[M0u5e]

So my dog is a bit of an escape artist when it comes to walking when on a leash. No matter how tight the collar, harness, halti etc. it's almost if he turns into a fluid and in the blink of an eye he's gone. I asked my vet and they recommend at halti but he managed to break the buckle the second time he wore it and bolted again. We live near a busy road I'm worried one time he won't be lucky and get hit. I need a recommendation on a harness/halti or other that could help stop him form escaping. He's also a very strong puller.
So far we have tried;
mesh harness
he managed to escape through the neck hole

Step in harness
he escaped through the leg hole

Harness
escaped through the side

Halti
he broke the buckle


Please help!
here some pictures of the escape artist.

 

[DaySleepers]

At this point, I'd look into the Web Master Ruffwear harness - or really any harness with a second belly strap. But that's the brand/model I know many people with escape artist dogs have success with. A lot of people use it for hiking and camping as well - it has a back handle to help lift the dog over things - so it's quite a sturdy build. I've eyed it myself, but haven't been able to justify getting yet another harness when we have several that work fine already... I might have a bit of a problem, haha.

 

[LeoRose]

I'd second the Web Master harness if you want to use a harness. Otherwise I'd recommend a martingale collar. Properly adjusted, they don't slip over the dog's head.

 

[Jen2010]

First, work on loose leash walking. That would reduce the escaping by a lot. Practice in your house first until he's consistently not pulling, then in your yard, then in your driveway, then down the street etc.

Then I would get one of those attachments where it attaches to both the harness and the collar. If he manages to slip out of one, you have the other as back up.

 

[M0u5e]

First, work on loose leash walking. That would reduce the escaping by a lot. Practice in your house first until he's consistently not pulling, then in your yard, then in your driveway, then down the street etc.

Then I would get one of those attachments where it attaches to both the harness and the collar. If he manages to slip out of one, you have the other as back up.

He's great loose leash in the house,yard, driveway and when we drive somewhere ei vet, park etc. but walk around our neighbourhood he pulls or does a houdini. I dunno why he only does walking around the neighbourhood.
He won't be pulling or anything when he does his houdini, today he was sitting waiting to cross the street then he was gone.
going to look at webmaster or something similar as its expensive.

 

[Knute]

In addition to the training. I'd suggest to avoid the web/cloth type materials for the collar/harness/halti. Spring the extra few bucks for Leather. Leather doesn't stretch and flex like other materials. Leather will typically have metal buckles. Plastic quick buckles are easily broken or overcome and the plastic adjustment buckles tend to slip. I don't like recommending brands, but take a look at Logical Leather. Be sure to measure your dog to get the correct size. Don't use the weight charts for these things.

Then the tightness should be adjusted to only allow 1 finger to slip under the collar/harness/halti.

While in the training and walking sessions, especially standing still, keep a constant eye on the dog. You should be able to observe how he starts the Houdini. This is a time to distract him and redirect. It is also a clue to preventative actions. A pocket full of treats could be helpful.

 

[Tater33]

Your dog looks very similar to ours and she is a Houdini too.

She knows how to back up to pull the harness right off. Her neck is thick or her head tapers so the harness slides straight off. We have a better harness now than the one in the picture but she still gets out of it. After a walk when we un-clasp the harness, it's how she takes it off too. Just by pulling away backwards from it. The harnesses recommended look similar to our current one and they don't hold her.

 

[storyist]

When I had a situation like this, I attached my leash to a splitter - a short bit of leash material with a clip on each end and a ring in the middle. I made my own because I didn't want the ring in the middle. I had it so there was a short branch to a training collar I worried about and a long branch to a martingale collar I knew would hold my girl safely if the other failed. That setup would provide a safety backup with a harness too. You want a collar that will tighten and not come off over the head if the dog backs up, and a properly adjusted martingale will do that without ever tightening too much.

 

[M0u5e]

Your dog looks very similar to ours and she is a Houdini too.

She knows how to back up to pull the harness right off. Her neck is thick or her head tapers so the harness slides straight off. We have a better harness now than the one in the picture but she still gets out of it. After a walk when we un-clasp the harness, it's how she takes it off too. Just by pulling away backwards from it. The harnesses recommended look similar to our current one and they don't hold her.

they do look similar. small head and big chest.
i'm currently using a 2 leash system, at short leash connected to a longer one, one end on the collar and one on the harness. its working for now.

 

[Tater33]

they do look similar. small head and big chest.
i'm currently using a 2 leash system, at short leash connected to a longer one, one end on the collar and one on the harness. its working for now.

Do you (storyist) have a link where I can buy that type of setup?

 

[storyist]

Do you (storyist) have a link where I can buy that type of setup?

I made mine, but I have seen couplers in pet stores (U.S.), and when I searched on Amazon, for "leash coupler for dogs," quite a few came up.

 

[M0u5e]

Do you (storyist) have a link where I can buy that type of setup?

i bought a short leash from the dollar store and looped/tied it to my regular leash. Here's him using it.

 

[Tater33]

Thanks guys.