[Bigtoven]

Hey, sorry in advance for the length of this, but I need some help. I have a lab mix that is constantly getting loose whenever I try to walk him. He easily slips out of regular collars, no matter how tight the collar is on him for the walk. I’ve adjusted the collar so that it’s tight enough so that when I try to pull it over his head it doesn’t budge, but he somehow is able to easily slip out of it in less than a second. I also tried harnesses, no pull harnesses, both a harness and collar, but he always slips out of them extremely fast. The last time I tried walking him, I used a harness and a collar (separate leash for each one), but as soon as I opened the door to take him for a walk, all he seemed to do was twitch, and the next thing I knew he was half way down the block, and his harness/collar was still falling towards the ground. I’ve even tried tiring him out by running around in the backyard with him, though that just made it a bit harder for me to catch him when he got loose. Training him to walk in my backyard and in the house doesn’t work either because he acts like the perfect dog so long as he’s in the backyard or house. He just seems to do a complete change whenever I try to walk him. As a result of his constant escapes, I haven’t been able to walk him in a long time. I just loathe having him locked up all the time and would like to know if anyone had any advice on what I could do to keep him from escaping whenever I try to walk him, or if I should just completely give up on ever being able to walk him.

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

You need some hands on instruction on how to handle a collar and leash.

You need a good slip collar that is not too big for the dog. It should barely slip over his head, and a good soft leash that won't hurt your hands.

Have to tried one of those harnesses where the leash attaches in the front? And you may also need help from someone with fitting things correctly. I would not use a regular buckle collar on a dog who has learned how to slip a collar. Part of solving this issue is you learning how to stop the dog once he starts trying to slip the collar.

See if you can find a trainer in your area to help you.

 

[Bigtoven]

Well, I'm not too sure about using a slip collar; I don’t want to use anything that might cause him harm. I have tried using those harnesses where the leash attaches in the front. He's too fast at escaping them so all I see is a slight jerking motion, and the collar/harness is off. I don’t even feel the leash move when he slips them. I use a leather leash, and a cloth one, those are pretty comfortable. I also have another dog; I use a regular buckle collar for her, and everything is fit correctly, so even on the rare occasions when she tries, she’s unable to slip her collar. Unfortunately my lab seems to have the skeletal structure of a cat, so I’m not sure if I’m properly fitting his harnesses, or if he’s just flexible enough to escape it. I will see if I can contact a trainer though. Thanks for the help, and suggestions.

 

[Cracker]

A martingale collar may be a good choice here as well. Martingales are also known as a half check collar. They have part chain and part nylon the idea being that when the dog is walking it fits like a regular collar but the second they pull to get out it tightens around their neck enough (but not like a choke) to prevent slipping off over the skull. These are very helpful when you have a dog that has a neck that is about the same size as their head. I used one on Cracker for a long time, they are great.
I have recently though changed to an easywalk harness (by Premier)..they take a bit of practice to get fitted properly but are not easy to escape and are great for dogs that pull. Cracker walks fine loose leash when we are alone, but when I add a second dog she becomes a sled dog..lol.