Everyday Training Gear

Here’s a roundup of some of the essential gear I use for dog training.

What we cover:

  • Treat Pouches not your pockets

  • Harnesses & Collars

  • Leashes: What length of leash should I have?

  • Brushes

  • and a few Wellness gems

 
 

Treat pouches:

I love using treat pouches as visual indicators we are training. This helps your dog’s training brain turn on, like a light switch. Eventually, you won’t need as many but this signals to your dog: ‼️Pay Attention‼️ (When we visit a new place with new distractions, this is a great time to bring an extra visual reminder for my dog to pay more attention to me than distractions.) My go-to treat pouch* holds about 2 handfuls of treats/variety which is just enough for a training segment. It’s silicone and has a clip. Which makes this an easy yes to attach to my leggings or inside my jacket if the dogs try to stuff their faces into the pouch for a free-for-all. 😆 I do have backup treats in the car.

Now if you prefer to wear pants and use your pockets to hold treats, my only question is… has your dog rummaged through your clothing hamper recently? Have you found a mess when you got home? Okay, that was two questions. Maybe it’s time to move to a closable baggie or a designated pouch. If you haven’t found a mess and your clothes aren’t getting chewed up, then what you’re doing is working and I’m glad your dog’s sense of smell isn’t getting them in trouble. If your kids are complaining of random holes in their pants around the pockets, it might be their treat stuffing pouch.

Harnesses

Harnesses for dogs are great if they fit the dog well. The main straps should fit like a tie (two fingers) for the collar and chest. This helps reduce pulling through their harness, escaping, your dog getting their snout in it and chewing through, and cherry on top if the harness has a handle. This is your “oh sh*t” handle for when your son opens the door and your dog is trying to bolt. Or adds extra stability to your big dog while you’re out on walks. We can talk about suitcase handling later.

Here are a few places you have to measure for a harness:

  • around the neck,

  • vertically from neck to where your dog’s front legs meet their chest,

  • then horizontally between front legs

  • and then around their center behind their front legs.

Keep a note running to compare to your favorite dog brands since sizing vary soooo much per brand. S, M, L, and XL, do not have a universal measurement.

Harnesses List:

  • Harnesses with a clip* on the chest and back, and/or a handle

  • Other Brands I like are Kong harnesses and RuffWear, both durable, double D rings on chest and back, poop bag holder option, and snug enough on a variety of client dogs.

  • Brand: Wonder Walker, a Washington-based company!

Additional Collars:

I train first in a flat-collar, its best for walking, turns, running, hiking and more. A step above a flat collar is a martingale collar, still flat but has an extra loop so when a dog pulls it will tighten up a bit. This works too with my leash training methods. Rarely do I suggest a prong collar. If I do it’s typically for a medical reason (human side) or my clients are already using one and not ready to transition to a flat collar.

  • I love these WA local-made PupUps Biothane Flat Collars, I have the Northern Lights design. She also makes Fi-collar-compatible collars. (The Fi series tracker* includes activity and sleep, GPS, a step chart, and friendly breed competitions. This has been handy data to review with me if you’re curious!)

  • Honorable mention: A gentle Leader goes around the snout and attaches to a flat collar. This is a great tool for my 70lb+ dogs who are still pulling through their harnesses or flat collars. I typically suggest this as a short-term solution to your arm aching, and help you stack gear together to get your desired leash walking furend result. I have clients who use two leashes, one attached to the gentle leader and one to the flat collar. They’ll first tug on the flat collar and if your dog is stubborn, then touch on the gentle leader which moves their face and snout to you. A gentle leader does not need a lot of muscle behind it, but if not trained with a flat collar you may only walk well with a gentle leader. Not recommended for running.

Leashes:

  • Hands-off leash from PupDog Collars (we collaborated on this build in about 2019.)

  • Bungee Around the Waist Hands-Free Leash

  • Bungee 2 Handle Leash with seat belt

  • Outside long Leash: recommended 25 feet - 50 feet.

  • Don’t forget the yard stake! This is handy to teach your dog how to get better with “off leash” listening skills without being actually off leash.

What leash length should I start with?

The right leash length is where you and your dog(s) can move comfortably together as one unit walking down a sidewalk without taking up the whole sidewalk with a leash sidelining someone.

This is why I recommend a standard 6-foot leash to start with a short leash handle or knot, also called a traffic handle, that we can consistently grab and teach your dog to walk beside you comfortably. You should see a U-shape in the leash even if it’s short. This is the right length to start then.

If you are taller than 6 feet or your dog is about your hip height then I’d recommend an 8-foot leash because your walking pace and your dog’s walking pace need a bit more space to walk comfortably. I found this brand does well for comfortability.

Let’s touch on if you are getting a rug burn on your hands. It’s time to upgrade your leash materials. Typically I see rug burn hands when the puppy has outgrown the first leash your puppy came home with. There are puppy leashes that are 1/2 inch thick. This will not withstand a 20-lb puppy pulling on it to smell that piece of grass.

One solution is getting a thicker leash, the bungee or hands-free leash above will be adult-sized in width and heaviness of clips. If you’re wanting to get away from nylon, then leather or biothane may be the material you want to check out next. For the rainy season and adventure days, I prefer biothane leashes because it’s smooth to the touch, and doesn’t get soaking wet from rain or getting dragged in the mud. It may still bring some mud home.

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Brushes:

This depends on the breed and type of hair you're dealing with. I am not a groomer but this is generally what I have found works with dogs who are more sensitive or have skin issues. This can also include more fearful shy dogs. It will take more time to warm your dog up to the object if there is any negative association.

Wellness Mentionables:

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

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