Medium Dog Walking Set
Share
A forty pound dog that leans into the leash is the most common walking problem in the country, and the fix is a front attachment point rather than a stronger arm. This set pairs the Freedom harness from 2 Hounds Design, which has a ring on the chest as well as a loop on the back, with a coated leash and collar from Lucky Dog that rinse rather than soak. Different brands for different jobs, deliberately. The rest of our kits sit on the bundle guides hub.
Twenty five to sixty pounds, and leaning
Not a dog that drags you down the street, just one that puts steady weight into the leash for the first ten minutes of every walk and then settles. That dog is not being difficult. It is walking at the speed it wants to walk at, and a flat collar gives it something to push against. A front clip changes the geometry so that pulling turns the dog toward you instead of forward, which buys you the room to teach the behavior you actually want. Our guide to the first walk on a front-clip harness covers what that first outing usually looks like.
Harness, leash, collar, holder, liver
The Freedom harness is the piece doing the work. 2 Hounds Design describes it as a front and back clip harness made in North Carolina with globally sourced materials. The company lists a patented control loop on the back that tightens gently to discourage pulling, and a connection ring on the front so a double connection leash can attach at both points. 2 Hounds Design also lists a Swiss velvet lined chest strap and stainless steel hardware. On sizing the company is specific: measure around the largest part of the chest, right behind the front legs, and choose the smallest size that still fits. It offers two widths, 5/8 inch for smaller dogs and 1 inch for larger ones.
The leash is Lucky Dog's waterproof lead in navy, and it is here because of what it is made of rather than what it looks like. Lucky Dog Pet Company describes it as a PVC leash made for rain, sleet and snow, and as odor free and waterproof material made to withstand the elements. It comes in a single 5 foot length. A nylon leash that has been through a creek is still damp in the hall on Tuesday. This one is not.
The collar matches the leash and does the same trick. Lucky Dog lists it in Small, Medium and Large, in the same coated PVC, described the same way. On this dog the collar is for tags and for a quick hold at the curb, while the leash clips to the harness.
The Tire Stack holder is ours, designed in house in Malvern, Pennsylvania and 3D printed one at a time in weather resistant PETG. Four stacked race tires, the top one unscrews as the lid, and a braided steel screw-lock cable threads onto the leash and screws shut so it does not slide off on a rough trail. About 2 ounces, refillable with any standard roll, and it arrives loaded with one of our strawberry scented rolls.
Beef liver is the reward that makes the harness worth having. One ingredient, freeze-dried in small batches in Malvern and shipped from us, in 1.5, 3 and 6 ounce bags with the pieces already broken to training size. Liver is strong enough to compete with a squirrel crossing the road, which is the specific moment you are buying it for. The rest of the range is on the freeze-dried dog treats page, sorted by use on the treats hub.
Three makers here, and the reason is hardware rather than tidiness. 2 Hounds Design items are sold and shipped by 2 Hounds Design through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift. Lucky Dog Pet Company items are sold and shipped by Lucky Dog Pet Company through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift. Wildebeest items are sold and shipped by Wildebeest through Shopify Collective, not made or shipped by Sniff and Shift. 2 Hounds ships from Indian Trail, North Carolina and Lucky Dog from Hamburg, New York, so the boxes arrive on different days with our two pieces somewhere in between.
What we did not include
A matching set. The harness is kelly green and the leash and collar are navy, and they do not go together at all. 2 Hounds sells the Freedom in other colors if that matters to you, but we would rather put the right hardware in a kit than a coordinated one.
No head halter either. They work, and they are a specialist tool that needs its own conditioning period, which is more than a dog with a ten minute leaning habit needs. Explore has the rest of what we carry, including the Alamo treat pouch from Wildebeest if you want somewhere better than a pocket to keep the liver.
The first two weeks with it
Measure before you order and measure twice. 2 Hounds Design asks for the chest behind the front legs, and its size chart overlaps the two widths, so the same girth can land in a 5/8 inch medium or a 1 inch medium depending on the dog.
On the first walk, clip to the front ring only. The dog will feel steering it has never felt and will spend the first few minutes working out what happened, so keep it short and pay heavily. Once the dog is walking normally on the front clip, a double connection leash on both rings gives you finer control, and that is an option on the harness listing rather than something you buy separately.
Do not expect the harness to teach anything on its own. It changes where the force goes. The liver is what tells the dog which position pays.
What it replaces
A flat collar and a nylon leash that smells. Most people at this stage own a perfectly good collar and lead and a dog that has learned to lean on both, and the money goes on a third leash rather than on the geometry change that actually helps. One harness, one coated lead that dries, and a collar that carries tags is the whole walking kit for this size of dog.
Questions
Which ring should the leash go on?
The chest one while you are teaching, the back one once the leaning has gone. This harness carries both, which is why it is in the kit rather than a single ring design.
Is a 5 foot leash long enough?
For sidewalk walking, yes, and shorter is easier to manage on a front clip than longer. Save the fifteen foot line for recall work in open space.
Why a PVC collar rather than nylon?
Because it rinses under a tap and dries in minutes. Lucky Dog describes the material as odor free and made to withstand the elements, which is the entire argument for it on a dog that finds every puddle.
Related guides
Each kit in the walking sets cluster changes brand where the hardware changes, not for the sake of it.
