Overly strong dogs, best collars or harnesses.

krlyr

The website has a sizing guide which includes actual measurement ranges as well as breed recommendations (so helpful for crosses) and they were very helpful when I emailed (my Rottie x has an odd head as she's got the square skull of a Rottie but the thinner, longer snout from the GSD in her..getting one that was wide enough at the base without being too wide in the snout took a couple of tries and she can slip her current one off the end of her nose if she really wants but she doesn't mind wearing it at all so doesn't really make any attempts to remove it). The bonus of leather is that it's easy enough to put an extra hole in if the head band is too big - I popped to my local petshop who had a leather punch and made an extra hole for me when Kiki lost a bit of weight and needed it a tad tighter.
http://www.dogmatic.org.uk/contents/en-uk/d10.html

You can see that her first one was too tight under the jaw because of her broad head:


Going up a size sorted it
Apparently some stores actually have them on the shelf so might be worth contacting them to see if they know of a local stockist you could actually visit and try them on.

pawsies

I like the fleece harnesses from dog games.

http://dog-games-shop.co.uk/

Staffie is modelling one on website. I find them much softer on the body.

Also I wouldn't let him go out until he is not pulling. Put his lead on- he pulls- Take it off. Keep doing this until he lets you put it on and does not pull. When you can get out of the door if he starts pulling I would go back inside the house and start in the house. Eventually he will get the idea that pulling = back inside.

gettingready

Excellent quality special collars:


My friend uses those on her 3 GS...

MOre suited for tall dogs of course - you hold the handle by the collar then, much easier to control than the lead

http://www.gappayk9.com/epages/shop.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/100070820/Products/0865

Raksha

Training really can make a huge difference - don't only train whilst walking the dog (infact, you need to work at home, where the dog is comfortable before taking it out and start working around distractions). 'Kit' can help, but you shouldn't be relying on it (as you've found out, it's not always 100% reliable)

PS - a horses lead rope for around £6 is very useful for a big strong dog, and comfortable on the hands.

Wellyboots6

I have tried all sorts with Tyson.

The thing that worked best was each time he pulled, turning a very tight circle in on himself. It slowed him down and annoyed the hell out of him!

If he is walking on my left, pivot on your left leg, swinging your right leg round in front of you and him until you face backwards, guiding his head round with your leg if you need to (not kicking him in the face!). Means he stops in his tracks and has to turn round to his left. Then turn a very tight circle all the way back to the front again.

I give him the command 'In' so he knows it's going to happen, and it now means I have a command for turning him left too

He gets so annoyed with it, especially if I have to do it every couple of steps, that eventually he just ambles along next to me waiting to have to turn round again.

Failing that, a Gentle Leader worked for him, although I don't know that it would suit your dogs head-shape.

Fire_Fox

stef240377 wrote: »

It is far from dangerous, he pulls on the lead. If and when collars have broken he doesnt run off. he responds to voice controls. He is happy to walk at the side of you without a lead but the new dog controls that our local authority have brought in state dogs are only to be allowed ofF lead when on a designated exercise area. He is sociable with other dogs he does not go after them more the other way round.

You've said in the OP that your husband's shoulder/ health condition is being aggravated. All it needs is for him to let go due to the dog dislocating his shoulder or suchlike and you are in trouble. I'm not having a pop at you, just being realistic: things happen unexpectedly.

ali-t

Another vote for dogmatic here. I use one and a half slip for my rott and a multi clip training lead. The neck collar and head collar are attached to different clips so if one breaks the other is a safety net.

Some of what you describe is handler error. Someone forgot to put the lead away, the halt I was on during free play etc. If family members took precautions the methods you have already tried would have been fine.