When you take your dog out for a walk, which do you use? A harness or a collar? I always use a harness because they are more secure and easier to use. Sometimes, I have troubles with collars because they slip from the neck. My dog is very energetic, so when the collars gets loose, he would run fast and leave me. I'm afraid that he would get lost or get hit by a vehicle.
I use a harness because I find it easier to control my dogs who are about 50 pounds each. They have a tendency to pull and that can cause chocking and strain to their necks. That being said they've gotten loose from the harness a few times which turned into a big fuss trying to chase them back. Yet they've gotten loose from the collar as well. I need to find either one that will not come off.
I used a harness when I used to take a friend's Husky for walks. Those dogs pull hard, and there's no way I could handle him with a collar. I tried to use a collar with him once or twice, but he's too good at escaping them, I think he had a Houdini complex or something. If the dog is small, doesn't pull too much and is generally tame I think a collar would do just fine.
I used to have a harness for Rocky. I never liked it. It was hard to put on. We eventually had to get rid of it because surprisingly he chewed it all up so as you can see either one has a downside. If you think your dog might chew then get a collar. If your dog is a strong puller then get a harness.
Over here we have only used a collar to walk our dogs. I tried to train my cat when he was a year old to wear a little collar, but when I turned around from him while he was tied to a window, he started to struggle to let himself free from the collar. So after that I did not use a collar on him since he might choke or harm himself from trying to break free from it.
I prefer harnesses, especially with young dogs that haven't been trained yet. I would only ever use a collar on a dog who has been to obedience training and is easy to manage on the road. I wouldn't want him to hurt himself, pulling on the leash, suffocating while trying to chase another dog. I think it's also important to use harnesses on small dogs, as they can easily get scared by larger dogs and often get entangled in their leash.
It depends on the dog I'm taking out for a walk. We currently have three dogs and only one of them is fairly balanced. The two other dogs act like total idiots when you take them for a walk. Because of their size, it's rather hard to control them and enforce your authority as a master. So we let them wear harness during such occasions to facilitate their walk. You gain an extent of control when you use harness for excessively energetic dogs. I watched this episode of Dog Whisperer and have come to the conclusion that these dogs should wear weights the next time around.
It depends on the dog, I do believe. I've used both.. One of my dogs was a little rougher when it came to walking on a leash so a harness was better for him, because he couldn't pull as much and he actually seemed much more relaxed. But with other dogs, I've mainly just used collars because they're a lot easier to put on.
I have been using collar for a long time. Also I make sure that the collar fits well on the dog's neck so that it is neither too loose nor too tight. I think it is always easy to use a collar than a harness. I also keep changing the collar every six month after it becomes really loose.
Of my three dogs, the only one I needed to use a harness on was my terrier since she was really hyper and had a smooth coat and could easily wiggle out of her collar when walking her. My other two dogs, the larger coonhound mix, and our little, but fat, beagle were much more mellow mannered and would not get so aggressive and try to get out of their collars. On top of that, my oldest dog, the coonhound, had leg problems and she was older in age, so it would have been too painful for her if we tried to squeeze her into a harness like that.
My dog always wears a harrness. I have an 80 pound siberain husky. He is hyper too so it is the only way I can pull him back if someone comes knocking on the door. When he was little, he had a collar but he would always some how get it off and then chew it up. If his harrness is not blue, he will somehow get it off and chew it up. I do not even know how he knows! I know dogs are color blind but you think the color woud matter to him. If anyone has a husky, beware!
I honestly would prefer it if they didn't need either, but since they do, I just go with the lesser evil which is a colar. I agree that bigger dogs that tend to drag you around might need something stronger, but I just don't like idea of multiple threads riding up their bodies. That's just my personal preference, though. I'm sure these materials have been tested and I'm okay with other people choosing it for their own dogs.
