Statistics say 54% of dog owners make friends on walks with their dogs. I’m sure you’d relate to this. As a dog parent, how many times have you interacted or smiled at a fellow dog parent? Unless your dog grabs all of the attention on your walks by being a boisterous leash puller. In that case, I guess there might be more awkward exchanges rather than friendly smiles. It’s okay, I hear ya! Let’s dig deep into leash training your dog with the best dog harness for pulling.
IS IT BETTER TO WALK A DOG WITH A HARNESS OR A COLLAR?
When walking a dog on a collar and leash, you’re controlling the dog from his neck. For a dog that pulls, not only does a collar choke him, but also causes damage to his skin and trachea. For dogs with respiratory issues and breathing problems, this can only mean bad news. The constant pressure on the neck on a daily basis can also cause long term eye and ear problems in your dog.
On the other hand, a harness, when fitted properly, provides better safety as compared to a collar. Not only is it more comfortable for your dog, but it’s also got a better control mechanism.
Will a harness stop a dog from pulling?
I have a hundred reasons at the tip of my tongue as to why your dog pulls the way he does on walks. Grass patches, different surfaces, a plethora of smells, people, dogs, animals, weather changes and anything that moves are just a few reasons that attract your dog on walks. Your dog pulls to get to a spot faster and explore at his own pace. The fact that you let him pull and follow him where to he leads you every time is just encouraging him to pull more. The pulling usually goes out of control when your dog pulls out of habit or out of fixation towards something.
A harness doesn’t necessarily put an end to pulling. Especially not when you have a leash reactive dog. A harness is merely a tool to help you walk your dog better. It’s not a solution to leash pulling.
HOW DO I STOP MY DOG FROM PULLING WHEN HE WALKS?
On walks, there are a few probable reasons why your dog will choose to focus on you and pull less –
- If what you’re offering is better than the plethora of smells he’s busy with
- If you’re more exciting than everything that’s happening around him
- If you’ve trained him to keep up with you since puppyhood
- If you have an awesome control mechanism through proper leash walking tools
- If you can keep up with his speed
- If you provide him with enough mental and physical stimulation on and off walks
- If you can directly control where he’s looking and what direction he’s going and can make him turn away from the stimuli whenever you want
Most of the things mentioned in the points above are training related. While you’re working on training your dog to walk on a loose leash, using the right equipment will only speed up the process and help you in getting the results you need.
FURTHER READS : 10 WAYS TO EFFECTIVELY LEASH TRAIN YOUR DOG
Why a Front Clip-on dog harness works better to stop pulling
A back clip-on harness causes something known as an opposition reflex. It’s a tendency to push or pull in the opposite direction of the pressure applied. This is the reason why your dog probably pulls harder on a back clip-on harness when he’s walking ahead of you and freezes to the ground when you try to coax him to walk when he’s far behind.
A back clip-on harness causes something known as an opposition reflex. It’s a tendency to push or pull in the opposite direction of the pressure applied.
The traditional back clip harness is only a safety gear that aims at making your dog comfortable while walking, distributing leash pressure throughout the dog’s body. This, in no way, discourages pulling in any way. If anything, it only makes the entire act of leash pulling a lot easier for your dog as it superbly encourages the dog’s reflex to pull against the pressure.
A variation of this type of traditional harness is used with sled dogs, to make it easier for and to encourage them to pull. Ever seen sled dogs on collars or front clip-on harnesses? Their core job is to pull and the back clip-on harness allows them to do just that.
A front clip on harness, on the other hand, aims at giving you the control you desire. The functionality of the harness gives you the ability to turn your dog away from a stimulus and direct him back on to you. No-pull dog harnesses usually have straps that cross above your pup’s shoulders and can be fastened at center of your dog’s chest and near the belly with a D-ring at the chest to put the leash in.
The functionality of the front clip-on harness gives you the ability to turn your dog away from a stimulus and direct him back on to you
Once you clip the leash to the front ring and start walking, your dog has to stay by your side in order to keep moving forward effortlessly. When your dog pulls, the leash goes off to the side of the chest towards the legs, making it inconvenient for your dog to keep pulling.
This mechanism is more like a martingale for your pup’s chest that directs him back towards you and makes it a lot easier to control and train him on walks.
EDITOR’S PICKS FOR TOP 6 NO-PULL DOG HARNESSES
1. Soft padded dog vest harness
- 2 leash clips (front and back)
- Padded for extra comfort
- No choke
- Suitable for all sizes of dogs
- Easy to use
- Reflective
- Provides an additional handle at the back for better, instant control
2. PetSafe Easywalk Harness
- Minimalistic design makes it easy to put on and take off
- Designed for leash training
- Suitable for all sizes of dogs
- Suitable for light to moderate pulling
- Extremely lightweight
- Martingale functionality for the chest
Convertkit –
3. Padded dog strap harness
- Soft padded for extra comfort
- Designed to be escape-proof
- Back and front clip on
- Lightweight
- Reflective lines make it safe for your dog to walk in the dark
4. Petsafe 3 in 1 no-pull harness
- Lightweight and is easy to put on and take off
- adjustable car control strap for a worry-free ride
- Excellent for running
- 5 adjustment points for a custom fit
5. Tactical, Military dog harness
- fit for working dogs
- Suitable for rigorous outdoor activities like hunting, hiking, treks and intensive outdoor training sessions
- Extra durable
- Dirt/water/abrasion resistant
- Snug fit and maximum mobility
- Escape proof design
- Recommended for large breeds Akita,Alaskan Malamute,Black Terrier, Bloodhound, Borzoi, Boxer, Labrador Retriever, Rottweiler, Schiller Hound, Shar Pei.
6. Kurgo KU00024 Tru-fit Dog Harness
- The Kurgo dog harness is designed for Safe travel and outdoor adventures
- Can be used with any vehicle’s seatbelt
- Includes a seat belt loop for use in any vehicle
- Strong and durable
- Ideal for Medium to large dogs
THE HEAD HALTER
Technically not a harness, but an excellent tool to establish direct control on the dog. The halti gives the handler the ability to control where the dog is looking. It helps a great deal with managing complex behavioral issues like leash reactivity, excessive pulling, barking and lunging on walks.
The head halter, also known as the gentle leader has a strap that goes around the dog’s nose, and another that clasps and secures itself around his neck, just behind the ears. The leash attaches to a ring below the dog’s chin. The halti works on the principle that where the nose goes, the body must follow. This directly controls where the dog looks and goes thereby improving your dog’s focus on walks and ability to keep up with you.
PROS
- helps to control heavy pulling instantly
- Pain-free
- Doesn’t choke the dog
- Excellent control
CONS
- Can make a lot of dogs extremely uncomfortable, atleast initially
- The dog might try to paw it, rub it on surfaces and even roll on the ground in a state of panic to get the halti off
- If the halti is too tight on the dog’s muzzle, the constant pressure can adversely affect his blood vessels and nerves in that area
- Can leave a (temporary) mark on your dog’s muzzle
- If not fitted properly, the dog can and will manage to remove it out time and time again
How to measure your dog for a harness
One of the best ways to buy the right sized harness is just to take your dog to the pet store and try one.
While there are XXS to XXL options available in dog harnesses, picking the right size needs a little work. The sizes are typically narrowed down based on the weight of the dog. However, the body structure of 2 different breeds, despite the same weight, is so different.
In order to get the accurate size, measure the area neck of your dog that’s closer to the chest and farther from the head. Then measure the deepest part of your dog’s chest. Use this measurement to pick up a harness for your dog.
If you’re picking up a harness for a puppy, be mindful of the fact that most puppies grow at an exponential rate.
Here’s a video demonstrating how to measure your dog for a harness –
Prong collar/ choke chain vs no-pull harness
I’m not the biggest fan of the prong collar. Walks are supposed to be the highlights of your dog’s day. Prong collars sometimes end up with the dog having not so positive association with the walks altogether. Prongs work on the mechanism of pinching the dog’s neck as soon as the dog tries to pull ahead of the handler. They supposedly act as quick corrections that a pup’s mother would give whenever the puppy misbehaves.
Okay, I see a few loopholes in this theory. A puppy is typically separated from the mother at the age of 2-3 months when he gets adopted. Right from puppyhood to adolescence/ adulthood, the pup has been living around humans, who are nowhere close to correcting and communicating like dogs. A mother dog does not just give bite corrections when necessary, but also uses body language to communicate with the pups to show them what’s encouraged and what’s not. Using a prong collar under the pretext of replicating this is just going to confuse your dog.
Furthermore, if not fitted properly, the prong collar will reverse the entire exercise with unwanted results.
A harness is not an excuse to skip dog training
Any leash walking tool is meant to assist you in getting your dog on the right track if he’s a terrible walker. It’s not meant to replace training and behavior modification.
If you have a Border Collie that tends to fixate on smaller dogs on walks on walks, a head halter will help you break that eye contact and shift his focus on you. However, you have to still deal with the behavior and train him out of it.
Apart from fitting the right kind of harness on your dog, you have to –
- Train your dog to keep up with you rather than you trying to keep up with him
- Include basic obedience tidbits on your walks
- Use treats and positive reinforcement to get more of the behavior you need while correcting undesirable behaviors
- Practice loose leash walking in low distractions first
For more leash walking tips and to train your dog not to pull, CLICK HERE.
Walking with your dog is an amazing bonding exercise and an excellent workout too. Get it right so you and your dog can have more freedom and less judgmental glares outside. You owe this to him.