The No-Pull Harness Debate

[SunDance]

In her email to me this morning, along with info on the specific running harness she uses, my friend Emily included a link to a Whole Dog Journal article on use of a no-pull harness, most specifically to dogs who run. I see this as also affecting dogs who are just on leash walks and so think I'll pass it along to anyone who may be using/thinking about using one of them. It's a debate...there are always two sides to everything...I'd never seen it addressed in writing before:

The No-Pull Debate - Whole Dog Journal Article

[Sue]

Actually, there is a book, by Dr. Daniel Kamen, published in 2005, that addresses this very issue. He is a chiropractor and the book is The Well Adjusted Dog.

A summary of the info on harnesses/collars:

Caring for your Dog's Neck and Spine: Dog Collar Issues - DogBreedz.com

[Tanya]

Um - wow! I knew about most of that but the article says that the PRONG is actually the best choice! the collar a great number of peopel vilefy as cruel!

[Snowshoe]

Um - wow! I knew about most of that but the article says that the PRONG is actually the best choice! the collar a great number of peopel vilefy as cruel!

Wow again. Not only does it say the prong is best (it's in the second link) but it also says the flat collar "can also be the most dangerous type."

Bookmarks coming up for me for sure.

[Annette47]

Wow again. Not only does it say the prong is best (it's in the second link) but it also says the flat collar "can also be the most dangerous type."

Bookmarks coming up for me for sure.

Makes me feel validated, LOL. I train all of mine with a prong and only switch to a flat collar when they already know not to pull. Never tried a no pull harness.

[Carlos]

Ok, so it's confession time. Ever since I got Shiloh and started reading up and learning about positive training and read opinions that the prong is cruel and "doesn't teach the dog, just forces a reaction" I've been aversive to them. In fact, even when our obedience trainer recommended one due to Shiloh's pulling I cringed inside and thought there was no way.
Well, at a year and a half old, Shiloh still takes 20 minutes of walking before he even begins to start paying attention enough for any of the training (changing directions, stopping, backing up, letting him continue as long as the leash is loose...) to get through to his brain. Even then, I usually suspect that it's just that he's wearing down enough and the excitement's wearing off to where he's just not as likely to pull.
Let my dad walk him on the harness they bought to keep at their house and it just gets worse.

So these past few threads about harnesses and leashes got me really rethinking everything. I looked up some videos on the proper use of prongs. I've always imagined (and seen) people using these to "pop" the leash to give a correction or give a hard tug to pinch the dog as a rebuke. I still believe that such methods are counterproductive to training (and after a certain point become abuse in some cases). However, what I learned in my research is that this isn't the intended use of a prong at all!!

I was amazed that the proper use is actually based on a very similar philosophy to horsemanship (in early training, applying pressure on the horse until the horse moves away in the desired direction, thus rewarding the horse for the behavior by relieving the applied pressure). With a prong, the dog's introduction to the collar should be a session to teach the dog that when they move with the leading of the leash they relieve the pinch. This way, the dog learns (notice: learns) that they have control over whether or not the pinch happens by following your lead. The dog quickly learns that the best way to walk is WITH you. One tip I learned was to keep a thumb in your hip pocket to keep from actively pulling on the leash. That way the dog doesn't see the pinch as coming from you but rather as coming from their own actions, making them feel in control (also confident).

Also, this shouldn't replace training, only enhance it. It's still up to us to reinforce polite walking with praise (and treats of course). So the owner still maintains a connection with the dog in training and the lessons learned aren't lost when transitioning to a flat collar.

Combine all the logic I found in the philosophy of using the prong this way combined with the fact that it becomes the safest collar to use (factor in the fact that the dog is already less likely to pull and not as hard as well as the way the prong distributes pressure around the neck instead of only on the front) and I decided it was time to give the prong a chance.

I bought one today, fitted it (snug but not tight), introduced Shiloh to it and went on the first walk with it.

Let's just say that it was the most productive walk Shiloh and I have ever taken. Do I look forward to the day that we can go back to walking with a flat collar with no pulling? Absolutely. But in the meantime, I'm surprised to say that I'm really glad to have this tool to help us get there.

[Tanya]

there is a province in canada that is/has passed legislation to ban e-collars and prongs. they ignore the crazy amount of puppy mills and byb's and the abuse of animals but go after prongs. so maddening.

[Carlos]

there is a province in canada that is/has passed legislation to ban e-collars and prongs. they ignore the crazy amount of puppy mills and byb's and the abuse of animals but go after prongs. so maddening.

Wow. Priorities, huh?