June 30, 2005
Houndini: Foiled!
Compared to Scout, Digory is a Big Boy. At 33 willfull pounds, he basically dragged me around everywhere. I just couldn't control him on-leash.
Yes, we tried the Halti. Yes, we tried the Gentle Leader. Neither worked. He was able, in true Houndini style, to escape each and every one. Until now.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce...The Sporn Halter
As you can see, the halter goes around the neck with a built-in collar and then goes under each front leg. The secret to the Sporn Halter is that when Digory pulls, the harness tightens around his chest and legs. Not only can he not get the thing off, it has almost completely stopped his pulling.
We took our first walk tonight and oh, it was torturous. He squeaked that high pitched bark over and over again. We couldn't figure out if the halter was too tight and hurting him, or if he was just frustrated that he couldn't pull like he wanted to. By the end of the walk he was quiet, so it was definitely frustration. Except when we passed the yard of a dog--then he went ballistic and harness-be-damned, dragged me over there. But except for that isolated incident, we have found the answer to our problems. Amazing.
Of course, the quest for the Houndini-proof seatbelt is another story. We have now ordered this harness, designed for Search and Rescue dogs. When the webpage said,"A generous ergonomic cut delivers a full range of motion yet ensures security that even Houdini would be challenged to escape." I thought finally--here's an escape-proof harness. Somehow we'll attach the car seatbelt to it. I wonder if we get a refund if our Houndini escapes after all. Special thanks to Staz for suggesting this seatbelt/harness. Let's hope it works!
Posted by Shelby at June 30, 2005 06:05 PM