Help with Pulling - Headcollars and Harnesses

I have two mini dachshunds that I walk together. The younger dog - Max, pulls like a steam train to the extent that he is left coughing and choking.

When I have the children with me, I use a double dog lead so I have a 'free' hand when crossing roads etc. This lead has a downside though as Max pulls me and the other dachie along with him. When I use two individual leads I have one arm longer than the other.

I have been considering a head collar or harness for him - but the type and different styles are bewildering. I have looked in magazines, on websites and pet shops and all claim to work wonders!

Would anyone care to share their experiences of actually using them - road tested them so to speak

I always think head collars must be very unpleasant for the dog, at first at least. I swear by the easy-walker type harnesses. All my dogs have had them and it works brilliantly while being more comfortable for the dog than a conventional collar or a head collar. There are various brands available. They have some cheap ones at Pets at Home (about £6). It's a yoke that goes around the dog's neck with two attached loops that go under the armpits. The lead is attached to these loops so that when it pulls the dog's front legs are lifted up so it can't pull any more. There's no strain on the dogs neck and it makes such a difference.

Know exactly what you mean my two dacchies one male and one female had a double lead ther male went to all trees pulling me and the poor little female along with him.

I use dogmatic headcollars on my borzois, with great success thoughI don't have these for the dachies as brodie the little boy slipped a disc a few years ago and though now back on his feet he walks a lot slower now so no need for a headcollar, but it may be worthwhile trying these on your two there is a website but if you just type in dogmatic headcollars you will find it. Do let us know how you get on and good luck.

Canny Collar... they are more humane than a halti headcollar etc.. they are attached to the lead behind the head rather than under the chin.. so there is no unpleasant yanking of the neck...

They are fantastic

the Mikki Walkrite harness.
Have tried all other headcollars/harnesses on my Bullmastiff, and this one is amazing!

I use Dogmatics for Cody (Dobe) and my daughters dog Jessie (Weimaraner). They work for us with no yanking on the dogs neck, our dogs just accept them and walk OK.

I would have thought that a harness would be more suitable for a Dachie as they are lower to the ground, not being experienced with small dogs I may well be wrong. I'm sure there is someone with Dachies that could give you better advice than I can on that score. Whatever you decide on I hope it works, there is nothing worse than being dragged about. Good Luck

i now use a dogmatic on mine and my arms can see the difference!! ...no more aches!!!

Well I tried Haltis on my 2 and they managed to eat them somehow within minutes, so then went for dogmatics which are wonderful. Cariad did somehow manage to eat her dogmatic, so put her in the spare-emergency halti I had got, got dogmatic repaired, she ate halti and now she is back in the dogmatic.
I find they are really good, but with my 2 I always use a lead on their collar as well, just in case they both go into escape mode.
My 2 are really inventive getting out of things and went through a stage of managing to pull them over their heads with a really quick flick of their paw, so I now pass the head bit throught their collars. They are sufficiently confused by the impossibility of escape that they seem to have run out of ideas!!!!!

When I walk mine one at a time I use their normal flat collars but when I walk all 3 together they all think its a race and pull to get their noses in front. I've found the Canny collars are absolutely fantastic for stopping this behaviour wouldn't be without mine

well, i have a staffie, and didnt find anything particuarly worked.
the training harnesses worked for a bit, then she learnt to pull.
the head collar worked for abit, but she learnt how to pull into it.

in the end i decided training her not to pull would be best and adopted the stop start method, and now she rarely pulls, she never pulls like a steam train at least and normally walks on a loose lead. i walk her in a harness, which really makes no difference other than i know she isnt damaging her neck.

it would be difficult having two dogs because u would have to train the trouble dog seperate