# what is a good anti pulling harness to buy?



## Tifamaroo (Jan 17, 2017)

what is a good anti pulling harness to buy?

My sister has the easy walk and it works great but it rubs on the dogs sides, even when put on loosely and greats small gashes. I am hoping to find something with padding in that problem area. 

Someone recommended the Julius k9 to me, and it looks very nicely padded, but maybe a big too lightly on the sides. Also, I cant find anything about those harnesses being anti-pull specifically.

What are your recommendations?

Thank you,

Tifamaroo & Meek


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Hi Tif, 

I have used both harnesses. The Julius is very bulky and awkward, which prevents Frosty from pulling! But it's not designed to be a no-pull harness. The Easy Walk works really well. Here is a link to a fleece cover you can make for the body strap to make it more comfortable: https://lifebyky.com/2014/02/17/easy-walk-harness-padding/


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## Searcher (Aug 7, 2009)

2 Hounds Design Freedom No Pull Dog Harness & Leash

has soft padding that goes underneath
using the leash with both clips on really helps & makes it much easier to decrease the pulling plus is easier on you.


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## Suzysue (Feb 3, 2016)

Mini has chewed many harnesses. The Lupine No Pull is the only one she has not, and of course it is the only one guaranteed even if chewed.

I am very happy with it and use for both Mini and Johnny.

No problems with rubbing.


https://www.lupinepet.com/store/dogs/dog-harnesses/no-pull-training-harnesses


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am pretty skeptical about no pull harnesses. As you have experienced they can be harmful through rubbing and also if they really restrict movement. I put harnesses on all of our dogs for safety during vehicle travel, but not for not pulling.


Especially on a growing puppy I would not use a no pull harness I would spend the training time to teach the pup to walk politely. Start with attention games and make sure the pup finds you more interesting than most distractions then start on leash manners in a serious way. It took a long time to be able to walk Lily without her pulling and we never went much further than the driveway two houses away since I always either stopped dead or turned around to convey to her that she wasn't going to control our direction or pace.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

I have never used a harness on a dog, just a collar. I agree with Catherine that it is best to teach the dog to walk without pulling. The exceptions to this are tracking and pulling a cart or sledge. I have had poodles for many years and have shown them in conformation. A dog shown in conformation will have a very long coat on the back of the neck, so they never wear a collar except when training or showing. That collar will be a very smooth "snake chain" collar with the leash clipped to the dead ring (the ring that will not tighten the collar). 

The trick to teaching a dog not to pull is to learn how to use a little jerk - and it is, indeed, a skill. You are not trying to jerk the dog back into position, you just want to remind him/her that pulling is not appropriate. Turning around and going in the other direction or just stopping work the same way.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Johanna both of my poodles know they can pull like sled dogs in the Iditarod if they are wearing their tracking harnesses, but that they have to be polite on leashes and collars. Part of why I generally stopped or turned around was so that I didn't have to give leash pops but rather that when the pup I was with ran out of rope so to speak they got the correction perfectly timed when leash leash went taught and their forward momentum put pressure on the collar.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

My dogs know how to heel very well. However, if I want to walk my dogs to get coffee, I don't want to spend time training them; I just want to get there without a struggle. So, that's where the harnesses come in handy.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I don't disagree with you ZM that sometimes you just need to keep things moving, but I don't necessarily walk in my neighborhood unless I can invest and will invest in making it a training/thinking walk. Getting coffee isn't walking distance for us anyway.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

My dog has never worn a harness. I do have a 2 hounds harness left over from our boxer. It is very well made and they will help you size it properly. It is well padded. However I don't think its an answer to pulling. While it helps it did not teach anything to our boxer. We ended up with a prong collar and that did the trick so thats what I did with Renn, especially since he had no qualms about leaping and pulling at the same time and I didn't want my face on the pavement. (bad knees, ankles) Both dogs now have an excellent heel. The boxer can now be walked on a flat collar (4 years old). Renn will be 11 months and still wears his prong more for my safety, just in case he has a moment.


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## PoodlesRock (Aug 16, 2020)

Hi all! My spoo, Pebbles, is 5 months old. She's highly trainable in general, just gets very excited at times. I just began "heel" training and she does well until challenged with a high level of excitement, such as just having arrived at the park. Then, she pulls hard and I'm afraid that she will injure her trachea. I was getting ready to purchase a harness but in reading the above comments and suggestions it sounds as though a prong/pinch collar might actually be the safest. Just putting it out there to see if anyone has any additional comments before I make the purchase. 

Sorry, I haven't posted a picture yet. I will soon!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

@PoodlesRock, I would recommend working through what she’s feeling in those moments and teach her a better way to get what she wants. This book is great:









Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over the Top to Under Control (Training Great Dogs): Baugh, Laura VanArendonk: 9780985934927: Amazon.com: Books


Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over the Top to Under Control (Training Great Dogs) [Baugh, Laura VanArendonk] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over the Top to Under Control...



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The park is a very predictable trigger, so you can approach it as slowly as you need to, to keep her under threshold.

If you do decide to go with a prong collar, please do so under the guidance of a certified trainer. Poodle puppies are sensitive and respond brilliantly to consistent positive reinforcement. With an aversive, you run the risk of creating negative associations with people, places, and things that currently only trigger excitement. You want to ensure you’re using it correctly.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I am a big fan of the stand there and wait for them to make a good decision, then continue walking style of leash training. Sometimes it may take 5 min, sometimes you have to turn around and walk away but eventually, they learn that loose leash gets them things, pulling does not. 

I would also not use a prong on a 5 month old dog. There is a reason that traditional force based training recommends not starting before 6 months - you REALLY don't want to scare puppies. I use one - a prong itself doesn't teach loose leash walking, it just hurts the dog if they pull. If you put them on another piece of equipment they go back to pulling as soon as they realize the consequence isn't there. 

Have you tried a martingale collar? They distribute pressure around the neck so no gasping noise. Or a plain harness, which doesn't stop pulling but can keep her from damaging her trachea while you teach her how to walk properly

(I should add that I now use a prong maybe once a month - if I am in so much pain I can't handle any pulling at all, or if it is so icy I worry about falling on my face if my dog accidentally pulls)


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Yep. What @For Want of Poodle said.  I know that it can be frustrating to go slowly, but it’s worth it.


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## PoodlesRock (Aug 16, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> @PoodlesRock, I would recommend working through what she’s feeling in those moments and teach her a better way to get what she wants. This book is great:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you for your feedback! I'm all about the use of positive reinforcement, so this makes me think...


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

If you do go with a harness, I’d think of it more as a way to protect the trachea, rather than a deterrent to pulling. I know the front-clips are supposed to turn the puppy back toward you when they pull, but (in my experience, at least) this effect is minimal and will absolutely not be able to compete with park excitement.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

the best no pull harness is proper dog training . No pull harnesses often have front clips that ruin a dogs gait and cause joint issues.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I used a front clip harness on Pogo due to his freak outs over squirrels and Amazon delivery trucks. I really really should have done a better job teaching him leash manners when he was a puppy instead. The harness did what it was supposed to do: spun the dog around. However, getting spun around didn't actually stop Pogo's antics. He would simply bounce and lunge in reverse gear, looking over his shoulder. All that jerking did my own shoulder no good at all. I have been very careful not to repeat that mistake with Galen. As soon as Galen was capable of walking on a harness (as opposed to rolling around while chewing on a stick) I started working on teaching him not to pull. He's not perfect; I still correct him multiple times every single walk. However, he's a lot better than Pogo ever was.


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## PoodlesRock (Aug 16, 2020)

Ava. said:


> the best no pull harness is proper dog training . No pull harnesses often have front clips that ruin a dogs gait and cause joint issues.


Thank You.


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## PoodlesRock (Aug 16, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> If you do go with a harness, I’d think of it more as a way to protect the trachea, rather than a deterrent to pulling. I know the front-clips are supposed to turn the puppy back toward you when they pull, but (in my experience, at least) this effect is minimal and will absolutely not be able to compete with park excitement.


Yes, I'm concerned with protecting the trachea until she is fully trained and a little more mature.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

if thats the case, look for a y-front harness. 

here is a video of how badly it really impacts a dog : 




for adults, I don't mind. But for puppies, they are growing and being whipped around by a harness does no good on their growing joints


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Others may not agree, but I think the best anti-pulling device is a collar. Harnesses are designed for pulling! So use a collar and teach the dog not to pull by using a little jerk when he does so. And I do mean a LITTLE jerk. Back it up with a voice command.


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## PoodlesRock (Aug 16, 2020)

Ava. said:


> if thats the case, look for a y-front harness.
> 
> here is a video of how badly it really impacts a dog :
> 
> ...


Wow. Everyone should watch this.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Johanna I also prefer a collar to a harness and I don't even think you have to pop it, just stop moving and be a tree. When the pup runs out of leash they correct themselves. Lily and I spent several months just going one or two house lots distance to teach her to walk on a loose leash. I would stop and she would either try to keep going in which case we turned around or she would stop and come closer to take tension off the leash and I would give her a treat when she left slack.


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## PoodlesRock (Aug 16, 2020)

Just to let all of you know how the training went with Pebbles... She is now 8 months old. I never used a harness or special collar. Focused on heel training with positive reinforcement (including treats). Started inside the house with treats. Also used, and still use, the "tree method" of not moving forward if she is pulling. It has gone well. She's not perfect on the leash, but is really very good and much improved. Thank you everyone for all of your help! You are the best!
It was very impactful for me to watch the video of dogs walking on a treadmill without harnesses and with various types of harnesses. It illustrated how harnesses affect their natural movement and it was painful to watch.


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## PoodlesRock (Aug 16, 2020)

P.S. The video was posted by Ava in comment #23 above.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

PoodlesRock said:


> Just to let all of you know how the training went with Pebbles... She is now 8 months old. I never used a harness or special collar. Focused on heel training with positive reinforcement (including treats). Started inside the house with treats. Also used, and still use, the "tree method" of not moving forward if she is pulling. It has gone well. She's not perfect on the leash, but is really very good and much improved. Thank you everyone for all of your help! You are the best!
> It was very impactful for me to watch the video of dogs walking on a treadmill without harnesses and with various types of harnesses. It illustrated how harnesses affect their natural movement and it was painful to watch.


Wonderful news! So glad you posted this update.


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## Tulsi (Jun 8, 2021)

I wouldnt use any of those harnesses. Most of them had the strap way too close to the front legs.

Rusty and Jojo have tailor made harnesses from edog (uk). They do soft fleece harnesses and ones for water. They are better (imo) than any of these and (imo) better for the dogs than a collar would be.





__





Best Fleece Dog Harnesses, Collars and Leads made in the UK


We manufacture the best fleece dog harnesses, collars and leads in the UK. 11 years experience. All our harnesses are escape proof and anti-pull




fleecedogharnesses.co.uk


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## PoodlesRock (Aug 16, 2020)

Pebbles, a spoo, is now 10 months old. Never used special collars or harnesses. Just a regular leather collar with an ordinary buckle. I continue to work on heal training with a leash. Now also without a leash, even at the park! I use positive reinforcement including one of her favorite treats (freeze dried minnows). If she starts to pull, I often let out an unpleasant sound like "eh!" and I stop, even if only briefly. When I do this, she'll turn around and look at me. She's not 100% perfect but is progressing very well. She's a wonderful dog and we love her to pieces!


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Mufar42 said:


> My dog has never worn a harness. I do have a 2 hounds harness left over from our boxer. It is very well made and they will help you size it properly. It is well padded. However I don't think its an answer to pulling. While it helps it did not teach anything to our boxer. We ended up with a prong collar and that did the trick so thats what I did with Renn, especially since he had no qualms about leaping and pulling at the same time and I didn't want my face on the pavement. (bad knees, ankles) Both dogs now have an excellent heel. The boxer can now be walked on a flat collar (4 years old). Renn will be 11 months and still wears his prong more for my safety, just in case he has a moment.


I have recently become a fan of prong collars. The instructors at my obedience club teach people how to purchase one that fits well and teaches people how to use it correctly. I recently taught one of my neighbors who has a pit bull how to use one. It was amazing to see the immediate response of that dog - she had been dragging the neighbor's kids around. As soon as I put the prong collar on her she became a model citizen. I emphasized to the neighbor and her children that dogs should not be allowed to drag them and that a little sharp, short tug was the way to manage that.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

I have phased out use of the prong, but it really is such a wonderful training tool. I usually either use a flat collar or a y-front harness these days.


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## Apricot mini momma (Dec 22, 2020)

Ava. said:


> I have phased out use of the prong, but it really is such a wonderful training tool. I usually either use a flat collar or a y-front harness these days.


Sorry if I’m a little slow… should I _not_ use a harness that wraps under the front “armpits” even if my dog doesn’t pull? I have a wildebeest harness that fits like that but Beau is pretty good about not pulling and if he starts I’ll stop or turn.

I also use it to buckle him in his car seat. Maybe it is still too much since he’s a puppy still.


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## Ava. (Oct 21, 2020)

Apricot mini momma said:


> Sorry if I’m a little slow… should I _not_ use a harness that wraps under the front “armpits” even if my dog doesn’t pull? I have a wildebeest harness that fits like that but Beau is pretty good about not pulling and if he starts I’ll stop or turn.
> 
> I also use it to buckle him in his car seat. Maybe it is still too much since he’s a puppy still.


You want a harness that wraps under the armpits, but also has a padding on the chest. Like this : KONG® Reflective Pocket Dog Harness | dog Harnesses | PetSmart

what you dont want is a harness like this : PetSafe® Easy Walk Dog Harness | dog Harnesses | PetSmart


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