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Alice the Camel Jan 2018 9:52pm, 4 Jan 2018 3,451 posts	0 Alice the Camel A bit late to Mazlin’s party here, but just wanted to add that we have a perfect fit harness for Charlie. It was fitted properly and does the job. I was surprised that bits of it are medium and one part xs. It might be worth taking Rory for a fitting, it may be that just one part needs changing.
Helegant Jan 2018 10:41pm, 4 Jan 2018 5,398 posts	0 Helegant same here. Jet's top harness (the fleecy bit) is xs, much to my surprise. The ribcage strap is much bigger.
BaronessBL Jan 2018 7:55am, 5 Jan 2018 7,021 posts	0 BaronessBL Wanda's Perfect Fit was also fitted by their people at a local 'All About Dogs' event. We chose it because of its suitability for 'dog sports' and also because it does have the front ring too which does allow for more control in the same way as we had been using the Halti harness. However regarding pulling - I would use the harness if I was running with Wanda or giving her an extendable lead walk but if I am taking her for an on street walk or somewhere else where I want her not to pull and remain at 'close' or heel then I walk her on her collar rather than her harness. Because we have done all her training classes in a collar she seems to understand that if the lead is attached to her collar then that is 'work' but if it is attached to the harness it's more of a 'fun' walk. I won't pretend it has been easy getting to that point and it is as much about my confidence to be able to do that as Wanda's.
halfpint Jan 2018 9:45am, 5 Jan 2018 24,829 posts	0 halfpint That was the approach we were advised to take at our classes BBL. We did do heel work on the collar and harness for everything else. We haven't really stuck with it as much as we should. We have Ernie off lead as much as possible because he is happier and so are we. However, I should work on his loose lead as we have been very aware during the snow and ice of how hazardous it is to be dragged about by a dog who is led by his nose.
D2 Jan 2018 10:05am, 5 Jan 2018 10,245 posts	0 D2 Its taken us a long while to be able to reasonably differentiate between walking to heel and going for a relaxed walk and we are still not completely there yet. I decided early on I needed to teach Indi both methods. I didn't use a long lead or let him off lead until he was around 14 months so as not to confuse him. I do think its important to be consistent because a dog is looking for you to tell him/her what to do, I don't like too much off lead as their attention is inevitably elsewhere when it should be on you.
D2 Jan 2018 10:07am, 5 Jan 2018 10,246 posts	0 D2 Sorry pressed enter too soon... ........... and then who knows what they are up to/chasing/eating etc?
halfpint Jan 2018 10:13am, 5 Jan 2018 24,831 posts	0 halfpint It's all about personal preference isn't it. Ernie is trained to a point where he checks in regularly when he's off lead. Generally he doesn't go too far ahead or behind before coming back and giving my hand a nudge to say 'I'm here, this is when you give me a reward'. Yesterday he was less inclined to check in because hills with snow are exciting but he came when called and was never too far away.
Helegant Jan 2018 10:26am, 5 Jan 2018 5,399 posts	0 Helegant Very wise D2. I wish I'd had the foresight to train Jet that way.
D2 Jan 2018 11:39am, 5 Jan 2018 10,249 posts	0 D2 I think I'm particularly careful about off lead as Shepherds have such a bad reputation and these days the law is such that someone only has to say they were scared for there to be a case to be answered.
Mazlin Jan 2018 6:04pm, 5 Jan 2018 4,228 posts	0 Mazlin Rory knows perfectly well how to walk to heel, the little shit. He can even do a beautiful 'emergency stop' and sit and wait until he gets another command...inside. What he can't do, and I'm not kidding upwards of 5 trainers have had a go (and they use the same method before someone thinks that 5 different approaches are confusing him), is give me his attention outside. Basically nothing I've got to offer overrides a) his drive to hunt or b) his general anxiety and obsessiveness - he doesn't check in with me, he rarely even makes eye contact. He rarely takes treats (he'll let bits of liver fall out of his mouth if I put them on his tongue) so there's no point in trying to engage him in 'find it' type games. He doesn't react to his name, or a whistle (he'll come to both inside) or to me hiding or getting in the car and driving off. He doesn't really play with other dogs, and he won't retrieve a ball. And on the lead he just pings from one end to the other and again won't look at me or acknowledge that I'm there, so now I just walk him with a front fastening harness and a lead with a waist belt because honestly that is the safest and least painful way, and results in less crying and shouting on my part. I don't really know what else to do...other than trying to win the lottery so I can buy a large country estate and just release him out of the door every morning.