We all love our dogs and want the best for them. This doesn’t come from one big thing you do or don’t do for your dog. But rather, it comes from many small changes combined together. As you follow my blog posts, I will inform you about a lot of things people don’t think about, yet have a big effect on their dog. One of them includes the decision for your dog to wear either a collar or a harness.
Both collars and harnesses are effective in their own way. Before putting one on without thinking of the possible risks, a responsible dog owner takes into consideration their dogs breed, their lifestyle, and special occasions. Is my dog one of the brachycephalic breeds (dogs with a smooshed in face)? Are they big or small? Is our lifestyle very active? How often will we use a collar or a harness? Join me as we dive deeper into all of these questions!
Before we jump into which option is best for you and your dog, lets briefly go over some of the benefits each has. Dog collars are amazing for easy identification should they get lost, for being in tune with your dog, and are very affordable and easy to find. Dog harnesses are great for having more control of your dog, while being active, and they help any dog breath better.
Here are a few things to consider about both dog collars and harnesses in a variety of circumstances to help you choose what best supports your dogs life style. As responsible dog owners, we always want what’s best for our dogs.
Dog Collars
Leash Training
To use a dog collar correctly takes A LOT of training. Not just for the dog, but for the owner as well. You should be in charge of your dog and directing them where to go rather than getting pulled behind them.
While this does take effort and practice, you can master it! Ideally you want your dog walking right next to you- by your hip. If you look up what the AKC requires at any of their events, they say you should always walk your dog on your left side.
If you’re letting your dog choose wherever they want to go and are getting dragged behind them, a collar will pull at their neck. If this is happening to your dog, they are not getting proper air flow. It is choking them. What is more important than breathing?! The more a dog pulls, the worse of a problem this is. If you’re dog is one of the many brachycephalic breeds (dogs with a smooshed in face- ex. Boxer, French Bulldog, Shih Tzus ect.) who already have breathing problems, you do not want to use a collar EVER to walk them!
Potentially High Risk
Do you have multiple dogs at home or like to have dog play dates? While wanting to properly tag your dog with their name, your number, and their rabies vaccine date is great… it could pose as something high risk! How you ask?
I’ve seen this personally with my own eyes where harmless dog play turns into a potential life risk moment in a matter of a couple seconds! Thankfully I was there and was able to take my friends dogs collar off right away!
Sometimes a dog may tug at another dogs collar and they may be accidentally tightening it little by little. They could end up choking your dog! I’ve also heard of terrible experiences of someones dogs collar getting stuck on a fence and the more they tried to escape the tighter the collar got and unfortunately they lost their dog to this.
We do not put collars on our dogs because of this when we are at home. While it is rare for these things to happen, we would hate to risk it! We have collars on our dogs only when we are going somewhere that they could potentially get lost, for example, when we go camping.
Unfamiliar Territories
Dog collars are great to have on in unfamiliar territories incase you need to get a hold of them quickly. For example, if your introducing your dog to a new dog and you are unsure of how the other dog will react to your dog. Or perhaps you are around a child and need to keep the dog away from the child from jumping on them and saying hi.
While dog collars are a quick point of contact to get control of your dog if needed, its still not ideal because if you need to grab hold of your dog, again you will be pulling on their neck and obstructing their air flow.
Potty Time
When the weather is too hot or too cold outside and you are just going to go in and out of your home with your dog for potty, a collar works just fine. Most likely your dog will just do their business and want to come back inside. For short and simple tasks like this, using a dog collar is a great and easy way to keep your dog safe.
Dog Harnesses
I am a huge fan of harnesses for dogs no matter their size. I personally feel every dog owner should use one for their dog. Dog harnesses distribute pressure across the chest and shoulders, instead of on their neck. While this is much safer for dogs, there are some things a responsible dog owner must be aware of before putting one on your dog.
Encourage Pulling
If not trained properly, using a harness can encourage your dog to pull more while walking on leash. Again, a responsible dog owner should always be in charge of their dog, including on a walk with them. Now some dogs don’t pull at all while walking on leash, and that’s amazing!
However, if you are finding your dog is always pulling you while on a walk, I would suggest buying a harness with a front clip (by their chest) rather than a back clip (on their back). Using a harness with a front clip will pull at your dogs chest if they are pulling. It will try to turn them around and they will not like this. This is great for training your dog to walk properly, or perhaps you don’t have time to train your dog, yet you still want them to walk properly, I would highly suggest getting a dog harness with a front clip in this type of situation as well.
Improper Fit
Just like if your clothes or shoes are too tight or too lose, you can’t move properly and perhaps could even get minor injuries from your clothes or shoes rubbing on you.
It’s exactly the same thing with our dogs! They need the correct fit for a harness to work properly and do its job. If your dog wears an improperly fitted harness it could:
- Rub behind their legs
- Restrict their shoulder movement
- Cause sores and even hair loss
Imagine going on a long walk with your dog and unknowingly, they are experiencing one or more of these issues. They will feel much worse after the walk, and it could potentially cause an issue that needs the attention of their vet.
To avoid this, you should either bring your dog to the store with you to try on harnesses to ensure the best fit, or measure your dog if your buying a harness online. They usually have a measuring guide on each product to ensure the best fit for your dog. I especially like the harnesses with adjustable straps on both the shoulders and belly area. This makes sure you’re always getting the perfect fit for your dog and even leaves room for them to grow.
Less Precise Communication
Because of the leash being attached to the dogs back, there is naturally less communication from you gently pulling on their leash to guide them than if you used a collar. This can slow down leash training for your dog.
A great way to side step this problem is by taking short walks with your dog down your road with a collar on. Once they master the leash training for that, switch to using a harness. Still do the short walks with your dog with their harness on so the training transfers over to the harness. Watch one of our YouTube videos on how to leash train your dog.
When To Use A Harness
Any brachycephalic dog breed should always be in a harness as they already have issues breathing. A harness will help them breathe better while you are still able to keep control of your dog when you are away from home.
Make sure to use a harness if you are in a busy or new area with your dog because having your dog in a harness will give you more control over their body should an incident come up that you need to keep them from. A dog is less likely to slip out of a harness than a collar.
If you are going for some type of active outing or on a long walk, make sure to put a harness on rather than a collar for your dog. With any form of exercise we all need to breathe more. It’s the same with dogs. So don’t restrict their breathing by using a collar while doing any form of exercise with them no matter their size or breed.