Dog Training Tip 1
People ask me dog training tips quite often. Maybe because, on occasion, my dogs do behave wonderfully well. It's not a permanent state, though... and I take the blame for it. There are some things my dogs do fairly well... others... like being anti-social with other dogs... I haven't DIScouraged, simply because of where I live.
I was very happy when those two loose border collies didn't cross the creek and get into our calves last year. They continued down the creek and unfortunately killed some sheep and alpacas instead. My anti-social dogs did their job.
One thing people ask me about is pulling on the leash. I see this once in a while. Most people out here are more worried about their dogs staying in the pickup than walking politely on a leash!
I came up with a great little harness for training your dog not to pull you down the street in front of the entire neighborhood.
I've had it for sale in my Red Dirt Shop for months, and today, decided, whattheheck! I was going to do an informercial on it!
So, without a script... without help... with only one hand to run the camera and one hand to demonstrate... I made a video.
If you don't have a dog that pulls or a dog at all, it's worth the watch. I mean, seriously! what was I thinking? This is why I didn't compete in extemp in speech class!
Um. Um. Um.
I watch it and Just Laugh!
There's my inability to find the correct vocabulary.
There's Dally nosing around and Elsa strolling by and bumping my video hand.
There's bad videography because it takes TWO hands to click the harness together and "I am not two people, I am just one."
Duh.
How *stoopid* does *that* sound?
Then I totally mess up my words about putting the harness behind their hind legs. Well, it would just fall off their tail then, wouldn't it, Carol?
Amazing.
On the serious side, I have seen this harness work.
I sell them in my shop.
They are sewn by a friend of mine with quality material.
I have only blue ones and only in medium size.
If I can sell some, I'll make more in a larger size (that would fit labradors and larger chested dogs).
Someday, I'll make a Serious Infomercial with a script and help and a dog that actually pulls on the leash instead of just sitting there... and we'll all yell "BOOOORRRRRRING!".
P. S. Vernon came up with the name Humane Restrain. I told him it should be Restraint. I know the difference between verbs and nouns. Since he is the overpaid Marketing Director, I caved.
The Humane Restrain from Carol Greet on Vimeo.
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March 1, 2010 The Bar Part Two
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they say "laughter is good for the soul". you are soooo good for my soul; you soooo make me laugh!! thanks!! i love your post!!
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I agree with Belle, I would be fumbling with the words and collar just like you. Great video. You sold me, just have to measure my dog. He is a little over 30 pounds, do you think it would be too small. He is a pulling fool! But I love him to death.
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It should fit, you can suck that chest strap down really far... it's just more whether the link from the harness to the collar fits or not. There's not a real pull on that, it's just more to keep it in place.
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I agree with Belle. Love the post, love this blog. Will be keeping an eye out for larger sizes when available!
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Wow you sold me. Vaquera's second job is a sled puller. No I did not hire her to do that. She is wired for speed. I am sending in my order. By the way I use a martingale collar on her, should I use a straight collar instead?
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I've used a setup something like that for several years with my Hukihuki ("tug-of-war" in Hawai`ian), after having spent $$$ on dozens of commercially available "fool proof" antipulling harnesses, collars, methods, sticks, behavior modification, etc.
I just use a longish leash clipped to his martingale collar at the back, wrap it around his chest behind his front legs, and bring it up back under the leash coming off his collar.
It seems to reduce pulling by making him uncomfortable in two areas at the same time--his neck from the collar and the chest from the leash. The pressure is on immediately when he pulls and is off just as fast when he falls back.
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Yup, that's basically the concept here... I have a friend today that wants me to try it with her dog...and said I could video it too. Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard (or uncomfortable!). It works.
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I would love for you to try it on Rocky. He is a champion puller. I really needed it in Santa Fe. So, you can't leave it on them all the time?
Since my e-mail address is in your system I couldn't access the sound.
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That makes a lot of good sense. My cousin's little dog could use something like that, but she's not much bigger than a cat.
Thanks for the chuckles too!
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If I can sell enough medium sizes, I'll make more of larger and smaller sizes too. Stay tuned.
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Cool Humane Restrain. And wasn't Dally a very cooperative and patient subject
for your great demonstration!
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