# Easy Walk harness Vs. Prong Collar?



## TiffanyK (Apr 23, 2010)

Daisy pulls HARD when we walk. Is it best to try the Easy Walk harness first? Or just go straight with a prong collar? The prong collars have always intimidated me, but I've never had a big dog myself. I grew up with chihuahuas... I don't think I ever used a leash haha - just carried them wherever. But with Daisy, we need her to walk with us instead of drag us? I like the Easy Walk harness but don't want to waste the money if it's not going to do the job. She's an easy going dog and has shown no signs of any aggression or anything. She does pretty much whatever you tell her to (if she understands) - except she won't slow down and walk with you.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

How old is she? How much time have you spent working on teaching her loose leash walking, and what methods have you tried so far?


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## GermanPrinceHero (Feb 13, 2010)

Sounds like you might need one. If you do have to buy one you can get them on ebay all day long for around $15


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Whichever collar you use, you have to train the dog regardless. And use the collar properly fitted and in the right position. They are training tools, and not a cure all for a puller. 

Are you enrolled in any obedience classes? I know you just adopted her, so I would get into a class asap, it will help with your bond and the trainer will show you how to fit collars, etc...
Carry treats or a high value toy with you while walking to keep her focus on you(after you've let her sniff and walk ahead some to get that out of her system) Then praise her when she is heeling, and give her a reward. Clickers work great for this,too!
If you play a game of fetch before walking her, it may tire her some so she isn't pulling.


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## TiffanyK (Apr 23, 2010)

She's 2 and we've had her only 2 days. LOL. 

We've only tried just holding her to our side while we walk but I'm terrified she's going to back out of her collar and run after what she wants. My husband walks and jogs with her in the AM and I walk with her in the afternoon (she's already pretty tired at this point since she plays in the backyard with the kids off and on all day). We've both been doing the same thing. On the main road she was still pulling but would stop and sit when I told her to and I gave her treats whenever she listened. When we got onto the back road and there were a lot of people around she wouldn't listen for anything! She didn't care anything about the treats. She did care about chasing down a poor defenseless stray kitty. ADORABLE kitty! haha. She tried to get out of her collar at that point and wouldn't walk so I just tried to keep her attention and held her back by her collar praying she wouldn't get loose. It isn't the best of neighborhoods that we have to walk through to get back home. We live in a old area of town and while the neighborhood is improving, there are still a lot of scummy people back there. Most of them are afraid of her (police dog is the only thing they have on their minds) but I'm afraid if she got loose someone may try to hurt her because they are afraid of her before I could get her under control. 

She doesn't care anything about toys. We did get a clicker but I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to use it properly. My husband read that you use it to get attention and I keep reading that you use it when she does something right and then give her a treat after? But then I wonder isn't it just easier to give her a treat instead of clicking and giving a treat? 

We aren't enrolled in obedience classes and really they are kind of expensive for us right now. But at the same time, I worry that if we don't get her trained to do what we need her to do immediately then she won't ever.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

The martingale collar is a good choice, the dog cannot slip it. I use it on the shelter/foster dogs or dogs I transport, they don't know me and would slip a flat easily.
The clicker is used as you described, not your hubby's thought. Click(mark) the behavior the dog does right and reward afterward:
Karen Pryor Clickertraining
Take some time and bond with her, don't worry that you won't be able to train her later-she'll learn, the bond is most important.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

TiffanyK said:


> We did get a clicker but I'm still trying to figure out exactly how to use it properly. *My husband read that you use it to get attention and I keep reading that you use it when she does something right and then give her a treat after?* But then I wonder isn't it just easier to give her a treat instead of clicking and giving a treat?


YOU win! The clicker is a marker, you use it to tell the dog exactly what they did that earned the reward (treat). You_ can_ just give her a treat, but unless your timing is impeccable and you can deliver it within a second or two (and she hasn't already stopped doing whatever it is you want to reward and has started doing something else instead) it's much more precise. You can also use a voice marker - many people use "yes!", if you'd rather not use a clicker.

Let's say she glances at you briefly and you want to encourage her to spontaneously make eye contact like that. If you try to just give her a treat she may have already glanced away by then, so you're actually reinforcing THAT instead. But if you mark the exact second she makes eye contact she'll quickly figure out what works to "make" you keep rewarding her! 

I spent tons and tons of time rewarding Halo for being in the correct position beside me, not pulling, and especially when she looked at me. Now I get compliments on how nicely she walks on leash, and just last week someone asked me how I "got her to heel like that". No matter what tool you use you're going to have to train her. Either a front hook harness or a prong will be safer as far as preventing her from backing out of her collar, as would a Martingale collar (also known as a "limited slip" collar), but training will take time. You can start immediately, but don't expect training to be immediate. I agree that a class would be a good idea.


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## TiffanyK (Apr 23, 2010)

Thanks for that link. I'm going to go read around on it for a while. And email it to hubby too. LOL. I'll also look into the martingale collar. I guess I've been intimidated by most big dogs my entire life so I worry that if we don't train her correctly that she'll turn into a terror. LOL. Surprisingly I wasn't afraid of her at all. I've never seen a large dog so calm and easy going in person. LOL. I think we'll slow the training down and just have some fun with her for a while - although we are having a hard time figuring out her idea of fun (other than just running around in circles in the backyard haha)


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Everything she does can be a training opportunity. Carry treats and the clicker and when she lays down, mark it with the word you want to use for that command and treat, same with sit, heel, come, whatever. 
You don't have to be formal with it and try to keep it fun and upbeat, just interacting is training! Short, fun sessions.


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## TiffanyK (Apr 23, 2010)

Okay thanks for that. I sure have a lot to learn with this training deal haha. She should know lay in no time since she does that 85% of the time in the house. LOL.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

I tried "Canine Concepts Non-Pull Mesh Harness" from Petco, it's $19.99 and I tried it on my dog and it works amazingly!!!! He didn't try to pull me whatsoever! It's awesome


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I would highly recommend looking for a clicker class if you can find a reasonably priced in your area. Classes help a lot when first learning the method. If it is not an option, a good book to start with is Clicking With Your Dog by Peggy Tillman. Another good resource is to look up clicker training videos on Youtube.


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## TiffanyK (Apr 23, 2010)

We got the Easy Walk harness and man does that make a difference. She still tries to pull every now and then but then the harness feels weird on her and she walks with me. It's great. 


I'll look into that book. Thanks.


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## Tihannah (Dec 27, 2009)

TiffanyK said:


> Thanks for that link. I'm going to go read around on it for a while. And email it to hubby too. LOL. I'll also look into the martingale collar. I guess I've been intimidated by most big dogs my entire life so I worry that if we don't train her correctly that she'll turn into a terror. LOL. Surprisingly I wasn't afraid of her at all. I've never seen a large dog so calm and easy going in person. LOL. I think we'll slow the training down and just have some fun with her for a while - although we are having a hard time figuring out her idea of fun (other than just running around in circles in the backyard haha)


Another great place to learn about clicker training is Youtube. There are tons of great videos demonstrating the use of a clicker and how to "load" the clicker. This is where I learned. I have used to easy walker and it made a BIG difference in the pulling with my girl. I found it at Petsmart at the advice of a trainer. Good luck!


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## RunShepherdRun (Oct 5, 2009)

Congratulations to adopting Daisy! Glad the front hook harness works for her. I, too, found them a very helpful way to initially handle an untrained dog. As several others said already, it's a start and not a substitute for training.

There are several libraries of good training videos available free online:

Petfinder Video Hub Videos : Petfinder
Training Your Dog : Dog Guide : Animal Planet

Also, you can often get the DVD "Training Your Adopted Dog" for a couple of dollars on eBay or Amazon. It was originally produced for shelters and rescue organizations to give to adopters, and copies are still around. It's geared towards the inexperienced adopter, and very easy to follow and fun, and very inexpensive to get. 

I agree with everyone else, taking her to classes is important. If you and your whole family look at the videos before classes start, you'll get much more out of the classes than by starting 'green' b/c you've seen it before, understand the concepts, and can focus on practicing under guidance of a trainer.


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