Collar/harness Issue

[Guest OrangeCounty]

I've had my grey for about 2 months now. She pulls and sniffs a lot on walks, as well as bolts in the opposite direction of there are other dogs in the area (especially barking dogs). Because of these issues, I've been trying different collars, harnesses, and training techniques, none of which really seem to be working that great. When on her martingale, she has bolted when startled by a barking dog which made a red mark on her throat and it worries me that she will do damage to herself if that happens again or might escape her collar. Also, when she gets to sniffing things on walks, I hate having her choke herself since the martingale tightens. I've tried stopping as soon as she pulls, and that has helped a little, but when in new areas, nothing stops her from pulling/sniffing a ton.

 

I got the 2hounds freedom harness, but she doesn't seem to really like having that on, and although I measured her correctly, the velvet strap is a little tight (even on the biggest setting) and she gets a little cut whenever she wears it for a while, and it still didn't really help her to walk nicely next to me. Next I tried the gentle leader, but she hates having it on, but it does seem to get her to walk a little better on walks.

 

The last thing I purchased was the Ruffwear Web master harness. I like this harness the best because it doesn't seem to rub her anywhere and she seems secure in it. She, however, seems to like this the least. She statues in it, and won't potty while wearing it unless she really has to go after holding it for a long time. Also, instead of pulling me like usual, I have to pull her throughout the whole walk which isn't enjoyable for either of us. I would really like to get the Ruffwear harness to work for both of us, but I don't know what to do. Maybe she just needs to get used to it for longer? I know there are other posts regarding the best types of collars/harnesses, but any information on what I can do or recommendations on other products that worked for them would be helpful. Thank you!

[Guest xengab]

How long have you been using the Ruffwear? New things with a new dog will cause them to statue. I use the 2hounds harness and it doesnt cut my boy but if it did, I;d not use it either (it would hurt).

 

I'd make having the ruffwear harness a good thing. show the harness, give a high value treat (in my case I found bacon was the IT food). Put the harness on give another treat. Then let the dog just relax in the house with the harness on. Give a few more treats when the dog relaxes.. Then take her for a walk. Have treats on you. Take it slowly, let her sniff around. KEEP THE SAME ROUTE. Find a good route and stick to it until you get the pulling worked out.

[BatterseaBrindl]

Maybe you can change the 2Hounds harness for a bigger size?

My guys all have Large.

 

An Nixon - who has never statued in 5 years - hated his harness at first and refused to walk. I just left it on him for short periods in the house and after 2 or 3 days he was fine with it.

[Guest OrangeCounty]

Thanks for the advice! Unfortunatelty, the 2hounds products are final sale

[cleptogrey]

our male balds with velvet lining, be it collar or harness. our female manages to escape from just about any harness except this http://www.harnesslead.com i picked the Harness lead up at greyhounds in gettysburg last spring. i saw it online and was intrigued, the rescue group who sold it to me said they really work- and the dogs can not slip out. watch the video and decide if you want to venture in that direction. and yes they really work. i made my daughter purchase it for her unruly dogs. what a difference. my female uses a harness due to neck/shoulder issue. the harness lead is a comfortable fabric and wears well.

[greysmom]

The harness vs collar issue is the least of the things you posted about.

 

>Your dog needs to learn to walk quietly on lead - which means training. They can easily learn to distinguish between potty walks with a purpose and pleasure walks for sniffs and exercise walks. You just ned to be clear about what you want her to do. She should be on a fairly strict schedule for pottying, so those walks should be easy to identify for her. If you need her to be focused on you and walking forward the best way to encourage this is with yummy treats. Something she really likes that you use only for this purpose. Also, if she stops or statues, give the lead a quick shake (NOT a jerk, just jangle it) and say "C'mon! Let's go!" or whatever phrase you want to use to get her moving. If she still stands, then turn around close to her and turn her with your hip/leg and begin walking in the other direction. If she's uncomfortable in the harness, there are good suggestions above for helping with that.

 

 

>Your dog is anxious and fearful when encountering strange/unruly dogs - this could be leash reactivity or she could simply be unfamiliar with them and anxious when meting them. Greyhounds often don't recognize other breeds as "dogs" like themselves because they've never seen other dogs before. And rowdy dog that bark and jump can be intimidating and off-putting to even the most calm greyhounds. You can search the forum for threads about both issues and get a ton of suggestions.

[GeorgeofNE]

I'm sure if you sent the 2Hounds harness back to Alisha, she could re-do the strap and make it larger. Sales might be final, but she is a lovely woman, and she would not want you to have a harness that is cutting your dog!

[mansbestfriend]

IMO the harness (and/or collar) should be considered as a safety item (EG: in case the dog bolts), and not be expected to change your dog's behaviour. Without seeing this behaviour 'in the flesh' it's hard to say what may be the cause or the main cause of it, but it sounds like your dog is nervous/stressed/frustrated when walking.

 

Whatever is causing the behaviour, help your dog to be less stressed. If barking dogs is a problem, walk where there are no (or fewer) barking dogs. If traffic is scary, don't walk near traffic. If nervous in new areas, walk in familiar/routine areas. If your dog likes the car, take a nice car ride to a quiet park. Whatever it takes to help your dog be calmer, and feel safe (and maybe even have fun) when walking with you.

 

What "training techniques" have you used to help the dog to walk smoothly? Which technique results in the most pulling/jumpy/jerky/sniffing? Is walking on-leash the only time your dog shows this behaviour? I can recommend the training courses offered by RSPCA Australia as a general 'tonic' for many dogs (and owners). Cheers.

 

 

[Koyotekyle]

I'm not sure what harness we have. Our male would pull to every tree, post, bush and what ever else to pee on. We got a harness. I don't know if he learned to walk or the harness helped. I keep him on the harness with a short leash. He seems to be doing better. He will still pull once in a while but is much better. With the short leash, I stop at special pee places. but make him wait until I say OK, .then loosen the leash to a longer lead and let him go. Otherwise with the short lead I keep walking until I reach the pee spot. He has never statued, but had pulled a lot.