A Little Help for Leash Walks
The right tools for the job can make it much easier.
For the majority of dogs I’ve lived with and worked with, learning to walk on a loose leash requires continued work over time. Besides the canine instincts to chase and sniff, most dogs walk faster than us, and the average pooch is going to throw their proverbial back into dragging you along. Needless to say, a leash walk with minimal pulling is an excellent goal since it means more comfortable, safe and enjoyable exercise time for everyone. For the many dogs, good leash walking skills requires some level of ongoing attention, especially during the early years of youth. During this time, equipment that helps you counter your dog’s strength can be helpful in managing your dog’s pulling inclinations. I usually turn to a “no-pull” harness first because a well-fit harness is readily accepted by most dogs, requires less handler skill and is generally helpful for mild to moderate pullers. A good, no-pull harness has a ring that connects the leash high on the front of the dog’s chest. This tends to pull or turn the dog slightly off center when s/he pulls forward. It is often used most effectively with a multi-use leash to minimize the harness shifting on the body.
It’s very important to use a harness with a “Y” shaped front that allows for normal shoulder and leg movement. Many of the original no-pull harnesses (especially the popular Easy Walker) are restrictive, which can cause injuries with repetitive use. I often see dogs wearing harnesses that droop low on the chest, which can inhibit normal walking and may even allow some dogs to slip their front legs out of the harness. I also see harnesses that fit too closely behind the front legs, causing chafing and limiting shoulder movement.
I’m always on the look-out for new harness brands, and below, are some of my current favorites.
The Balance Harness is a tried and true choice. It is well structured, but may take some getting used to when putting it on your dog.
The PerfectFit modular harness allows for a lot of size customization and padding, which is helpful for hard-to-fit dogs. It more expensive and I definitely find it more complicated to put together.
The Comfort Control No-Pull Harness is my current favorite for larger or stronger dogs since it is so well made. Plus, I love the colors! However, it does need to be slipped over a dog’s head, which is harder for some dogs to accept.
The Kurgo Journey and Tru Fit harnesses can be less confounding options because they slip over the dog’s head. My quibble with both is that the chest ring for the leash often falls lower than it should for optimal use and the harness tends not to fit as snuggly, but this is not necessarily a deal-breaker.
The In.Line No Pull Dog Harness looks interesting, although I’ve not yet seen it in action. The harness looks sturdy and nicely padded and if you’ve used it on your dog, I’d love to hear about it!
No equipment is perfect, and you aren’t alone if you are initially confused by the no-pull harness. Many of the harness websites have worthwhile instructional videos that demonstrate proper fit and placement. I also suggest that you practice putting it on a stuffed dog several times before trying to wrangle your actual dog. When walking with a no-pull harness, you may find that the leash gets caught under your dog’s front legs sometimes. This usually happens because the handler is letting the leash drop too low or letting out too much of the leash. Ideally, you want the leash to have some slack, but not droop below the bottom of your dog’s chest.
Less equipment is the ultimate goal for an eventual, mature adult dog walk. Every dog should have a regular, flat buckle or snap collar for holding id tags, or a martingale collar to limit a collar from slipping off a dog with a narrower head. But, neither collar type does much to limit canine pullers, which depends more on your training efforts and your dog’s individual characteristics. But, a good no-pull equipment can make walks more fun and safe for you and your dog while you continue to work towards better leash walking skills with your dog.
