Walking Well.

My name is Laura Vissaritis, and dogs are my greatest passion. I have studied canine behaviour and human behaviour medicine for fifteen years, and whilst we are in many ways closer to dogs that ever before, we still have a long way to go. I have the privilege of helping people with their dogs every day. Whether that be in private practice, on radio, through my books or ABC’s TV series New Leash on Life. In my experience, most of the behaviours we find undesirable in our dogs are because their needs are not being met.

The Heal was developed by me after wondering why there are so many outdated tools out there, and why there has been little change in them for decades. Currently, there are collars, chains, head halters, e-collars, harnesses and prongs - to help reduce pulling. Each tool comes with its downfalls and some are more aversive than others. There is a common misconception that if a tool works it must be good. But, ‘effectiveness is not enough’*. We are in an age now where the ethics of tools are being questioned, and there are very loud voices advocating for all approaches. The Heal is something that can be used to significantly reduce pulling without harming the dog’s chest, neck or face. In an ideal world, the only tool we would have would be investing effort into setting a dog up for success and spending time building that trust and respect. And, I believe in many ways we are getting closer to guardians working towards this ideal. In the meantime, however, there are hundreds of thousands of dogs not getting walked, being unmanageable, developing a range of problem behaviours as a consequence and even ending up in pounds - because their needs are not being met.

The Heal helps people manage the pulling of their dog, so that they can begin to work on building that relationship of success. It is designed as an addition to training, not as a sole training tool. It may be used here and there to help people get their confidence to walk, and to give dogs an opportunity to explore the world in a successful way. It is not a force-free tool (by definition, nothing is), as it does reduce a dog’s pulling by a pressure and release mechanism. If we can help dogs experience the world safely without harming them, then we are on to something here! The Heal is an effective adjunct to ethical and respectful training. The rest is up to us.

• https://www.behaviorworks.org/files/articles/What%27s%20Wrong%20With%20this%20Picture-Parrot.pdf