[SophieB]

Sophie, I use a 'Sporn' no pull harness on Toby. It doesn't have any plastic clips that clasp together. It is also padded round his legs. I throw it in the washing machine fortnightly. I have used the same one for 3 years now.

I have bought several types of harness in the past three years, all of which have been abandoned, so after asking a question last week about the best harness to buy, my two Sporn harnesses arrived yesterday!

After tea last night I put them on my Bassets and my OH and I took them out, and the lane we walked along, that usually takes us about 20/25 minutes to walk, took us well over an hour to go half way!!! Neither Basset was happy with the harness and kept stopping every two minutes, head down, elbows on the ground as if to say, 'if you think I'm walking any further wearing this, then you're very much mistaken'!

As I wanted to get back to watch something on the TV, I gave in and took the harnesses off and attached their leads to their collars and we got moving! Before someone asks, we can't let their leads off along this lane as we always see hares, pheasants and the farmer's ducks and hens are often along the lane, so my girls have to be on their long leads or they'd be off across the fields chasing hares etc!

I hope someone can let me know how their Bassets get on with harnesses and how I can get my girls used to them... and another thing, if my Bassets pull backwards, the harness loosens and is not safe if we are anywhere near a road (as they have zero road sense)!

 

[Annie714]

Annie uses a Sporn no-pull as well and doesn't much care for it either. When she "walks pretty" on it I give her ALOT of verbal praise and a few treats. She still would rather have her collar on and pull me along for a few miles so we don't always use the harness. I bet if we used it regularly she'd get more used to it.

 

[CatherineM]

The first few times they wear it take them some place fun. They will associate it with that.

 

[vb3]

Did you get the bacon-flavored Sporn?

 

[SophieB]

Did you get the bacon-flavored Sporn?

Bacon flavoured? No, they're just black fabric!

They were a bit better tonight about the harnesses as I put them on my Bassets this afternoon while they were laying in the hall with the doors open to keep them cool, so we just slipped on the long leads tonight after it had cooled down a lot!

These harnesses definitely aren't secure at all when my Bassets don't want to go forward and dig their heels in or pull backwards and the part of the harness that is under their tummy (where the legs go through) just falls off, followed by the 'collar' that their head is inside of and I don't know how I could make it safer... if it was on a longer legged dog it would probably be OK... but useless for Bassets with little legs!

I have yet to find a safe, secure harness for Bssets, despite asking questions in numerous places and forums and we have a box full of useless harnesses bought over the past three years... and the ones with plastic clips have all been 'flimsy' and broken or they have not stayed on safely!

 

[vb3]

Bacon flavoured?

Sorry, was just trying to be funny. Our dogs do the digging in of the heels thing too, and if you are persistent in pulling it will yank the whole deal off them. Layla is so broad-shouldered it's like saddling a horse, and if she flexes or pulls forward long enough she will loosen it up enough that it will fall off her.

 

[SophieB]

Sorry, was just trying to be funny. Our dogs do the digging in of the heels thing too, and if you are persistent in pulling it will yank the whole deal off them. Layla is so broad-shouldered it's like saddling a horse, and if she flexes or pulls forward long enough she will loosen it up enough that it will fall off her.

Haha about the bacon flavour!
Perhaps because of their little legs and long bodies, Bassets need a sepcially designed harness just for them!

 

[Annie714]

When Annie digs in and won't move forward, I simply get behind her again and give the harness a little tug. I'm sure if I tried to pull her along the harness would come undone over her head thereby defeating the entire purpose lol. I do the same when she is wearing a regular collar, just go back behind her and get her moving that way.

 

[Mikey T]

and another thing, if my Bassets pull backwards, the harness loosens and is not safe if we are anywhere near a road (as they have zero road sense)!

I would relook at the installation instructon if the littlle slid lock is position correctly then that can not happen you often have to tighen the slide within the frist few minute if you hadd to adjut it to take the harness on or off when the dog it settles on the dog it gener need to be tightend off.

Unless sporn make a halter based on the =http://www.softouchconcepts.com/products/sense_ible_harness.php]Sensible Harness where the lead cilip on the front of the chest instead of on the back. and does not have straps the fit under the legs. The front clip harness are not very secure for pullers it is recommend to use the harness in conjuction with a collar and attach the lead to both

Instructions for Use

Our harnesses are designed to be used with and without a regular flatcollar. At first, clip your leash to the TOP of the ring on the harness and to the ring on a collar simultaneously. This offers the following benefits:

• Prevents the leash from pulling the back and girth straps against
  your dog’s front legs.
• Offers safety for unexpected behaviors.
• Prevents too much load on the chest strap.
• Prevents chewing the chest strap while walking.
• Keeps the chest strap up.

Unclip from the collar for short periods to slowly phase out the collar.
We recommend clipping to the collar for high stimulus environments.[/url]

the sporns recommend here have been the sporn no-pull halter and the sporn mesh no pull halter I would not recommend the sporn head halter because I think gentle leader and halti make a superior product and the sporn simple control harness does not look like it offers much less secure than a traditional harness an no train advantage to teaching loose leash walking

so my girls have to be on their long leads

I am no fan of long lead and no device used to train loose leash walking should be used on one from a head halter to a choke chain or a sporn no-pull halter. first it is inconsistent especial with a retractable lead on where the dog is supose to be. the can build up way to much speed and do real harm to themselves when activated. The sporn harness is a tool to help train pullers to walk on with a loose leash all such train should occur an a lead of 6ft or less.


The sporn works by causing pain when the dog pull this will occur whether the dog is pulling forward backward or sideways if the harness is put on correctly. A basset reaction to pain is often to stop. If the only thing that happens when walking it occasion the harness causes pain many a dog will simply refuses to go on especial when the can not figure out how to make it stop or a criteria based on their behavior whe will happen on a long lead or a retractable leash, So while training using a devive that cause pain you must also reward the correct behavior as well if you want the dog to keep working that reward for moving forward on a loose leash. Which becomes a problem again with the dog on a long lead it becomes impossible in most instances to reward the dog in a timely fashion when it is that far away,

and is not safe if we are anywhere near a road (as they have zero road sense)!

I don't find a long lead safe any where near a road.

 

[SophieB]

I don't find a long lead safe any where near a road.

Just briefly as it's bedtime... thanks for reply Mikey will read the rest later.

We never ever walk the Bassets on long leads along any roads and if they don't go in the car to the local glen, countryside or beaches, we usually take them up a 'walking' lane, directly from our house, leading to miles of fields and open land, but if we go the opposite direction to other fields and two other lanes, we have to first cross a quiet rural road, which is what I refer to... (I mentioned it just in case they slipped the harness whilst crossing this road that is very quiet but the occasional vehicle).

 

[Wworm]

Probably not the best, as I haven't heard about it talked here much...

but when I first got Worm and he was pulling like a maddog at the mall, a man came up to me and said that he had 2 huge bassets 70 pounders and he controls them using a pronged collar. he suggested that i eventually get that for Worm as "you won't be able to handle him much longer with all that pulling...."

he said it looks cruel and scary, but works well and they don't pull.

 

[RachelW]

For Maddie, a HUGE puller, I use a very simple harness - here's a link -

Top Paw® Holt No-Tug Dog Harness - Dog - Free Ship - PetSmart

It works wonderfully! It's not terribly bulky so it doesn't bother her and it basically pulls up on her front "armpit?" area when she pulls, to make it impossible for her to pull. She doesn't mind it one bit and it's nice because it fastens to the leash on her back, rather than at her chest. I have found that with front-fastening harnesses, my little gal always seemed to step on the leash if we were loose-leash walking, as her lets are just too short!

Good luck!

 

[Mikey T]

Probably not the best, as I haven't heard about it talked here much...

Prong collars earn much disdain for how they look rather than how the work. They are limited slilp so actual less likely to cause harm than a choke chain. The work better on dogs that tend to be touch insensitive. I know Mariah will go absoslutely berserk if she is wearing one and it is "activated" but she is touch sensitive.

One needs to keep in mind that all the device mentioned are simply tools As with any tool one is not better than another one is not evil and the other saintly it is how they are used that is the issue. I recommend the sporn no -pull or similar devices that work with strap under the arm pits for dogs that pull and training a dog not to pull because it is a safer tool with young puppies and IMHO Teach loose leash and heeling behaviors is much easier with puppies than with adults and adolecescent because they don't have a history of pulling and being rewarded for pulling. It is a very secure device. More secure than most other training tools. It does not require sophistication or special training to use properly. I find bassets, contrary to mariah, are generally Fairly insesitive to any input around the neck AND more sensitive in the arm pit area so less force is required . Other will have equally valid reason for recommend a device they like and works better for them.


just for wwormTraining with the Prong Collar


and just to prove how two well respected trainer can have completely oposing view when it comes to training equipment

The Problems With Head Halters

A Case for GLs
GL stand for gentle leader a brand of head halter.

 

[Mikey T]

We never ever walk the Bassets on long leads along any roads

Having had to deal with many owners that don't have clue about their dogs rude behavior etc esapecial when on long lead certain has some bearing on my admitted bias against them. It seam they tend to believe a dog does not nead to be train on a long lead so I readily admit to a bias against them. Other than as a control device when training a reacall I find they really have no use.. If the dog need to be under control of a lead then a IMHO a short lead is better. From what I have seen very few people actual have control of their dog when on a long lead. And if you don't need level of control they can be off lead. If you don't have the level of control over the dog to deal with distraction then it is better they be on a short lead. It is far safer for a dog that could be distracted and chace after a rabbit etc to only have a few feet to develop speed in persuit rather than twety or more feet and what happen to the dog the handler or event the lead it self when the dog hit the end at full speed. General not a pretty sight. Are there some advantages to them aof course but IMHO they do no over come the huge disadvantage.

The danger of extendable dog leads!

Beware the potential dangers of retractable leashes

The Danger of Using a Retractable Leash to Walk Your Dog

When I got Maya, I found the retractable leash much easier to use with her as well. Especially since she is so crazy. She likes to investigate everything with energetic exuberance. So the retractable leash was the best way to let her do that and not get blisters on my hands with all her pulling.
I regret coming to rely on the retractable leash with Maya. There are three situations which I would like to address when it comes to using a retractable leash. The three issues all revolve around one thing – control. You can’t control your dog as well when they are on a retractable leash.


...By always walking Maya with a retractable leash, she never learned to walk properly on a leash without pulling. Every walk was a struggle. Although I had less issues with the retractable leash than with a leash, I still didn’t have as much control as I would have if I had just trained her properly. Check out the story about Why My Dog Is Pink and see how a retractable leash caused Maya to get away from me and into trouble.

The Dangers of Using Retractable Dog Leashes

Everyone has to make their own choices about which tool to use and the risks and advantages of each,

The is no device that is 100% secure expect such is unrealistc the best I can suggest in this is avoid the ways the dog getsd out of the devices and that is generally by the dog pulling vackward or the owner pulling forward on a stationary dog. If if dog is ouling with enouch froce to escape a standard harness there is general a very good reason for it at least in the dogs mind You need to keep that in mind and look to alieviate what in most cases would be the dogs fear rather than forcing the dog to confront it.

From your discription and looking on the sporn site It apears the sporn harness you are using is a Sporn Simple control harness which is built similar to a the sensible harness mention in my first post and are not secure in the least attacting the lead to the harness and collar would provide some more security but probable nothing over what just attaching to a flat buckle collar. Personnally I did not know sporn made such a device but this is not the harness that people in other and myself were discussing in other thread The harness/halters the were dicussed were either the no-pull halter or the the Mesh no-pull harness which are much more secure devices, but given they are specifically training device I would advise against their use on a long lead and stick to an simple traditional adjustable harness or a flat buckle collar with a long lead. Make sure the fit is snug as well it need not fit loosely.

 

[klm42005]

Not that this would be much help but I use Woodys car restraint harness for walking him....he tends to stay pretty close to us when we are out on walks (say at the beach or park) so his pulling isn't generally a problem...I like the harness since it is padded and seems to stay taught on him..the only drawback with it that I have seen is that he sometimes can get it twisted slightly on him, especially just out of the car...I also bought the extension for it in the car but rarely use it because I like him to be snugger to the seat ( I own a jeep wrangler) and don't want him to have to much roam room.