# No pull harnesses?



## sesa70 (Jan 25, 2016)

My little Romeo loves to go for walks but he pulls a lot. He is wearing a puppia harness, but he sometimes still manages to choke himself, I hear him coughing. Also, my 11 year old daughter likes to walk him and I find she has a hard time controlling him sometimes. SO, I'm considering a no pull harness. 

What have some of you been happy with? I don't like the easy walk because every time I see it on a dog it's too low and restricts leg movement. I thought about the freedom, but not sure it is small enough? Are there any others out there I don't know about?


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

We use the Walk In Sync harness. It has both front and back clips. I have a small dog and have used it since I got her, at 3.4 lbs.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I prefer the Sense-ation harnesses. They must be properly adjusted to avoid the problems with being too low and restricting movement that you mentioned. But once they are adjusted properly, rhey work very well.


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## Hanna (Feb 25, 2016)

I prefer to Back Clip harness because it feels that they are very comfortable and it's very useful you can adjust it every time you feel that they are not comfortable and this harness especially useful for small dog like havanese.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Hanna said:


> I prefer to Back Clip harness because it feels that they are very comfortable and it's very useful you can adjust it every time you feel that they are not comfortable and this harness especially useful for small dog like havanese.


A back clip harness is fine for a dog who doesn't pull. But they encourage pulling in dogs with that tendency. A front attach harness is a teaching tool to help dogs learn NOT to pull. (If used properly... Dogs can still learn to pull against them if they are used improperly)


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Hanna said:


> I prefer to Back Clip harness because it feels that they are very comfortable and it's very useful you can adjust it every time you feel that they are not comfortable and this harness especially useful for small dog like havanese.


The back clip harness works best for us. The front clip harness seemed awkward when walking.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather Glen said:


> The back clip harness works best for us. The front clip harness seemed awkward when walking.


Again, it's a specific tool for a specific use. It's not something every dog needs. But it is VERY useful if you have a dog who likes to pull in the context of higher excitement during walks.

I don't use it with all of mine. Pixel has never pulled, so never needed one. Panda is learning fine not to pull with a regular harness. Even though Kodi had a beautiful formal heel very early, he pulled like a freight train on casual walks in a regular back-clip harness. The Sensation harness broke that habit quickly and kindly. He still wears it because it has so few straps, and therefore mats his coat very little. He certainly doesn't need it to keep him from pulling... he doesn't pull. But we've just stuck with it for him. I don't find it awkward at all, but then, I've had 7 years of practice with it!


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## Boogs (Feb 12, 2016)

I am also looking for a no-pull harness. I will definitely look into the ones recommended in this thread.

We had the Easy Walk Harness too but it didn't work. Even the smallest size seemed to be too big for Boogie as he would occasionally be able to slip a front leg out, for example if he decided he wanted to chase a bird or dog, and it never really seemed to deter him from pulling in any situation. Sometimes he would pull and do the coughing thing which again made me think it just doesn't fit this breed well.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Boogs said:


> I am also looking for a no-pull harness. I will definitely look into the ones recommended in this thread.
> 
> We had the Easy Walk Harness too but it didn't work. Even the smallest size seemed to be too big for Boogie as he would occasionally be able to slip a front leg out, for example if he decided he wanted to chase a bird or dog, and it never really seemed to deter him from pulling in any situation. Sometimes he would pull and do the coughing thing which again made me think it just doesn't fit this breed well.


I find the Easy Walk difficult to adjust too. And you are right, they don't fit very small dogs very well. My littlest one has stepped out of of one too.

I've found the Sense-sation harness to work much better in terms of getting the fit right, but even that's not always easy with the smallest size with its very thin straps.

That said, these harnesess DO fit medium sized (or larger) Havs very well. No harness, even a front attach one, will teach your dog not to pull in a vacuum. They have to be taught. That means the handler has to be consisitent... Stopping EVERY time the dog starts to pull, a
Waiting for the dog to turn toward you, then praise and reward. It takespatience and consistency... And it takes as long as it takes for that particular dog.

The big difference between front attach harnesses and back attach harnesses is that with a dog who likes to pull, they are actually rewarded for pulling by the feel of pulling into the harness. It's like a sled dog.

There is also another option for pullers, that absolutely WON'T tangle around legs, is "built in" to your 6' leash, and works extremely well. In fact, the worse puller the dog is, the better it tends to work. We call it the "magic leash" at our school.

You attach the leash to a flat buckle collar. Then take the leash and run it RIGHT behind the dog's elbows, and under the belly. Bring it back up and through the back side of collar, and from there to your hand. When the dog starts to pull, the leash tightens around the dog's rib cage, reminding them to back off. The minute they relax the tension, the pressure releases from around their rib cage. It works great, and there is no pressure on the dog's sensitive neck. You do, however, STILL need to stop and stand every time the dog starts to pull.


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## seesawhavanese (Jun 17, 2015)

Mochi is currently using the WALK YOUR DOG WITH LOVE. THE BEST FRONT LEADING DOG HARNESS IN THE WORLD. It Is Time To Lead! WYDWL front clip harness. So far this one is the lightest and easiest to adjust and stays adjusted unlike the Sense-ation. Mochi is a strong puller, so the front clip does help, but it won't stop pulling without training.


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## Hanna (Feb 25, 2016)

krandall said:


> A back clip harness is fine for a dog who doesn't pull. But they encourage pulling in dogs with that tendency. A front attach harness is a teaching tool to help dogs learn NOT to pull. (If used properly... Dogs can still learn to pull against them if they are used improperly)





krandall said:


> Again, it's a specific tool for a specific use. It's not something every dog needs. But it is VERY useful if you have a dog who likes to pull in the context of higher excitement during walks.
> 
> I don't use it with all of mine. Pixel has never pulled, so never needed one. Panda is learning fine not to pull with a regular harness. Even though Kodi had a beautiful formal heel very early, he pulled like a freight train on casual walks in a regular back-clip harness. The Sensation harness broke that habit quickly and kindly. He still wears it because it has so few straps, and therefore mats his coat very little. He certainly doesn't need it to keep him from pulling... he doesn't pull. But we've just stuck with it for him. I don't find it awkward at all, but then, I've had 7 years of practice with it!


Thanks for enlightening me. :laugh2:


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## Askavi (Nov 5, 2015)

I'm searching for harnesses for all three of my dogs. I'm going to go ahead and get the Sense-ation harness, but I'm concerned about sizing for Raffy. He is 11 to 12 lbs (depending on what scale is being used) and the mini size says 6-12, lbs and xtra small 12 - 20 lbs. I have no idea what his girth measurement is, but he is lean, however he is in full fluffy coat. I'm curious if anyone knows if these run small or large or whatnot so I get the right one.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I use the Sensation for Kodi (x-small) but he is considerably larger, at 17 lbs. Pixel, who is about 9 1/2 lbs, wears the mini size but she never pulls, so even though we have one that fits her, she just wears a step-in harness. Panda has never worn one.

They are quite adjustable, so I'm thinking you'll probably be fine with either one. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the webbing and buckle on the mini are smaller than on the XS. I find the mini to be a little fussy.


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## Askavi (Nov 5, 2015)

Thanks. Good to know about the straps/clips. I have a tough enough time clipping Raffy's collar around all his hair, so I will go for the extra small. Their website also says that if your dog is in between sizes, it's best to choose the larger. I'm going to hold off on buying Sassy a new harness for now and keep using her soft back clipped harness until she grows out of it. I'll judge what she needs then, as she's not pulling....yet.

My dogs do great on leash when going places like the vet or the store, but on our first long walk in a while (I'm just not fond of cold/wet walking) Raffy and Shady took me on a pull instead. They were both super excited and practically choking themselves. We'll have to be going back to basics, but I'm hoping the harness will help. I had to redirect so much during that walk, I could have just walked in circles!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Yeah, it's MUCH easier to teach loose leash walking with only one dog at a time. Then when they are both (or all) are SOLID, add another. When Dave and I walk the dogs, he takes Kodi and Pixel, who are both great loose leash walkers, and I take Panda... who's till not quite there. 

Funny thing is I have to walk behind unless it's wide enough for us to walk side by side. Kodi HATES for me to bahead of him, and tries to catch up, which makes him pull when he never would otherwise. I think it's because "heel" position has been so heavily reinforced between him and me, even though we NEVER do formal heeling while on a casual walk. (I actually discourage it)


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