Hello all.

I have a 17kg 18 week old Mastiff X.

I am now at the stage where the original lead and collar i got when i picked him up is not much use. He doesn't pull a lot but when he does he can be quite powerful so i am looking at a harness to make it easier to walk him and possibly an extandable lead.

As it is at the moment he chokes himself as he tries to pull and i do use the stopping and turning him backwards method to get him to walk properly but if there is something easier to walk him with it will be excellent.

Can anybody give me advice on what sort of harness i should be looking at and also and pros and cons.

Thankyou

Honestly the best thing to recommend is teaching him to walk properly on a lead, i don't recommend harnesses or extendable leads for big beasties, it's train train train.

When i was pregnant however and after the birth teaching my beast to walk next to a pram i used a dogmatic headcollar as an aid but that was only a temporary thing whilst he got used to new ideas.

My boy was 70kilos and i can honestly say there is nothing better than a well trained dog to walk on the lead, extendable leads snap and harnesses can reinforce their power and make a situation worse.

Another vote here for getting him to walk under control on a collar and lead.

A harness doesn't encourage him at all to walk well.

Yes obviously lead training is a must for any dog but we're talking about a giant breed dog here, they naturally cover the ground faster than a smaller dog.

I walk a 1yr old Irish wolfhound who's 37" at the shoulder and still growing. He walks at a much faster pace than I normally would so having a back up control is essential.

He wears one of these http://dog-games-shop.co.uk/harnesses-fleece-lined

They are brilliant, they make them in ANY size (the pieces are interchangeable and they'll send you various bits until you get the correct fit), they easy to put on and have good strong D rings on the back and front if needed. It's not really marketed as an anti pull harness but it gives you a lot of control, and it's comfortable with the nice fleecy bit.

A harness won't make it easier for you - he will still pull. My pup is 8mths so I know how hard it is to stop them pulling. I'm trying the training with the command "close" using treats to get her to focus on me. I have heard that head harnesses work well, although haven't tried them myself. http://www.petsathome.com/shop/contr...-at-home-14479

My dogs aren't great big dogs like yours. I have Big dogs with no legs. Boy dog learned very quickly with a collar to walk to heel and not pull (but when he gets off on one I'm almost off my feet) and the girl dog was the nasti anti social teen on a lead. She walks beautifully with a harness and behaves like the lady she really is. She is a nightmare with a collar and leash. She pants and pulls and tugs. I've probabaly been too "twee" and "soft" but I do know that my big dogs with no legs respond and behave in public better in a harness than in a collar and leash.

Each dog is different and you need to find the right way for you and your dog.

Training is the only answer. A harness is designed for a purpose, think husky. They actually make it easier for the dog to pull, and put all his weight behind him. Also you lose control of the head. A harness is attached to the lead in the middle of the dogs back. Great, now he can lunge and pull and spin around in circles....
Get a good 2" collar, a strong lead and book into a reputable training school.
Better now than later and your dog has frightened someone, or worse knocked them flying, and you are facing prosecution under section 3 of the evil Dangerous Dogs Act 91.