Best collar for leash walking my 5 month Rottweiler pup?

We have tried all sorts of collars and leashes on my 13 month old rottie. The prong worked at first but she is a very hard puller when being walked. We have worked with her consistantly on behaviors during walking but nothing sticks. I was told to avoid the choke collar because if they pull too hard it can damage their esophagus or vocal cords. I recently switched to the harness and it works amazing! So far….lol

Also, if the dog is pulling to hard, not listening, chewing. We put a mesh muzzle on her. She goes submissive instantly. She pouts for a minute or two and then she follows all commands.

Something I have learned on this website and others with people’s posts, is even though we get great advice from our forums, you have to find what works best for your dog. Every one is so different and what works for them is different also.

Good luck!

Hi,
My Rottie (3 yrs. old) and my daughter’s mastiff/pit bull do great with a “gentle leader”…they got used to it quickly and it’s super easy to walk them with it. It’s like a harness for a horse, you actually guide the dog by the head. You have to be gentle, but once they get used to it, they love it because it means “we’re going out!”…requires no physical effort to walk them now, and much nicer than a prong in the neck.

Hi,
My Rottie (3 yrs. old) and my daughter’s mastiff/pit bull do great with a “gentle leader”…they got used to it quickly and it’s super easy to walk them with it. It’s like a harness for a horse, you actually guide the dog by the head. You have to be gentle, but once they get used to it, they love it because it means “we’re going out!”…requires no physical effort to walk them now, and much nicer than a prong in the neck.

As a trainer of GSDs for 10 years and Rotties for about 2, I would recommend you try the harness first. A standard collar and lead controls the dog by the neck. The dog???s instinct is to protect the most vulnerable areas of his body which includes the neck and belly. By using the standard collar and lead, when you try to direct the dog, the dog???s natural reaction is to defend against the perceived danger to the neck and pull away. That???s why you see so many dogs fighting the collar and lead when first introduced to them.

A harness and lead places the pressure on the chest of the dog. The dog is not as sensitive in this area, but can still feel the commands through the leash (pressure back or up means stop, pressure to the right means turn right, pressure to the left means turn left, little/no pressure with verbal/hand command means walk forward, little/no pressure without verbal command means stay or hold).

If the dog is extremely stubborn, a pinch or ???prong??? collar can be used with some caveats. First, know that many people see these collars as ???inhumane??? so you might catch static or get nasty looks from people. You CAN NOT leave the collar on the dog 24/7. It should only be used for training until the dog is manageable on a standard harness or collar. You must get the correct size for your dog. It should be loose enough to slip over the head when assembled so it???s not constantly pinching the neck. When you remove the collar, disconnect the clip, NO NOT try to slide the collar over the ears and head as you could cause eye trauma. When making an obedience correction using a pinch collar, you must use a short yet firm ???snap??? motion and then release immediately. DO NOT hold the pinch collar tight until the dog complies. Use the ???snap??? motion instead for each time the dog does not comply. Reward the dog when it complies.

Once the dog gets used to the pinch collar, you can put both a standard collar (or harness) and pinch collar on the dog at the same time when you go out for a walk. Use the regular collar or harness for the walking. The presence of the pinch collar will remind the dog of the training it has received. Also, if necessary (the dog acts up, doesn???t mind his manners) you can quickly change over to the pinch collar for almost instant compliance.

I???m not a fan of ???choke??? collars for two reasons. 1-people leave them on 24/7 and the dog could get hung up on something and choked to death. 2-a choke collar concentrates more pressure on the trachea and if enough pressure is applied, could cause serious airway injury or even death to the animal.

A pinch collar applies the pressure to a larger area, but can still be abused by the owner and cause harm to the dog just like the choke collar. I have not tried Mr. Millan???s product but plan on purchasing one and giving it a try. I have read up on it and it has gotten positive reviews.

Hi there, prong collars are not allowed here in New Zealand so I use the Cesar Millan illusion collar which I find very effective on my 2 year rottie. It has been the best collar that I have used. Good luck with your pup

Hi there, prong collars are not allowed here in New Zealand so I use the Cesar Millan illusion collar which I find very effective on my 2 year rottie. It has been the best collar that I have used. Good luck with your pup