Walk solutions for large, strong dogs

[dove]

I swear by the Wonder Walker. We have an 85 lb rescue boxer that was not leash trained when we got him as an adult. This thing is nothing short of a miracle. I can walk him on my on now and I’m a small woman. I feel I have total control, even when we approach other dogs or people.

link

You can also get it on amazon

[scout8]

I have used the Easy Walker on both of my large, strong dogs. I think it is similar to the Wonder Walker posted above.

[TR]

My harness is a different brand, but it’s similar to the one posted. Just make sure the leash hooks to the front of their chest, not their back. This way, when they pull, they’re pulling themselves back toward you so a) they lose power and b) learn that it doens’t help.

[lightbulbsun]

I would try a front attach dog harness. Basically if a dog tries to dart away it will pull them to the side instead of allowing them to pull forward. It worked well with my dogs, and we use them at the shelter I volunteer with.

[isabel]

The gentle leader worked wonders with our beagle. I know he wasn't big compared to a rottie, but the whole point is that it pulls the muzzle and forces them to turn their head. It's supposed to work very well for dogs of all sizes.

[chimera]

We use a similar one to the one posted with our Mastiff. The Freedom No Pull Harness from 2houndsdesigns it doesn’t cut in to the underarm area like the easy walk one as it has a padded understrap not just a piece of leash webbing. The martingale is on the back and it still has a front clip to redirect so you can use each individually or use both.

www.2houndsdesign.com/Freedom-No-Pull-Harness/

www.chewy.com/2-hounds-design-freedom-no-pull-dog/dp/136929?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=2%20Hounds%20Design&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjwuO3cBRAyEiwAzOxKski_Vjnt64OeVovGnDoLkevtTdv1hPlfOI5JVLbPiYWif9uWKIU5jBoCRdMQAvD_BwE

[pandorica]

Definitely an easy walk harness. It was a lifesaver for walking our 80lb lab who is terrible on a leash.

[cmeon]

I'm a huge fan of gentle leaders (at least when the dog's head/coat work well with them- and a Rott is perfect for them). Get it in a bright, fun color, or people could assume it's a muzzle (it's not). You will need to invest a little time getting her comfortable with the harness, it is not a "plug and play" solution, but, they are a great training aid.

I strongly suggest working on "look (at me)" and having a strong sit-stay when you're on walks. I train my dogs to sit before we cross a road and sit when they see a bike. They also sit when I stop (which is handy when people want to say hi or when a stray dog rushes us).

[pooh8402]

I use a harness with my golden. He likes to tug at the leash until he chokes himself. He doesn't do this with the harness. Even when he was only about a year, he was quite strong. Pulled me to the ground once and now I have a scar on my knee.

[sapphireblue]

I love the gentle leader or halti.

I had a Rhodesian Ridgeback and he was super strong. He pulled me to the ground a few times.

The Gentle Leader changed everything, it's a great product.

[mala]

Gentle Leader works great on my giant. I feel comfortable enough to walk her with the stroller with it.

[followyourarrow]

Sept 14, 2018 15:22:05 GMT -5 dove said:

I swear by the Wonder Walker. We have an 85 lb rescue boxer that was not leash trained when we got him as an adult. This thing is nothing short of a miracle. I can walk him on my on now and I’m a small woman. I feel I have total control, even when we approach other dogs or people.

link

You can also get it on amazon

I can't say enough good things about the Wonder Walker.  It's really amazing.  

[CurlyQ284]

Our bulldog used to pull and she was pretty strong, the gentle leader wouldnt fit on her smush face so we got a harness that clips in the front at her chest and it made her stop pulling.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Sept 14, 2018 15:46:45 GMT -5 cmeon said:

I'm a huge fan of gentle leaders (at least when the dog's head/coat work well with them- and a Rott is perfect for them). Get it in a bright, fun color, or people could assume it's a muzzle (it's not). You will need to invest a little time getting her comfortable with the harness, it is not a "plug and play" solution, but, they are a great training aid.

I strongly suggest working on "look (at me)" and having a strong sit-stay when you're on walks. I train my dogs to sit before we cross a road and sit when they see a bike. They also sit when I stop (which is handy when people want to say hi or when a stray dog rushes us).

In my experience, even with a delightful hot pink one, people STILL assume it's a muzzle.  Like, crossing the street to avoid my 11-year-old corgi-lab mix with the tail that wags the dog.  It's sad.  I'm going to switch to an easy walk instead because she gets so sad when people avoid her.

[LanaLang]

We have a gentle leader for our Rottie and it works so well.

[lavender444]

Our rottie is super food motivated, so I bring along a pocket full of dog food and taught her how to 'heal'. I would say "heal" while giving her a piece of food and did that until she related the word with getting a treat. It didn't take long since she is highly food motivated. When we pass other dogs, I tell her to 'leave it' and keep her attention on me by holding the food in my hand to let her smell, but don't let her eat it until we pass the distraction. I started it when she was about your pups age and it works really well. She walks nose to knee most of the time with just a leash and collar. I do still, however bring some dog food with me in case I need to keep her distracted.

[cmeon]

Sept 14, 2018 18:50:59 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

Sept 14, 2018 15:46:45 GMT -5 cmeon said:

I'm a huge fan of gentle leaders (at least when the dog's head/coat work well with them- and a Rott is perfect for them). Get it in a bright, fun color, or people could assume it's a muzzle (it's not). You will need to invest a little time getting her comfortable with the harness, it is not a "plug and play" solution, but, they are a great training aid.

I strongly suggest working on "look (at me)" and having a strong sit-stay when you're on walks. I train my dogs to sit before we cross a road and sit when they see a bike. They also sit when I stop (which is handy when people want to say hi or when a stray dog rushes us).

In my experience, even with a delightful hot pink one, people STILL assume it's a muzzle.  Like, crossing the street to avoid my 11-year-old corgi-lab mix with the tail that wags the dog.  It's sad.  I'm going to switch to an easy walk instead because she gets so sad when people avoid her.

Does she still need correction? We only use them for a fairly short period of training time- a few months with my pulliest puller. If for some reason it's not working for you, definitely try something else.

I do wish there was a way to accomplish what they do without the scary straps.  My poor big black fluffball is the best dog on the planet, just a giant ball of fuzzy sugar- but, sometimes his size/color scares people. We used a black GL on him, thinking it would blend in best- but, there were a few people who noticed and asked (which is fine- an opportunity to educate is always cool).

[picaflora]

I am a huge fan of front clip harnesses. We tried an easy walk harness (I think that was it - it had a martingale style clip in the front) and did not find it effective for my 25lb terrier mix puppy. When she would pull against it the clip would just slide around instead of turn her around.

We now have a Ruffwear Front Range harness and it is SO much better! The clip stays in front instead of sliding all around, and the pup seems more comfortable in it as well. This brand makes a couple of different versions as well - I think some are combined with a pack for hiking/camping.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MZ9CM16/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[imojoebunny]

I have tried pretty much everything for my labradoodles. In the end, I use a really simple slip lead, and take a separate leash to attach to ruff wear harnesses when I need to tie them up, if I am going in a store or something, since they can get out of it without attention. If it fit them correctly, I would use the easy walker or the gentle leader. They seem to be able to snake out of the gentle leader in 12 seconds, and the easy walker size options do not work effectively for their builds. There is a young, big English lab they play with with an older, very small owner, and she uses the easy walker with Annie, and it works great.

This is what I use that works, on the rec of a trainer we hired after many failed other solutions. These are some of the other things she suggested: practice "follow me" a lot at home or anywhere, basically, I have the dog follow me to the bathroom, front door, to take the trash out, or on a horse lead up and down the side walk, so they are not on a normal leash, but learn to follow me (lots of treats for doing it). We, also, turn around, and go the other direction when they pull, it isn't great for getting places, but it is good for learning that pulling doesn't get them in the direction they want to go. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034DT6QE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[sunflower17]

When my parents had a large unruly dog, they used a harness on her. Otherwise she’d choke herself.

[jenny1980]

Sept 14, 2018 20:29:38 GMT -5 spearmintleaf said:

Thanks guys! I got a chest harness with a front clip.

You will love it! George is around 125lbs and LOVES to greet other dogs and the harness keeps him well under control. 

[ECB]

You already got it, but I’m another vote for a harness. If i don’t use it, our dog pulls constantly. With it, much more control.

I have a friend who has a large dog who was almost impossible to walk. They got a harness that went around his mid section and you could attach the leash to the back or side. For some reason, attaching it to his side works wonders and they can now walk him.

[fumbalina]

I had to use a harness for the first nine years of my dog's life. She is stubborn strong and attention motivated. I used a Sporn harness forever. She could not go anywhere and knew it. For the past five years she has finally started to behave on a leash.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Sept 14, 2018 19:11:06 GMT -5 cmeon said:

Sept 14, 2018 18:50:59 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

In my experience, even with a delightful hot pink one, people STILL assume it's a muzzle.  Like, crossing the street to avoid my 11-year-old corgi-lab mix with the tail that wags the dog.  It's sad.  I'm going to switch to an easy walk instead because she gets so sad when people avoid her.

Does she still need correction? We only use them for a fairly short period of training time- a few months with my pulliest puller. If for some reason it's not working for you, definitely try something else.

I do wish there was a way to accomplish what they do without the scary straps.  My poor big black fluffball is the best dog on the planet, just a giant ball of fuzzy sugar- but, sometimes his size/color scares people. We used a black GL on him, thinking it would blend in best- but, there were a few people who noticed and asked (which is fine- an opportunity to educate is always cool).

Yes, she'll pull until she chokes herself and throws up if I use her collar, no matter how much training I do with her.  She's got regular obedience down but she's just not the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to walking.  (Edit: She heels fine off leash but isn't trustworthy enough to take off leash in a non-fenced area because she's got the attention span of a gnat.)  

[nicbreeful]

Gentle Leader, 100%.

We recommended it to all our clients that had large, strong dogs that liked to pull

[TR]

Sept 15, 2018 17:50:49 GMT -5 spearmintleaf said:

I was hesitant to get a gentle leader because of all the time it would take to train her to use it. My last dog, I bought one trying to get her off the prong collar and she would just lay still and refuse to walk or engage while it was on. I don’t have a ton of time to train on an extra thing; basic manners is enough work. She recently became taller than the table, which has magnified her table/counter surfing x1000. Training a large dog is just much more work than a small or medium sized one!

I’m excited about the front clip. Knowing her, it will be super demotivating for her to pull sideways.

Mine never liked the Gentle Leader. Didn’t mind putting it on, but as soon as she felt it pull her head, she’d flop around like a fish out of water. The front clip harness is great, though. Good luck!

[DarcyLongfellow]

Another vote for the Easy Walk harness. Anything that clips in front of the chest will work to stop the pulling. I had to go down a size smaller than I thought, so it may be worth your time to take your dog to a pet store and try one on instead of buying it online. I have a labrador who is 60 pounds who should have gotten the large size, but it was too big -- it didn't stop him from pulling because it would just slip around. The medium is snug, but not too tight, and it stays in place. I can walk him with it, and I can't walk him with anything else.

We had the Gentle Leader for our old dog, and he never got used to it. He would spend the whole walk going up on his hind legs to use his front lets to scrape at the straps to try to get them off of his face.

[cmeon]

Gentle Leaders that are properly fitted do not slip off a dog's face*. They do need to be carefully adjusted (they come with instructions) and they are not a "quickie" fix- you have to acclimate dogs to wearing them before you start to walk with them.

Doc is such a pretty, sleek dog as an adult, but, he was a "teenage" dork in these pictures- LOL. But, this is what a properly fitted GL looks like- it's pretty tight, it looks uncomfortably tight even- but, when a dog has been properly acclimated to them (several hours of incremental wear prior to walking), it's not a bother.

*Gentle Leaders do not work well with snub nosed breeds- Haltis are generally preferred for Bulldogs/Pugs and other short nosed breeds- and dogs who have really furry faces (the extra strap helps prevent slide) or are super aggressive pullers (extra strap adds some safety). They work the same way, I've used them both and have no real preference for a "generic dog".

Front attachment harnesses do work to stop pulling during a walk- BUT- they're not very effective at training for loose leash walking. If you are okay relying on a body harness, and/or can't find the time to work with a head harness, they're an okay option. You may need to try a few to get a good fit- Doc hated the Easy Walk and anything that rubbed under his front legs because he has long fur there (it got pulled), the GL was so much better for him.

Ulitimately, investing the time to train a dog to walk politely is always best- but, we have to do what we have to do- and there are some great, humane options.

[megstoo]

I use the gentle leader that goes around his snout. My dog is a 65lb boxer/pitt/rottie mix. You have to make sure it's properly fitted.

[huskymom]

We have always used Easy Walk Harnesses, but our new rescue puppy is STRONG and so we got a trainer to come to us...within 15 min she had him walking on a loose leash (he is super smart though and very treat motivated). We basically walk up and down the driveway, and now we even make it down the street- but basically, any time the leash gets taut, i tug him, say "eh eh" and we switch direction, repeat, repeat, repeat...you don't get to far on your walk, but he was dragging me out of my garage and now I don't even need treats. Next we will work on heel so he's right next to me, but it's amazing how he's doing loose leash instead of dragging me down the street...