Continuing on our theme of how great it is to live with a big dog in a small apartment on a budget...
We love reading other blogs and getting great ideas about pup products. We got to use some of our favorite ones on our walk this weekend!
When we first rescued Havi she was well-trained in some areas and not so much in others. After a full month of my arm almost falling off, and Havi's unaffected nature regarding the choke collars, we tried the Gentle Leader. Havi was immediately a better walker, but there was a negative result. Havi was in extreme pain from the leash around her nose, her fur started rubbing away, she would plop down pawing at her nose, and run when we took her leash out. Some friends in the building with another awesome pit recommended the Easy Walk Pet Harness. Havi loves it! She walks like a perfect angel, and is no longer in pain. The major difference is the Easy Walk Pet Harness is that it pulls more from the chest, as opposed to the nose/snout area. Our persistence with making Havi walk on our left side and sit at corners/when she meets new friends in addition to the Harness has made her the ultimate walking companion!
We bought this water bottle on a recommendation from SIL, and love it! The Pet Crew Handi Drink is a water bottle we clip onto our belt and fill with water at any restaurant. The blue part acts as a bowl to capture the water.
We originally wanted the Ruff Wear Palisades Backpack after two different bloggers chatted about it. But we settled for the cheaper Stansport Saddlebag for Dogs. It makes Havi more approachable, gives her a job, tires her out, and she carries her OWN food and ball!
What fun walking gear do you have?!
we dont have anything super fun but we have to walk in shifts since we have three pups
ReplyDeleteKari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com
Yeah for gear! That bottle/bowl thing is really cool; I've never seen that before. And with summer coming, it will be so important.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you posted about this because I was wondering what type of bag she was carrying!
ReplyDeleteThe easy walker harness if definitely the way to go and that is what we use now too. The gentle leader - we also had the same problem with - rubbing on his face and added to that people thought Reilly was a biter because he had a "muzzle" on and were weary to approach him. The back packs are really good too - we have an Outward Hound one that Reilly wears on hikes.
ReplyDeleteI had the same problem with the Gentle Leader, but when I previously used a harness Maisie pulled so hard that it wore off the fur on her chest in a cross pattern. it looked like she'd partaken in some weird religious ritual. ;)
ReplyDeletehttp://maisieme.blogspot.com/
We just got the bottle, but haven't had the chance to try it out. I love the idea of the pack. I wonder if Bailey would do it.
ReplyDeleteI need to get Sophie to the pet store to try on backpacks. I want her to carry her own water and collapsible bowl on hikes :-)
ReplyDeleteRight now, all we have on walks is the treat pouch and bags.
I've heard so many great things about the easy walk harness and will definitely consider it for my next dog. It's kind of sad that I put up with a year of leash injuries as a result of Shiva's pulling when I probably didn't have to!
ReplyDeleteLove the saddlebag idea as well. Would be great for hiking.
We don't have any really cool walking gear, but we do have a similar water bottle. Levi is such a dud in the summer and it appears Neptune will be even slower, so carrying water for them will be a must. I can't imagine putting a backpack on either of our two lazy dogs! They would probably just lie down and not get back up:)
ReplyDeleteHey Havi!
ReplyDeleteWow, you must be taking some pawesome walks now! Great gear. My peeps keep me under control too...gotta say I don't really like it much, but if it gets me out more often I guess I'll live with it! You look like you're doing just great!
Will I see you this weekend for my big event?
Grr and Woof,
Sarge, COP
I'm having lots of fun catching up on all your blog posts! I was actually going to write a post about this issue. We just haven't found a perfect collar/halter. We first used the Easy Walk harness, and Zoe pulled so much she developed bad sores under her arms. I thought maybe it wasn't fitting her correctly, but I took her in to two different stores to be fitted, and everyone agreed it was the right size. So then we tried a martingale collar, which is great because she cannot back out of it, but she pulls like mad when she just has a collar. Next, we tried a Gentle Leader, which Zoe hated! It also felt super flimsy, like she could get out of it. After that, we tried a prong collar. At first it helped, but then Zoe started to pull again once she got used to it. She started to get red marks around her neck, so that was the end of the prong collar. Finally, we've settled on the Halti, which is just like the gentle leader, but sturdier with a padded nose. I have mixed feelings about it because it gives Zoe a mark around her nose and people tend to think she has a muzzle on. But the behavioral difference is huge. She calms down immediately when I put the Halti on her. So I don't know... we try to switch it up so give her nose/neck/armpits a break!
ReplyDeleteI love her backpack! We tried a backpack with Alfred once, but it didn't last long....he kept dragging his side up against things and immediately ripped a big hole through one side. :( I guess that's what you get for buying the cheapest backpack you can find. Maybe we'll get an upgrade and try again this year.
ReplyDeleteMost wonderfull Article, Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThe 10 Best Dog Hiking Pack to Buy in 2018