How can I overcome my fear of walking my dog?

So I've got an 8 month old Beagle and he wears a harness when I take him out for a walk. He's always pulled quite a lot and the other day when I said goodbye to a friend that I bumped into that had a younger female dog he managed to wriggle out of his harness because he wanted to stay and play with the dog. I was terrified but I managed to crouch down and hold his collar in time and I carried him home the whole way, now ever since I'm too scared to take him out for walks. It's almost as though I don't want to be held responsible in case he got loose and ran away, today I was walking him and he saw a cat, of course he was pulling a lot and I felt sick to my stomach so I grabbed hold of him straight away and carried him home again. I had a word with my mum about it and she told me that I have to overcome my fear and just stop worrying (I very rarely walk the dog now because of it so my brother does it all the time, but he's refusing to now because he's got a lot of coursework to do) Please help me I need urgent help! I want to get one of those harnesses that have the chest plate on, they look a bit more secure and are there any certain tricks that you can do to help stop him from pulling? I've tried using treats and telling him to heel but it doesn't really work, I think it's because he's a hunting dog he gets really excited when he can smell new things like horses cows e.t.c. Any advice will help! :)Additional details: I'm 13 and I love my dog so if I were to lose him I will be absolutely devastated. And I think my family will be very upset with me so that's the main reason why I don't want to be held responsible!

You can get full body harnesses which can also be attracted to the collar so if he did manage to get out he would still be there as he couldn't get out the collar , I used to have one for my dog and it worked well as he never managed to escape

Your parents need to contact your local kennel club, and sign the dog up for some obedience classes.

You need some direction and advice on obedience training. See if you can find a class and go, you will learn how to teach your dog to listen to you and not pull on the leash. I don't blame you for being afraid, I'm sure you love your puppy. Do you and your puppy a favor and take a class. Good Luck!

Order yourself a Sporn no-pull harness - it won't come off. You did a great job of getting that back together, and I wouldn't blame you for being gun shy. But you did just fine, and the fact is, if the harness you have now is the same one that let go, you have good reason not to trust it! This won't pull off http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sporn-NO-PULL-HALTER-Dog-Harness-Prevents-Pulling-Choose-Size-and-Color-/150770573882?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item68ca3b449f

Just purchase a decent fitting harness. He won't be able to slip any harness that is properly fitting.Take him to the shop and test before you buy. Make sure it is taught against the skin but so you are able to put 2 or 3 fingers in between the straps and him.

This is a family dog so it is not just down to you to sort out. Dog training might help, at 8 months he is very much a puppy still. If you felt more secure with his harness he would be easier to control. You are right to feel fear as to consequences of him getting loose - it's a big responsibility for a dog owner your age and that is why I feel other family members should be taking this as seriously as you are. If he gets puppy training classes now you will get the support you need and he will grow up well trained.

Take him to petsmart or petco and ask them to fit him with either an EasyWalker harness or a Halti harness. Both these harnesses hook in the front, and they really help with the pulling.The reason your harness came off like that is because it either doesn't fit or isn't on tight enough. As a vet tech, I see this every, single day at work. It drives us crazy! Owners have their collars and harnesses on very loose, and their dogs get out of them when we are trying to walk them to the treatment area. I guess they are afraid of having it on too tight, but the reason we use them is to control the dog and keep it from running off!Ask your parents to get your dog microchipped. Some communities do it free, but your vet can also do it That way if he gets lost, he'll be scanned and you'll be called.If your parents won't get the no-pull harness, then tighten the one he has. You should only be able (barely) to get one finger under it. Cinch him up!!Also, practice "come" with him. Always make it worthwhile for him to come to you. Maybe take treats in your pockets in case he gets away from you again to lure him back. Really, though, if you tighten up his harness, he won't be able to wiggle out of it. Remember those two I recommended are especially for pulling, so he'd be secure AND not pull so bad.You can do this!vet tech

I have a soon to be 9 month old Border Collie. She pulls to. But not that much. She hates cats and chases them around the house. Dogs can sense fear. First thing is to not be scared.Maybe the harness you had him in was too small. We use haltis for our dogs, except my dog. Didn't want her in one. Our older Border Collie pulls like crazy, even with the halti. He walks backwards and pulls on the lead with him teeth.In know what you're going through. Be patient with him. Bring treats on walks. He may even be too strong for you.

Training classes are a waste of money. You can learn the same things on your own. Books and internet (check out kikopup and tab289 on youtube)What you should do: Get an easy walk harness and a collar. Attach the leash to the ring on the harness AND the collar. There is no way hes getting out of that one. Make sure the collar is tight enough- be able to fit two fingers in there but no more.

Fear is a good thing - it lets you know that there is a potential for danger (i.e., your dog getting loose), and that you need to take action to help ensure that danger doesn't occur (i.e., "fight or flight"). Being afraid to take your dog for a walk is your "flight" mechanism kicking in. But, not walking your dog isn't fair to the dog, so you need to choose to "fight" instead.This means, take the time to ensure that the harness is tight enough before taking your dog out. You should only be able to fit two fingers into each of the areas of the harness.As far as getting your dog to heel better, it will take patience and good use of correction. You may want to check out Cesar Millan's illusion collar (which will make the corrections easier), or even a regular collar rather than a harness will make it easier. When your dog starts to pull, you want to give a quick tug to the side. Make sure you don't pull and hold him back - this will cause more frustration for him and make him want to pull even more, instead simply give a little tug and then release again - this should help to get his attention. You may have to do it multiple times until he finally learns what it means to heel.Best wishes, and remember patience and consistency.