# Collar vs Harness



## GSDkid

I've been reading up and talking to some friends who switched from Collar to Harness because of pulling on the leash. Sorry, I can't reference the URL because I forgot where I read it from BUT it states that dogs react more to pulling on the leash with a collar pressured at the neck rather than a harness which doesn't apply pressure to 1 area of their body. Any inputs on this or is it just a misconception? I'm thinking about switching over to harness and want to stay away from prongs.


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## Sarah Rose

We switched our dogs. They still pull. However harnesses are safer for the dog. Collars, when they pull, can cause damage. We now use a holt head harness/collar along with a regular harness now...the pulling stopped instantly. I am amazed. They need a little time to get used to it but I love the instant results.


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## FredD

Pulling has nothing to do w/ collars or harness. Pulling has to be controlled by owner. Harness is made so the dog has free head to work, (no neck pressure). Prongs are used as a control, nothing more. Collars are many to chose from also used as control to a point. Pulling is tast to be controlled by the owner/trainer.


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## Cara Fusinato

My first dog I walked on a collar. Aussie so the hair is crucial to this story. We were almost hit by an RC jet airplane, the dog freaked, pulled out of the collar, and RAN while I held leash and all the ID (he was microchipped though). I switched to a harness the next day. 

Walked dogs 1 & 2 on harnesses for YEARS. Dog 2 passed due to organ failure and Dog 3 replaced. Harness walking. Dog 1 had developed lipomas oddly in every pressure point area of the harness. Figured it was just a fluke. Dog 3 began developing lipomas in the same areas. I freaked. I researched.

I switched to martingale collars. LOVE THEM. Pulling is indeed more about owner control (ever seen 70 & 90 pound Aussies walking together sight a flock of sheep? -- not obese, freakishly large, BTW). Martingales give a bit more control than the collar in regards to pulling though, are pretty darned hard to slip out of as they were invented for the hounds with narrow heads, and don't have prongs or the ability to fully choke like a chain. I leave their everyday collar on with the ID tags and then behind it further down on the neck I place the martingale for walking. This way it rides further down and not up by the head and is even harder to slip out of as there is a second collar in front of it by the head and to pull out both would have to pull off or one slip over the other with tags dangling etc. Not likely. My dogs walk wonderfully on martingales.

I love the safety of a harness, but the dog can get get of them if they back just right and the whole lipoma thing freaked me out as they indeed grew and finally Dog 1 did pass of mass-effect. Martingales are harder to slip out of. Martingales do a good job in addition to training. Pulling is still pulling though.


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## Cassidy's Mom

There's a reason sled dogs wear harnesses.  There are front hook harnesses like the Sense-ation and the Easy Walk that can help minimize pulling while you train your dog not to pull on leash, but they're training tools, not a fix-all.


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## jmoney

The harness is not going to solve your pulling problems, get a prong or fur saver collar and begin instructing the dog on the proper place to be while walking, because up in front not paying attention yanking on the collar is not the right place. We are actually in the process of moving away from the prong back to the remote collar now that our pup has finally gotten things in perspective


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## JakodaCD OA

as soon as I slap a harness on one of my dogs they think one of two things 1. I'm going herding or 2. I'm going tracking.

For some they work, but for a pulling dog, I think a harness makes it worse. Of course if your dog is not a puller the harness might be great.


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## 1sttimeforgsd

I prefer the prong myself, my lab can slip out of a harness faster than you can blink your eyes. She got scared at the vets office and backed right out of it, luckily we were inside. Since then I have never trusted a harness.


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## doggiedad

teach your dog to heel on either side
with or without a leash. train, don't depend
on a device. i read somewhere 

"when your dog
isn't doing what you want you have to ask
yourself what am i doing wrong".


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## BGSD

I switched from collar to a harness (Easy Walk) and it makes it much easier during walks. He pulls much less with the harness. So yes, harness is easier and better.


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## gypsyrose

doggiedad said:


> teach your dog to heel on either side
> with or without a leash. train, don't depend
> on a device. i read somewhere
> 
> "when your dog
> isn't doing what you want you have to ask
> yourself what am i doing wrong".


 i have to agree here i went with a halter and backed it up with a martingail i also use a twenty five foot leash and lots of treats to train Gypsy where i want her to walk. After a long healing session and a sit down stay sesson i like to give her her head with go sniffy command or go find command. following her around a large feld or through the woodes is now a reward in it self. in short i've learned that positive marker or clicker training is where its at and yank and crank is on the way out.


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## Chowgal

I use harnesses with my 2 dogs. They're good on them, but not ALL the time. Agood portion of the time they pull. For keeping them from pulling, I use a prong for my GSD/Aussie/??? mix, use to use a halti on her, and a slip chain for my lab/chow mix. I used an Easy Walk Harness with my chow, Tippsy, who passed just over a month ago.


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## zyppi

Better to teach your dog not to pull on the lead.

For most, simply changing directions (you) every time dog starts to move in front of you does it. You'll be dizzy for a few day, but the dog will soon learn that moving ahead of you does not allow them to lead.


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## MicheleMarie

pulling is all training.
i have a rescue dog that has never not pulled-and she probably always will. i tried a harness and it was even worse because she could put her all body in it-she could pull me up hill on a skateboard.
i got a prong collar for her and it worked but i could tell it made her uncomfortable in a bad way. now we use a gentle leader when i go running. she doesn't like it-but she tolerates it and she doesn't pull at all. when she stops pulling/gets tired i take the nose piece off.

my puppy i am teaching from the beginning not to pull. we are training for mondio though so he knows he's allowed to pull on a harness and not EVER EVER on a collar. so far so good


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## ODINsFREKI

MicheleMarie said:


> pulling is all training.
> i have a rescue dog that has never not pulled-and she probably always will. i tried a harness and it was even worse because she could put her all body in it-she could pull me up hill on a skateboard.
> i got a prong collar for her and it worked but i could tell it made her uncomfortable in a bad way. now we use a gentle leader when i go running. she doesn't like it-but she tolerates it and she doesn't pull at all. when she stops pulling/gets tired i take the nose piece off.
> 
> my puppy i am teaching from the beginning not to pull. we are training for mondio though so he knows he's allowed to pull on a harness and not EVER EVER on a collar. so far so good


thanks for saving a gsd. i have saved two and they turned out to be great dogs! i used a halti on them when socializing at first. It worked great on a walk and eventually, we went back to a normal collar. the gentile leader sounds about like the same device. same as a horse! lead by the head. 

good luck with your dogs!


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