Harnesses to stop pulling - any recommendations?

[thecatsabsentcojones]

I've got a two year old Labrador who can be exuberant at times, despite my best efforts! My back is a bit ropey and my GP has told me that the dog pulling is really exascerbating the injury - can anyone recommend a harness that means she doesn't quite have the power to pull that she does with a collar and a lead?

I have the exact same issue and have tried so many things but saw a behaviourist last week for other issues and she also wanted to address the pulling on lead. She has set me up with a clicker and a slightly longer lead and most crucially a front attaching harness. She recommended perfect fit or t-touch although having looked at mine we realised I could also attach my lead to the front of mine. It does make a huge difference BUT you have to reinforce with the clicker and treat aswell otherwise the dog eventually just learns to pull in whatever you use which is what happened with my previous harness.

So far so good with us but I can also see that my dog has got used to the feel of the front attachment and is starting to try to pull a bit again so I have to be really consistent with stopping when lead goes tight and reinforcing loose leads.

All I can say is that I feel your (back) pain literally and good luck !

Watching with interest.
I too have a strong lab and a weak back. Mine's 9 months so I hope he calms down eventually, but he pulls with the excitement of seeing another human or dog.
Obviously I'm trying to train him out of it but he's very strong willed!

Muffin one thing I would say is that my lab is now 3 and I hoped ( assumed) he would calm down on the lead with age but he hasn't !

What about trying a halti?

I have a dogmatic head harness thingy for our dog- works really well.

A halti is the only thing that works for my lab. He walks to heel lovely but when he sees another dog he has in the past nearly dislocated my shoulder trying to get to them to play. The Halti just stops the power dead.

Perfect Fit are great! You buy it in three different parts (choice of sizes) so the fit is excellent. Get the double ended lead to go with it and attach it at the front and from usual harness position and you'll have much more control.

Perfect Fit customer service is really good too (I don't work for them btw - I am a happy customer - they sent me a choice of sizes to try without paying for them first and trusted me to send the spare ones back.)

Yep Halti.
They just learn to stop pulling in it. Then, when not pulling has become a habit, you can go back to collar and lead, with reminding/rewarding to walk at heel.

I could not even think about going on a walk with my 2 golden retrievers with just a lead....def a harness is the way forward

I have a Perfect Fit harness for my dog. It's great for calming the pulling, and has saved my shoulder. He's very old but incredibly strong.

Follow the instructions and video on the Perfect Fit website which are really good and you end up with exactly the right size.

For harnesses, the Lupi type is the one I've found most successful at stopping pulling. It tightens across the chest if the dog pulls, enough to make the dog uncomfortable but not enough to injure it. But head collars are best of all.

The Cani-collar is the most rubbish of the head collars. You have to keep constant tension or it falls off. The Halti is the next worst. Gentle Leader was my favourite until I discovered the Pets At Home Control Head collar. It adjusts to fit far better than any of the others.

The figure of eight lead is also very good.

have this in black. didn't want anything around ddogs face.

Thanks everyone, looking at some of the other bits of Mumsnet I was expecting a 'train your dog FFS' response so it's lovely to have such a supportive one! The Perfect Fit and the Lupi sound good. I've tried her with my parents dog's face one and she went barmy but she will tolerate a harness.

I'd advise against using anything which tightens when the dog pulls, they're designed to work by causing pain or discomfort. If you've got a very determined puller who finds the reward of pulling greater than the aversion caused by the harness/collar/headcollar they'll just continue to do it and potentially cause themselves damage.

If she won't wear a headcollar (and many dogs do find them aversive to a greater or lesser degree) then a non-tightening harness with an attachment point for a lead at the front is your best bet. They're best used with a double ended lead, with one end of the lead attached normally at the back and the other attached at the front.

There's some great resources for teaching loose lead walking here and Kikopup on YouTube has some excellent videos on the subject as well.

I have the Kumfi harness which has a front chest clip. They sell them in B&M of all places for about £10

Tell a lie, I've just looked on their website and they're £7.99. I've had mine for about 2 years and it's great.

Perfect fit also gets my vote!

There is nothing that I've found that a really determined dog can't pull into if they really want to, and I've tried a lot of things out. So whatever you choose, do also work on your training. I find a tube of Primula generally goes down very well and is an excellent training aid

In headcollar terms, Dogmatics are good because they don't ride into the eyes as easily as some others, or front attaching harnesses are good. But do make sure you use a double ended training lead attached to a flat collar as well as they can wriggle out of harnesses etc if they are determined (bitter experience - ddog escaped his harness at a horse trials but fortunately was so overwrought at the sight of horses doing stuff that he didn't actually notice ).

I have a 4YO 40KG Rottweiler and I have used a halti after a while it pulled up towards the eyes and he still pulled like a train and now in use a Gencon all in one and he never pulls, walks side by side with me and can control him with TWO fingers. I highly recommend them

My 2 year old lab is on a walk your dog with love harness. It's great - not a tightening/choking one as some recommended upthread.

For when I really need safe control (busy events, town centre) I use a headcollar from Kisi. I prefer not to use it too much, as any headcollar will press down on their nose, but we're just not at a safe point of lead walking. This one at least attaches behind the head, so doesn't pull her neck round.

My 4yr cocker spaniel is a nightmare on the lead and has always pulled and pulled! We've tried various harnesses, leads and haltis and they work for a short period then she goes back to pulling like she doesn't care its uncomfortable!! I'm looking into training mine, and will try primula as suggested up thread as she is a cheese hound! X

I've got Great Danes. Tried lots over the years. Only recommend a dogmatic. Absolutely brilliant.

And my 14 year old can walk tow of ours at once with them wearing their dogmatics and dd is a skinny minny.