Yorkie chewing up Haulters

[Kenneth62]

I have a Yorkie who is 6 months old. I have had him 2 months and since that time he has chewed up two nylon haulters. One has two arm straps that run under the arms from the front and snap between the shoulder blades and the other one strap that ran between the legs and branched to two straps that ran around the trunk and snapped behind the shoulders. I have tried repeated spraying the front of the haulters Bitter Apple to deter him from chewing but to no effect.
I have heard that regular collars increase the incidence of collaspe trachea and I am hesitant for that reason to change him to one however I can't keep buying halters every few weeks and a leather haulter will likely be outgrown.
I used a leather collar on my previous Yorkie and he never had a problem. Of course I didn't jerk on it and neighter did he and I never lifeted him with it on.
I live in an apt. complex so I take him out on a leash to potty.
Any suggestions?

[chachi]

Well yuu cant use a collar on a yorkie I would much rather pay for a harness than a collapsed trachea surgery

[Verbena]

There are other types of harnesses. Chattiesmom makes one and also buddy belts are another kind.and if you see him chewing correct him and give him a toy instead. Even if he has to carry the toy around with him.

[Lil Sis]

I would only put the harness on when he goes out.

There are several brands that are great...buddy belt is leather...I sell choke free (also leather) and chattiemom makes silk so you have a great choices

[wisteria]

Bella is 7 months old and I do not keep her harness on when indoors. I put it on to go out, thus she doesn't have the chance to chew it. If I left it on she would.

[joeyyy2010]

I was going to suggest taking it off when you aren't actively walking. That way there is no chance of it being chewed, and you wont have to buy new ones.

[gracielove]

How is the dog getting the harness? Don't you take it off when he comes in? I can understand why he would chew the harness if it is on him all the time. Take it off when you get him inside and hang it up some where.

[Lil Sis]

Originally Posted by Lil Sis

I would only put the harness on when he goes out.

There are several brands that are great...buddy belt is leather...I sell choke free (also leather) and chattiemom makes silk so you have a great choices

Maximo sells the buddy belts...I sell choke*free... I had several Pm and wanted to be sure I was pointing my yt friends in the right direction!

[Kenneth62]

I do leave it one most of the time as I am still housetraining. I have been working on it for almost two months. (much more stubbon then my previous Yorkie. I have finally gotten ringing a bell on the door to go out but now he is ringing it freqently especially in the evening as freqently as about every 5 minutes or so. He usually sqats but think many times he has just discovered that this is one way to control me. I take it off at night.
I have thought about a leather one but he weights 3 lbs at 6 months and figure he will outgrow one and would be a little expensive for short term use but I know it would still be cheaper then damaging his trachea so might go that way.

[gracielove]

The silk harness is much less expensive and is adjustable so it would probably fit him for several months.

[RoxyLuv]

Even though you're still training him, take the harness off at least some of the time during the day to help him get used to it. All this equipment we use is foreign & not natural to the young ones. Does he have plenty of toys? At this age, their attention spans are incredibly short. I used squeaky toys to divert Roxy's attention from anything she was doing that I didn't want. She'd go for the squeaky toy every time. The end result has been a very well behaved dog. It took a lot of watching her constantly to sidetrack behavior for awhile, but has been worth it in the end. She knows what things are hers and what things are not.

She went through a period of not liking all the harness, collar, leash, clothes, but gradually got used to it. Now she loves them all. When I remove her clothes, she will put her head down to the shirt and try to put it back on. Some of these guys don't ever like clothes, but will tolerate harnesses. I think you're guy just needs some more time to adjust. Keep a close eye on him & squeaky toys handy.

Good luck!

[Kenneth62]

I keep toys available. No sqeeky toy, so that may be a good one to get. He has a rope, a noby plastic bone and a terry cloth bear. I am trying to give him a little more freedom but with some restrictions as I have been crate training him for quite awhile now and don't want him to be cooped up all the time. Dispite that every day or two he will pee or poop in the house, even after I have just taken him out. I keep him on a retractable leash anchored to the couch so he can get on the floor and play (when he is not on the couch with me or in his crate but I can still keep a eye on him. That is the only reason that I keep a halter on him. Once he is housebroke it will come off. The halter that he chewed through was easier to get off and on as it was a step in one. The one that I still have is very shredded and about to be chewed through in a few days is a little harder to get on and off as his head has to go through one loop and with him jumping around takes more effort.
Every time that I give him more freedom he degresses on his housetraining and I have to go back to more restriction in his crate for a day or two.

[gracielove]

Many people will tether their puppy to them in order to get the potty training done faster. That is good. But when he is in the crate you really should take the harness off him. He could really hurt himself with the harness on unattended. A step in harness is quick and easy to put on and he should be out of the crate before it is an emergency anyway. Walking him when you go out will help him to eliminate more and not have to go out as often. They love to pee on every strange scent they smell along the way.

[DBlain]

I understand the need to keep the harness on when housebreaking, I went through the same thing with Lola and I also use the bell.

Scrap those skimpy strap harnesses, I have always hated them, they are confusing to put on, hard to adjust and seem to be uncomfortable. Below are a few suggestions since they are both more like clothing.

The first style is from a gal I have bought over 10 harness dresses from, I have both fancy to plain styles but they are all made the same, with tons of strong velcro around the neck and tummy and a secure reinforced d ring strap that runs down the center of the vest. Lola wears these almost exclusively when we go on walks and she is 5.25 Lbs and a very aggressive walker that will pull to chase a squirrel or bird. I find them secure and safe enough to lift her off the ground if I have to. They are no different than keeping your dog in a sweater or a dress when around the house. Plus they are very affordable and you have a lot of color choices, Karen makes them to fit your dog and are easily adjustable.

The second and third style is even more secure as it closes in the back with velcro and then a double d ring latch, not bad to keep on but probably not as comfortable or stylish as the first one. Since Lola only needs to go out about 3 times a day it's what I put her in to go potty and I keep it on a retractable leash by the front door. The one I have is from Wallmart and sells for around $10.00 but I am not sure that the XS will be small enough for your puppy at the moment. I am sure one of these styles will help solve your problem of keeping the harness ready so you can get your dog out in a hurry.

Dog Bones Harness Vest with Collar by graciespawprints on Etsy

Amazon.com: Puppia Dog Mesh Harness "Vest Soft"...
SimplyDog Mesh Dog Body Harness, Black, Multiple Sizes Available: Dogs : Walmart.com

[ladyjane]

If a pup is properly trained, they can be walked on a leash with a collar. I have pups that I have no problem doing that....but I will say that I much prefer using harnesses. I do not leave them on at all times....I have the step in harnesses that have leashes attached to them...very simply to put one on for a walk!

Collars alone are not the cause of collapsing trachea...yes, if a dog pulls while on a leash, it is not wise to use a collar since it does put pressure on the trachea. If you successfully train a dog to walk on a leash, collars are not a problem...BUT they can be an issue in that a dog can back out of them and run away. Just another thing to think about.