Article on a simple, interesting dog walking aid

[F, Calla & Luca]

This article appeared in my paper today. I can't recommend it never having used it but it sounds like a simple alternative to some collars and harnesses.
Walking the dog with the Weiss Walkie
Saturday, December 19, 2009
BY DIANE MCCARTNEY
The Record
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

Emily Weiss invented the Weiss Walkie, but she did not name it. "It's a horrible name, but it's now stuck," said Weiss, a certified animal behaviorist from Benton, Kan., who designed a no-pull dog-walking device that has become a hit with humane societies.
Weiss said she and her husband, Mark Wasserman, designed the combination leash and halter in response to a plea from staffers and volunteers at the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee.
"They were having problems with dogs pulling," Weiss said. They had tried pinch collars, harnesses and Gentle Leaders — a harness that wraps around a dog's nose — but "it was difficult, especially for the volunteers, to successfully take a dog out on a walk."
Harnesses and other no-pull devices can be effective, Weiss said, but they may feel unnatural to a dog or may require adjusting a lot of buckles and fasteners.
The Weiss Walkie — basically a rope that attaches to a dog's regular collar and then loops around its chest — is "no fuss, no muss, and that's the biggest difference," Weiss said. "There's no fitting. You just put it on and go."
The Weiss Walkie works using a combination of doggie physiology and psychology, Weiss said.
When a dog pulls, the Walkie applies slight pressure around the widest part of the chest, and the dog's natural response to that is to slow down or back up, Weiss said.
"Learning is instant because he's doing it himself," she said. "All you are doing is holding the end of the leash. By simply not pulling, he's successful."
Weiss said she got the idea for the Walkie when watching her husband participate with his German shorthaired pointers in field trials. The dogs get excited while waiting to compete, Weiss said. But she noticed that when her husband would wrap the leash snugly around the widest part of the chest, they would relax and wouldn't pull nearly as hard.
Staffers and volunteers at the Kansas Humane Society have been using the Weiss Walkie for a couple of years. It also is sold in the shelter's retail shop and online (emilyweiss.com).
Dog walkers like it because it's easy to put on, instantly effective, safe and comfortable for the dog, said Kelsey Callaway, an adoptions counselor.
"It directs pressure away from their neck and airway so it's safer for the dog," she said. "They're not going to choke or accidentally hurt themselves."
Maybe most important, Callaway thinks the Weiss Walkie helps dogs get adopted.
Instead of pulling all over the place, dogs wearing Weiss Walkies "look partially trained," Callaway said.
And that means they're more likely to walk out of the shelter with a new owner.
Weiss, who also is senior director of shelter research and development for the ASPCA, said her ultimate goal in creating the Walkie was to "keep dogs in homes."
People and dogs that go places together form a stronger bond, Weiss said, and a dog that goes for regular walks is a happier, healthier pet.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I hate the muzzle business, anyway. I did spend a lot on the special prong collars for eah dog but they should last forever I hope, although they have one small leather connector.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I do too. ABCDE F. I'm going to try this and will let you know what I think.
I have purchased 6 gentle leaders for Spud. Last March they sold for $14.99 and the costs have continued to escalate in just one short year. The last one I bought on December 3rd was 21.99 I have been either praying he finally learns a nice way to walk or I come up a a better alternative.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks Joanne. I also think you could make you own for a lot less than the $25 they sell for.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Here;s a picture for those of us who are the visual type.

[Dan, Judi, & Timbow]

This sounds a lot like the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness. You actually hook the leash to the harness on the dogs chest, so that it when the dog pulls he has to back up or face you. Do you have a picture of this one? It'd be neat to see what it looks like. :)