can I buy?

my male dog J.R. is 4m old and i take him on a one mile walk and 95% of the time that we're walking he is pulling to the point of chokeing. I have a one inch wide leather collar on him now. i thought about a choke chain but i think that it would make the problem worse. can i get a 10.00 or 12.00 harness now for walking? also will it mess his bones and joints up by useing a harness now for walking? I searched this and for the most part not to let him start pulling until he was 12-18m's dose this apply to me in this case?

 

Pulling against the leash on a walk? You will find most people like a dog that will pull, makes em easier to work! If you just dont want him choking then yes a walking harness would be fine. If you are trying to correct the pulling, I suggest a prong collar instead of a choke collar.

 

i got my guys a harness not becasue they pull alot its just better for there windpipenand there alot easier to walk for some reason

 

Why not just properly teach the dog to walk on the leash?

 

A harness won't hurt him. Actually alot of people prefur a harness to a cllar on thier pups.

 

Actually all a harness will do will enable him to put all his wait into dragging you down the street. (& nothing looks better to people than an outta control pit bull dragging it's owner, who does not have control of the dog, down the street).

I suggest obedience. Obedience includes teaching your dog to walk properly on a leash. He should walk beside you or slightly in front of you leaving plenty of slack in the leash. While a prong collar can help, it is by no means a "fix" to the problem. Only constant, persistent training will do that.

 

I want him to be obedient and walk like that. I do the technique of when he pulls to snap the leash an inch or two but he dosen't listen. It's like it didn't phase him when i do it.To the prong collar i don't like them, to me it is the easy way out for the owner. You might say that i am trying to take the easy way out by the harness but i'm trying to get his walk in without him chokeing himself. what/how do yall sugest to teaching him the right way?Yall are still at 50/50 on me geting the harness.Will it confuse him if i try to teach him the way you sugest on the leash and then try to walk him on a harness? keeping in mind that i am going to try to get him in to WP.

 

Its all how you look at it. Candi pulls when i walk her but she is by no means out of control because she'll stop if i tell her to. I let her pull because when she pulls it excersises her better, she is using her muscles more by pulling. I would suggest a harness for walking because you will have better control of him with one, and is a lot more comfortable than a collar around his neck, imo.
If you don't want him to pull i would suggest obedience traing by a proffesional.

 

i walk my dog on a harness i find its easier for me to control him and when freakin poodles and little crappy dogs get loose i can pick him up like luggage lol

 

i start all mine on a harness to teach them how to act on a leash and only when they get it do i switch to a collar.

 

the closes proffesional traner is at the local Petco 30 min. away. that might seem close but this city pasted a law call Dangrous Dog Law and i don't know if those people have been around this breed.also i herd that it coast a lot of moeny and time.the next place is an hour or more away.

 

how do you do that? Also i went to working pit bull.com and i thout that i saw some traning videos there, what do yall think about her?

 

To the prong collar i don't like them, to me it is the easy way out for the owner.
How is it the “easy way out”? The prong collars like various others or nothing more than training tools at the disposal of the dog owners! Letting your dog pull you down the road…is the EASY WAY OUT.

You might say that i am trying to take the easy way out by the harness but i'm trying to get his walk in without him chokeing himself.
You are being he can’t pull and choke himself doing it unless YOU allow it! First get control of your dog, then once you have that, introduce and implement a harness if you choose to.

what/how do yall sugest to teaching him the right way?
First is to gain knowledge and control over your dog…sounds like you lack that and would be best to seek professional help. Your dog is the “alpha” in your house and you are his servant, hence- him leading and you following!

the closes proffesional traner is at the local Petco 30 min.
Avoid them as they are not “dog trainers”!

 

A Dog trainer is one who trains dogs . usually you send the dog to the trainer and it comes back to you trained.

an Obedience instructor is a person who teaches the Owner of the dog how to train (they do not "train your dog for u, they give u the know how and show you the correct way to train your dog) Classes are usually group (allthough some will do private).

A Behavorist deals with the whys and hows and whats of the dog.. they help the owner understand why a dog is acting a certain way and what the owner can do to correct and solve the problem. They usually come to the home to obeserve the familys interaction with the dog.

Now many people think these are all one and the same but they are not. Some obedience instructors will tell you they are "behavoirists" but they are not.. make sure you know who you are dealing with before attending classes.

 

Good post. It is important to know the differance.

 

Who in their right mind would do that. Its the owner that needs to be trained as much as the dog. And I trust no one enough to send my dog to them. Who knows what they are doing to train your dog if you aren't there. Then again, I've never had this problem.

 

alot of people do that..guard dogs, attack dogs, even police dogs where once trained in that way. ..even Seeing eye dogs are sent to a trainer to be trained before going to a new owner.. then the dogs na owner work together with a instructor.

Some also breed, train then sell fully trained dogs themselves..

 

If your going to get into weight pulling I would get the harness.

 

If you are going into weight pulling don't walk your pup on the harness, let him understand that the harness will be for pulling, you will confuse him. Let it get ingrained in his brain that collars and the command of 'heel' will be for walking down the road under your influence. I highly suggest that you ditch the wide collar (which gives him more control over you) to the prong collar, after training he can wear whatever type of collar you want. The prong collar in NO WAY shape or form will hurt your dog, make sure you get the right size, I know it sounds freaky but I actually... I know... tried one on once to see what it was like and it doesn't hurt me let alone a pit with all those muscles around the neck, it is more comfortable than a choke because the preasure is applied evenly, the choke is also easy to miss use letting the dog choke sometimes. Those control collars that go over the muzzle also seem to do great too, it's amazing how much a dog will pay attention to you once you have control of his face.

Read books to train your dog and find out what you like best and kudos for coming to the forum for info!

 

all good advice on the harness & collars & dont pay a trainer for something that is basicaly common sence ie if the dog pulls just stop on the spot & a firm command word then continue & every time he pulls just repeat the stop on the spot & firm command & he will finaly get the point of not pulling when you dont want him to pull imo