When switching from the collar to the regular chest harness...

Many people notice that the collar makes their dog aggressive . This is particularly the case with territorial breeds and unneutered male dogs.

The dog starts barking, constantly stiffens as soon as there is a pull on the leash and some attack other dogs "as if out of nowhere". A pull on the soft parts of the neck often reinforces the behavior. Then the dog is massively agitated, maybe even wheezing and you don't actually want to leave the house anymore. With particularly strong dogs, this often means that the owner can no longer go out with the dog: she can no longer stop this. The dog escalates more with every walk , the neighbors get upset, the other dogs in turn react with anger towards the dog, which behaves in the territory as if it were constantly threatened.

Then these owners often switch to the usual chest harness and experience: their dog now pulls with even more power than before . While he previously jumped from left to right, literally testing out all possible techniques like an acrobat, he now crouches down and moves away: always in exactly the opposite direction that his owner wants him to go. But perhaps he barks less and he no longer threatens other dogs. He is completely focused on achieving his goal, this time without pain and therefore more enthusiastic and at the same time less aggressive.

Owners often recognize the paradox that they are then confronted with:
1. Collar = aggression = pulling but with jumping back
2. Chest harness = no aggression = excessive pulling

This is biologically determined and has to do with the fact that the collar irritates the dog, but also conveys fear of the pain. The chest harness, on the other hand, uses an inherent reflex that we also use in sniffing and hunting work with dogs: the dog focuses on the strongest stimulus , ignores everything else and moves there. You can tell by the hunched over position: your nose is as close to the ground as possible. Since there is no pain, the dog can no longer be pulled out in any way. But he is now less aggressive. At least at first. Many dogs also develop aggression when wearing a harness because they are constantly prevented from pursuing the stimulus they are focusing on by pulling their body backwards.

The owner tells the dog "Leave it!", the leash becomes tight, the dog jumps into the chase (stimulus focusing) and hears another "Leave it!" with corresponding aggression from the owner. From the dog's point of view, this is "going crazy" and that's how some dogs end up going crazy. Or age comes, the hormonal balance decreases, so does the strength and the dog just lets it be.

STURMFREI® offers an alternative with guidance from the front. The dog does not react to the strongest stimulus because it does not experience being “pulled backwards”. It is easier to redirect and train. He doesn't experience pain when pulled like on a collar, so he no longer jumps left and right and doesn't think that everyone he sees (other dogs) is a threat. He calms down.

Another positive effect is that the dog is more relaxed after the walk. The duel on a leash tires the dog just like it tires people . Being outside is no longer relaxing. For some dogs, this goes so far that they refuse to be walked . You simply don't want to be exposed to the pressure of the chest harness or collar anymore. It is not uncommon for physical symptoms to arise, which later become apparent in the way the dog walks.

The purpose of STURMFREI® is to make life easier for everyone. Social contacts on a leash are also no problem: triggers for fighting such as extreme tension, heavy panting, rattling (threat signals) are eliminated and dogs can see who is crossing their path. This is particularly relevant for dogs in their own territory and leads to peaceful coexistence.

Leading from the front can significantly change a dog's life and health in the long term.

The main factors that lead to today's problems on the leash are explained here: