Walking on a leash

[Sally M]

As many of you have discovered, walking your Doodle on a leash is not easy. The last time I walked Penny...well she basically walked me. She pulled so hard, It actually caused pain in my hip and back. We bought a Easy Walk harness (I read that many of you like this)) from PetSmart. Unfortunately a Medium didn't fit. It fit perfectly around her belly but was too big around her chest. We made the chest part as small as it would go but it was still too big. They have a Gentle Leader (I think that's what it's called) but it goes on her snout and I'm not sure I want her to wear that. Anyone have a problem with the Easy Walk not fitting? Does anyone use a Gentle Leader around her head? Thanks!

[Malenie Piscetelli]

I buy 2 hounds design and it's a life time warranty. I have no problem with her size. She is 57 lbs and I get a large. I can make it smaller.

[Carrie]

Hi! We tried the easy walk harness (a couple) and struggled with it too. I suspect for us it was a lack of perseverance and expertise. We have historically used gentle leaders and have returned to them for our doodle. We've been told the key to the fit on the gentle leader is actually the strap that goes on their neck. If it's snug (but not uncomfortably tight) then you shouldn't get ride up on the snout from the other strap.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Easy walk harnesses are sold as S,M, L, in the places like Petco. If you look at their website or even on Amazon, they sell them as S-M, M-L, etc. I thought I was going nuts when it was time to move up a size for Enzo! The S was way too small, but the M was too large. A friend finally told me about the difference in sizing . Sure enough, the S to M, was a perfect fit for her.

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

I use the Gentle Leader on both my girls, and it's really the only thing that's worked with Eloise and her pulling.  And even with that, she still pulls slightly at the beginning of walks, but it's totally manageable for us.  Though the strap goes across the muzzle, they're completely able to open their mouths with it (to pant, eat, drink, etc).  We also have the Easy Walk harness and I so hoped it would work with her, but she pulls like crazy on it - and we had it properly fitted, so that wasn't an issue.  I even tried a prong collar for a while and that didn't stop her either.  Do I need to work on loose leash training with her?  Absolutely, haha.  But for now, the Gentle Leader makes walking with her bearable. 

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

*I should clarify, my definition of "pulling slightly" when we start out is NOT her pulling me down the street.  I just mean the leash isn't hanging loosely - there's still some tension there because she's trying to go faster than me.  Both my girls walk at my side, so if Ellie's walking even slightly quicker - which is no problem because I swear her long poodle legs are longer than mine, lol - the leash isn't hanging loose like I'd prefer.  It's just more taut with the leash wrapped around my hand, with the movement as she tries to walk faster - unlike the slack leash that hangs next to Beasley.  Hope this helps! 

[Sally M]

I ordered a small/medium Easy Walk from Amazon. Hope it fits better. We are anxious to see if it fits properly and if it works. If not, I guess we'll try the Gentle Leader. I watched the video on the Gentle Leader. Still, I'm a bit hesitant to use that one (and probably shouldn't be). We'll soon see, though. All I know is, it is not OK to have my puppy walk me! (Amazing how strong a 30 lb. puppy can be!).

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Good Luck! This size fit Enzo well at that poundage. You will have to make it as small as it goes tho.

[Debbie and Bentley]

We started Bentley with the easy walk harness, & both times we had to order from Amazon to get the right fit. He still pulled, but manageable. As he got bigger, it was harder for me to walk him comfortably. I have a bad shoulder. Also, his pulling caused it to loosen slightly. That little bit of looseness made it easier for him to pull more. We then got the gentle leader, & that works great. Just as Julie said, the leash was not always loose, but he doesn't pull. He isn't thrilled with the gentle leader, but accepts it fine. It does not hurt them.

[Sally M]

I can't believe it! I got from Amazon the Small/Medium Easy Walk Harness (reflective) and a leash to match. It was so inexpensive, I chose fast shipping. Much to my surprise, this came in the mail, yesterday! It was Sunday! I've never gotten a mail delivery on a Sunday. We used the collar Sunday afternoon. It fit perfectly. I'll keep the Medium (that I purchased from PetSmart) for later when Penny is bigger. I cannot believe the difference! I walked around a block with Penny and she didn't walk me, for a change. In fact, she hardly pulled at all. When she did, I corrected her per the instructions that come with the harness. It was like walking a completely different dog. I didn't expect results so fast, but I'm a believer!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

AWESOME! I remember having that same feeling when Enzo was a pup.

[Debbie and Bentley]

That is awesome, Sally! Now you can both enjoy your walks.

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

Fantastic!  That's great to hear it's working so well for Penny (and you!).