat collar when we see a dog in the distance. However, I still like the Halti on him for the times where I can see he's going to completely lose it as the dog gets closer. We're getting closer to completely weaning him off it.

It's also useful to keep him moving when he spies a scrub turkey Tis mighty hard to pull his focus off them.

I never see Haltis/harnesses being used around my area It's either flat collar or off-leash. And the off-leash dogs are always very friendly and generally well-behaved.

[Koemi]

I never bothered to train Tucky to walk on a loose lead. Bambi walked beautifully, and T always pulled and I didn't really care because at least one dog behaved. It's a completely different kettle of fish now I only have one and we have started clicker training (today). After one session he is already not pulling so hard and has learned to sit and look at me if he tugs to the point where I stop and wait for him

It can be hard and I understand why a lot of people don't bother, because I didn't, but it's become an inconvenience for me now and I really want to be able to stroll along with him without dreading it. I don't want to let him down either. He can heel but only for about 3 seconds before he gets bored and starts pulling again! So that's something else we have to work on.

[Simply Grand]

I think its a bit sad that puppy schools are recommending people go straight to a no pull harness, regardless of whether the dog pulls or not, rather than teaching the traditional llw.

Our obedience club won't let you use a check chain but any dog that is naughty or pulls is told to use a halti, which i think is just wrong!

I know personally with my current dog that i would be able to achieve a better result using a check chain if needed than a halti.

I agree. I certainly think that for a puppy, or a small dog that you can physically restrain, a halti shouldn't be necessary. Obviously you may need a collar or harness your dog can't wriggle out of!

Learning how to teach a puppy to loose lead walk is invaluable training for both the puppy - in learning their relationship with their owner/handler, and the world - and the owner/handler. It works off the basics of training, where the puppy learns to look to you for guidance and follow your lead, and doesn't get a reward for doing the wrong thing. It would be good if puppy owners at least got the chance to learn how to train their dog properly.

[Simply Grand]

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[Sayly]

Flat collar for Gracie, cloth martingale for Pop and limited slip for Ruby (so she can't back out of it) and for Holly because I found a gorgeous set that I just had to have and it was a limited slip, and it's easy to put on/off plus it seems nice to her coat.

Everyone up here walks their dogs on a flat or check chains, or no lead.

[Paptacular!]

Flat collars here with lead.

[Tay.]

I walk Bailey on a flat collar and Jess on a harness. She can walk nicely on a collar but when I'm walking her I just let her be feral, which isn't too good her neck.

[RubyStar]

I'd happily take people around my area walking their dogs on harnesses and head halters over what they currently do, no leash at all The small percentage that do walk their dogs responsibly on lead, use flat collars from what I can see. Have seen a couple of head halters but no harnesses.

I walk mine on flat collars too, but admit that I rarely walk them because I am too afraid by all the loose dogs in my neighbourhood. Their exercise involves a free run in a safe area and training a few nights a week.

[huski]

I'm a flat collar and leash gal (Mish is on a martingale though because his head is so narrow). I have no problem with training tools when used properly but hate seeing them used as bandaids.

[sllebasi]

i used a halti for approx 2 months as my dog went through a stage of every dog that was nearby she would stand there and stare at them which i thought could be seen as a dominant or aggressive stance, and no amount of encouraging or moving the lead would dislodge her. With the halti at least i could break the habit and now we are back onto the flat collar and leash.

[sas]

I don't really care what training tool / aid people use as long as it is suitable for the dog and it means the owners actually walk their dogs.

Teaching a dog to heel is one of the most common complaints from pet owners, many savvy dogs owners find it very easy to train where-as others struggle with it and if they struggle too much they won't walk the dog.

[WreckitWhippet]

Limited slip collars here or check chains, but no halti's

I saw an SBT being walked. Well I'm not sure what you'd really call it , but it consisted of the bitches head pulled so tight against her body, from the force of the head collar and lead, that she was walking sideways down the street. Her head was tucked into her body and was still pulling like a freight train.

Poor bloody dog

[dee lee]

Some dogs are absolute shits to walk. My staffy x was one.

We used everything, including a prong, and she still pulled.

Eventually after much training I got her somewhat under control, but that involved a martingale and having her at heel for the duration of hour walk. If I relaxed for even a moment she was off again.

She was a skinny 17kgs and could pull me over- it's the muscle power and inclination, not just the size and weight.

Honey is a dream to walk in comparison and despite being 10kgs heavier I never feel she could pull me over.

She is walked on a flat collar no problem.

[pipsqueak]

Flat collar and martingale here (for the sighthound x).

However, it has taken us 2 yrs for one dog and 6 months for the other dog to get to this point. I think flat collars and training is all well and good for puppies. However, when you pass judgement, please consider the owners like myself, who adopt their dogs as adults, at 12-18 mths of age and have had ZERO training. That, I feel, is an uphill battle. And yes, I took both dogs to training, to be told a different thing by a different instructor every week - that dog must be on an "insert training tool" - to be told off the next week for either refusing to put my sighthound cross on a halti (I personally believe her speed and a halti would be a deadly combination) or for having put the other dog on a check chain... not exactly things to encourage an owner to return, and I will admit that I often left training in tears, thinking "why bother". Add to that, one dog being charged by an off-lead dog (no owners) one morning, just when our LLW was starting to come under control. That honestly set our training back 6-12 months and added reactivity to the challenge.

[Gayle.]

I can relate to the ridiculous things advised by well intentioned instructors. I had one tell me that all dogs should be trained on a correction collar (chain), while looking pointedly at my very well behaved, beautiful heel-walking 5 month old puppy. This is a pup who draws comments from all quarters about his good behaviour and lovely manners in class.

I simply trained him at home til he was good e ough to move up to the next class.

[corvus]

I don't really care what training tool / aid people use as long as it is suitable for the dog and it means the owners actually walk their dogs.

Me either. I don't think it is a shame that people are taught to train LLW with tools. I think the alternative didn't work very well and I'm just glad people have options that at least get their dogs out there being walked. I don't think it's a big deal if a dog never learns to walk on leash without those tools. Who cares? If that's what those people find acceptable and they are walking their dogs, just, who freaking cares? When are those tools not going to be available? I think it's kind of hypocritical to grump about people relying on tools. What's a flat collar and leash?

[poodlefan]

All these gadgets have their uses but it does worry me to see haltis and harnesses used as the 'default' position for training when there are no issues.

Haltis on tiny dogs and pups make me shudder.

Haltis used with flexi leads or to tie a dog up are even worse.

I think people have this idea that the halti is a benign and "kinder" method of restraint than a collar. Sadly, not so.

There is a couple that walk their dog on a restrictive flyball harness in my suburb. I bite my tongue every time I see it.

Edited December 22, 2010 by poodlefan

[minxy]

We walk Kyojin loose leash with just a plain collar and leash. He's 5 and a half months, and about 30 or so kilos. He doesn't pull, so I haven't given a harness much thought. I'm waiting for him to be fully grown so I can buy him a K9Pro leash and collar so that when he is much bigger and stronger, I have a tougher leash than the nylon ones I'm using currently.