Picking The Right Collar Or Harness For Your Dog

Why would you use a screw driver when trying to put a nail into a wall? That is how a dog trainer feels when looking at some tools owners use to walk their dogs. Learn the right tool for a successful walk

Picking The Right Harness

Harnesses come in all different shapes and sizes, but what most people do not know is their are two different clasping harnesses and if you pick the right one, it will make all the difference in the world. One I see regularly is the back clasping harness which you can see on two dogs in the picture above. This harness is used in Alaska for sled dogs. Since most of their strength is in their shoulders, this harness encourages their drive to pull the sled. It also drives owners through the streets at the prime sniffing speed for their dog. A back clasping harness is something I discourage my dog training clients from using, unless they have a smaller breed such as a chihuahua or Maltese. Since those breeds are so small and sometimes back clasping harnesses are the only option. Front clasping harnesses, as seen in the bottom left picture, are harnesses that discourage pulling, by redirecting the dog back to you when it pulls. This makes it hard for dogs to pull because they have nothing to pull with. The two harnesses are a night and day difference. Some of the harnesses manufactured are made with both back and front clasps, check yours! When you are fitting your harness their should not be extra slack anywhere and the harness itself should have two finger width away from the dogs body. I recommend taking your pup for a trip to the store to get it properly fitted.

The photo on the left shows both types of harnesses. Loki wearing a front clasping harness (left). Luna wearing a back clasping harness (right).

Selecting The Perfect Collar

The right collar should fit tight but still have room to fit two finger widths away from your dogs neck for breathing room. Generic collars are perfect to hold tags, for easy going walks, and add a bit of accessory to your pups life. Most people use a generic collar that either buckles, or snaps together. Both types are suitable, however Sweet Paws recommends an easy release collar, this way if the collar gets caught anywhere, or even in the unfortunate event of a dog fight happening, it will be easy and fast to remove the collar if needed.

Martingale collars are a type of collar that have a free moving chain in the front, and fabric or leather making up the rest of the collar. They may look heavy duty or even aversive. However do not let appearances fool you, this is a very harmless tool that makes escaping the collar impossible for even the best escape artists.