Slip leads

[Powertothepetal]

Im debating getting one for the puppy but being a toy breed he is supposed to wear a harness.

He does have a harness.
A Julius K9 one.
But he is frightened to wear it.

It slips over his head but I often have to get DH to hold him or put it on when he’s sleepy to be able to slip it over his head because he will back away as he sees it coming.
I have tried putting my hand through it with a treat so to get the treat he has to put his head through but he won’t take the treat.
The clip can be difficult too because he hates that aswell!

When the time comes to attach the lead, yep, he is scared of that too.
He doesn’t like me holding the ring on the harness and clipping the lead on.

As he is so young I have been taking advantage of him wanting to be close and letting him off lead and trying to teach him recall but putting the lead back on is stressful and worrying me.

I recall the dogs, he usually comes flying to me, the older dog sits, I reward them both, tell them to go off again, multiple times, eventually I’ll call, get the older one sit but the puppy knows I am about to clip him and runs.
Today he actually yelped as I grabbed him to clip the lead and he stood further away the next time I recalled him.

I am worried that his dislike of the lead clip if it continues is going to mean he will have to be on lead 24/7 because I won’t be able to get him back to clip it.

I am thinking the solution might be a slip lead as I can hopefully have it opened wide and slip it straight on without him hopefully freaking out, but I am worried it won’t be safe for him because he is a chihuahua and apparently needs a harness and I’m worried it may not tighten efficiently in time to stop him escaping in an emergency, like if he was startled and bolted.

Does anyone have any advice?

I have to be honest, I’m struggling.

I bought a chihuahua thinking being so small and bred for companionship he’d be easy but he is so different to my other dog (collie) who was a super confident puppy and desperately wanted to please and work with you.
This puppy is pretty nervous and quite independent, he isn’t a people pleaser like my old girl.
I feel a bit out of depth because I don’t know how to motivate him really.
He’ll work for treats if hungry enough, toys he only wants to play by himself, he’s not bothered for stroking unless he’s tired and then wants to be in your lap.

Oh, and as I notice I didn’t mention it in the OP, he is 11 weeks old and I have had him since he was 8 weeks.

You need to work on desensitising him to the lead rather than just trying to ‘catch’ him in a slip lead.

Small breeds often don’t like people looming over them or approaching them from behind so always make sure you’re facing him from the front. Use treats and play and verbal rewards whenever he is positive around the lead and harness. Put it on briefly and immediately take it off in the home multiple times. Spread this out over days, weeks (months). It’s going to be a long process, be prepared for this.

There are harnesses that the dogs step into rather than going over the head. I don’t rate K9 for tiny breeds like chihuahuas. Something like a perfect fit harness might be better for him.

No, slip leads should only be used on dogs who are well trained and who can walk to heel with no issues. They're designed for working gun dogs really, not your average pet and certainly a breed as fragile as a chihuahua.

You need to work on desensitisation with his collar and harness - trying to trap him with a slip lead isn't the answer.

We only use slip leads, but it sounds like your problem is the dog and training, not the lead.

Try a perfect fit harness as you do not have to put it over the dogs head you can clip it on like a lead and then do up the back straps.

Start by clipping the clips when you are not near your dog and get your OH to fed the dog when you are doing so. Once your dog is happy with the clip noise you can move onto the actual harness.

Sit on the floor and hide the harness behind your back, have your dog near you and when you bring the harness into sight of your dog feed the dog. Put the harness behind your back and then stop feeding.

A clear message will be given to your dog that harness appears and good food appears, harness goes food stops.

Use your dogs mealtimes to do this for several days..

If your dog is showing no reaction to the clip noise or the harness you can begin to bring it closer to your dog and eventually be able to put it on your dog always feeding treats as you do so. So not rush this.

Until your dog is ready to have the harness on then exercise at home in your garden and carry them out and about to socialise them

clip in on like a collar!

I am an absolute fan of slip leads but even I wouldn't use one on a chihuahua.

You'll probably need to either desensitise your puppy to the harness, or use a flat collar and a clip-on lead.

Switch to a Perfect Fit harness..they are much better than the Julius K9 ones anyway as they don't restrict shoulder movement and are very comfy. (I've had both on my dog and would never go back to a K9 style)

Defo no slip lead .. it would frighteningly easy to break his neck if he as much as startled.

But desensitisation to clip sounds is where you need to start..at home!

it would frighteningly easy to break his neck if he as much as startled
😱

Okay, definitely forget all about the slip lead!

I’ll try and desensitise him to the sound of the clip and see how we get on!

Another vote for perfect fit, and desensitisation training. We had a similar issue with ddog and got there in the end. She steps into the perfect for harness which is better than trying to get one over her head.

I know it’s all a bit overwhelming when they’re so young (and a bit of a sensitive breed)! Can I suggest filming your progress? Not all the time if it’s an extra hassle but just leave your phone recording at the beginning and then a few weeks down the line and then a month etc. It can be slow going and it’s helpful to be able to look back and realise you are actually making progress when it feels like you’re not!

I didn’t let him off lead today and will be doing some work with the clip sound and treats, see if I can make it a positive thing but this morning putting his harness on he was a bit better.

I was holding him giving him kisses and was able to slip the harness over without him going crazy and flinging his head side to side and backing up.

I suppose I just caught him unaware, he thought he was going to get a smooch and it was the harness 🤣

Perhaps the julius style harness is painful for him - they do restrict the proper movement of the limbs, and make the dog feel discomfort if they pull, so especially with him being such a tiny puppy he might associate the harness with being in pain.
Try a different, lighter, less invasive harness perhaps?

Perhaps the julius style harness is painful for him - they do restrict the proper movement of the limbs, and make the dog feel discomfort if they pull, so especially with him being such a tiny puppy he might associate the harness with being in pain.
Try a different, lighter, less invasive harness perhaps?
I don’t think it’s uncomfortable for him at all, he’s absolutely fine when it is on.

I have always been very careful since he started wearing his collar to keep a 100% loose lead so he isn’t pulling.

Before buying this harness he had a simple
clip on collar that had to be binned because he was terrified of any pressure whatsoever applied to try and clip it on/off and would yelp in fear.

Then I bought him a soft mesh style ‘doodlebone’ harness and he was terrified of that too.

I bought the Julius because in addition to the doodlebone frightening him (it also slips over the head) it was also too big for him and his leg kept popping out, the Julius was the only one in the shop small enough to fit him.

He’s had it on twice today being held in my arms getting cuddles and I’ve been able to slip it on absolutely fine but we’ll see over the next few days if that is just coincidence.

He is still freaking out about the D ring area/leash clip being touched.

I have heard about Julius restricting shoulder movement but I’m dubious tbh, they are made for working dogs, I have seen working and agility dogs wearing harnesses with the same construction and don’t imagine they would be so popular if they did indeed restrict the dogs movement.

I think Julius get away with saying they are made for working dogs, but once you start looking into the detail and design of harnesses for dog sports, i think they are very basic and possibly harmful.
But if he's happy once it's on, then hopefully it is not that.
I had a dog who absolutely hated his tag banging against the dog bowl when he was eating, the tapping/clinking noise really aggravated him - might be a long shot but what about trying a loop of cord or something between the clip and the harness ring, so there's no metal on metal? It might be easier to get to clip on as well, if you're aiming for a loop of string rather than a small metal ring.

Just remember he is 11weeks old. Puppies shouldn’t even be taken out for a walk until a week after their second vaccinations. All dogs start out as tiny puppies and it takes a loooooong time to get the well behaved dog stage. Don’t rush this.

Just remember he is 11weeks old. Puppies shouldn’t even be taken out for a walk until a week after their second vaccinations
His second vaccination was at 10 weeks so he is fully vaccinated.

That’s good. But you’re saying things like I have always been very careful since he started wearing his collar to keep a 100% loose lead so he isn’t pulling. which make it sound like he’s 11months not 11weeks. For their first few ‘walks’ they barely know which direction to go in, let alone have a reliable loose lead walk. I just think you need to adjust your expectations slightly?

But you know your life better than I do so if I’m wrong, I’m wrong and I apologise.

I would get rid of the JuliusK9 harness. I hate how well they're advertised as they have the potential to do a lot of joint damage. They work by restricting the movement in your dogs shoulders - that's why that style of harness is advertised as no-pull.

Get a perfect fit - they can go over the head or the dog can step into them and you can do them up afterwards. They don't affect the joints in any way and they come in three parts so you can just replace each part as necessary as the dog grows or if they wear out.

Totally agree about the harness. Just because they're popular doesn't mean they're good.

I would also try a Perfect Fit harness. They have specialised sizes for Chi puppies and the sales team are very good at advising too.

As a plan going forward, I would get a new PF harness and work on desensitising him to it and the sounds of the clip, before trying to make him wear it.

Being a Chi, you can easily exercise him in your garden, continuing reinforcing him for walking alongside you and recall, etc. Then you can carry him out and about socialisation until he’s happy with his new harness. This is probably better if he’s anxious/nervous anyway, as it means you have more control over interactions and can reward from a distance, rather than him having to actually meet other dogs or be fussed by strangers.

What treats are you using? It sounds like he needs something much more interesting for it to be rewarding enough. Usually the stinkier the better! Also, being so tiny, you will probably need to ‘ditch the bowl’ and use all his food allowance for training/reinforcement purposes to avoid overfeeding. If he’s getting meals and treats, he only has a tiny tum, so will be full and not interested in treats as a reward.

which make it sound like he’s 11months not 11weeks. For their first few ‘walks’ they barely know which direction to go in, let alone have a reliable loose lead walk
True, but trust me, he absolutely adores walking!
Really loves it.
No he doesn’t have a reliable loose lead walk, neither does my older dog but he really enjoys his walks, just doesnt like the actual putting on and off of the harness

You keep asking the same questions about your chi puppy.
A tiny puppy like a Chi should not be walked using a collar and lead, their necks are far too delicate. My tiny yorkie puppy (who I keep referencing in response to your questions) wears a harness I bought from Amazon which is made of needlecord and fastens with velcro. It then has two ring which you clip the lead onto. I have just bought the next size up as he's growing so fast. This is also made from material, not leather or nylon webbing. To get him used to it he wore it for short periods each day, gradually increasing the time. He didn't like it, but got used to it, along with much praise and shmoozing.
At 11 weeks my puppy was not fully vaccinated and only played in the garden. Once he was fully vaccinated, our walks were only 5 to 10 minutes, morning and afternoon.
You need to take a step back and accustom your puppy to wearing his harness and lead happily around the house and garden before you venture further. If you don't you will just frighten him and put him off going out at all. It really doesn't take much to give a puppy negative associations.