Hands free leads for dog that pulls

[alpenguin]

I wondered if anyone could recommend a reasonably priced hands free lead, like the kind you clip onto a belt.

I have a connective tissue disorder that mainly affects my arms and shoulders and a border collie we can’t train to stop pulling - we’ve tried halti’s/gentle leaders/chest brace jacket type things with minimal success, she is treat resistant too, they just don’t work and we’re too boring to hold her attention. I really want to be able to walk her on my own so the hands free option is ideal.

I had a look on Amazon and reviews were always so mixed. I have a rather chunky waistline and my partner would also like to be able to wear it too so would need to fit say 40” (accounting for multiple clothing layers).

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MMDOGGEAR-Hands-Free-Dog-Walking-Belt-With-Fixed-Shock-Lines-/162636234355?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

Have this one! Works well although I got a different cabana clip from Lidl

It’s not hands free but after trying quite a few, the no pull harness form Amazon really worked for us. We bought a double length lead so could be shorter / longer as required and it completely stopped our beagle pulling but with no discomfort for him x

Oh captain, I have a beagle cross who pulls. What no pull harness from Amazon did you buy? Currently treating with sausages on her walks but at this rate she’s going to be too fat to walk !

I've got a connective tissue disorder too, and after DDog managed to injure me a couple of times by lunging I invested in a bungee lead extension which sits on one end of the lead (I actually use an extra short lead + bungee extender)

It won't help with a dog that pulls in a constant way, steam train style, but if there's lunging it will take the shock out of it, and could be used in combination with a handsfree lead. I haven't had any more injuries since I got it!

www.petplanet.co.uk/p10816/ancol_bungee_shock_absorber_for_dogs.aspx?ptm_source=google&ptm_medium=shopping&ptm_campaign=negative_risk_56128&campaign=324014531&adgroup=24641921891&keyword=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-LOEBhDCARIsABrC0TlXTs9K0tBlVU5FxLTiiz36d303HtkJwoLoar1edM-GUcYUS8tFfJkaAlRuEALw_wcB

On the topic of the training - have you tried the stop-start method?

This works on the basis that, for a dog that's pulling, the reward is actually being able to walk forward.

So, if the dog is pulling, you stop walking. Indeed, you don't move again until the dog stops pulling. The second the dog stops pulling, you start walking. Dog starts pulling, you stop walking. Repeat ad infinitum. No treats involved - the reward for not pulling is that the dog gets to walk forward.

Now, this isn't a particularly quick fix - and indeed, pulling on the lead tends to be one of those training issues that takes an absolute age to fix. The first time I did it, it took a good 20 minutes to walk a road that should have taken about 3 minutes. DDog did, however, gradually cotton on I think it took about 6 months for him to realise that it applies on every bloody walk and once he's had a wee he will walk nicely.

Unfortunatley many of these "no pull" type harnesses offer seductive quick fixes. The way they "work" is that they pinch the dog, or otherwise cause discomfort, every time the dog pulls. This frequently has the side effect of causing the dog to pull more, to get away from the nasty pinchy thing. Or the dog decides that actually pulling to walk forward is more important to the dog than avoiding the pain. Either way, those types of harnesses fall firmly into the category of aversive training methods, and wouldn't be endorsed by any reputable dog trainer.

Reasonistreason - we bought the petsafe easywalk harness, it has a martingale on the chest.
We’d been working on training him not to pull but then had a baby in a pushchair and needed a quick fix as well to safely walk them together.
It worked really well, he got used to it v fast and I’m positive that it didn’t hurt him but did immediately make pavement walks a much more pleasant experience for all of us.
We did always take a long line / extendable with us too and swap him onto that when off road so he could have more freedom and space to sniff.
Good luck with the beagle bit of your cross! I love our boy but he’s 11 now and there have been many times over the years I would have gladly given him away if someone had wanted him!

You can buy a waist belt to walk your dog . I use one but not for a dog that pulls its so I have hands free when hiking up hill to hold a stick etc on dodgy uneven ground. The ones I've seen in shops are crap they would damage you or cut you in two. You need one with a thick padded belt a few inches thick attached to a bungee for give then attach by a good quality carabiner. Don't go for the cheap chappy supermarket option with plastic bits that will snap. Invest in a good quality one that will last. I have malamutes that I walk on waist so I can navigate or have a torch at night as my dogs can't go off leash due to livestock. Try SASS harness I never get a bad back with a 40 kilo dog on the other end.

Thank you, I mean to come back and update.

We tried various training methods to get our dog to stop pulling. We’ve been to training professionals and multiple classes and nothing stopped her, even edible treats. One even told us to take three steps back for everyone one she pulled forward, you can imagine how far that got us😂.

I did buy one of the waist/ belt leads with a bungee cord attaching to a short lead on a no pull harness and it’s made an amazing difference to my being able to walk her because my arms are not involved . I’m a fast walker when I’m well, so she’s not pulling as much. It’s taking a while to get her used to being attached so she’s still wary when she’s on it but it’s meaning I can walk her when I couldn’t before. I don’t feel any strain against my Waist or hips and I can pull her back if necessary which puts less strain on my arms.