# harness or collar for pitbulls?



## sugabby (Jun 23, 2007)

What would you reccomend a collar or harness, and what kind? She's currently using a nylon buckle collar, but I tihnk she is allegric to nylon because she's getting a rash. She pulls alot, and I think since she is a pitbull and has a strong neck, she ignores me pulling her back. Also, I hear pulling on collars causes spine damage.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

If she's pulling already, the LAST thing you want to do is make it easier for her to pull by using a harness. I would recommend a martengale collar and teaching her not to pull.


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## Lightwingcreations (May 7, 2007)

You might want to look into getting a Halti collar or a Gentle Leader (you can Google these to find out what they are about). Although, if your dog likes to take off running I would not use either of those. I don't recommend getting a harness for a dog that pulls on the leash because it concentrates their power enabling them to pull you better. I realize that it will help protect their throat/neck but it will not cure your problem. I'm adding a link to a great loose leash walking article that will help you turn your dog into a "pleasure" to walk.

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/lltotal.htm


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## britishbandit (Dec 11, 2006)

I'd suggest getting the harness that works like a gentle leader, without the risk of neck injury or the dog slipping the head piece. The leash clips to front (chest) part of the harness.


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## Alpha (Aug 24, 2006)

I suggest working on her heel command with a normal flat buckle leather collar if you think she's allergic to nylon. 

My mother uses a halti for her large dog, but they are known to cause back/neck injuries.

A *normal* harness would probably just make it easier for her to pull, less stressful for her at least. (Not the kind that britishbandit is talking about, they are supposed to work well)

Hades was an awful puller as well. Just horrible. Pure strength and muscle no regard to choking himself out. We used a few methods for heeling, the stopping until he was back in heel, dropping the slack and turning the other way worked well too. I know with him, and a few other pits I've come into contact with, that it doesn't matter WHAT TOOL you use, if you don't work on a good heel command, they'll still pull. I've seen at least two pits here in town that have raw and bleeding necks from prong collars... Do they still pull? Yep.


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## Jen D (Apr 23, 2007)

A harness is going to encourage pulling, get a leather collar and work on just continually changing direction when walking.


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## chucky (Mar 5, 2007)

nither will teach them not to pull, i had a big mutt long time ago he used to pull like a tank, i tought him not to, it looks brutal, but it doesn,t hurt the dog, at least big one, i would push his rear side sideways with my foot, it will make him loose ballance, sometimes fall, but it will get his attention(all you need when the dog is in pull mode), followed by loud no, or whatever word you choose, few mounth later in the "traning" he would look at me before pulling, and make sure it is ok by me(in cases when he pulls snow sled, or me on a skateboard), if i say no he wont pull.
as for harness, all my dogs had harnesses, i don,t like neck collar, the reason it is much easyer to grab on a harness, in case a need to catch the dog, and when you catch him on the run collar can damage his neck(there is more force involved when dog is running and you catch him, than when he is just pulling, static load vs dynamic load)


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## Jen D (Apr 23, 2007)

chucky said:


> nither will teach them not to pull, i had a big mutt long time ago he used to pull like a tank, i tought him not to, it looks brutal, but it doesn,t hurt the dog, at least big one, i would push his rear side sideways with my foot, it will make him loose ballance, sometimes fall, but it will get his attention(all you need when the dog is in pull mode), followed by loud no, or whatever word you choose, few mounth later in the "traning" he would look at me before pulling, and make sure it is ok by me(in cases when he pulls snow sled, or me on a skateboard), if i say no he wont pull.
> as for harness, all my dogs had harnesses, i don,t like neck collar, the reason it is much easyer to grab on a harness, in case a need to catch the dog, and when you catch him on the run collar can damage his neck(there is more force involved when dog is running and you catch him, than when he is just pulling, static load vs dynamic load)


Where did you get that info from? Harnesses encourage pulling what do you think they use at pulls? You also have less control with them, I have never seen one in the show ring either.


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## chucky (Mar 5, 2007)

Jen D said:


> Where did you get that info from? Harnesses encourage pulling what do you think they use at pulls? You also have less control with them, I have never seen one in the show ring either.


from experience, harness doesn,t encurage pulling, it is lack of traning that does, all my dogs had harnesses but none pulled just becouse of that, it is how you let your dogs behave matters, not what you put on it. have you ever seen eye seeing dogs to pull? they all have harnesses, why don,t they pull then?? traning, is the key.


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## Jen D (Apr 23, 2007)

chucky said:


> from experience, harness doesn,t encurage pulling, it is lack of traning that does, all my dogs had harnesses but none pulled just becouse of that, it is how you let your dogs behave matters, not what you put on it. have you ever seen eye seeing dogs to pull? they all have harnesses, why don,t they pull then?? traning, is the key.


If their so well trained why the need to grab the harness when the dog takes off? I have a friend that is blind with a dog and it has a collar and a leash that goes on it so yes they are trained for a collar and leash. Another person I know trains these dogs as pups before they go to the other training and guess what they use a collar and leash.


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## Jen D (Apr 23, 2007)

This is before or when the dog is off duty and the harness they use is much different then what you are talking about.


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