The Academy for Dog Trainers is excited to announce the launch of Harness The Love, an initiative that highlights the benefits of no-pull harnesses.
Starting today, Monday September 19, 2016, use the hashtags #HarnessTheLove, #HTL and #academyfordogtrainers to help us flood the interwebz with images of happy dogs and people enjoying walks without the use of precise heels or painful collars. (See below to find the logo and how-to for adding it to pictures). If you are a blogger, find a post about no-pull harnesses and share it, or write up a new one. We will be monitoring the social channels that are using those hashtags and sharing content.
There are many benefits to using no-pull harnesses, not the least of which is that many dogs need little to no training for the harnesses to work: pulling decreases as soon as they realize that it gets them turned around and facing their owner instead of closer to the hydrant they were heading for! No-pull harnesses do not put pressure on dogs’ necks and throats, which is safer for your pet (read more here and here). For the human end of the leash, no-pull harnesses can be a gift as soon as you step out the door: decreased pulling means less chance of injury to you.
Loose Leash Walking is a skill that dogs learn, and no-pull harnesses are a great tool to help move the process along. As dog trainers, one of the complaints we hear most often is “how do I get him to stop pulling?” Here’s a couple of neat videos if you need some guidance on how to get started!
There’s quite a few options to choose from and we’re big fans of the Freedom Harness, the Easy Walk Harness and the Sense-ation Harness. See a full list of front-clip harnesses on the Harness The Love page on our website.
You can find the logo to download, our easy-to-use picture Harness the Love picture generator, and other instructions for adding the logo to your picture here, on our the Harness the Love page.
We’d love to see your dog or your client’s dog stylin’ in some no-pull gear! Use the generator and the hashtags #HarnessTheLove, #HTL and #academyfordogtrainers and you and your dog may be featured on The Academy’s Facebook page. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible to help them understand why the switch to a no-pull harness is the way to go.
Check out this great video by our friends at the San Francisco SPCA about the use of harnesses, other training tools and the effectiveness of rewards-based training in general. Join us this week and Harness The Love!
