This is a great item! Our 1 year old 60 lb Dalmatian rescue pup is very energetic and very strong. On a regular harness, he was a beast to walk: it was like having a large frantic game fish on the end of the line. We switched to this harness despite skepticism, and it helped right away. With a month's daily work, he is a joy to walk. Doesn't pull, has learned to walk on a loose leash, as well as at heel.

I haven't seen these harnesses in awhile, but i used to use them on a spirited staffy & a dalmation and they worked perfectly. I have tried lots of other harnesses & haltis, this is the best one that connects like a regular leash and doesn't make your dog look like s/he's wearing a muzzle. I know a lot of folks seem to like the harness that connects at the chest, but my pitty girl still just plows on and it has almost no effect on her. Can't wait to get a new one to try on my current group. One caution if you have chewers in your house, do not leave the harness or collar on your dog but for walking or you'll have pieces chewed off and it will no longer work.

I first purchased this product several years ago for my unruly, horrible-on-a-leash, 40-pound Whippet mix. It cured her of her tugging in one or two uses, and now she even walks calmly on a regular leash (for when I'm feeling too lazy to put on her harness!).

Since then, I have gotten another dog, a small, 20-pound Corgi/Rat Terrier mix, who is also terrible on a leash.

I decided he also needed a Sporn pet halter. At first, I purchased the small, but it was WAY too small for him; it was practically choking him. Luckily, it also arrived damaged (bought it from a third-party seller, not Sporn), so I got my money back and purchased a medium from Sporn directly. The medium fit him perfectly. (I also use a medium on my Whippet, so that sort of gives you an idea of the range of dog sizes the medium would fit on.) I think the small size is for toy and very small breeds (less than 15 pounds).

Anyway, I used the Sporn halter for the first time with my new dog the other day, and, as I expected, he walked perfectly the whole time, unable to pull.

I also work as a dogsitter, and I was watching a particularly unruly Black Mouth Cur puppy. I put my dog's harness on him (medium also fit), and within 10 minutes I had him obeying "heel" commands and walking calmly at my side.

These harnesses are truly amazing and I recommend them to everyone I know. They are priced right and totally worth it. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

I read all the positive reviews with skepticism and did not really think that this halter would stop my highly energetic, overly aggressive, pure-muscle-bound Jack Russell/Sherpherd mix male dog from pulling. Seriously, he is so muscled that he can eat & eat and never gain a pound. He looks like those feral dogs in the movie "I Am Legend".

I am not a great dog trainer to begin with, and my dog has undergone some traumatic experiences which make him both fearful and uncontrollably hyperactive in certain conditions, such as right before a walk with two other large dogs, one of whom he is afraid. Pandemonium breaks out as leashes go on and during the first 10 minutes of the walk. After that, he's fine. However, on multiple occasions, those initial minutes have caused me to give up on walks, shed tears, and throw my arms up in utter, expletive-filled frustration. Needless to say, my dog is an AGGRESSIVE puller.

I had looked at so many other harnesses and halters that I became tired and just bought this one, not having much hope that anything could stop my dog from pulling. I had already tried the Premier one, which made him jump and shake incessantly in an effort to get it off and it seemed to do the job only half-way (it was weird that the D-ring was at the front of his chest).

What made me choose Sporn over all the others were the how-to videos and testimonials on the Sporn website as well as the fact that the D-ring was located at the posterior base of the neck of the dog. It works like a charm. I followed the instructions and gently introduced my dog to the halter, letting him smell it when he was relaxed, lounging on his bed. I petted him and told him this would be his new "walking collar". Then, I slipped it over his head, buckled it, took it off, and adjusted the fit (he weighs 43 lbs with a 16" neck, and the medium fits him just right).

The two straps that go under the dog's legs can be placed either one of two ways: by lifting each paw and placing it inside the loop, or by unclipping the small metal snaphook that attaches each strap to the collar at the breastbone, threading it under the leg and back up to the collar, and then attaching the hook. I've walked him three times now with the halter, and I can triumphantly say, with a fair degree of shock, that he NO LONGER PULLS and charges like a rabid ox when I walk him. As the directions instruct, I snugly squeeze the square bungee-type adjuster at the base of the neck (where the leash attaches), and he miraculously just runs in front of me as usual, but at MY pace not his. He actually behaves better on walks. I'm VERY pleased.

(Here is a caveat and an rejoinder to the other reviewers who complained about the "flimsy" materials: as the manufacturer literature and Sporn website indicate, this is not to be left on a dog unattended. The collar itself is made of sturdy but regular nylon with the usual plastic click buckle, and the sherpa comfort sliders are cushioned but of a thin fleecy material (I don't use them because he's so distracted that he doesn't care anyway). The restraints that fit under his front legs look like very thick shoelaces. This all sounds rather unsubstantial, but because the halter is so well-designed, it's all that's needed for effective operation. The halter deters the dog from pulling so well that it doesn't need steel cables or extra thick materials because when the tethers are fitted properly and in the right places, there is zero pulling. The light materials make it very light on the dog and give your hand a light feel, too. But this is why the halter should not be left on an unattended dog: because they could very easily get chewed through.)

Highly, happily recommended.

I have to say -- my sister swore by this halter in controlling the pull of the dog during walks. She has a lab, and while her halter is not Sporn, it is similar to this and was purchased at Petsmart. She says the halter she has (which looks just like this) keeps her lab from pulling during walks. I have a forty pound boxer mix. And while I think the halter may have eased the pull from the dog some, she still is able to pull enough to make the walk frustrating. Also, the padding creeps out from under the arms, and she ended up with two sore spots after one walk. I ended up adding the padding from the smaller size I had purchased to this medium one, so now the entire underarm strap is covered.