Seeking advice for a disabled walker

I'm 60 & a bit cream crackered & need a walking stick but I would like to take my brother's 3 year old white Staffie (Stan) for regular walks, so I really need advice on the best harness & lead to use.
I can only walk slowly & I'm trying to train Stan to slow down to nearer my pace (don't laugh). Has anyone tried walking their Staffie with a lead on his harness & another lead on his collar? I thought this may give me more control.
Stan is a wonderful little dog & I really would like to get him out on his lead most days while my brother is at work without risking falling over.

I have double ended leads as you say and works well , though Stan will have to be really well behaved with you for you to manage ok

I know there are aids you can use to stop pulling which hopefully someone can advise on, I've found Daisy walks better in a harness than just a collar and have trained her (reasonably well!!) not to pull. I don't know if your able but the best way is stop and turn the other way each time they pull or teach attention and heel.

I have seen other people use that technique but not sure if it worked really well. Like Dave said more importantly Stan will need to be very well trained. He is still young at 3 years old. Is there any chance you could go with your brother and make the switch to just you over time. Maybe things like a dog backpack might help to use with Stan when your walking him to put him into the work frame of mind

I normally walk Rolo on a harness, although I use a halti headcollar or the Gencon all in one headcollar when i'm at a car boot for example, when I need extra control of him. It helps slow him down and gives me greater reassurance that he can't really cause any mischief like grab a toy or someones shoes off their display Good luck!

I never gave it a thought TBH but we used a Canny Collar for Tommy for a while and that worked really well

I use a double ended lead too, I have a stick and manage darcy well so it's definitley possible

Hi Blackpudlian and welcome!

As a fellow cream-crackered oldie (I'm 64) I empathise with you, as I have to take my son's 17 month old Staff for walks at least twice a day. But I am told (by doctors) that the exercise is good for my joints.

I have arthritis in both knees and both hips, so like you I am not speedy!

I have Kuchar on a long extendable lead, attached to a normal collar, so he can run around pretty freely (16 feet in any direction) I can always reel him in if I need to (he's not aggressive, just over-exuberant!)

I don't know if this will help you, except to let you know that you are not alone! ><

definitely double ended leads! I love them and yes you do get better control

Definitely better control. I don't use a harness myself, but I know a couple of people who use a collar & harness & they find it very helpful!

P.S. Welcome to the forum!

Thank you all very much indeed for your help, advice & empathy.
Stan is a very good dog who is very loving & well behaved and his only problem is with cats as prior to coming to us, he had been living in a house with 25 of them & eventually he lost it & went for 2 of them & his owner was going to put him to sleep.
My brother is Stan's daddy & they go on long runs on a local field so Stan now gets lots of exercise & has built up a lot of muscle in the last 6 weeks, prior to that he hadn't been out much as the pads on his paws were very soft like a pup.
I want to supplement those runs with some gentle walks to get him used to a different tempo & give me some much needed exercise. I'm agoraphobic and I find I concentrate more on Stan than on my fears when we go out together.
We already have a double ended lead so I shall have a bit of an experiment. I wasn't sure how they work or if you could use them on harness & collar. I didn't want to do Stan any damage.
Thanks again, you're lovely people.

Hello Blackpudlian, I walk with two sticks and Molly and I don't have a problem.. When we first got her other half would hold her lead while walking, but she would walk a few steps then look back as if to wait for me.. She now walks differently for both of us. She takes her time for me knowing I have sticks and is always looking over her shoulder.. I have trained her the wait command at roads and she stops with me, when I say walk on she goes forward. When I let her off lead I always tell her don't go too far she will run off a little way's then turn and stop to wait for me, unless I tell her to either come or go run.. She is very different with OH as he is a fast walker. You might find once Stan is used to you you may not have to teach him much, he may well know that you are slower on your feet and therefore adjust his behaviour.. Their good at detecting our needs.. Welcome by the way. oops forgot to mention she's in a harness and short lead.

Hi Pag, I should walk with 2 sticks & I do with my neighbour's cockiel who is so laid back he's practically comatose but I've not been successful with Stan with 2 sticks yet.
We have been for some walks and he does walk much slower with me than with my brother, so he is learning as he's very bright & he's good crossing roads etc..
I'm probably over-cautious because I've had a few falls when out on my own & my last fall resulted in a fibula spiral fracture & tendon damage which is still causing damage.
I'll try Stan this afternoon when the heat of the day is passed.
Thanks again
If I can teach Stan basic first aid, we'll be fine .

I found a video on YouTube which you may find useful, they show how to use the Halti Harness (We now use this on Rocky)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-0oZRi_6Rs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYOFdAg0VGk

Thanks for the links, Kathy. I'll show them to my brother.
I think the chest fastening type would be the better option for Stan, partly because my brother has reservations about the head type but mainly because it appears Stan has only been walked since he came to us 7 weeks ago judging by his very soft paws & it would seem a little sad to have something on his head. We just want him to feel safe & happy at last.
I shall have to find a way of holding both leads in one hand so I can still use my walking sticks but I'm sure I shall have a bright idea sooner rather than later.
Thanks again

I took Stan for a walk with the double-ended lead on his collar & harness & the training went quite well.
Stan seems fairly pleased that he trained me to use a clicker in the correct way some of the time, & I walked next to him better than previously, teaching me to stop when he pulled me and telling him he was a good boy when he didn't pull, although he refused a lot of treats as I think he found it patronizing like children giving an apple to the teacher
I was shattered when we got home & my ankle was giving me hell because we walked such a long way but he seems willing to give me more training so that's a blessing.

glad it went well

Thanks Sazzle, I'm still working on adjustments & but I think we'll get there in the end .
He is finding me a challenge but Stan has figured out I'm not as mobile as other people, now I could do with training him to put the kettle on & make me a brew when we get home but that may take a few more weeks of work

Blackpudlian wrote:Thanks Sazzle, I'm still working on adjustments & but I think we'll get there in the end .
He is finding me a challenge but Stan has figured out I'm not as mobile as other people, now I could do with training him to put the kettle on & make me a brew when we get home but that may take a few more weeks of work

Sounds like your working together well, when you've thought him the kettle & brew please come and teach darcy

Stan & I are just back from a walk to the post office & he's been soooo much better!!
More work to do but I am very hopeful we will work it out together. I'm using the double lead on his harness (with a bungee) and his collar and I'm sure I look like Santa with Rudolf leading his sledge at times but I'm concentrating on Stan so if people look at us, I can't see them.
Stan doesn't seem to have made me a coffee yet so I had better make one myself

I am so impressed! I have recently broken my ankle and am on crutches and can't take Rupert out myself as he would pull me over in no time (also because we live in a very traffic-y, busy area where I risk being flattened by a black cab too).

However, one thing I am going to do soon is use my hands free dog lead jogging belt thing (you clip it around your waist so that you can use your whole body as resistance and it gives you more stability).

This kind of thing:


http://www.amazon.co.uk/110JO-Julius-Jogging-rubber-leash/dp/B004LIDC9I/ref=pd_sim_sbs_petsupplies_5s=jogging+lead

I think I'd be a mental case if I had to live with 25 cats, so I don't blame Stan for snapping!

Sounds like you're doing well, and I'm sure he'll learn to put the kettle on soon enough!

The "Cat Woman" (not being derogatory as I loves cats) went on a wonderful Dog Rescue's Facebook looking for someone to take Stan or it would be curtains for him & stated she had 10+ cats so I think she must have known that 25 cats in a little semi was ridiculous.
Stan did do serious damage to one cat & went for another one but if she had shown more common sense in the first place, it wouldn't have happened.
I don't think I'll be taking Stan for a walk today as my arthritic neck is not good today & I won't have much concentration or arm mobility.
He had a lovely runabout the field with his daddy this morning so he's happy.
Tomorrow Stan, tomorrow - you've been warned lovely boy!

Fingers crossed, I think we've cracked it!!! I ordered a Trixie backpack for Stan & it arrived today so we went out after tea to try it out with a double ended lead folded over & with a bungee to absorb any shocks or sudden moves, and it was wonderful !!! I wasn't in much pain until we were nearing home rather than 5 minutes into the walk as before when I had to grit my teeth & hope for the best!
Hopefully our progress will continue as Stan is such a loving, willing little boy.
Thanks to everyone for the support & advice and special thanks to Mike for coming up with the idea of the backpack!!!

Pleased to hear you have found something that works for you, Mike does occasionally come up with a very good idea, bless him.

Bless him indeed!!! I would never have come up with that idea in a million years:good job: