Pulling on leash, can this be harmful?

Bentley is such a puller, and I worry that this can be harming him. I've been reading thru some of the older threads on here about pulling and noticed that the Easy Walk harness seems popular, so I am going to check around and see if I can find that in my area here somewhere. Otherwise, I have tried just stopping when he starts to pull, yet as soon as I start to step forward again, he pulls.....I do realize this may take quite some time to "fix".

Those harnesses are really good for dogs that pull. I use the halti harness which is the same thing and there is also a sensation or sensible harness that is the same concept. (d ring in the centre of the chest).

You can easily order the Sinse-ible or the Easy Walk harness off the internet. They are great.

Renee, I'd definitely recommend the Easy Walk. It was like a miracle for Lucky - he behaves so well on walks with that harness, it's like a dream compared to how it used to be.

http://www.jbpet.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1908

(FYI: Lucky wears a small at 19 lbs.)

I used a Gentle Walker with my lab as the vet said all labs pull and he had seen too many with damage to their throats. I also used it as a training aid in the house when she was in that 50lb puppy zoomy, jump stage as I had 2 small children. When she got too excited I put it on her on a long 10' lightweight lead and kept her within hearing distance of me.

I havent seen the easy walker in action - but I am considering using the Gentle Leader (similar to a halti but it has a clasp so it doesnt always tighten like the halit) and holding off till her little nose grows to see if one will fit correctly.

Try any of the above mentioned products for pulling. I think pulling just leads to other issues and besides doesnt make the stroll the nice thing its supposed to be for everyone.

Gentle Leaders/Haltis sometimes won't work with cavaliers as for some, their noses are a bit too short and it pops off.

The Sense-ible and Easy Walk ar basically the same concept, with the point of contact for lead and dog moved to the chest rather than the head.

I have and use both. I like the Sense-ible a little more -- construction is a little more robust and it doesn;t have a martinale style mechanism at the front so I think the lead attachemnt doesn;t bang as much on the dog's chest. This is the only issue I have with these harnesses -- on small breeds the lead clasp kind of bangs off of them but mine don;t seem bothered. I stepped on one of my Easy Walks and broke one of the clips though.

Karlin said:

martinale style mechanism at the front

Click to expand...

That is exactly why I wanted to wait till Kodee is bigger and then evaluate her nose. My trainer has fitted some cavaliers quite well and others she is not satisfied they wont fall off. She will fit Kodee in a few mths and judge then - for now I flop between the collar and puppia. Neither feel safe in my mind - I dont doubt for a second she could get out of the puppia if she really wanted to. The collar I just crinch everytime she does the puppy full tilt run and hits the end or runs in the air if i stand still. We spend alot of time with me going backwards saying Kodee Come dropping chicken all over the neighbourhood :lol:

Renee,
If you checked past posts about pulling then you probably came across mine and my troubles with Riley. We are now using the Easy Walk harness for our walks and we are doing pretty well. I have not experienced the "miracle cure" that many others have. We are still working on his walking skills. He does pull a lot less, but he will still do it if I give him a chance. It's still work, but it IS getting better.
There is hope for you and Bentley. Sometimes it takes a lot of time, but it is so worth it when you can have a nice walk with your dog. There's really nothing like that feeling. You'll see.

Thanks everyone, it sounds like a lot of people like the Easy Walk harness, I will check into that one!! I took him out again today, maybe it is the excitement of the warmer weather and Spring, altho he always was a puller.

Amber's a puller, and she carried on pulling the first time I had her in the Gentle Leader easy walk harness. She's getting the hang of it now- I was able to walk both dogs together yesterday without feeling I had to tense in order to control them/ Amber. Similarly, Holly was a chronic puller until she was put in the Gentle Leader (same harness- the exact same one! lol) for some weeks. She hated it, but it worked- now Holly walks beautifully on ANYTHING.

Thank you, that is reassuring to know. I just hate how Bentley pulls, I worry about him hurting himself. Those harnesses sound wonderful!

:flwr:

I've asked this question elsewhere, but perhaps others will see it here:

How do you keep the matts from forming with the sense-ible harness?

I just got them for Cedar and Willow and I LOVE them. We've gone for lots of walks in the lovely spring weather. Unfortunately, the harness seems to cause tons of knots in their fur. Any tips???