# Best Harness Style for Pullers



## The_Monstors (Oct 1, 2010)

Our male barely goes on walks because of how unmanageable he is with pulling. He pulls so much he chokes himself and once has faceplanted into the concrete. We honestly think he doesn't get that pulling equals pain/choking. He has a lot of mental issues were working on. We will not let dogs pull us around so stopping and correcting not to pull is every few feet...we may get a block or two in 30 minutes. It's ridiculous. 

I was wondering if there is a particular harness style that would be best for a puller? He has a step in harness made out of nylon but the problem with those is there's just a thin band of ribbon down the middle of his chest and I think its what pushes on that bone that sticks out and thus makes it worse. Thanks!


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## acornah (Aug 10, 2011)

I've heard people swear by the Sporn Halter for pullers. It's supposed to be very gentle and effective: http://www.sporn.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=SPUS100

I bought one for our puppy, but our puppy is only 3 weeks old and still with his dam so I can't comment on how well it works


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Get an X-Back and a scooter. ;-)


Seriously, as a management tool while you work on loose leash walking, I prefer a front-clipping harness. Here's ours (although this happens to be clipped in the back in this picture because he was a "free doggy" at the time)...


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## Deeken (Feb 14, 2011)

I loved our Easy Walk harness for pulling. Like the one posted by sass it clips in the front. http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/collars/easywalk/description


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## Daenerys (Jul 30, 2011)

We just picked up this harness for our husky:

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2751027

The leash clasps in the front on his chest so that if he tries to pull the harness turns him sideways. Huskies are bred to pull, so we want to curb the habit before it becomes an issue.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

I don't like the easy walk harness, the freedom no pull harness is better.

I don't like the sporn either, it actually causes discomfort by tightening around the front legs when they pull, so it uses negative reinforcement. Easy walk and freedom cause no discomfort, the dog just gets turned around when it tried to pull.

But as mentioned above, a no pull harness or halti or whatever is supposed to be used temporarily to manage the pulling, while you train the dog out of it. I would suggest you search on youtube for "silky leash". It shows step by step how to do it.


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

Yup... just look around for any harness that clips in the front. A Halti/nose collar won't work on that cute little smushy pug face! I have mixed results from the no pull harnesses but with a smaller dog it shouldn't be an issue.

lil fuzzy is right... check out silky leash walking. Also, what about luring? Will he follow a food treat?


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

I like either a front attach (prefer the Sensation to the Easy walk - it fits higher on the chest) or a harness with two points of attachment (Freedom - or you can arrange a step in to do the same thing by using the side ring, threading through the front, and then attaching to both d-rings over the shoulder. No equipment is a subsitute for teaching loose leash walking


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## The_Monstors (Oct 1, 2010)

lil fuzzy/ two+ - Unfortunately he is so food driven that it's actually a distraction when we first got him that he would just hysterically just scream and attack if you brought him out. We've worked on that and slowly have been trying it as a incentive and it somewhat has been good, but notn consistent. I've tried silky leash and training on loosh leash for months. It works inside the house, but completely different going on a walk. Even when we walk him by himself as walking him with other dogs makes him worse- he's trying to catch up or trying to go faster to be first. This is also with training classes. 

I do know that using a no pull harness can be a crutch as you're not teaching them to just be not pullers, but he isn't getting better not walking. He needs walks because he is a very anxious and hyper personality, but walks have been also hurting him that he's just huffing and coughing after walks. And because he doesn't get walks, when we do it's bad. At home, he is a pacer. At dog parks- he's nuts. He's a bit calmer when he walks regularly, but you can tell he is also hurt from the pulling and I'm afraid its gonna be serious or permanent injury. I just need something to get him through effective walks while we slowly work on his pulling issue among many problems he has with training. If he is calmer and less anxious then perhaps it can help with his training. It's just a chain, a cycle right now. I'm seriously gonna try every harness mentioned. 

I do believe that he is just this type of excitable personality, but his last owners made it into a monstrous problem by not addressing him at all (he was just kenneled) then it just spiraled out of control for them and they didn't want him. They also had no need for them as they didn't have any more producing females (last one is Jezzy- I took both of them) since he was just for breeding. It's so much harder to undo behavior than teach a puppy. Only person who used to walk him is this ladys little kid who encouraged the pulling by getting him to "chase" and start running if he pulled, etc.


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## dmickle1 (Jun 19, 2011)

A front clip harness like those recommended would probably help him out a lot. 

That being said - does he *lunge* forward, or just pull really hard? If he lunges forward in a front clip, he can actually flip himself onto the sidewalk and land on his side or shoulder, which could cause an injury. I've seen it happen and it's not pretty.


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

dmickle1 said:


> A front clip harness like those recommended would probably help him out a lot.
> 
> That being said - does he *lunge* forward, or just pull really hard? If he lunges forward in a front clip, he can actually flip himself onto the sidewalk and land on his side or shoulder, which could cause an injury. I've seen it happen and it's not pretty.


That would be pretty unlikely, and probably less damaging than if he did the same thing on a head halter


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## Charis (Jul 12, 2009)

I have a Sporn Harness (good to know what it is called finally). I didn't intentionally buy this style - we bought it at a large chain store when we first adopted our Sibe as a "no-pull harness." It works well (she can still pull but not she doesn't pull as strongly - very manageable). I have never heard of it causing discomfort and our Sibe does not show any signs of discomfort (no whining, yelping, stopping, aversion to the harness, sores, redness on her skin, worn away hair, etc). She will still keep tension on the leash (and is able to pull if she wants to) however it is curbed considerably and makes us able to teach her loose leash walking much easier.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

Pawzk9 said:


> That would be pretty unlikely, and probably less damaging than if he did the same thing on a head halter


It's fairly uncommon, but Pip has done that with an Easy Walk, which is one of the reasons I don't care to use that particular brand. I think it's because the loop in the front has a bit of slack and also ends up kind of squeezing the front legs together when it tightens instead of just putting sideways pressure on the whole chest, so they can get off balance very quickly before they can really adjust to it. In any case, I don't like the Easy Walks myself although I do like front-clipping harnesses. I've never, ever had a problem with a simple leash clip on the front.


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## dmickle1 (Jun 19, 2011)

Pawzk9 said:


> That would be pretty unlikely, and probably less damaging than if he did the same thing on a head halter


Oh, definitely. Lunging and head halters do NOT mix at all. It's not THAT unlikely, but since no one else had mentioned it, I figured I'd warn the OP just in case


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## saharazin (Jun 15, 2011)

dmickle1 said:


> Oh, definitely. Lunging and head halters do NOT mix at all. It's not THAT unlikely, but since no one else had mentioned it, I figured I'd warn the OP just in case


That's the main reason I cannot use a head collar.

I use the Freedom no pull harness sometimes. My dog can still pull me down when she lunges--I have to pay close attention to her triggers and my body mechanics. 
I like the Easy Walk Harness the best, but it causes redness behind her front legs. 
I've tried the Sensation. I've had trouble getting a good fit.
Sometimes I use the Holt no pull harness--It has a ring in the front and the top. (Sort of like the Freedom) Same problem with her pulling me down.


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