I have a wonderful, No Pull Dog Harness who is 60 pounds of solid muscle. Due to a traumatic incident when she was a pup last year, she has some anxiety and pulls a lot on leash.
I’d tried a variety of harnesses and a Martingale collar. At her trainer’s suggestion, I switched to a head collar. It helped somewhat with the pulling, but she hated it.
I hated it, too, but was told this was the only safe and sure way to have control and tried to make the best of it.
After about three months, her eyes were itching like crazy, and she’d roll her head on the ground at every patch of grass, trying to scratch her eyes and push the collar off her nose.
She had bumps/abrasions on her snout. Moleskin didn’t help. Late one night, I took a look at my poor girl’s face and decided I’d had enough. No more head collar—ever!
But that meant I needed an alternative. Prong collars are supposed to be inhumane, so I researched different harnesses…again. In the interim, I used two leashes: one attached to the Freedom harness and another attached to the Martingale.
It was not ideal. Finally, I decided on this Poypet No Pull harness. The reviews were good, it had both front and back leash attachments, and looked sturdy and well-made.
It seemed to be designed so that no straps would dig into her, especially in the armpits. The wide, padded fabric looked like it would not only be comfortable, but might actually made her feel secure and less anxious.
It’s only been about a week, but so far, all those things appear true. When the Poypet arrived, I was busy looking for instructions, while my daughter simply went and put it on her. It was a snap.
Unlike the head collar and the other harness, this one was no struggle to get on. The dog didn’t resist and she didn’t mind wearing it. That was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t realize I’d bought the harness with only two quick-release clips, and the instructions I found on the Poypet Website were for a harness with three clips.
I was confused and emailed Poypet, as well as asking here on Amazon. (Many thanks to those who answered!) I was worried about pulling the harness on and off over her head, but as it turns out, it’s really easy.
You have to make sure it fits snugly, per the instructions, and tighten the straps if you see it’s loose or forming big gaps between dog and harness. Snug, not tight. A snug fit makes the whole system work better.
With that long leadup, now you’re asking, “Well, does it work like magic?” The answer is that there is NO equipment that will be an instant magic pill if you don’t want to hurt your dog.
You have to put the time, effort, love, and know-how into training. But after less than a week using the Poipet, there’s a major improvement and I’m truly delighted with it.
When she pulls, the Poypet is sturdy enough that I can stop without getting into a power struggle and without worrying that I might be injuring her by yanking her head.
The Poypet spreads the pressure through the front and back, and doesn’t cause her any discomfort. (Other than that she doesn’t get to run over to eat some garbage or deer poop.)
Overall, the Poypet has dramatically reduced my stress levels on walks and I think my sweet girl is less anxious and comfortable in these new parameters. BTW, I also went to a shorter leash, from 6-ft to 4-ft, with padded double handles, and that works great with the Poypet. Took her on a 75-minute walk on a levee trail today and found it so much easier. Last note is that the customer service I received from Poypet was outstanding.
