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Investing in the right equipment
Investing in the right equipment
It is a minefield with so much choice of equipment for our dogs. It is so easy to spend a fortune on the wrong things and it is difficult for new adopters to know what to invest in. Lots of people ask me for advice on harnesses and equipment for their dogs and since I have tried out most types over the years, here are my suggestions:
Best training harnesses for comfort
Best training harnesses for comfort
The main criteria for harnesses are comfort for the dog to ensure no pressure on the neck and no rubbing or soreness and good control for you whilst you train your dog to walk nicely on the lead.
Ideally choose a Y - Shaped harness
The perfect fit harnesses are highly recommended by many professional dog trainers.
https://www.dog-games-shop.co.uk/perfect-fit-fleece-dog-harness.html
They are expensive but well worth it in my opinion. They come in 3 parts so they are customisable to suit your dogs body shape and and are designed with a Y shaped front for comfort and a d-ring on the front as well as the top to give you 2 points of contact and reduced pulling. They are designed to be used with a double ended lead (see below).
These T-Touch harnesses work in a similar way and are slightly cheaper but not so padded. https://www.xtradog.training/product/ttouch-harness/
Dogs necks are complex and can be damaged by poorly fitting equipment. Never use a choke chain on your dog or yank him by the collar.
Escape proof harness for nervous escapees
Escape proof harness for nervous escapees
If you have a dog who is nervous and is likely to slip out of the harness, you should consider using an escape proof harness which has a 3rd strap around the tummy, making it harder for the dog to back out of. Whilst these are less comfortable in the long run, they are a good training aid whilst you are socialising a nervous dog in the outside world. But be warned, I have seen dogs escape from these if they are not well fitted!
Avoid harnesses with wide chest straps
Avoid harnesses with wide chest straps
NB please avoid harnesses with a wide strap across the chest (like the popular Julius K9 ones) which can restrict movement around the shoulders, are not very secure and also encourage a pulling action (think husky sled).
Best lead for loose lead walking
Best lead for loose lead walking
For walking, double ended leads are designed to be used with the training harnesses above that have a D-ring on the front as well as the top so that you have 2 points of contact on your dog to give you more control and to prevent pulling. I really like this simple one from Halti.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00589G9YY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_EBVP5KG23RQZMP1H4S12
See my advice on loose lead walking here.
Long lines
Long lines
For times when you need to give your dogs some freedom to sniff then I absolutely love these biothane leads as they don’t hurt your hands, don’t get tangled or knotted up and they dry out really quickly. I use a 5 meter one which I find brilliant. You can get longer ones, but then you trade off having more lead to control.
NB Retractable and extending tend to get really bad press and I no longer use them after seeing too many horror stories. They can break, get stuck, easily get pulled out of your hard and if you have ever had a cord wrapped round your leg you will know how painful this can be. Because there is always tension on the lead, they can also encourage pulling. Many nervous dogs go missing from adopters using extending leads. My advice is to avoid them!
Slip leads for safety
Slip leads for safety
Slip leads should be used as additional safety lines for high risk of escaping dogs and should always be used when collecting a new dog off transport or from kennels.
It is not ideal to walk a dog solely on a slip lead, as they tighten around the dogs throat and are likely to cause discomfort which will not help your dog to relax and enjoy their walk. However, if you have a nervous dog who is at high risk of escaping, you can use a slip lead to give you additional security should the dog slip their harness. My advice is to make sure the slip lead is slightly longer than the lead attached to the harness, so that there is no tension in it, but you can use it in an emergency situation.
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