Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a douge-neopolitan mastif mix and he is almost imposible to walk and im 6'4 200 lbs.
hes a very sweet dog but i didnt walk him as much as i should have when he was a pup. and i found out recently from the vet that he was abused when he was very small, i got him at 4 weeks so it was before that....so from the couse of that he has somewhat weak neck and rib bones. the problem is is that he pulls so hard he will break a leather harness or the leash and im pretty sure thats not good for his bones.
so my question is, is there any kind of collar or harness that will help me walk him without hurting him in the long run?
thanks

There are no pull harnesses out there, but given your dog's strength, it might be better to work on not pulling. Is he treat motivated? Have you tried giving him a small bit of cheese every few steps, so he pays attention to you rather than plowing ahead? Have you taken classes with him? Most positive reinforcement classes spend a lot of time on "attention"--strategies for focusing the dog's attention on you.

I think a pull harness would be counter active to what you are trying to achieve, and while I can't give perfect advice on how to train your dog, I can tell you what worked for mine.

I have a great pyrenees and I broke him of pulling by completely stopping the walk and making him sit until he was visibly bored.

I also used other strategies such as stopping the walk anyways or suddenly reversing the direction of the walk. As he is such a big dog I always scratch his back when he is close enough to me so he knows there's more benefits for him to stay close.

As far as leashes go, you definitely need to step up the strength of the leash you use - get a chain leash. Also, trade the collar for a halty - it goes around the dog's snout and "steers" them when they try to run ahead.

Halti's are Great but they are only a Temporay Fix to the problem. also if your dog has a neck injury which I think you said it's not always a good Idea to keep Having the dog turn his head which can also do some damage.
As for Getting a Chain Leash that can be dangerous, as if it gets wrapped around your hand it could cause some Serious Damage, I would Suggest a Good Cotton Leash, They even make them in handler Leashes with a Second loop Closer to the Dog so you can Reel him in a bit. Leather is a good collar, but Really isn't made for walking. Even in horses they have What are called Break-away halters and they are made of Leather or have a small leather piece that breaks when tension is put on it so they don't hut themselves, so a Good Cotton Collar and Leash would Be a Good Bet.
Treats are always good if your dog is food motivated. if he's pulling I would just stop walking and wait until the leash is Slacked before I would Start moving, Relaying the message that if you pull we aren't going to go anywhere. also make sure to make him sit at corners (more of a Safety thing) it helped my dogs learn that they weren't to go in the Street. if he's pulling You can also change it up a bit by putting some Extra sits in, like walking 10 feet sit and then the next time walking 20 feet before you make him sit again. makes him keep thinking and in that aspect he has to keep paying attention to you because he doesn't know when the next command is going to come.

Personally I use pinch collars on my dogs, even though Many people Prefer the Regular Buckle collar to them. as with any collar you need to have a profesional help you Learn how to use it right, same goes for harnesses. Having a Dog with a neck injury I know how Difficult it is to train with a harness. My Min Pin has a neck injury so harness walking is the only option and I know theres a Big Size differance, but I wanted to get out there your not alone.

There is a Tips and Training Chat Tuesday nights at 10 pm est in the dog den here on Pethobbyist. You can always Come in and get some Great advice we are always willing to help!!

Sara

A head halter called a "gentle Leader" may help. THe same company also makes an "Easy Walk" harness.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles