AHHHH… with so many collars/harnesses/contraptions on the market offering “no pull” for pooches, where does one begin? Needless to say, I’ve tried MANY. The one that I now rely on and use as my “go to” harness for dog walking is Dolan’s Dog Doodads Wonder Walker Body Halter.
The search began with my own husky mix. Having “husky” in her genetic make-up, she has the strong desire and will to PULL. Yes, I have her mountain biking and roller blading with me (someday we will attempt skijoring), but we can’t do this EVERY day. I needed a tool for us to have an enjoyable daily walk. Also, as a dog*tec certified dog walker I only use safe and humane tools while walking – no prongs or choke collars (OUCH!) Harnesses and halters fit across the dog’s chest causing NO harm to the head or neck. After trying far too many harnesses on the market, I came across the Wonder Walker.
Why is this my favorite?
It started with my Kota and the “fit” of the no pull harnesses. Kota is very tall and lanky for her weight of 70 lbs and getting the right fit across the chest wasn’t easy. Other harnesses would gap in the chest area, no matter what the size. This harness seems to adjust perfectly! I recently ordered one in every size to try with some of the pooches I walk throughout of the week. The past few weeks I have been walking Sienna, an 84 lb German Shepherd, in a size L. She is doing AWESOME!!!
The company is based in Seattle, WA (made in the USA!) and the customer service is wonderful. The owners are extremely knowledgeable and very friendly. When I received my first harness I was impressed with the quality of the product. The harness has thick webbing and is durable. I find having two loops to be very beneficial. For walking I hook the leash on the chest loop and when running with the dogs, I hook the leash to the back loop. Want even more control? You can double leash it and use both loops! There is only one clasp to clip the harness in place – no need to go over the head, through the leg around the back with 3 clasps at each point – it’s simple! I also love having the option of many colors, from brights to neutrals.
The halter comes with a descriptive brochure on sizing and fitting, but they also provide an instruction video on their website – can’t beat that!
Along with the body halters, the company also sells training lines, leashes, jogging belts and car straps. I look forward to trying out these products in the near future! Hope you and your pooch enjoy the Wonder Walker as much as I do in my dog walking. Happy Dog Walking!
Thanks Darlene, I’m going to try it. I have a darling 80 lb black lab rescue bitch who pulls like crazy, I tried a no pull that worked for two weeks, then she worked out she could get out of it by reversing quickly, or she lay down and refused to budge! I have her on a harness with a ring on the back and it’s only manageable if I walk very fast and tell myself it’s good for toning my biceps. Clearly not ideal! I like the look of this harness that doesn’t seem to limit shoulder movement, unlike other no-pull harnesses. She’s my 10th rescue dog, very well behaved in dog class walking to heel (yes!), but impossible to train in nature.
Hi Patricia ~ Definitely try it! 🙂 If you do have an “escape artist” (like me!) you can use a carabiner clip to clip the front hook of the harness to the collar as an extra layer of safety. It is a challenge out in the environment – especially with the scent driven pups! Let me know what you think and if you have any questions whey you receive it! Thank you for rescuing!!!