No-Pull Harness - My Take

Maybe I'm overly determined to find the most perfect no-pull harness for Lucy because of my terrible fall that I had with Ralphie a couple years back.  That fall tore my rotator cuff and I suffered for months and months in pain with minimal movement.  So now I'm on the search for the harness that will make our walks more pleasant and at the same time train Lucy not to pull.

To begin with I just cringe when I see a dog on a prong harness.  This actually looks like a torture noose.   LOL  I believe there is no need to have metal digging in your pups neck to train him...there are too many other choices out there that are more humane.

I trained Ralphie to walk without pulling with the Lupine No-Pull harness.  This harness worked for him and I still use this for Ralphie.  So I ordered a harness and leash for Lucy.  With the combination of the stiff material and the 5/8" thin harness, this harness cut Lucy raw under her front paws.  Ralphie's harness was wider because he's a bigger dog and the material seemed softer.  The worse part was dealing with the Lupine company.  They advertise very heavily on their website...satisfaction GUARANTEED even if chewed!  So I wrote to the company and called their customer service department and explained my concern on how this harness was cutting Lucy's under paw...they didn't care!  They would not honor their 100% satisfaction guarantee!  I didn't want my money back, just a replacement with a softer material or wider harness.  They said the guarantee is only if the harness was chewed.  How ridiculous is that!!  Their customer service is horrible and rude!  I would NEVER do business with this company again!

I tried the Gentle Leader on Ralphie.  He hated it.  He did not like the harness over his nose.  But I do understand this is a harness that works great if your pup can get used to it.  Ralphie would keep trying to paw it off.  I never tried it on Lucy.  I just think it would be annoying for the pup to see that harness draped over his nose.

Then I tried Walk My Dog With Love Harness on Lucy.  It's okay, but she still pulls a lot and I feel a strain on my arm and shoulder.  I still use it for short walks, but that's about it.  I did have a communication with the owner of the company about my concerns.  He sounded like a great guy and was willing to give me a refund but suggested that I give it some time before returning.  I never returned it because it somewhat works and there's no sign that it's hurting or cutting into Lucy.  I ordered the leash with it as well...I suggested that the leash should have a padded handle.  I really don't use the leash because of this reason.  I love the color choices they have!  Lucy got hot pink...you can see it a mile away.  LOL

Then I was recommended by a dog walker from the dog park, the Sporn No-Pull Harness.  I ordered one for Lucy.  This one actually works!! I like the padding under the paws making it more comfortable for her.  I feel minimum pressure on my arm and shoulder.  She pulls very slightly.  I can see her being trained with this harness.  I would recommend giving this one a try if you have a serious puller.  The only thing is that it comes in black, red, or blue...no pretty colors.  Also it was a challenge to learn how to put this harness on.  I had to watch a youtube video a few times to understand how to do it.   I got the black one for Lucy and use her pink leash.

There it is...my take on no-pull harness.  There's no better feeling walking your two well-behaved Vizslas and someone walking by that shouts, "Beautiful Dogs!!"  And YES they are!!
Happy Walking!!!