Loose lead training with collar

[inappropriatelyemployed]

We have a harnass and use that but I was really surpised to see loose lead training with a collar being strongly recommended by a well-known charity.

The chances of a puppy pulling seem extremely high and unless you can guarantee this will never happen, aren't you potentially going to risk injury?

Thoughts welcome!

Unless a collar is uncomfortably tight it can come off if your puppy pulls back. A harness is much safer.

I don't like the idea of leads secured to collars - too much chance of a dog (especially a puppy) pulling too hard and getting injured. A harness is much safer and far less likely to cause injury.

If you use the correct method, then no they should never pull enough to hurt themselves on a collar. Also young puppies shoulders can be damaged by pulling in a harness so just because a harness stops the pulling on the neck doesn't mean it stops any damage with puppy being enabled to pull.

Bed that very much depends on the breed. Both of my spaniels can wear a collar very loosely on their neck and not be able to pull out of it. Yet my brother's dog (Jack Russell cross) has a head smaller than her neck so you would literally have to suffocate her to keep a collar on.

I presume it's dogs trust you are talking about? Their method for loose lead walking works with puppy ever getting to pull. (Dog2 was trained by their method from the start).

• puppy never getting to pull

We have just covered this in a training class - the puppy wears harness for normal walks but lead is clipped to collar for loose lead training sessions. We were taught to treat pup a few times, then step back and if pup follows treat again. Carry on like that. Only had first session so far but I think the idea is that eventually it becomes the norm for the dog to walk on a loose lead. Hoping it works as we have an already quite strong lab / springer pup!

How could anyone ever guarantee you will never get a puppy to pull?

Dogs can't generalise so you can teach them for as long as you like in the back garden. As soon as you take them out, you have to re-train and they are puppies.

It's like saying a child will never do x, y or z if you bring them up correctly.

Widly over-optimistic and more than a little patronising not to factor in the grey in any area of life.

And what about some basic off-lead heel work? Surely it's not the lead and pulling but walking to heel that is the core issue.

Which well known charity is it? This is a training video from Dogs Trust clearly showing the dog being walked on a harness!

There are always differing opinions within dog training. However, it's not like neck damage is something that's going to happen from short term pulling on the lead, so I wouldn't panic.

OP - the pup doesn't get to pull in the loose lead training because the method used doesnt make it possible to pull. I could show someone the method but I can't describe it. The whole of my dogs trust class had no puppy pulling because the method used simply didn't make it a possibility.

Also I have never trained loose lead walking in the garden - just on walks from day 1 (after all a puppy walk should only be 5mins per age in months). I also use a long line attached to harness for recall training on walks and pup is given a free command so he knows he can leave heel and we are no longer loose lead walking.

Thanks Spaniel. Anyone who tried to say something will never happen if you follow my method is not leaving any room for real life ambiguity.

If this is failproof why isn't everyone doing it? There are always differences in context and approach and with dogs.

As an academic, I'm always put off by overly strident contentions of having all the answers for everything and everyone.

In your class, there will not have been bushes to hide under or squirrels suddently appearing or a dozen other sudden interventions that real life offers.

I have seen the method and even in class not everyone's dog was walking loose lead.

The only reason I could see to suggest the use of a collar, was that a dog is less likely to pull away if restraine dby the neck. There is no other substantive reason for suggesting a collar over a harnass as far as I can see,

Most folk with sighthounds that I know walk them on a harness, and indeed SharkDog has a nice Julius K-9 which is well posh. However, I only ever use that when he's on a lunge line.

For walking, I much prefer to have him on a collar, because it gives me much more control over what he's looking at, especially as he's a bugger for picking things up that he shouldn't, and his head goes down to objectionable objects like absolute lightning. I can't control that on the harness.

It's a different question for dogs that pull a lot though. SharkDog walks at my side like an absolute angel 99% of the time.