Anybody know about a really good harness for a large dog like a Saint? I am asking for our oldest daughter. A lead attached to his collar doesn't work out so well. He needs a halter or harness designed to take pressure off his neck and redistribute to chest and shoulders. He is 8 yrs old and weighs 150 lbs. Maybe someone here knows?Thanks.

For pulling weight or to control the dog without straining the dog's neck due to a neck injury?

I wasn't a well trained owner of a young 165 lb. St Bernard. A better option might be to train him not to pull (Dog Whisperer?)... my dog could pull, and he was raised with a trained attack dog before I got him, so there were some aggression issues. I was often overpowered. Cujo comes to mind.A harness will probably just give him more leverage.

Pangaea Ron wrote: A harness will probably just give him more leverage.X2!If pulling's the problem one's trying to correct, making it more comfortable will just make things worse...My (MUCH smaller) rat terrier came to me at seven with a harness-type walker and she was a terrible puller. She responded very well to the head-holder type harness. If there's anything a dog hates, it's not being able to see in front of them. Millie very quickly learned to moderate her pace to mine in order to avoid the pull.Head-holders do take practice- care must be taken not to actively jerk the dog's head around, but let the animal's own momentum cause the diversion.

No, not for walking. He walks nicely. They live in a summer house on a lake front and sometimes put the dog on a 20' tie-out so he can chase ducks, splash at the water's edge, etc. It's not a hazardous situation and he isn't left there for hours. It's not a public park and the neighbors all know him. So I was asking like if you might tie-out a large dog at a campsite, if there was room and it was safe.

I would use caution, here. Honestly, a 150 lb. muscular dog with a harness could pull down many, many things that he might be tethered to. Think, porch, fence, etc. Harnesses are used for pulling contests and sled dogs-they allow a dog to get great leverage.

Question re: St Bernard | Good Sam Community

Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
Aug 29, 2013
Pangaea Ron wrote:

A harness will probably just give him more leverage.

X2!

If pulling's the problem one's trying to correct, making it more comfortable will just make things worse...

My (MUCH smaller) rat terrier came to me at seven with a harness-type walker and she was a terrible puller. She responded very well to the head-holder type harness. If there's anything a dog hates, it's not being able to see in front of them. Millie very quickly learned to moderate her pace to mine in order to avoid the pull.

Head-holders do take practice- care must be taken not to actively jerk the dog's head around, but let the animal's own momentum cause the diversion.
Pangaea_Ron
Explorer
Aug 29, 2013
I wasn't a well trained owner of a young 165 lb. St Bernard. A better option might be to train him not to pull (Dog Whisperer?)... my dog could pull, and he was raised with a trained attack dog before I got him, so there were some aggression issues. I was often overpowered. Cujo comes to mind.

A harness will probably just give him more leverage.
BCSnob
Explorer
Aug 29, 2013
For pulling weight or to control the dog without straining the dog's neck due to a neck injury?

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