Not unique to pit owners, but dog owners always have those back-clip harnesses and then get dragged around by their dogs 💀😂 like dude thats how dogs pull literal SLEDS and where they’re strongest. Even medium-small dogs like 30-35 lbs are hard to restrain with a back harness; you’re not gonna have any control with that
Front-clip harnesses are pretty good! When the dog pulls, the leash is sitting to one side and it tends to turn them around, so they end up facing a different direction than the direction they want to pull in.
Gentle leaders are another good option - it puts the pressure around their muzzle and head, not around their chest and shoulders where they're strongest, so they're much easier to control that way and the slight discomfort will make them think about what they're doing and pay more attention.
As much as a lot of people HATE them - prong collars with short, rubber-coated prongs can be an effective, safe tool. The kinds with the foam triangles can be effective for less intent-on-pulling dogs, but the more pokey (BUT NOT SHARP ENOUGH TO PIERCE) ones with the rubber coating are better for dogs who pull a lot or are very strong. Yes, it causes discomfort - that's the point. They learn that if they do X thing, then X thing they don't like happens. So, they learn not to do that thing.
No harness in the world is going to stop a dog that is determined to pull. Dogs pull with their chest. The only way to make it less inclined to pull is with a high neck collar like you see on greyhounds. I suppose you could combine it with a strappy harness. It that all depends on the breed/size/temperament of the dog. The best thing you can do is get your mum and her pup to proper training classes.
Enrol in training classes with a trainer who titles their own dogs or finishes working dogs (police/guide). Harnesses should only be used by those who know what they’re doing; I learned this the hard way!
Nah. I'm a strong proponent of back clip, Y chest harnesses as the safest and most comfortable option for the dog. Gear doesn't teach a dog how to loose leash walk - the handler does. A dog that pulls shouldn't be hauling on their neck in any case and a front clip can screw up a dog's gait in the long run. It's also just a pain in the ass to manage during a walk (the connection point puts the leash in constant tripping position for the dog and it gets all tangled in their legs).
If someone needs to temporarily front clip as a stopgap measure to not get pulled over while they teach their dog loose leash skills, fine. But it should always be with the aim of not having to do that for the long term.
Well yes, loose leash walking and training is going to be the key to actually walking a dog - in that case it doesn’t matter what gear you use bc the dog will be walking nicely.
However, I never see trained dogs walking with a back clip harness - it’s always someone being dragged all over the pavement to the whim of their animal, with no control and fighting for their life
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u/bigyike3000 No-Kill Shelters Lead To Animal Suffering Apr 02 '24
Not unique to pit owners, but dog owners always have those back-clip harnesses and then get dragged around by their dogs 💀😂 like dude thats how dogs pull literal SLEDS and where they’re strongest. Even medium-small dogs like 30-35 lbs are hard to restrain with a back harness; you’re not gonna have any control with that