The Easy Walk Harness is a type of no-pull harness. It’s never fun to have your dog pull you down the street. You should be walking your dog, not the other way around. Fitting your dog properly with any harness is in direct correlation to his safety. Let’s take a look at the Easy Walk Harness in more depth and how to properly fit it on your dog.
How To Put On An Easy Walk Dog Harness
What is the Easy Walk Harness?
As said above, the Easy Walk Harness is a type of no-pull harness. Petsafe, the manufacturer, has designed it with safety and comfort in mind. Instead of having the leash loop on the back, it’s situated on the front for better control of your dog, and it’s positioned more ergonomically for walks.
The Benefits of the Easy Walk with the Right Fit
It might seem like a no-brainer to properly measure and fit your dog for a harness, but some benefits are very subtle.
- With the Easy Walk, once your dog starts the bad habit of yanking and pulling on the leash, the positioning of it on the front of his chest will allow you to easily divert his attention and lead him to the side.
- The right fit of the harness will give you more control. A no-pull leash such as the Easy Walk from Petsafe is also used as a training tool that could lead to loose lead walking or off-leash walks.
- The proper fit will also reduce the chances of your dog wriggling out and escaping the harness. We’re sure this is every pet parent’s worst nightmare.
- One other thing of the Easy Walk and the right fit is preventative measures. It prevents damage to your dog’s windpipe and also avoids choking.
How to Put on the Easy Walk Harness
- First start b fitting your dog’s head through the loops. You do this by placing the shoulder strap over your pooch’s head. (Jump to step number 5 after this step is completed). If your dog isn’t cooperating, move on to step number 2.
- The above was the overhead option to put it on your dog. There is also another option. You can use the step-through method if your dog isn’t cooperative.
- Place the harness on the ground and place your dog’s front paws into the two-leg holes.
- Lift the harness and buckle it behind your dog.
- Make sure the buckles are on either side and the connector ring is in the middle of your dog’s shoulder blades.
- Snap the buckles on either side closed under your dog’s belly.
- Make sure to adjust it according to your dog’s measurements.
- The rule of thumb is to only be able to fit 1 to 2 fingers at most between the harness and your dog.
- Don’t give any more than that because your dog will be able to escape.
- The next step is to fit the chest strap on the Easy Walk.
- The chest strap should sit flat against your dog’s chest without drooping or digging into him.
- A way of gaging the perfect fit is to check if the harness resembles the letter “T”.
- The last step is to clip the leash on the front and head out!
Using the Easy Walk Harness
The best way is loose lead walking. This means the leash isn’t taught and isn’t too loose that it drags on the ground. It gives your dog enough freedom to walk alongside you.
When your pooch starts to pull, direct his attention to you by tugging gently on the leash. When he calms down and is walking next to you again, be sure to reward him!
It takes a lot of patience and time to train your dog, and no-pulling on walks is no exception. Always use positive reinforcement to encourage your dog.
Another good trick when your dog starts pulling on the harness is to stop immediately and change direction. Once he repositions himself next to you calmly, hand him another treat.
One thing some pet parents have attested to is that the Easy Walk Harness makes it easy for avid chewers to gnaw on the leash. A way to prevent this is to always divert your dog’s attention and the leash to the side, not in front of his face.
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Extra Tips
A good tip is to use your dog’s regular collar along with the Easy Walk. This way if you clip the leash through both the collar and the harness, there is less of a chance the harness will rotate from side to side and prevent escape.
As of now, the Easy Walk isn’t made with any padding. If the fit isn’t exact, it could cause irritation, chafing and discomfort for your dog. So what should you do if your dog is experiencing any of the above?
Reassess how you are using the harness. The Easy Walk, as the name suggests, is for walks only. It’s not for more rigorous activity and should not be used with a leash longer than 6 feet.
Don’t use the harness again until your dog has fully healed. If chafing, irritation, and discomfort continue, you can try a DIY lining for the harness. Find any soft fabric lying around such as fleece and glue it onto the interior of the harness. Or you can look for padded no-pull harnesses. There are other top reviewed dog harnesses to stop pulling you can also consider.
One more thing about the proper fit of the Easy Walk Harness is to make sure the ring on the side sits up higher, near the shoulder of your dog rather than near the armpits.
Conclusion
The Easy Walk Harness is a great invention to correct unwanted behaviors when walking your dog. Not only can you gain more control of your pooch, but it can be used to train him to do other things like loose lead walking and eventually staying beside you without a leash! Not only that, it keeps your dog safer as it discourages pulling. Just make sure to measure and fit it correctly to enjoy all the benefits! For general instructions, you can also check our guide on how to properly and securely put on a dog harness.
Wondering what to give to your fur babies? Then, you can check our top pick cargo liners for dogs to up your pet’s travel game. Read next!
