16/11/2022
I gave in today and took Macy for a walk on a collar.
Since she came, she's made it clear that she didn't like harnesses. She had one amongst her things, but it was the anti-pull one, that tightens under the armpits when the dog pulls.
For obvious reasons I didn't want to use that harness, so I found her a different one, much more comfortable.
But she said no. I can put it on, if I wait for her to be ready; she eventually comes close and lets me do it, but her whole body looks unhappy.
Treats don't help either, if you're wondering.
It's a shame, as I don't think she's ready to walk on a collar, she pulls on lead sometimes, and wants to lunge at other dogs and also sheep.
But I think, when choosing equipment for our dogs, we need to listen to them, even if it doesn't align with our preferences. Sure I could do tons of conditioning, and eventually have her tolerate the harness (maybe I'll still do it anyway).
At the moment though, she's happier on the collar, so I took Comet's wide and comfy one and off we went. Wide collars are better, as they distribute the pressure over a larger area of the neck, in case of pulling or lunging.
She gets off lead exercise too, of course, so the collar is used mostly by the roads, and in some other tricky places.
This whole dislike to the harness is a very interesting topic for me personally, as she's the third of my dogs with chronic pain issues to refuse to wear it.
My collie Chester had spinal arthritis, and never liked harnesses. Comet, with shoulder OCD and hip dysplasia, didn't like harnesses. Now Macy with hip dysplasia doesn't like harnesses.
Arco, with no pain diagnosis, loves his harness. This morning he tried to push his big head into Macy's one...
I guess what I'm trying to say here is that if your dog seems stubborn or tries to avoid certain activities or equipment, there may be a good reason for it.
You may not know the reason, and it may be frustrating to you, but learn to listen to your dog, and make some allowances.
There is no definite list of things your dog should do, or wear. Even the most basic things like Sit and Down, can be difficult for a dog, for many reasons.
You have a choice: to keep at it and put a lot of pressure on your dog (in some situations even positive training can be aversive), until he complies, or try something else altogether.
I don't know yet what to do with this harness thing. I'd love her to wear one, but I don't want her to look miserable every time I pick it up from the hook.
For now she'll be on the collar. It's not the end of the world, and she is much happier.
