Leash Pulling

Have your friends ever teased you about leash pulling, when you take your dog out? If your little puppy has grown into a bit of a behemoth, or your dog charges off and takes your arm with him via leash pulling, this is what you should be reading.

We will discuss a method you can implement that wont break the bank, will teach your dog the best way to walk with you and will be a far more successful tool than the commonly used pinch or choke chains, to stop leash pulling.

By far and away the best method to curb leash pulling is to use the head-collar, which is also referred to as the halter. It originates from the horse training world. When was the last time you saw someone walking a horse on a collar? Never, I’ll bet. It would be impossible to control a 1200 pound animal using a collar. The way the halter works is by controlling the direction of the head, which in turn focuses the direction of the animal. And where the head goes, the body follows!

When a horse or a dog is wearing a halter, the lead end is attached to a ring just under its chin. A pull on the lead then gives you great leverage to turn the animal’s head where ever you like. The body cannot go forward if the head is pointed in another direction. When you study the way a four-legged animal works, it always leads with its head. This is by nature of its design.

Try to imagine how it works by considering the following situation, which is all to common. You and your pet are walking along calmly, when all of a sudden the dog darts ahead. The lead now tightens under the chin, forcing his head around to face your direction. The dogs body naturally follows, and bingo before he knows it, he has somehow mysteriously turned around to face you! Its very simple, but very, very effective and will rapidly curb the dogs enthusiasm to race of against the lead.

On the flip side, study the design of a typical collar. It sits near the base of the dog’s neck, where the dog can use the full force of his body against the lead. The only way you can change the dog’s direction of travel is to yank or drag the dog to one side, against his will. it’s a battle of strength, and dogs love a challenge! Particularly very strong breeds who heavily rely on physical power to get what they want.

Most anti-pulling devices have an inherent flaw in the fact that they rely on using some type of discomfort to stop the dog from pulling. These devices are usually only effective until the dog learns to handle the pain or discomfort. Again it goes back to the dog doing what he thinks pleases you.

In the case of the choker, your dog thinks he is pleasing you by tugging mercilessly against the lead. The reward that keeps him going is the fact that you continue to walk him while he tugs.

I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this article, your dog has already learned to happily strangle himself on a regular collar and/or choke chain! It bewilders me the amount of times I see owners happily being dragged by strong dogs who wheeze and strain against the lead.

No-pull harnesses

A basic design used for pulling sleds (and/or hapless dog walkers) and modify it using thin straps which run under the dog’s legs. The idea is that the straps cause discomfort and (to a limited extent, depending on the brand) restrain the dog’s legs. They tend to work on dogs who pull in a straight line, which is often rare. These devices rarely work for long, because after the dog gets used to the feeling, he’s happy to pull against it.

Whistles and ultrasonic devices

These electronic devices, attached to the leash, rely on an unpleasant noise deterring the dog from pulling. But if your indignant screams as he drags you through the neighbour’s rosebush didn’t deter your pet, I would suggest these devices wont either.

Choke chains

These are designed to be used in a specific “yank and release” motion taught by dog trainers and classes. They can be effective in teaching certain obedience techniques, but unless you are experienced with them and the correct techniques and circumstances to use them, your dog will simply learn to happily strangle himself with this device. Its not supposed to be used to walk the dog while he’s strains for ages against it, and is a cruel device to use for ill trained dogs.

Pinch collars

These are the most effective of the “other” no-pull devices. When the dog pulls forward, a series of blunt prongs dig into the dog’s neck. This is aversive enough to stop most dogs from pulling temporarily, and some (a very small minority) permanently. However, most determined pullers will develop a resistance to the collar over time.

There are several brands of head collars available, and each has distinct advantages and disadvantages. We do not recommend these be used unless you are quite experienced with the proper applications for their use.

Halti

The Halti is probably the best choice for most people due to its ease of adjustment, ready availability, and high effectiveness. It is sold through numerous websites and many pet stores including PetSmart, generally at prices ranging from $9.00 to $20.00.

Once you have selected the correct size for your dog, it can be adjusted for proper fit simply by loosening or tightening a single sliding buckle at the back of the dog’s neck. It is easy to tell if you have the Halti adjusted properly; simply grasp the strap that goes over the top of the dog’s muzzle and pull forward firmly. If you cannot pull the strap off over the dog’s nose, it fits. If you CAN pull it off, your dog will be able to as well - and you can count on his taking full advantange of that fact.

For those of you with aggressive dogs, a mild muzzling effect can be accomplished by pulling up at a backwards angle with the leash. This will momentarily close the dog’s mouth and pull his head to the side. The main disadvantage of the Halti is that if it breaks or the dog succeeds in removing it from his muzzle (should not happen if properly adjusted) he can easily escape from the loose, flimsy loop remaining around his neck.

Snoot Loop

The Snoot Loop is not as easy to adjust or locate for purchase as the Halti, but it has some very distinct advantages. It is my personal favourite, but is not for everyone. The snoot loop has a design similar to the Halti, with the following differences:

The straps which go around the dog’s muzzle are thinner, which make them less annoying to the dog and also give you more control.

Both the collar portion and the side straps are adjustable. This makes finding the proper fit more difficult, but also makes the Snoot Loop the most difficult for dogs to remove as well as the best option for short-muzzled breeds (such as the Boxer).

A fairly sturdy collar is built into the design, so if the dog removes the nose loop he is still somewhat restrained.

Another advantage of the Snoot Loop is that you can quite effectively muzzle the dog in mid-lunge by pulling firmly back and upwards with your leash and sustaining pressure on the lead. The Snoot loop performs this function much better than the Halti.

The Snoot Loop comes in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. The Large size will fit anything from a Great Dane up to a small horse. Medium is appropriate for large dogs, and size Small will work for medium to large breeds. My German Shepherd can wear either a small or medium. Obviously, if you have a small breed, you’re stuck with the Halti, which comes in sizes tiny enough to fit a Toy Poodle.

Gentle Leader

One of the more aggressively advertised and promoted brands, the ‘Gentle Leader‘ is my least favourite of the three main head collar choices. The design is simple and sturdy: one loop goes around the muzzle and another wider one around the neck. The two straps are connected just under the dog’s throat, where the leash attaches. They come in a number of attractive colours, unlike the Halti and Snoot Loop, which are only sold in black.

The instructions that come with it are good, and the company has a nice website.

But the flaws are many. There are no side straps holding the muzzle loop in place, so it tends to be very easy for dogs to remove. To prevent this, both the collar and neck straps must be VERY snug. This, combined with the fact that the straps are wider than those on the Halti or Snoot Loop, makes this head collar the most annoying for the dog.

Because your leash attaches under the throat (rather than the chin), you have less leverage with which to control the dog’s head. While still better than other anti-pulling products, the Gentle Leader is the least effective head collar.

You have no ability whatsoever to muzzle your dog in a pinch using the Gentle Leader. And they tend to be more expensive than the other brands, usually starting at about $18.00 and going up in price from there. you can but them through this link

Dont forget the amazing conclusion from my dog training trial! Be sure to read and check it out...