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Harness Or Collar?


Chula

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Just curious - do you walk your dogs in a harness or in a collar? We gave up on the harness a long time ago because she would just try to eat it off, but for some reason I pulled it out last night and put it on her. I think as she's gotten bigger, it actually fits her better. There were a few moments of thrashing and biting at the leash, and then she seemed okay with it.

 

I walked her in the harness this morning, and unbelievably, she pulls LESS in the harness, and it's not a no-pull harness either. It's one of these: http://store.ezydog.com/quickfit-harness/ 

 

I wonder if it is just a matter of it not feeling normal for her yet and that eventually she'll pull more. It was the loosest leash walk we've ever taken.

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I walk both mine on my own with Dogmatics on (headcollars) for my own safety!!! If im walking with Rob he has Skye either on the dogmatic or a harness and i have Shadow on his WYDWL Harness. I just cannot walk Skye atall on a harness she is an absolute steam train!

 

I dont like walking them on collars as if they do pull for anything they almost choke themselves!

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I don't like collars either as she pulls when she sees a squirrel and will get up on her hind legs and hop like a bunny. It makes me worry for her throat. It's amusing to people watching, but I don't imagine it's doing very good things for her neck. 

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I always walk mine with a harness. Luka has a WYDWL harness and it's great considering he doesn't even pull anyways. Bexley is using an EzyDog Chest Plate Harness and it does good for him but he does pull a lot. Knox has a regular harness but i'm about to move him to a WYDWL because he's the worst out of the 3.

 

I would choke mine with a collar and I don't prefer to do that. I have more control with a harness not to mention I'm not risking mine slipping out of a collar.

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I always walk mine with a harness. Luka has a WYDWL harness and it's great considering he doesn't even pull anyways. Bexley is using an EzyDog Chest Plate Harness and it does good for him but he does pull a lot. Knox has a regular harness but i'm about to move him to a WYDWL because he's the worst out of the 3.

 

I would choke mine with a collar and I don't prefer to do that. I have more control with a harness not to mention I'm not risking mine slipping out of a collar.

lol that's why if I ever have them on collars its semi-slips for Cloud and Yuki and a half-check for Link (soon to be half-checks for all three once they arrive) as they can't slip out of those. I plan on getting a little connector thing to connect the harness to the collar in the rare event they slip the harness, but they haven't yet.

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lol that's why if I ever have them on collars its semi-slips for Cloud and Yuki and a half-check for Link (soon to be half-checks for all three once they arrive) as they can't slip out of those. I plan on getting a little connector thing to connect the harness to the collar in the rare event they slip the harness, but they haven't yet.

 

yeah Luka has a semi-slip collar on but it's just because that's the way it came. Knox and Bexley have regular collars on. I've literally never walked any of them with just a lead and collar and thats probably why Luka freaks out if you try to. I don't like putting any pressure on their necks so I'll always just use a harness.

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I have a small connector to connect both the harness and collar to the leash - it was $4 on amazon I think. I just bought a short coupler. I didn't connect it this morning as I wanted to see how she'd walk on the harness, but if I were in a place with crowds or a lot of distractions I'd connect it to the collar. The only thing is that if it's connected to the collar it seems to still put the strain on the neck, and not on the harness. Maybe there is a way to change the lengths so that doesn't happen.

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I was worried it was going to encourage her to pull, but it totally didn't. She usually only pulls the first 20 feet of a walk, and then if she sees a squirrel or cat or bird she does her circus act. Otherwise she mostly walks pretty good. Not loose leash at my side or anything, but not pulling. But I wanted her to get used to having something around her like that for when we go on the boat and she has to wear a life jacket.

 

a collar. And Dime doesn't pull. They say if you put a non-pulling dog on a harness it would encourage him to pull? so I stick with the collar

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Harness for me, well halti for street walking, but harness for off street, she pulls way too much with a collar, almost strangles herself, plus she knows how to slip the collar, so its a big no no

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I was worried it was going to encourage her to pull, but it totally didn't. She usually only pulls the first 20 feet of a walk, and then if she sees a squirrel or cat or bird she does her circus act. Otherwise she mostly walks pretty good. Not loose leash at my side or anything, but not pulling. But I wanted her to get used to having something around her like that for when we go on the boat and she has to wear a life jacket.

 

well what I like about harnesses is the fact that it's not easy to slip through it. Diamond has never snapped his leash in his life and I use a thick, strong lead so I guess harnesses would give me a peace of mind. I do think about switching Dime to a harness but the pulling thing made me worry. Now that I got a second opinion I might give the harness a shot though :)

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I use the WYDWL harness for most walking, as i can control him the best. Collars are a no go for Panda as he doesnt care how much he is choking he'd still steam forward.

 

I have used the prong collar for the past 2 days with minimal correction and he has been at heel.

He isn't bad on walks in general, but he does go like to go all the way to the end of the 6 ft lead.

Only time he really pulls hard is when he sees a bird but he's been getting corrected when i see him get too focused on any animal.

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I'm going to go against the grain here...

 

I walk mine solely with a martingale/half check collar. I've tried many different harnesses (WYDWL included), and head collars, and he figured out how to pull on all of them! And mine walks loose leash almost all the time.

You just have to be aware of his body language so you know when he sees something. Then, I check him and say 'leave it!'. He doesn't chase after small animals while on leash anymore. 

 

Granted, training to this 'level' was challenging - requiring a few hard checks from me (pulling to the side, as to not hurt their trachea) so he understands. Now, I barely have to flick my wrist and he'll listen. 

But, now, it seems I'll have to 'graduate' to the prong collar...he's pulled down my Mom and myself way too many times! 
 

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With mine, harnesses mean working, working means pulling....so no harnesses are not what I use for walking them.  Remembering how these dogs were bred, harnesses often encourage the pull sensation- if you ever want to work your dog in harness it's best not to confuse it's purpose.  Given that, I too use a limited slip collar.  The best thing you can do is get them to differentiate the expectations of what you want from them with what they have on.

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Just moved solo upto a julius k9 harness, if on my own I clip a double ended lead onto it and his collar in case I need extra control, he walks well most of the time if we both out with them then he just attached to the harness. The nightmare though is getting used to a no pull harness which he hates but I love as it keeps him by me and not pulling on his collar, if wd out together he on an extendable lead attached to an ordinary harness.

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I'm not small though! I'd feel bad making her tiny little body try to pull me :) poor thing would have a broken back in the first five minutes!

Well no they aren't meant to pull properly until around a year old but they are bred for it :) They can handle a hell of alot! 

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I'm not small though! I'd feel bad making her tiny little body try to pull me :) poor thing would have a broken back in the first five minutes!

Yuki is 34 pounds and quite honestly would probably be able to pull me on my bike for hours on end by herself. Obviously we haven't tried yet, shes only 10 months, but on walks alone its the feeling I get. She's got a lot of muscle. It's what they were bred for, they can handle it and aren't very fragile even if they're small lol.

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