For the majority of dogs I’ve lived with and worked with, learning to walk on a (mostly) loose leash requires work over time. Besides the canine instincts to chase and sniff, most dogs walk faster than us. When facing the limiting range of a leash, the average pooch is going to throw their proverbial back into dragging you along. Needless to say, working towards a loose leash walk with minimal pulling is more comfortable, safe and enjoyable for the creatures at both ends of the leash.
While training your dog to walk with less pulling, equipment that helps you counter your dog’s strength may be helpful. I typically begin with a “no-pull” harness because a well-fit harness is readily accepted by most dogs, requires less handler skill and is generally helpful for mild to moderate pullers. A no-pull harness has a place to connect the leash high on the front of the dog’s chest, pulling the dog slightly off center when s/he moves too far forward. It is often used most effectively with a multi-use leash to minimize the harness shifting on the body.
It’s very important to use a harness with a “Y” shaped front that allows for normal shoulder and leg movement. Many of the original no-pull harnesses (especially the popular Easy Walker) are restrictive, which can cause injuries with repetitive use. Unfortunately, I often see dogs wearing harnesses that droop low on the chest, which can inhibit normal walking and may even allow some dogs to slip their front legs out of the harness. I also see harnesses that fit too closely behind the front legs, causing chafing and limiting shoulder movement.
I’m always on the look-out for new harness brands. For proper design and fit, the Balance Harness is my tried and true choice. The downside to this harness is that it takes some getting used to to put it on your dog. The PerfectFit modular harness allows for more size customization than most, which can be very helpful for, ahem, unusually-shaped dogs. This makes it more expensive and I admit to finding it a little complicated to put together. The Kurgo Journey and Tru Fit harnesses can be less confounding options because they slip over the dog’s head. My quibble with both is that the chest ring for the leash often falls lower than it should for optimal use and the harness tends not to fit as snuggly, but this is not necessarily a deal-breaker.
Two harnesses that I am intrigued by, but have not yet tested, are the Comfort Control No-Pull Harness and the In.Line No Pull Dog Harness. Despite sounding a bit like pantyhose, the Comfort Control harness is very attractive, with unusually wide straps. And, I’m puzzled by the punctuation, but the In.Line harness looks sturdy and nicely padded. If you’ve used either one on your dog, I’d love to hear about it!
No equipment is perfect, and you aren’t alone if your are a little confused with putting on and using a no-pull harness (my husband refused to use one until I drew arrows on our harness with a sharpie). I often practice this with clients and suggest that they get comfortable with it by putting it on a non-wiggling stuffed dog. I’ve also found that many of the brand websites have good instructional videos that demonstrate proper fit and placement. When you first begin walking with a no-pull harness, you may find that the leash gets caught under your dog’s front legs more often. Usually, this happens because the handler is letting the leash drop too low or letting out too much of the leash. You want the leash to have a little slack, but it shouldn’t drop below the bottom of your dog’s chest.
Less equipment is the ultimate goal for an eventual, mature adult dog walk. While every dog should have a regular, flat buckle or snap collar for holding id tags, it won’t do much to limit average canine pullers. Similarly, the partial tightening of a martingale collar may prevent a collar from slipping off a dog with a narrower head, but it also rarely reduces pulling. Depending on how much training effort you put in and your dog’s individual characteristics, a regular collar or martingale might be what your dog graduates to using during walks. In the meantime, finding good no-pull equipment can make walks more fun and safe for you and your dog.