# Suitable harness for lead reactive dog.



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

I originally posted in dog chat on the "harness" thread, but is think perhaps this is more appropriate.

I have started enjoying more road and lane type walks with my dog and hope to expand them over the coming winter (less mud!).

He is inclined to pull on the lead and is lead reactive (though we very very rarely meet any dogs at all on these types of walks). Currently I use a normal lead and flat collar. I have a gencon, but at times it seems to really upset him and he struggles and scratches at his face while standing on his hind legs. 

I would much prefer to use something more gentle, but it would need to afford some kind of help for the pulling problem. Someone mentioned TTouch harnesses. Does anyone have any experience of these or other suggestions?

Many thanks.


----------



## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

I really rate both the Mekuti and the Perfect Fit harness with a chest ring - I can manage Kilo easily on either if he goes off on one (although thankfully not for a while, touch wood!!!) although he isn't a puller otherwise. He's around 48kg so fairly large. I used a Mekuti throughout the worst of his reactivity.


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

Mekuti seems to get good reviews, but someone commented that the accompanying lead is very narrow and normal double ended leads don't fit. Did you find this?


----------



## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Old Shep said:


> Mekuti seems to get good reviews, but someone commented that the accompanying lead is very narrow and normal double ended leads don't fit. Did you find this?


No; I found the lead the same width as the harness. It has a larger and a smaller clip on it and I would guess that normal double ended leads will not thread through the front ring - so buying the Mekuti lead is best.

The Perfect Fit lead is very soft and easy to hold but doesn't have extra rings to allow adjustment of it's length like the Mekuti one.


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

Thank you, dog less, that's very helpful.


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

TTouch harness, or Haqihana


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

My friend and I are enjoying road and lane walking at the moment. I'm much more relaxed as we don't really meet other dogs-only exceptionally- and because he's onlead, he's not bu**ering off after deer!

I'm getting more and more stressed by his behaviour these last few weeks and need to chill myself. So, this type of walking will help. Makes me feel we have really achieved something positive. But he can pull at times and 2 hours is a long tem to be pulled by your arm - not much fun for him either, I'd imagine. He enjoys these walks too as we pass lots of interesting things- pigs! 

I shall look more closely at this harness.

Thanks.


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

I've been too king at the TTouch one, smokey, but not the other one you mentioned. I shall look at that too. Thanks.


----------



## missnaomi (Jun 4, 2010)

I have got a Mekuti and. T-touch harness, I like both.

In the smaller sizes of the Mekuti, the lead is proportionally smaller, so some larger width leads don't fit, I have a smallish terrier and my double ended lead didn't fit, so I had to use the one it came with. Another smaller width, eg: halti's smaller one would be fine. 

I like both harnesses, the Mekuti works in a different way, but both work well and the front clip of the TTouch one is good too. 

IMO both would be good for what you want them for 

Naomi x


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Ruffwear has a new two point (front and back) harness out too.


----------



## 8tansox (Jan 29, 2010)

I have a T-Touch harness for Flint who is a 47kg reactive dog, it's great, I think this is his 3rd one now. Amazing bit of kit IMO.


----------



## AJ600 (Mar 3, 2014)

We use the perfect fit and a police lead. Bud was a big puller but the trainer at my class really helped with that. Now we have lovely loose lead walking. We basically went back to teaching him as if he was a puppy.

We could never let him walk with mil as she has hip replacement but these days she often comes over to take him out and it's not an issue.

This is what we did bud is three

Puppy Training - Train Your Puppy to Walk! - YouTube

Also similar to what we are doing with behaviourist and he is coming on quite well.


----------



## jthorpe (Aug 16, 2014)

I can wholeheartedly recommend the Freedom 'No-pull' Harness. Great bit of kit, not widely available here in the UK but there are a couple of UK sellers if you Google it 

I used the Perfect Fit Harness prior to the Freedom 'No-Pull' and although both fit well, the Freedom Harness has improved Maxwell's loose lead walking AND made is easier to control him if another dog makes him crazy and giddy!


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I will look into all these suggestions.


AJ600- He's unlike any other dog I have had. Training loose lead walking is continuing but I'm looking for something to use for long lead walks (2hours+) in the meantime, as the constant stop/start is very wearing for me and I'm sure it's not much fun for him.


----------



## AJ600 (Mar 3, 2014)

Old Shep said:


> Thanks everyone. I will look into all these suggestions.
> 
> AJ600- He's unlike any other dog I have had. Training loose lead walking is continuing but I'm looking for something to use for long lead walks (2hours+) in the meantime, as the constant stop/start is very wearing for me and I'm sure it's not much fun for him.


Purely my opinion but isn't two hours on a lead a bit too long. Would think that's not fun for anyone?

If I know I'm going to be out for that long, then I'll take the long line with as well. Buds recall is pretty good so if I see another pooch I can quickly call him back. I've modified the long lines by adding in a handle about 3 foot from the clip.


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

AJ600 said:


> Purely my opinion but isn't two hours on a lead a bit too long. Would think that's not fun for anyone?
> 
> If I know I'm going to be out for that long, then I'll take the long line with as well. Buds recall is pretty good so if I see another pooch I can quickly call him back. I've modified the long lines by adding in a handle about 3 foot from the clip.


Absolutly couldn't disagree more! 2 hours walking onlead for a Brittany is nothing! I take him hillwalking using canicross gear and we can be walking for more than 5 hours. He's still pretty perky when we get back too!

I'm not looking for heelwork, I just want a slack lead.


----------



## AJ600 (Mar 3, 2014)

Old Shep said:


> Absolutly couldn't disagree more! 2 hours walking onlead for a Brittany is nothing! I take him hillwalking using canicross gear and we can be walking for more than 5 hours. He's still pretty perky when we get back too!
> 
> I'm not looking for heelwork, I just want a slack lead.


Can I ask with Cani cross aren't you rewarding for pulling? If so would it not be more difficult to teach slack lead?


----------



## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

AJ600 said:


> Can I ask with Cani cross aren't you rewarding for pulling? If so would it not be more difficult to teach slack lead?


It's easy - dogs are clever; mine can differentiate between their cani - x harnesses and kit, walking harnesses on the walking belt kit and the harnesses I walk them on on the street - they can walk slack on all the kit (in fact on the cani - x and walking belt kit I have had us picking our way down steep descents rock by rock or running on a tiny track on the side of a mountain), pull on the cani - x stuff and walking belt stuff and I expect them to always have a slack lead on their road walking harnesses.

Sounds complex but is as simple as in practice!!


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

Dogless said:


> It's easy - dogs are clever; mine can differentiate between their cani - x harnesses and kit, walking harnesses on the walking belt kit and the harnesses I walk them on on the street - they can walk slack on all the kit (in fact on the cani - x and walking belt kit I have had us picking our way down steep descents rock by rock or running on a tiny track on the side of a mountain), pull on the cani - x stuff and walking belt stuff and I expect them to always have a slack lead on their road walking harnesses.
> 
> Sounds complex but is as simple as in practice!!


This is certainly an issue I was concerned about. But I have been reassured that they can in fact tell the difference.

I can agree about the walking downhill bit too. When we are using the canicross gear and I have to slow him for downhill or scrambly bits, he will happily slacken off.

Onlead he doesn't pull all the time and doesn't actually pull too hard- but it's utterly exhausting and I want to be able to relax and have him relax instead of constant

*lead goes tight*
I make click sound, as per Turid Rugass
*dog immediatly returns to my side. Being treated intermittently*

5 seconds later:
*lead goes tight*
I make click sound
*dog immediatly.....

Get the picture? I suspect he thinks this is the object of the exersise and that it's pointless!


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Dogs are not daft and it is of course not an essential part of Cani x that dogs pull! 

Different harnesses can cue different behaviours


----------



## lupie (Sep 1, 2012)

Just another vote for the perfect fit harness - I also have a lead reactive dog and I used to use a Dogmatic head collar, but I've done away with that completely now in favour of the Perfect Fit. 

It's the first harness that's fit her really well due to the modular system, and the two ring system works wonderfully. I use my own Grippy Lead double ended lead with it, and I can easily control her. She used to pull a bit but she doesn't now as when she does it naturally pulls her in towards me rather than forwards so it's not rewarding for her. Really really rate it! :biggrin5:


----------



## AJ600 (Mar 3, 2014)

smokeybear said:


> Dogs are not daft and it is of course not an essential part of Cani x that dogs pull!
> 
> Different harnesses can cue different behaviours


I understand but the reason I was asking and obviously not clearly enough, is if a dog is encouraged to pull for whatever reason, surely to then teach them not to pull would be more difficult than if done the other way round?


----------



## PennyGSD (Apr 16, 2012)

Old Shep said:


> Onlead he doesn't pull all the time and doesn't actually pull too hard- but it's utterly exhausting and I want to be able to relax and have him relax instead of constant
> 
> *lead goes tight*
> I make click sound, as per Turid Rugass
> ...


This sounds like Tiggy - we use a flexi and normal rear fastening harness. She gets to the end of the flexi, pulls a little, we call her back to our side (and used to click-treat when she got to our side), grabs treat then goes to the extent of the flexi for it all to start again. She's happy to be constantly on the move so there were no real consequences for her.

What we've now done is make use of a 'wait' command that we didn't realise we'd trained - but always use it at the edge of roads and she knows she has to stop and not cross. So we use this when she's approaching the full extent of the flexi. When this doesn't quite work in time, she's called back to our side, but not treated until she's walked a few paces next to us with a loose lead - and we're gradually extending the time she has to walk next to us before being treated.

It's slow progress, but we know we're heading in the right direction as she does sometimes run back to our side without a command when she's pulled. Not always, but the fact she does this occasionally gives us hope to carry on!


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

AJ600 said:


> I understand but the reason I was asking and obviously not clearly enough, is if a dog is encouraged to pull for whatever reason, surely to then teach them not to pull would be more difficult than if done the other way round?


No, not really, it is quite possible have a dog that pulls into a harness (for tracking or carting or sledding or canicross or bikejoring etc) that also walks nicely on the lead.


----------



## AJ600 (Mar 3, 2014)

smokeybear said:


> No, not really, it is quite possible have a dog that pulls into a harness (for tracking or carting or sledding or canicross or bikejoring etc) that also walks nicely on the lead.


The reason I thought it would be an issue in this case, is because the OP nmade it sound as if the dog was a constant puller. I know she clarified it afterwards.

But yes, I get your point.


----------



## PennyGSD (Apr 16, 2012)

smokeybear said:


> No, not really, it is quite possible have a dog that pulls into a harness (for tracking or carting or sledding or canicross or bikejoring etc) that also walks nicely on the lead.


Absolutely agree with this. Tiggy walks perfectly on a fixed lead attached to her standard flat collar. No hint of pulling as we used a collar to very firmly train LLW initially, allowing her more freedom on her harness so she could actually still get some decent exercise in the early days, without 'damaging' the heel/no pull command.

You often see it quoted on here, but dogs really don't generalise.


----------



## Old Shep (Oct 17, 2010)

I decided to retry the gencon today and it worked very well. It didn't seem to bother him so much as it has in the past- I wonder, though, if it was because he already had 1 and half hours free running in the beach this morning- so he wasn't quite so excited when we went out again round the village in the afternoon.we met a man with three whippets who he wasn't interested in,which was great. He does put pressure on the lead, but he's not pulling uncomfortably. He likes to walk out in front when were on walks and I don't mind this so long as it's comfortable for me and for him.

I will look onto all the suggestions, but I'm wondering if perhaps the gencon isn't as bad as I thought.


----------



## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Old Shep said:


> I decided to retry the gencon today and it worked very well. It didn't seem to bother him so much as it has in the past- I wonder, though, if it was because he already had 1 and half hours free running in the beach this morning- so he wasn't quite so excited when we went out again round the village in the afternoon.we met a man with three whippets who he wasn't interested in,which was great. He does put pressure on the lead, but he's not pulling uncomfortably. He likes to walk out in front when were on walks and I don't mind this so long as it's comfortable for me and for him.
> 
> I will look onto all the suggestions, but I'm wondering if perhaps the gencon isn't as bad as I thought.


My issue with the Gencon is it's mechanism of action which I would be cautious about anyway but more so on a dog that can be reactive to others.


----------

