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    We decided to spruce things up and fix some things under the hood. If you notice any issues, feel free to contact us as we're sure there are a few things here or there that we might have missed in our upgrade.

Collecting the new puppy gear recommendations...let's here everyone's favorites

Hector

Well-Known Member
I'm going to say leave nothing in the crate. It's too risky especially if no one is there. I have nothing in crates except their blanket and beds because I know they won't eat them. Recently there was an adult st bernard in my town that swallowed two stuffed animals whole. The animals went in whole and came out whole during surgery.
 

belawyer

Well-Known Member
So I noticed Victoria Stillwell is a proponent of Freedom Harness. On her website she sells it but it has a different name. I'm pretty sure it's the exact same product manufacturer but she just branded it to be her own product to sell on her website. It's the exact dual harness setup as the freedom harness.

On that note, I do like a lot of Victoria STillwell materials but I do not like how she goes absolutely crazy over Cesar Millan. Why can't she just admit Cesar Millan has some good methods in dealing with large dominant dogs and she disagrees with other things. I'm not sure why she has to go into a fit of rage everytime I see her talk about alpha dominant training on youtube or in her books. That kind of turns me off to Victoria STillwell. Nothing about her training methods. I only ever see her with these small cocker spaniel type cute dogs. I haven't ever seen her with a bullmastiff, presa Canario, Cane Corso, or any dog like this. Obviously, you wouldn't put a chock or prong collar on some little whippet and break it's trachea. Can you put a choke or prong collar on a 130lb Male Cane corso, probably since his neck is going to be like 3ft in diameter and made out of pure muscle. Let's just use some common sense people.

Training takes time, lots and lots of time and practice and the freedom harness helps in the process. Freedom Harness has front pull (and also a back pull but I always use the front pull). When they tug or try to take off it pulls them to the side and squeezes around the rib cage and they learn to self correct. It also has velvet lining under their arm pits so their sensitive arm pit skin doesn't get rubbed raw like in other normal harnesses.

But, even once they understand the "concept" of heel and that you expect them not to pull things happen. Something exciting distracts them and they may try running for it or something scares them and they don't want to move. The freedom harness is less harmful to them if they do go running and end up pulling on themselves (no neck being pulled out of wack). Remember these large breed dogs aren't mature until 3 years of age. That means even when they start getting big they are still big giant babies who will occasionally act out or have a case of ADD. Bright shiny objects, fluffy squirrels, other dogs, interesting smells, scary skateboards. These things are all very distracting for their young minds and it will take many many encounters and lots of training and lots of condition and a little bit of maturing until you can figure they won't ever try to tear your arm out of your socket to get to (or away from) the said distraction. Freedom Harness helps with the training, helps save my pup from hurting themselves and saves my arm. Training a big stubborn puppy isn't always easy so any tool you can get that makes it a little easier is a giant help in my book.

To give you a realistic idea my Diesel is almost three and around 2 he started maturing a lot and getting pretty good at not needing corrections on the walks. But, even at almost 3 years old every now and again he suddenly gets it in his big dopey head that he absolutely has to meet some other dog. It is rare now... really rare. But, that Freedom Harness has saved my arm and his neck more times then I can count. It has also helped me with Kahlua who has the opposite problem of Diesel (when she gets scared she doesn't want to move or she wants to run in the opposite direction or try to jump into my arms). Kahlua is a little over a year now and we have narrowed what used to be an exhaustive list of fears we encountered on walks to one fear (skateboards). So far nothing has worked to desensitize her to skateboards so it is just a matter of consistently working on it. But, these things take time and if I didn't have equipment that made it easier for me (and them) it would be a nightmare.

I should also mention that my dogs can slip out of any collar I put on them. I would never recommend relying on collar alone for leash walking a dog that is still being trained and even with a perfectly trained dog I still prefer a harness because you never know what is going to happen. They are also pretty easy to put on your dog once you get the hang of it.

I also recently heard of some leashes that supposedly help self-correct dogs that pull. I haven't tried the leash though so I can't say if I recommend it or not but my groomer swears by it and he has a pit bull, a great dane and a couple other large breed (mix) rescues. I don't know the brand so you will have to google it but it is a bungee cord leash. Like actual bungee so if the dog pulls it tugs them back. No immediate reaction needed from you as the leash will correct the dog for you (or so my groomer swears, he says it worked great for his biggest dogs who were the worst pullers).
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I'm curious which of Cesar Millan's techniques you find appropriate? This is probably not the thread to discuss that, however. Cesar discussions tend to get heated. There are several in the controversial section already. You'd also be surprised how many people use a prong on small dogs and very young puppies. I find many people seem to lack common sense.
 

belawyer

Well-Known Member
I'm curious which of Cesar Millan's techniques you find appropriate? This is probably not the thread to discuss that, however. Cesar discussions tend to get heated. There are several in the controversial section already. You'd also be surprised how many people use a prong on small dogs and very young puppies. I find many people seem to lack common sense.

Honestly its been so long since I read his stuff. I sold it all back to halfprice book store years ago. I’m just saying my method of training is what I like to call common sense and it is probably a mix of 75% positive puppy with 25% dominance/alpha.

Just stuff like being confident and assertive. Not allowing dogs on human furniture (unless its a lap dog), dogs dont eat people food things like in this article:
http://www.barton.bizland.com/training.htm

Let’s just forget I even mentioned Cesar Millan. Victoria stillwell looked like she is great with all her cute little collies and labradors. I’ve read two of her books now and watched several youtube videos. I just hadn’t seen a lot of materials with victoria training cane corsos, german shepherds, rottwiellers, or any real working, military or police type dog.

If you know of some other more well rounded trainers please share (as in not 110% positive puppy but closer to a mix as i mentioned above).

I’m not talking about some nutso train my dog to be a killer guard dog. I’m just looming for well rounded resources. I personally think cesar’s 2013 book is actually much more well rounded than all his early materials and dog whisperer stuff.

Whereas after reading two victoria stillwell books she is not well rounded at all and appears to have little to no experience with larger dominant breeds.
 

belawyer

Well-Known Member
Also I know you said you didn't want leash/collar recommendations. But I strongly recommend the Freedom Harness. I originally went with the trainer recommendation of ez harness and I wasn't happy with it. I got the Freedom Harness recommendation on this forum and I love it (you can find it on Amazon with a quick search).

Can you use the freedom harness with a waist leash?
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I consider myself a positive trainer. I subscribe to the LIMA, least intrusive minimally aversive, philosophy. I do believe that would likely fall into your common sense category.
https://iaabc.org/about/LIMA

I don't subscribe to the dominance/alpha stuff. When it comes to training and people/dog interactions that has been debunked. I am NOT saying that dogs don't have their own social structure. That's a completely different topic that also gets very heated. I am also not saying that dogs don't need structure, rules, and expectations - they do. Again, that's another discussion.

There are a lot of books I could suggest, but I'd have to get back to that later if you're interested. Off the top of my head I would suggest Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 days. Not that it will give you a perfect puppy, but it does have good foundation exercises that can help prevent problem behaviors from ever developing. Also a newer book called Social, Civil, and Savvy by Laura Vanarendonk Baugh. Both are positive trainers. Anything by Patricia McConnell.

Yes, you can use a waist leash with the Freedom Harness.
 

belawyer

Well-Known Member
I consider myself a positive trainer. I subscribe to the LIMA, least intrusive minimally aversive, philosophy. I do believe that would likely fall into your common sense category.
https://iaabc.org/about/LIMA

I don't subscribe to the dominance/alpha stuff. When it comes to training and people/dog interactions that has been debunked. I am NOT saying that dogs don't have their own social structure. That's a completely different topic that also gets very heated. I am also not saying that dogs don't need structure, rules, and expectations - they do. Again, that's another discussion.

There are a lot of books I could suggest, but I'd have to get back to that later if you're interested. Off the top of my head I would suggest Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 days. Not that it will give you a perfect puppy, but it does have good foundation exercises that can help prevent problem behaviors from ever developing. Also a newer book called Social, Civil, and Savvy by Laura Vanarendonk Baugh. Both are positive trainers. Anything by Patricia McConnell.

Yes, you can use a waist leash with the Freedom Harness.

When you have a minute let me know what is the one other book or youtuber you'd recommend for me to supplement Victoria STillwell's positive puppy training methods? Knowing that I've already read a bunch of Victoria Stillwell materials and watched several of her youtube vids. I think I'm good on the basic puppy stuff (i.e. 8-15 weeks). Almost all the trainers agree on the basic puppy stuff such as housebreaking and crate training. I've noticed not a whole lot of variation there.
 

belawyer

Well-Known Member
I consider myself a positive trainer. I subscribe to the LIMA, least intrusive minimally aversive, philosophy. I do believe that would likely fall into your common sense category.
https://iaabc.org/about/LIMA

I don't subscribe to the dominance/alpha stuff. When it comes to training and people/dog interactions that has been debunked. I am NOT saying that dogs don't have their own social structure. That's a completely different topic that also gets very heated. I am also not saying that dogs don't need structure, rules, and expectations - they do. Again, that's another discussion.

There are a lot of books I could suggest, but I'd have to get back to that later if you're interested. Off the top of my head I would suggest Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 days. Not that it will give you a perfect puppy, but it does have good foundation exercises that can help prevent problem behaviors from ever developing. Also a newer book called Social, Civil, and Savvy by Laura Vanarendonk Baugh. Both are positive trainers. Anything by Patricia McConnell.

Yes, you can use a waist leash with the Freedom Harness.

actually I just did a quick amazon search and The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell and Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 days both look like solid base books. They look way better than Victoria Stillwell's or Cesar's materials. The latter two individuals I just think became reality TV stars and started their own marketing empire but their actual materials aren't that great.
 

belawyer

Well-Known Member
Some of the other things on your list I might wait to purchase. A mat can be something you have in the house like an old bath rug or a towel. The harness is not inexpensive and you'll need several before she's her full size. I'd hold off on that for just a bit. Also take a look at Ruffwear harnesses. If you don't want it for the correction factor (front hook) then they're very nice quality for the $. I have the Front Range and Otis is wearing a red Webmaster in the picture. I really like the Webmaster.

I'm back to comparing the harnesses. Was taking another look at the freedom harnes versus Ruffwear. So if I understand correctly, the Ruffwear harnesses are really designed to either attach at the back or if you want more control attach on the side. Like they are an either or but not both setup. Whereas the freedom harness is designed for one or the other or for ultimate control you attach both front and back. Is that correct?