Best harness for cocker spaniel

[Jayne35]

Our cocker is just over a year old and has broken two harnesses, she has also escaped from 3 of them by either jumping or reversing (one was a vet recommended one to stop pulling and she gets out of it every time! After escape she doesn’t run but stands there shocked, her recall is pretty good and all the training went fairly well, apart from loose lead walking, we have tried everything but she is just so excited to go out.

It’s not like we don’t walk her enough, she gets a least two walks a day, one on lead and one off in the park playing ball but it’s actually embarrassing with her pulling, jumping and yelping with excitement all the way to the park. I can’t actually manage her as I have a shoulder injury so my husband has to be around, difficult if he is away though.

Any advice would be really welcome.

Perect Fit

Ruff Wear web master for a true excape harness

Both have front d rings to help with loose lead training.

However no pull harness are extremely easy for a dog to get out of so I personallt would speak to the people at perfect fit first.

Sounds like she needs a triple strap harness. Ruffwear do a good range, but they’re pricey. Someone recommended these on here the other day. They look decent and are more reasonably priced.

I use Perfect Fit, but would always use a triple strap like Ruffwear or similar for a real escape artist.

Re the hyperactivity. Can you try exhausting her with brain games and scent work etc, as more walks will just make her fitter and potentially more hyperactive.

I would try increasing brain games and training at home and focus on getting solid loose lead walking around the house and garden, so that having the harness in isn’t always a precursor to an exciting walk. You need the loose lead walking to be really reliable at home before you can expect it in the park etc. When you start going out after getting a reliable walk at home, don’t take her straight to the park for an exciting game with her ball. Take her for short road/lead walks for training purposes, preferably after she’s already burned off energy with brain games etc at home.

Use the front and rear harness rings to train. The front one will give you more control and if she tries to pull it will just turn her back towards you. Never use just the front one on it’s own though, as they’re not designed to be used as the sole point of control.

Ruffwear Webmaster - or Pets at Home do a cheaper version called the 3 peaks harness which does the same job.

My beagle used to slip his harnesses but he's never got out of either of those :)

If she is food motivated, it might be worth teaching her to heel off-lead, and then just using an ordinary lead, once she knows where she is meant to be and what you expect of her.

I've got a Ruffwear harness (the regular one). They are pricey but I consider it money well spent compared to the risk of escaping and getting injured. Ddog has never slipped it and it fits much better than any others we tried on.

Fenrir do a triple fasten double point harness too.

Definitely do loads of brain work too

Thank you the replies, all helpful and I will look into some of the recommendations. Especially the scent work, we have ordered some puzzle games for her and she does enjoy finding things you have hidden, toys and treats.

Though she loves food, nothing really works when she is out as totally not interested. When we train indoors cheese works but outside on a lead, no. Chunks of cocktail sausage or roast beef will sometimes distract her from the determined pulling so we will stick with those high value treats I think.

Try primula cheese. I only use it on walks and for outside training. It's basically dog crack 😂 my puppy will pretty much do anything for a bit of squeezy cheese!

I use an indi dog Houdini harness and highly recommend them , get a d ring on the front as well and use a double ended lead .

We have a cocker who is also a houndini and not at all food motivated (he's 14 months now).

I love the perfect fit harness but he can escape from it

The only one he can't escape from is the Ruffwear Webmaster. It's also really good for long walks with water as it's got a handle and every now and then we have to pick him up out of the water

It's expensive but he's only needed one so it's been worth it!