Harnesses are my go to for attaching my dogs to a leash. I should be more specific when I say harnesses, as in body harnesses. I am not a big fan of face harnesses myself, although I did use them when they first came out. If you are using a face harness I’d like to offer up some words of warning about their use.
Over the years I have really taken a hard look at a dog’s sensitive necks and the idea of hooking a leash to it. I guess a dog’s neck just became the thing to hook up to a long time ago; but if you consider what is inside their neck you might think twice about it.
As someone who has suffered 4 rear end collisions (through no fault of my own I have to say) I am very aware of neck issues. Having been inflicted with four separate whiplashes; I deal with neck pain on a regular basis; so I am extremely sensitive when it comes to a dog’s neck.
Below is a wonderful article written by Sally Hopkins about why a harness is better for your dog’s neck. There are also other articles linked within this article.
Dog-games.co.uk (Why a harness?)
I’m not going to go into all of the different things that can happen from yanking and pulling on your dog’s leash because this blog would have to be pages and pages long. Just look at the photo above to see what a dog’s neck is made up of. Whether our dog’s pull on the leash or we pull on the leash, the damage can be devastating when attached to a collar.
Face harnesses
These are often used for big and strong dogs who’s owners have a difficult time controlling their dogs. I get it, I really do but if you are going to use them you must take great care. When you have full control of your dogs head via their head, you can inflict severe damage to the neck (think whiplash). The specific issue that you need to be aware of is impact. Again, whether it is you or your dog who is yanking on the leash, the result will be the same. You must take great care to make sure that your dog does not receive a yank or jerk from the leash. This can mean running to the end of the leash after something, pulling quickly on the leash or even overexcitement.
A big “no no” with a face harness is an extension leash. I cannot tell you how many of these combinations I see out there daily. It is very difficult to maintain a stable leash scenario with an extension leash. The leashes should actually be banned but until the time that they are, toss them.
Face harnesses can also cause a great deal of frustration in dogs. They cannot communicate properly when their head is being restrained. Also many dogs have a huge dislike for them and will constantly try to remove them in the grass, bushes or dirt. They can become a big negative association.
So if you are going to use a head harness, be very careful to maintain a stable tension on the leash. This means that you must be very aware of what your dog is doing. If they take off to the end of the leash, you must ensure that your arm takes the impact, not their neck.
Body harnesses
There is a huge array of different styles of body harnesses. If you have a big and strong dog you will want one that hooks at the front of their body at their chest. This makes it more difficult for them to pull and easier for you to control. The ones that strictly hook up on the back are not for a heavy duty pulling dog; they actually help a dog to pull being that they can lean into it.
With body or face harnesses, training is a must, like any attachment device. You cannot just slap an apparatus on and expect miracles. I like the front hook up Ruffwear harness and the Easy Walk by Petsafe for teaching a dog to walk loosely on leash. Once they have that achieved, then I hook up to the back of a Ruffwear harness. I like the dual option of the Ruffwear Frontrange harness.
Fit is extremely important with any hook up device. I see many people out walking with a very poorly fit harness. The harness should not impede front leg movement by hanging down too low; nor should it fit to loosely allowing the harness to roll around their body. The body harness should also not come up so high that it puts pressure on the dog’s neck when they pull. It can have the same bad effect of a collar if this is the case.
Whatever you choose to hook your dog to a leash, choose wisely. Educate yourself on all devices and make the decision that you feel most comfortable with. That said, don’t be afraid to learn about new and improved dog stuff. It is always getting better and we need to be able to evolve. Now go walk your dog. :)