hi all
looking to buy a new dog lead and accesiores which can try stop my geman shepard pulling
any advices would be grateful

I use a Halti Headcollar and works fine for me and my Springer !
He pulls terribly without it although he is getting better, but it had great effect instantly as soon as I started using it!

I also use a headcollar on my RR - but a Dogmatic; can't fault it: Dogmatic Headcollar

I'm sure you already know, but (in my opinion) any accessories are aids to training rather than a replacement!

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A Halti or Gentle Leader head collar can be a huge help, but you have to use it as a training tool rather than relying on it as a permanent solution. If you don't also train the dog, he'll still pull whenever he's not wearing it.

Some folks have success with the EZ-Walk Harness made by the Gentle Leader folks. This harness has a lead attachment over the chest and creates pressure in the dog's armpits when he pulls, causing him (theoretically) to stop going forward as dogs generally pull opposite to pressure. I've not found them to work very well, and if not properly fitted, the dog simply backs out of these harnesses.

Whatever lead choice you make it is worth considering that the key to stopping pulling is not some magical quality that you might think you buy when you purchase the lead but in the way that you use it.

When the dog pulls you (instantly) snag the dog back and stop walking.

Change direction, you should be in control of the walk.

It takes time so set your walk rules and apply them.

It will take a while for the dog to learn that he is no longer the boss in charge of the walk.

I use a Dogmatic for Flynn in case we see another dog and he reacts, which he does sometimes but I found the best way to stop him from pulling was ONE: don't take them out if at all excited and TWO: leave the lead on the sofa, floor and handle often and not just when the dog is about to go out. I would put Flynn's harness on (I use it for anchorage in the car) and just leave it on until I was ready to take him out when he was younger. He got so used to not going out when i put it on that he started getting bored and when i'd put it on would just go and lie down because he never knew if he was going out or not. Sometimes I would put it on and then take it off around 15mins later, without taking him out at all.

Only yesterday a lady who has three GSD's stopped me and asked how I get Flynn to walk so beautifully beside me. You have to make the collar and lead just a part of the furniture, pick it up without putting it on to take him out and let him see that he isn't always going out just because you handle his lead.

Sorry for the "lesson" but it has worked so well with Flynn and Mals are renowned pullers.

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Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

Is it really the lead that is required or is it the person on the other end of the leash that needs the training. Lead training doesn't come in 5 minutes. It really does need patience and perserverence and consistency. However most people are in a rush nowadays and don't have the time to do the lead training properly. The best book I've seen on this is Jean Donaldsons "Train your dog like a pro" includes DVD. And gives you a step by step guide to the kind of patience you are required to have.

You're right of course that this is a training issue, but I would not say that the desire for a temporary tool is necessarily due to a lack of patience. There's a good amount of fear mixed in there--even a 40 pound puppy can knock you over when acting up, let alone any children you might meet out and about.

Many people who find themselves in the situation of having a medium-large puppy yanking them around on walks will start making walks shorter or stopping them all together, both because they are so unpleasant and for fear of losing control of the dog. This creates a cascade of other problems as the pup then isn't socialized, exercised, or learning anything about leash walking.

I think the temporary use of these "no-pull" tools is preferable to skimping on walks, especially with a puppy, and is often safer than a new trainer trying to use only a standard collar when things are already barely under control.

My "non-pull" harness (medium size) has been a godsend for me. I can control him much easier and he hardly pulls at all and it doesn't restrict my Lab in any way. I bought it from Amazon for about £7 ! after looking at many positive reviews.

My hubby seems to prefer just to use his normal collar but I find him much harder work without the harness.

I'll be honest I wasn't sure if it was goin to work for that price but it has and I'm almost ready for the large size......which at the moment seems huge when I put it on. That is my only criticism.....you seem to max out on the medium one but then the next size up is rather too big.
However probably because my boy has a very deep chest I have this issue. Most would probably find the medium big enough....unless you have a huge dog: Newfie, Alsation, Shepherd etc.

This is the hardest thing I've taught Duke by far!

Why? Because I wasn't consistent and I kept giving up thinking it wasn't working.

When I got stressed out I put a halti head collar on him, couple of days and he walks perfectly with it on. So I got myself together a bit and trained him without it by stopping still.

I walk, he walks doesn't matter if he's at the side - in front - or behind, as long as there is no tension on the lead, I walk. Soon as he pulls I stop, he looks at me walks back to me, then turns in half a circle and sits down (so he goes from being infront to turning to seeing me and coming back to my left side directly and sitting down) then we carry on.

He is scared of roads, so he pulls all he can while crossing them so I put him on a shorter lead to give him less length to pull and I use the word "slowly" whilst walking VERY slowly. This has helped.

Every now and again he will ''forget'' which is normally the first two minutes of the walk or if he's just spotted a dog.

Dogmatics are supposed to be good, but I couldn't afford one and the halti did just fine for us but I wouldn't want my dog (personally) to be on one forever