Is there anything more frustrating for a dog walker than to have the animal constantly pulling and trying to leap ahead? Particularly if that dog is a big, powerful breed, like an English bull terrier.
The dog that pulls its walker to greet every other animal it meets can drain energy and resources all round. It can do untold physiological damage to his delicate throat and neck areas. Dog-walking should be fun both for the animal and its walker. Pulling on the lead turns dog-walking from a pleasure to a pain. Yet training a dog to walk to heel is not so difficult.
To help the long-term puller mend his ways, various types of harness have been invented, because it is generally believed that the harness gives much better control and is safer. It takes pressure away from the dog and stress away from the human.
The Sporn Non-Pull harness is available in sizes to suit all dogs and comes strongly recommended by its inventor Dr. Roger Mugford. Dr. Mugford is the UK's leading animal psychologist and founder of The Company of Animals Ltd. He is also the inventor of the Lupi harness and the Halti head-collar.
The Sporn Non-Pull harness is easy to use and so simple to fit, a child could do it. Another major point in its favor is that it is so comfortable for the dog. It has padded sleeves and a mesh cover for the chest area. Its sliding security cord lock ensures that the dog cannot possibly extricate himself from it. Using this harness makes dog-walking a pleasure. No more pulling, no more tugs of war between dog and walker. Taking the dog for a walk becomes fun again.
The Lupi harness is designed as a figure-of-eight, which converts the dog's forward movement to an upward lift. It is, he adds, also ideal for dogs with spinal problems.
The Halti head collar, which is currently being sold all over the world is a real best-seller, but the doctor advises against using it on English bull terriers or other dogs with short noses.
Why do dogs want to pull on the lead at all? Because they're excited, say the experts. They're outside and they want to escape, to run free.
Confrontation is another possible cause. They've seen another dog, a cat, or maybe a squirrel scaling a tree, and they want to chase it. Or possibly to display dominance.
The thing to do is stop walking the minute the dog starts pulling. Make him sit. Wait a few minutes for him to calm down. Then walk on. The more often he pulls, the more often you should stop. In time, he'll get the message and hopefully, he will stop pulling.
by Jeff Canaan
