The Zim Family Cocker Spaniel Forum

any one have good results with a no pull harness? Zoey walks pretty well but I really don't want to pull on her neck when she sees a bird. (birds only bunny was 15 feet away this morning and Zoey just wanted to go back inside

I use this one and it stopped the pulling instantly. http://www.softouchconcepts.com/product ... arness.php

If I can suggest, take the dog shopping with you and try the various types on. You will see right away which works with your dog and which your dog will put on without a fuss. Also make sure the dog can't slip out. My last dog had a Halti chest harness that worked wonders but she could slip out without much effort at all. I tried it on Eb when I got her and she was out of it in 20 seconds.

Also the ones that can adjust a bit a great because you can let them out when they are in full coat and then refit when they have a shorter cut.

JeanG

We also use the one JeanG uses. Works on both dogs. I did not want the neck chocking that went on with just a leash and collar.

beckyboo,

I went and bought the Premier Easy Walk Harness today. Charlie was never a big puller but he did start to pull more than usual lately and I wanted to do something about it right away.

I put it on him when we got home and went for a 15 min walk (in the rain). Wow, what a difference. He was right next to me, no pulling, no walking away or nothing. I hope it stays like this.

I bought the one at the bottom of the page (Eco). Charlie weighs 31.6 pounds and I got him the small/medium size (they have in-betwen sizes).

http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=d ... escription

We've only tried it once on a short walk but so far, I do recommend it :th-up

I can relate to your dilemma! I use a harness but I'm working very hard to get Chessie to walk with out it. I'm afraid that Squirrels are her downfall LOL.

The harness won't completely keep them from pulling.. but it sure does protect them from themselves! You still have to do some training in those high temptation situations but I think over all you will be happy once you find the one that works best for you. There are many different styles and options. Every one has advantages and disadvantages. You may have to try several before you find the one that you like the best.

I was investigating harness a few months ago. I had narrowed it down to the Sensible that Jean uses but then I found this one. http://www.wiggleswagswhiskers.com/news ... arness.htm I bought the Freedom Deluxe Training Package.

I like it because it gives me many different options depending on the circumstances. I can use it as a normal harness with the leash attached to the top. Or use it attached to the front - like the Sensible. Or another option .. I can do both! They have a specially designed leash that has two connectors. So you can attach one to the top and one to the front. It's like double control! You can also attach one to the front and one to your dogs collar. Or attach both the either front, collar or top. The leash ranges from around 5 ft to 3 ft in length. (I'm guessing so don't quote me on the exact length LOL)

Good luck finding one that works for you!

Hi Lisa,
I, too, am now on the search for a harness for my new rescue, Bella. I've tried the EasyWalk (returned it), didn't like it. It loosened up a lot, and the fit was never quite right. It was too tight or too loose either in the girth or chest, even in the "tweener" sizes.

I was about to go for the sense-ation that was mentioned earlier in this thread, but then I found the Freedom Harness by WWW that you have, and I'm leaning towards that because of the velvet belly strap (I want to avoid chafing because Bella and I run together, I know the EasyWalk tends to chafe)

do you mind giving us an update on how the Freedom Harness is working for you? Any negatives that you've found about it?

I appreciate it! Thanks so much, Lisa.


Alexandra

Hi Alex!

It's ALOT less work for me to walk Chessie using her harness! But since my ultimate goal was to get her walking with me on a buckle collar I took a Focus on Heeling class with Chessie. So, I have to admit that I don't use the harness as much as I could/should. That being said, I do still really like it and use it when I don't feel like constantly working to keep Chessie walking nice. The only problem I've run into with it was due to Chessie's long flowing skirt ... she tends to pull away from the harness when I'm taking it off... sometimes the velvet pulls her hair because she jumps away before I have it cleared away from her body. That is my only complaint and it's not the fault of the product!

It seems like it's really comfortable to wear. Chessie never tries to get it off or bite at it. I think the key is to fit it right. I was lucky when I got mine... the person I bought it from was experienced in fitting. I can't remember what size I purchased ... I think small. She was 20 pounds at the time. Once you have it adjusted I find it's pretty easy to put on. There is a loop at the top that is a slightly different color than the rest that lets you know you are putting it on correctly. I put the harness over Chessie's head, the chest portion under her and clip one side then I make sure the velvet is smooth and her hair is out of the way, clip the other side.

From what I've researched both the Sensible and the Freedom are good choices. But I really like the variety of the Freedom.

I probably should add that when we walk we generally don't go on long ones. And our walks are usually interspersed with a lot of stopping and training. (sits, downs, starts and stops) So while we haven't had a problem with chaffing I can't really say positively that this product won't chaff. Wearing it for long periods of time will cause some knotting of the hair.. especially if it's long. But I would think that the same with any harness. Hope this helps.

we use a halter that goes over Aussies muzzle http://www.cooldogtoys.com/dogleaderharne.php the one near the bottom with the lab. He walks amazing with it on, not so much when its not on he'll drag you down the block, so we always keep the haltie on except when in the car.

After's Star's neck injury from pulling on the leash her physical therapist recommended this one:
http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fusea ... entCat=202

It works very well hair does not mat too much. SInce getting it I've been watching other people at agility trials and it is the most used with high drive dogs.

We also had an injury with Babe. Horner's Syndrome can be caused by pulling on the neck. We 95% of the time have her in a Sensi harness, but sometimes use the collar and she does pull. Sylvia, I like the one you have talked about. Saw it in Mass. and thought it was pretty great.

Thanks for clarifying that for me, Lisa. So, are you saying that once you took the Focus on Heeling class, you didn't need the harness as much anymore?

I, too, want Bella to be able to walk with me on just her buckle collar. But with all the things I hear about trachea damage and neck strains/pulls, I might just keep her a regular harness (not no-pull) even after she learns to heel.

As for right now, Bella, as a new rescue who is just now starting obedience training, definitely has some pulling tendencies!!! She pulls when she gets excited, even to the point of her coughing! And she pulls when she wants to give chase, such as when a skateboarder goes by. Right now, I've got her on the sporn mesh no pull harness, but it doesn't really stop her from pulling at all. It kind of decreases it, but barely.

That's why I wanted to get the Freedom harness. I think I'll be going for it. Since I plan on keeping Bella's hair puppy-cut length or shorter year round, the tangling and hair pulling won't be too much of an issue, but I will keep an eye out for chafing, just in case the velvet isn't enough. Thanks for pointing that out, though.

I was thinking, just as a side thought, since Bella is only 18 pounds and can't really pull that hard (as opposed to, say, a bullmastiff could), I wonder if the Freedom Harness or a no pull harness in general is really necessary for her training? All the pictures I've seen of the Freedom Harness from WWW on their website are of BIG dogs like Dobies, Boxers, and other strong pullers. I wonder if there are other options I should consider? hmmm....I think I might get it anyway just so I have a little extra control while she is working on learning heel....hmm...

by the way, what color did you get? And do you have pictures??? im deciding between hot pink and rose pink for Bella!

Kozfam: I have used tried the Gentle Leader on Bella, and I didn't like the fit on her either. It seemed to irritate her eyes and she kept pawing at it, so it seemed like the walk wasn't fun for either of us. However, it did work wonderfully on my previous Cocker, Muffin. When Muffin had it on, all of her behavior problems ceased from growling at my cousin's toddler to pulling to aggression. It really did have that calming effect on her from pressing on her "maternal spots"

Sylvia: I like the look of that! Maybe I will end up getting two harnesses. I'll get the Freedom for walking when I need more control over pulling, and one like that that's more flexible for when we go running. A girl can never have too many accessories! Do you have pictures of your Star in it? So, does that harness have elastic around the edges for comfort?

Thanks for the replies! Really appreciate it!

HI Alex!

Sorry no pictures... I'm always the one taking the pictures .. no one ever thinks to take pictures of Chessie and I while we are training.

When I made my decision to get my Freedom I had two choices...

1. Purchase what the Trainer had in stock ~ at her cost, no waiting and NO shipping.
1. Order the color I wanted, for more money plus shipping.

So that's how I ended up with a Royal Blue for my girl.

I have seen several of the colors since.. the Raspberry is Yummy! and the Lilac beautiful! I would order the one you like the best. The colors on the web site are pretty true to life. I'd probably go for the Hot Pink myself.

While you may not NEED the harness for training it is handy even if only to protect them from hurting themselves. Once you find the one that works best for you ... I doubt you will regret the purchase. I really don't use the harness as much as I should but I'm still glad I have it! With the Freedom you have the option of clipping the leash on both the chest (to guild) and clip the other end of the leash to her collar (or the top clip depending on what you want). If you clip to her collar and she starts lunging you can pull more on the part of the leash that you have clipped to the chest. It's hard to explain but easy to figure out once you have one!

One more point... I've never had a problem with Chessie trying to slip out of the harness but another option with the Freedom is you can clip the leash to Both the harness And the collar at the same time! Great extra security if you have an escape artist.

I just placed my order for the harness that Sylvia posted. I've never used any kind of harness before. I walk a lot on a nearby "rails to trails" and take the puppers with me most of the time. I look forward to giving these a whirl and will report back after a few rounds. My boys pull something terrible when we walk on the trail BUT amazingly they don't when they have on their martingale collar. I guess they know the difference when it's work time or play time.

I'll take some pictures. There is no elastic. What I like is that Star walks very proudly when wearing it, as if she is really showing off!

So, I've been using the Comfortflex harnesses for over a week now. What I really like about them is their quality construction and the super easy on/off. I will tell you they are NOT a "no-pull" harness. I believe that all comes down to training.....which we are working on each time we go out. As with any training issue, consistency is your greatest tool. I still am glad I purchased these halters and feel much more at ease since lessening the chance of neck/back injury.
thanks everyone