I am so thankful that the thoughtful HO on my sit that starts on Sat has decided that the youngest of her dogs needs to go to Doggie Boot Camp (ok, Dog Trainer) for the duration of my sit. The remaining dogs will get my full attention.
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It might be what is called a gentle leader in the US. https://www.petsmart.com/dog/collars-harnesses-and-leashes/training-collars-leashes-and-harnesses/petsafe-gentle-leader-training-dog-headcollar-5010510.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsaqzBhDdARIsAK2gqndowXpYbjDhx67ZmgRpWyAhzMNptTImiN8egPt6UITpE7OqeMkWYKEaAl0oEALw_wcB
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I sat for a labrador once who was less than two years old and wore a harness. he would pull like a train and yes I did end up with shoulder ache. Would not walk off lead either, as immediately twisted around to have his ball thrown. this was all he had ever known. But at least whilst throwing the ball I was not getting my arm pulled out. He also would not sit still for me to put the harness on and would jump all over the place. This was almost a three week sit and I did manage to get him to sit for me to put harness on, before the end of the sit. I simply kept walking away every time he was leaping about, saying no and sit etc. He eventually got the message. I donāt think there is a way to avoid these tyoe of sits. Owners wil likey just say really friendly and loves having his ball thrown. In this case it was an understatement, as would not walk off lead unless ball thrown. Would just stand in front of you, all excitedly and wait until you did,
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@Lassie we did a housesit where one of the dogs used something like this, they called it a bridle (in the UK). I also have a friend who used one on her previous dog when he pulled too much.
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Although I have never used a bridle/haltie device thatās actually what I kept thinking this dog would need. As a sitter would any of you have asked the owner permission to use one? I didnāt ask because I felt they would think I didnāt love their dog or that I was a mean sitter and leave me a bad reviewā¦
I wonder if you told the HO you thought it would help with her ālearningā then theyād be ok with it.
A number of harnesses have a back ring AND a chest ring. I clip the lead to both the chest ring and collar ring simultaneously to decrease pulling and lunging as well as secure against a slipped harness. I take time to check the fit of any collar, harness before the first walk about.
I do NOT like harnesses with a lead clipped to the back. As others have said, it encourages pulling.
My own dog - an older rescue who still has bouts of fear-based leash reactivity - wears an Easy Walk harness with a chest ring, and I have no issue controlling him on a walk. The lead clipped to the back would be no good.
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I wouldnāt switch to a Haltie type device without checking with the owner. Be aware you must take the time to thoughtfully train a dog to accept this device.
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or in a shelter when the owners no longer find the behavior that comes from the lack of training cute. This especially happens in the dogās teenage years for medium-large dogs 
.
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Before confirming a sit, we always ask if the dog(s) pull on the lead, also whether they are lead-reactive and if they have good recall off-lead.
Many people donāt disclose this in their listings and some donāt come clean, even when asked directly, so we always carry a GenCon (Gentle Control) headcollar - they dont risk rubbing near the eyes, like a Halti - and itās gratifying to have pullers walking nicely on a loose lead.
We see many listings which state things like āsitter must be experienced with big, strong dogsā and always interpret that as meaning poorly trained dogs. Itās such a shame.
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Thatās interesting as Iām particularly attracted to dogs currently being trained- or young and requiring a strong leader! I find dog training psychology fascinating so itās a fun project for me whilst sitting. I walk dogs for free at home on the UK BorrowMyDoggy website and usually pick dogs that require training or very active walks with lots of mental stimulation.
It goes to show that weāre all looking for something different.
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@BonnyinBrighton
I agree that dog training is really rewarding but you need to be around the dog for a long time for the command to get really imprinted into the dog.
And when you leave, if the HO doesnāt continue, and why will they if they hadnāt done it before you arrive, then all your hard work will be in vain sadly.
But its really good of you to get the dogs trained and i hope you get plenty of gratitute from the pet owners, be it Borrow My Doggy or THS.
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I like to be able to continue or reinforce ongoing trainingā¦ with a few dogs that I walk I do the initial training creating short videos for owners to use as daily āhomeworkā. And yes Iām a retired teacherā¦ā¦so I canāt help it 
I mostly in my career taught very challenging teenagers so Iām fascinated by behaviour both its meaning and management.
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@BonnyinBrighton
I really do admire your dedication. I had my two Beagles trained to a word but Iām not going to try and get others dogs trained anywhere near that level
I think itās mainly due to my hyperactivity and that hubby plays a lot of golf (so boring) so I have a lot of time on my hands- also obviously because Iām really quite bossy!
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@BonnyinBrighton Training dogs who you regularly walk is one thing, but attempting to train dogs when youāre only going to be with them for a week or two is a pretty fruitless exercise if PPs arenāt interested in carrying it on, and leaving them with video āhomeworkā might not go down too well.
That said, we do play ābrain gamesā with dogs we sit for, and have taught quite a few the āleaveā and ātakeā game, which weāve videoed at the beginning (when they canāt do itā and after a few days (when they can). If people want to then carry on and expand on that, itās up to them.
We aways ask about the dogās vocabulary - which words are used as commands - but weāre not setting ourselves up as dog trainers and prefer to continue the training and routines already established.
It just shows though that thereās a sitter for different situations, highlighting that if PPs made pet behaviours clear in their listings, theyād be more likely to receive more suitable applicants.
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In my instance, the owners did say he was reactive to seeing other dogs, and it was a pit mix, so being reactive equals pulling. But I had just joined the service, needed a sit and review, so you take something, fairly close and that no one else wantsā¦usually. Now that I have a few sits, and good reviews, it is easier to get sits I want. It was a lovely home. And I could have just let him out in the back and played ball with him, but I sort of trained him, but walking him regularly to do his business on the walks. Most dogs do not want to do their business where they play. And then we played fetch in the back yard. The back yard was full of poop when I got there, picked up, and he only made one poop in the back yard in the 9 days I was with him. So he wasnāt walked that often. The owner wrote me she didnāt understand why he kept bringing the ball to her. But I wrote my review about playing fetch with him.
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I donāt think Iāve said that Iād be training HO dogs unless itās ācontinuing or reinforcingā current training. Homework is what I provide to dogs that I regularly walk. However having said that, if HOs leave me with an uncontrollable dog I will teach it to be safe for me to take out and about or manage within the homeā¦ why wouldnāt I? What the HO does after that is up to them, itās the process that I enjoy. A dog can be very quick to learn if given good leadership.
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I am currently on a sit with a 90-lb goldendoodle and it has been a nightmare. I am bruised head to toe and will need a chiropractic adjustment when I get home. More importantly, I was put at physical risk several times when the dog lunged in traffic, at a homeless man, at other dogs in the park, etc. The owners were not honest in their description and other reviewers were not honest enough. PLEASE be honest in descriptions of dogsits for all of our sakes. I am considering leaving TH because I no longer feel l can trust the reviews.
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Such sitter experiences help reinforce my decision to never sit for a dog bigger than I can reasonably pick up and control if theyāre triggered, whether by other pets or wildlife. For me, thatās about 40 pounds, because I want to keep the dogs and myself safe.
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