Martingale vs Harness
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Which do you prefer? Do you keep your tags/collar on your dog(s) when they're inside??
I've heard of Basenjis escaping out of harnesses.. or backing out of regular collars. So I got him a hemp martingale so he can't pull away while on the leash. It actually works out great. I keep his collar on at all times just in case. Plus I can hear him from the jingles of the tags, so I know where he is at all times or if he's getting into trouble. The martingale also acts like a handle when I want him to stay sitting next to me if the cats are running by.
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I always use martingales on Oakley as he is notorious fOr backing out of collars and such. I feel completely safe taking him out when he is wearing one.
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My guy is always naked in the house. Outside he wears an ID collar and a harness if I am leash walking him. I gave up on any kind of collar for leash walking because he coughs when he puts any pressure on one. Most of the time he goes off leash with me in the fields. :)
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Unless we're just taking Blaze out for a quick pee, he always wears a harness for his walks (we don't have a fenced yard at either our winter or our summer homes, so he's always hooked up to a leash when outside). He also wears his collar, with tags, in the house since, if he should bolt out the door, he'd be in wide open spaces and could quickly be gone (fortunately, he's been good about staying inside until we give him permission to go out…but there's always a first time).
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Most of the time I'm walking Voodoo with a normal collar. He knows he is not allowed to pull, and he doesn't try to back-out of it, so it works just fine.
When we go for really long walks (30 miles or so) or if he goes running next to the bike, I put on his harnass. He knows he is allowed to pull then, and I find it easier if he walks in front of me then, with the leash attached on my belt, so I have my hands free.I don't really like the martingale collars. No idea why not to be true, but there is just something about them that I don't like.
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I prefeeer using a harness on both of my dogs, but Kamar is dressed in a martingale most of the time. He can easily escape from his harness if he wants to (now I just use a bicycle harness and a ergometric harness from Ferplast, will get a Webmaster when he's done growing). The martingale collar is 1.5", and he should be veeery good if he escapes from that one.
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My dogs don't wear collars at home only on walks. Gossy pulls like a lead Iditarod dog and I have tried everything with her. Because of her pulling, regular collars rubbed off fur as well as put pressure on her throat. I tried two different martingdales (narrow and wide) and she learned that if she stopped she could wiggle out of it - I have no idea how because I tried to pull it off and couldn't. I tried the GentleLeader head halter but she just walked with her head always to one side; the EasyWalk harness also pulled to the side (yes it was on tight) and she could get out of it anyway by backing up and slipping her head under the back strap (I finally weaved a little strip to connect it to her collar so if she did get out she would still be connected to her leash); she has been able to back out of EVERY other harness I've tried. I took her to a loose-leash class and she did fine IN CLASS but once outside … She now wears a prong collar for walks - and still pulls but at least not nearly as much.
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) She now wears a prong collar for walks - and still pulls but at least not nearly as much.
Mine gets out of all types of harnesses, I've learned the hard way. I worried about the modified choke because their necks have no real protection - I've thought about prong collars because they pull so very much, but don't they hurt them?
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@Shaye's:
I've thought about prong collars because they pull so very much, but don't they hurt them?
That would be the dog's decision, wouldn't it? :) Seriously, if you have a dog that likes to pull and doesn't respond to the usual attempts at modifying the behaviour, sometimes you just have to go with what works. And put up with the nasty looks from someone who hasn't "been there." I believe prong collars are less likely to injure their necks than choke collars. I know a vet that recommends them for this reason…...
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Most of my dogs walk on a martingale. Nicky uses a Freedom Harness and it works well for him. It is very adjustable so it is possible to get a nice snug fit. At nearly 14 years old though, he is not really trying to get out of it but I know quite a few people with a variety of dogs that have been very happy with them.
Is there a certain style of harness your dog gets out of? Have you tried other designs?
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i used either a martingale or an "ezydog harness" (this type)
depending on where we are going and what we are doing really :)
going for long bush walks or scootering i use the harness, if its just for a walk in general usually the martingale. doing training/agility - collar (but thats typically off leash).we wear collars here 24/7 as our dogs have to be registered with the local council and so they have to wear a council tag (we also have to pay money to the council to have dogs and are not allowed more then 2 dogs per property unless over 800mtrsquare or if you apply for a permit which they have to approve) unsure if its the same around the world - im very curious, is it? (i also put my own tag on with the dogs name and my mobile number).
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Lysh, in some towns the city ordinance doesn't allow more than two dogs without a kennel license but that isn't true for all places here in the US
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Lysh: the picture you just posted of your r/w looks exactly like my Shaye - she has managed to get out of the Easy Walk harness if it isn't really tight. I've always recommended the Easy Walk for control while walking, but running her with it is not a good idea because the rubbing makes her sore in her "armpits."
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Think those prong collars are illegal in most of Europa, and I'm also happy glad that that is the case. We don't live in the middle-ages anymore… there are lots of more dog-friendly ways to teach a dog not to pull on a leash. As you have to use a prong collar for that, something must be wrong with your insights on how dogs work if you ask me.
@Lysh: In Belgium we are allowed to have 5 dogs without a permit, and we don't have to pay dog-taxes.
