Kid struggling to walk his dog - WWYD?

[CampervanQueen]

Near us we regularly meet a child maybe 10 years old or so walking a bull terrier type (i.e. big and very strong) puppy who is now 6 months old or so. She is gorgeous, completely friendly but she is so strong. He struggles to hold onto her (she wears a chest harness) and she's only going to get bigger and stronger. I am concerned that one day she'll pull him over or into the road, or get away from him. She almost did so today trying to say hello to our dog. I don't know where he lives and I never see him with his parents.

Can I do anything? Should I do something or stay well out of it?

It sounds as though the child is too young to be legally walking a dog a like anyway. I was told 12 is the minimum, but I have never checked that.

It always surprises me that people use chest harnesses for strong dogs. You are literally training them to pull harder! Sounds like the dog needs some lead work. Maybe suggest that to the boy next time you interact with him.

He may be a little older but certainly Y6/7 range and just too small for a big powerful dog like that. I'm just worried one or both of them could get hurt. I can easily imagine her pulling them into the path of a car in her desperation to play with another dog.

Yes I am always surprised at chest harnesses on dogs whose power is all in their chest.

I could suggest it I suppose but ultimately it would need parental involvement as well I think.

Chest harnesses are fine for Huskies! The puppy obviously needs to be walked by an experienced handler. Not one of the snowflake variety who don't understand discipline and rewards. If you don;t ever tell a dog and check it when it is doing the wrong thing it cannot be blamed. By the way, a reward does not always mean a treat!! Dogs loved to be rewarded verbally and patted when they achieve.

Harnesses don't cause pulling anymore than a lead attached to a flat collar causes a dog to pull.

I agree harnesses don't cause pulling (I never said they did...) but they aren't always the solution. Ultimately, training is, and whatever training this pup & child are getting, it's not working.

This x1000!!

Harnesses are literally designed for dogs to pull, it evens the strain over the body to make it more comfortable. My dog only wore a harness so I could clip him in the car, he's always walked on a collar as he is incredibly strong and a pulling breed.

It drives me bonkers seeing people being towed by their harnessed dogs and then commenting on how nicely mine walks. It's because I've worked hard to train him not to pull on the lead, that being said, I'd never let the children walk him as he has such a high prey drive only a glimpse of a squirrel will mean said child being dragged god knows where.

Either the poor boy or dog is going to have a terrible accident at some point and it'll all be the parents fault. It's not the child's responsibility to train the dog either, total recipe for disaster.

No, harnesses don't cause pulling, lack of training does but it does make it easier.

Also, you can't effectively check a dog on a harness like you can on a collar.

I wouldn't want to check a dog. There's delicate structures in a dog's neck, e.g. thyroid gland and trachea, and studies have shown that it causes neck injuries:
www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2020/05/collars-risk-causing-neck-injuries-in-dogs,-study-shows

Harnesses don't train dogs to do anything.

Yes, harnesses are more comfortably for dogs who pull but that's the point. They prevent severe and often permanent damage to the neck which is caused by dogs who wear collars and pull.

The only solution to pulling is training.