Pully dog on the lead, can this be fixed with a harness?

[PullyDog]

Today we've been to the kennels to view a dog, 2 year old, medium sized. She's adoreable, playful, lovely in every single way except she really pulls hard on the lead.

Whilst taking her for a walk around the grounds she almost pulled me over a few times. She's very strong!

She was on just a normal lead + collar, and they told me they've just introduced her to a gen con collar which has helped her pulling alot. But they didn't have it available to let me try with.

I only have 24 hours to commit and I'm hoping I can get some success stories really quickly, what kind of harness would fellow dog owners recommend and is there hope that we could fix / get a trainer to help with this or no hope?

I'm really taken with her and my children are absolutely smitten, she's great in every other way, so chaotic but gentle, but if I can't walk her then I can't have her.

Thanks in advance, heres hoping for some advice :D

What kind of dog is she OP? It would be useful to understand her breed or mix.

Why do you want a dog at Christmas? It's a strange time and imo not ideal to introduce a dog into the home.

Anyway, I have large breed dogs and one of them pulled like mad - he was our third and we had trained the other two fine, so I disagree that it's just a matter of training as imo it also comes down to personality and intrinsic traits. We switched to a halti and he was immediately transformed.

I have to be honest, OP, having found the dog online (wasn’t hard - quick google or the bio and dogs name), I do think you’re making a mistake. But I think you’re going to go ahead anyway as you seem to have an answer for everyone’s questions and concerns.

I wouldn’t touch her even with twenty years of dog ownership behind me, but you’re clearly very keen for a dog so I wish you all the best 😊

I too googled. I’m with @TheHungryHungryLandsharks

Me too, that’s a big powerful looking dog and I’d say definitely not one for an inexperienced home.

I figured you would find her 😁 i didnt really want to link and trash the rescue.

Thanks for the replies!

Can I ask why you specifically wouldn't want her? Is it the lack of history?

Is this the American bulldog?

the rescue are being completely irresponsible by letting a first time dog owner show only met her once take this dog.

I have large breed dogs and you have no idea of the responsibility, time and dedication that is needed when owning one.

please do not get that dog.

This one?

@PullyDog there are lots of people with more experience than me, but... I have a staffy type. A similar dog, muscly and quite powerful. I adore him. However, he can also be 'excitable' and if they get mouthy (mine doesn't now, but did for ages) - which is not aggression - then that could be quite difficult to manage with children.

No, I will dm you a link

And I promise im not set on getting her. 90% there. This is why asking for advice and experiences

Oh I’m glad it’s not that one.

I can’t receive messages on here.

Ok here's a photo I took yesterday its not great. She's a crossbreed and maybe comes up to my knees.

Most harnesses allow dogs to pull more, they were literally designed for sled dogs. You can stop pulling with training, a harness with a front clip can help, but a martingale collar or slip lead is also good depending on what breed of dog you have and if the pulling is sudden lunging or constant pressure. You have far more control when the lead is attached high on the neck so that the dog’s head turns when you apply pressure to the lead. Never jerk the lead, even if you use a harness jerking the lead causes pain and you don’t want that. You just want to get control and teach the dog that pulling isn’t ok. A really simple trick is when the dog pulls, with stop, or turn 180°. Keep the dog beside you, not out in front of you, and never use an extendable lead.

But no, a harness is not the answer, obedience work is.

https://youtube.com/shorts/AF64kPSE1jI?si=AT7UnktJm13MFJOv

I broadly agree with Landsharks. And no, not because of the lack of history. I've got 25 years of rescue dogs behind me and lots of training experience. I've had a (stray) dog with no history before but he was a Labrador (generally trainable) and I had plenty of experience. I found the dog and saw her full face on, can't tell exactly what cross she is but she looks to have maybe some bull breed, GSD, possibly even Akita in her. None of which I would think should be taken on by a first time owner with no experience. And she's a strong puller and described as over the top with other dogs - things you may struggle to deal with as a first time owner.
But the fact the rescue have stated she's probably not going to be suitable for young children but are letting you take her anyway is a huge no I'm afraid.
She may well make someone, with the right experience and home, a great dog - but that doesn't sound like you. There are so many dogs looking for homes - and good on you for looking at rescues - and you will find the right one, it may just take time. IMO people should regard the length of time looking for and getting a rescue the same as the length of time spent finding and waiting for the right breeder. It takes time to get it right. Don't be pushed in to rushing.

(Editing to answer your original question: No, a harness is not the answer. Training is. Always).

I'm sorry, OP but it doesn't sound the best idea to me either.
You're going to struggle to rehome a dog with young children but it's not impossible.
I know your youngest is just slightly out of the minimum age but just to give you an idea, I think a dog like this might be a better match.
Fudge

I have a big young GSD cross (40kg ish), had her coming up 2 years now and she still often pulls like billyoh on walks. She has a harness and halti which means she now can't pull enough to pull me over now and I have control of her, but walks can still be difficult. She understands 'heel' but doesn't want to do it all the time because she's young and impulsive. I think if you do take on this dog, you need to be aware the pulling issue could take years to resolve (if indeed you ever do manage to train her out of it). MIL had a GSD from a pup and spent years and £££s on training to resolve pulling issues and she still pulled as an 8 year old dog.

Do you have a back up plan/adult to help with walks if you're too ill or otherwise not able to walk her for some reason? My dog dug a big hole last year which I stupidly fell into and broke my ankle 😆. I wasn't able to safely walk her for a couple of months whilst I healed. My DH had to do all her walks during that time, otherwise she would have been an even bigger destructive loon. I think it would have been difficult and expensive to find a dog walker for such a strong dog who pulls, as the walkers wouldn't be able to take many/any other dogs out with her.

The jumping up would concern me with the younger kids. It's easy for bones to get broken if a big dog catches you wrong. My old greyhound once caught my hand jumping up at me and managed to fracture my finger!

Thank you everyone

I really do appreciate you all taking the time

& no i actually hadn't considered anyone else to walk a dog should I not be able too, food for thought that!

Im the only adult in the house.

Fudge is beautiful. I do not mind traveling or waiting for the right dog, ive waited this long 😆 i suppose I was just very taken by her, little bundle of joy.

she looks to have maybe some bull breed, GSD, possibly even Akita in her. None of which I would think should be taken on by a first time owner with no experience. And she's a strong puller and described as over the top with other dogs - things you may struggle to deal with as a first time owner.

But the fact the rescue have stated she's probably not going to be suitable for young children but are letting you take her anyway is a huge no I'm afraid.

I have to say @ZookeeperSE has summed it up better than me. Definitely some Akita, I think, and bull breed.

The only thing I would add, @PullyDog is I really don't like the way they describe the dogs. In my experience, big rescues often try and 'soften' the less than ideal characteristics of a dog which makes it really risky for a first time owner and particularly one with kids.

For example: Eva seems to like other dogs, she does get excited though and can be quite over the top lacking in some manners but she hasn't shown any aggression whatsoever, we do however think she would be best off as an only dog till she's learned to be calmer around dogs.

At my breed specific rescue we would say along the lines of: Although we have tested Eva around other dogs, and she seems to like them, she displays behaviour that means that any interactions need to be carefully managed. She is boisterous and strong, lacking manners, which is something many other dogs will be uncomfortable with. Given her size and strength, we would expect any owner to put in significant training to help her learn manners. As she has been in a kennel environment, and not tested in other settings around dogs, although we have never seen any aggression this cannot be ruled out particularly given her lack of history.

Their phrasing (i.e. making it sound like she definitely is not aggressive) and phrases like 'she's learned' (no - you will need to train her before she is attacked by another dog for being too boisterous, or worse injures them) combined with the fact they really know very little about this dog and easily bowed to pressure from you when they didn't think she was right for a home with kids, that makes me very uncomfortable. And I really dislike that they have described her as 'dog friendly' when they say she lacks manners. She might appear friendly but given what they have described, combined with her lack of history, I doubt it will be long until she finds herself in the middle of a fight.

But I still maintain no good rescue would be asking someone to make a decision so quickly, this close to Christmas - particularly when they clearly do not know much about the dog in question and it's suitability to a variety of environments and homes.

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks this would be enough to put me off She is boisterous and strong, lacking manners, which is something many other dogs will be uncomfortable with
As someone with nearly 50 years of experience of rescue dogs, the sheer unpredictability of how she and a strange dog might react with a completely novice owner, let alone a child handler, makes me shudder.
This is definitely not the right dog for a first time owner.

@Zippedydodah It's all about phrasing, isn't it?

Essentially, I've said the same thing as the rescue. The difference is, I've just given detail and possible implications based off what OP has said (which is she was strong enough to nearly pull her over a few times) - because owners need to have information to make a good decision.

The rescue should have done better in drafting the details on this dog. It's really sad and it let's the dog down.

Our dog was the same, constantly pulling and I was finding it hard to walk him and have our baby with us at the same time.

I found this harness from a brand called Penne & Co, stopped the dog from pulling almost instantly.

Harness