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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Collar or harness, harness or lead?

44 replies

PerfectlyChaotic · 08/08/2017 07:40

I've spoken to two trainers and they've both given me different opinions...so now I'm confused about the best way to go for my puppy.

Initially I was in favour of the harness, as I hate the thought of her lunging forward onto her collar (she gets v excited on our short little walks). However another trainer dislikes harnesses as less control & dogs tend to pull into them 🤔 We are being really consistent with loose lead walking & she is getting it pretty quickly, however naturally her puppy exuberance means that there will be times that she's bound to lunge!! I have a harness with front attachment if that makes a difference.... Thoughts please!

OP posts:
Pombliboo123 · 08/08/2017 07:44

Depends on the breed I think...

I have 2 poms and the breed is susceptible to trachea collapse, so collars aren't recommended.

Rubberduckies · 08/08/2017 08:41

I have a harness with a front ring on the chest which means she can't pull into it. Would that be an option? I'm generally of the opinion that running to the end of a lead attached to a collar is likely to hurt or damage a puppy's neck, so tended to avoid using the collar until she was much older and less likely to pull or lurch.

Rubberduckies · 08/08/2017 08:42

Sorry seen you have one! Yes to a front hook, should stop any pulling into the harness :)

CornflakeHomunculus · 08/08/2017 13:03

I would always go for a harness over a collar for all the reasons outlined in this article. My dogs are definitely much happier with nothing on their necks and I don't even own any collars these days (their ID tags are on their harnesses). If there's any chance your dog might pull or lunge then it's far better that the pressure/impact is distributed evenly around and safely around the solid parts of their bodies rather than concentrated in a band over some very important and delicate structures in their necks.

Harnesses are an absolute must for very small toy breeds and brachycephalic breeds, even if they're excellent on lead, due to the risk of tracheal collapse.

pigsDOfly · 08/08/2017 13:40

I always feel an involuntary wince when I see a small dog or puppy with a lead attached to its collar. I've occasionally seen dogs with extending leads attached to their collars. So potentially damaging.

All dogs will pull on a lead until you train them not to. Pulling on a harness around the body rather than something round their neck is surely better.

I've seen loads of people walking large non-pulling dogs wearing harnesses.

AnUtterIdiot · 08/08/2017 17:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SunnyL · 08/08/2017 17:32

Harnesses are designed so animals can pull without damaging themselves i.e. huskies, horses, donkeys, ox

Carry on with training your dog so a lead on a collar is irrelevant. If you're worried about pulling though you can look at a gentle leader

MiaowTheCat · 08/08/2017 19:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BLUEsNewSpringWatch · 08/08/2017 20:31

I was surprised to find that I had more control with a harness.

My dog started out in a collar but he would lunge and pull a lot. I persevered and worked really hard on trying to get loose lead walking. I made very little progress.

Then someone suggested that a harness actually gives more control as it contains and controls the whole front end of dog rather than just neck. I wasn't convinced but thought I'd give it a try - within 2 harness walks he'd totally stopped trying to lunge and was mostly walking on a loose lead without me doing anything different.

My dog is only a Cavalier though so not sure how it would be if he was a bigger stronger dog.

Ylvamoon · 08/08/2017 20:38

I think you should use what you are most comfortable with... but please keep in mind, that by law, your dog has to have a collar with ID tag (not on harness!).

StarryCorpulentCunt · 08/08/2017 20:45

Hugely depends on the breed. Little dogs with delicate necks are always better off with harnesses. Larger dogs aren't. If I put my Ddog2 in a harness he would drag me down the road on my stomach. He could literally pull me off my feet with one. Harnesses allow them to throw their full weight and strength into pulling and encourages them to pull.

Ddog1 has her lead on a normal collar as she doesn't pull at all and even as a puppy she was easy to train. Ddog2 is a nightmare. I can just about manage him on his normal collar if I have to but for most walks he wears a halti. That lets me guide his head and he can't physically pull me. Every time he tries he just ends up facing me because it fastens under the chin. All I have to do is resist and he has to turn back. Where the head goes the body automatically follows. It also has a safety clip that attaches between the collar and lead so if he gets out of the halti, I can still hold on to him.

DimplesToadfoot · 08/08/2017 20:48

you could go with both, just use a double ended training lead, one clip on the harness one on the collar

I tried to get my dog a soft fleece harness thinking they were kinder, she hated it and would hide under the table or behind the sofa as soon as I got it out, so we're stuck with collar and lead, however she's an easy girl to walk, if I needed more control I'd insist on the harness, with a training lead, one clipped on the front of the harness the other clipped onto the back

littlemissneela · 08/08/2017 21:03

I have a cocker spaniel and she was a fierce puller. A harness was the best buy ever. I didn't need to use it for very long and she rarely pulls now. I did use a figure of eight harness as well which was really good, but she hated it and spent most of her time trying to get it off. Its a shame as its handmade out of beautiful fabric.

ShaneBitchy · 08/08/2017 21:09

I always use harnesses for mine, they had Ruffwear but have just replaced them with Hurtta ones.
I also have Ezydog shock absorber leads, they make a big difference to my arms!
I find Active Hound the cheapest for dog stuff, nearly all my dog walking bits are from there.

BLUEsNewSpringWatch · 08/08/2017 23:42

but please keep in mind, that by law, your dog has to have a collar with ID tag (not on harness!).

How would a harness really make a difference? The front ring on a harness is only a little lower than on a collar? A lot of people do it now and I really can't see anyone getting in trouble for attaching the tag to dogs harness rather than putting a collar on, as well, just for the tag to go on.

Floralnomad · 09/08/2017 00:07

My dog has an Id tag on his harness , I fail to see how that's different to a collar , he has tracheal issues so doesn't wear a collar when out.

Eleventybillionfucks · 09/08/2017 03:34

If you're sof escapes do they wear the harness 24/7 Hmm laws are laws you can't just bend them to suit you know

Catinthecorner · 09/08/2017 04:51

I'm not in the U.K. (Different rules) and mine are collared with tags, but my boy learnt how to take his collar off before he was a year old. Sometimes the best laid plans fail

BLUEsNewSpringWatch · 09/08/2017 07:33

Eleventy

A dog who's using a crate must not wear a collar around it (serious risk of injury or death). So in all honesty I only know one person who keeps their dog's collar on at all times.

BLUEsNewSpringWatch · 09/08/2017 08:04

I would actually be interested in the legal stand point of if dog escaped. Whilst a dog must wear a collar and ID tag in public (1992 control of dogs act) you are also legally required to ensure a dog is "to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease" (welfare act 2006) - thus wearing a collar in the house, particularly if using a crate could be deemed not protecting dog from pain, suffering and injury surely?

I also still think that an ID tag on a harness would be a suitable alternative to a collar when in public.

Is there an official view point on either of these points?

leighdinglady · 09/08/2017 08:08

Another vote for a harness, although my dog won't wear one. He's absolutely terrified of it and will hide under the sofa if we even touch it. We've bought loads of different types and as soon as he figures out what it is, he hides :-( Collar for us

BiteyShark · 09/08/2017 08:31

BLUE You can get breakout collars for crates where if a certain amount of force is applied they break apart. You have two rings across the break bit to attach the lead to so it doesn't break apart when walking. However, if you just grab the collar and they pull then it breaks apart so not much use if your dog escapes and someone tries to catch it by the collar.

Eleventybillionfucks · 09/08/2017 17:39

If your dog is crated then they clearly aren't going to escape so just put the collar on when they are outside for walks and our of the cage around the house surely Hmm amazes me the lack of law abiders and general "I'll do what i want screw anyone else" attitude on MN

BLUEsNewSpringWatch · 09/08/2017 18:02

eleventy my dog goes in and out of his crate continuously during the day. I've never felt it safe to have a collar on in the house.
I put a collar on when we're are going out but have been thinking about just attaching his tag to the harness.

Eleventybillionfucks · 09/08/2017 18:49

Well when he grows out of the cage your life will be a lot easier