Choosing between a collar and a harness can be a challenge. There’s just so many options out there, and each offers different benefits! While collars used to be the traditional way of walking your dog back in the day, nowadays more and more people are switching to a kinder way of walking your dog, a harness.
So, what should you use: a collar or a harness? Does it depend on the situation you’re in, and should they wear it all the time? Is there a right time to use a collar, and does this change when you have a particular breed of dog?
No worries – we’ve got answers to all your questions. In this article, we’ll tell you what the experts say about using collars or harnesses; the pros and cons between collars vs harnesses, help you figure out what the best method of training your dog might be, and whether your dog’s breed may have a preference for choosing a dog harness over a collar.
Download the Zigzag puppy training app today, and get started on our leash walking program. We use the most up to date science-backed methods so you’re sure you’re training your dog in the right way, whether you decide to use a collar or harness for training.
Oh and you’ll love our team of professional dog trainers. They’re available to answer all your questions and help you through any hiccups along your training journey. If that isn’t your thing, you might want to chat with our own ZiggyAI for all things puppy – professionally trained and Zigzag approved.
First, what do vets say on our collars vs harnesses?
Vets and professional dog trainers will often say ”It’s not the tool, it’s how you use it”. To a certain extent, this is true when considering a dog harness vs a collar.
Collars aren’t inherently bad to walk dogs on, but most experts agree that in general we should walk dogs on a harness and leash, and use the collars to keep their ID tags.
The Pros & Cons of both
Choosing between a collar vs harness doesn’t need to be a hassle. Let’s look into what we like and don’t like so much about both:
Pros of a Harness
- Spreads weight evenly across the dog’s body, rather than around their neck
- Reduces pressure on the throat and neck that can lead to tracheal problems
- Safer for a dog to wear; especially for rescue dogs who may be scared and want to back out of a harness
- Useful for teaching loose lead walking, especially when used with 2 points of attachment to help your dog find their balance
- Good for aggressive or reactive dogs, who may need steering away from potential triggers
Cons of a Harness
- Need to be fitted correctly so they work as intended and don’t rub or hurt your dog’s skin
- Takes a bit of time to take on and off, so you need a little patience and training to have your dog used to the process
- That’s pretty much it! We actually think they’re great.
If you’re into it, choose a harness for your dog in our guide to puppy harnesses. Beware – you might need a harness yourself to keep you from buying all of them.
Pros of a Collar
- Easy to put on, and can be left on
- Nice place to put ID tags
- Great to have as a backup to a harness
Cons of a Collar
- Can hurt or damage your dog’s throat if they pull into it
- Compresses the fur which can cause nasty tangles and matts in long-haired dogs
- There’s a higher chance that a dog can back out or escape from a collar by squiggling through
Looking for a nice collar for your puppy? Check out our puppy collar guide.
Choosing the right method for training
There’s a time and a place for everything. A collar will sometimes be what’s best to use, and other times a harness will be the way to go when training. Typically, harnesses are going to be the safer bet in all circumstances. This is because even if your dog has a perfect walk on the leash, there may be a time when they get excited and lunge on a collar, which can cause some painful damage to them.
When training loose lead walking, some people prefer a collar and some prefer a harness. In all honesty, either will work. Lead walking should really be all about teaching your dog positioning. When you walk on a loose lead, whether your dog is wearing a collar or a harness, you’re creating a reinforcement zone next to you, so your dog can learn to walk there.
When training your dog to come back when you call them, you will often use a long line to make sure they stay safe. However, it’s very important to use a harness when your dog is on a long line, not a collar! If your dog runs to the end, this can cause some serious damage to their neck and throat.
As you can see, choosing between a collar vs harness for a puppy is a little bit of a no brainer – we say harness every time!
Does breed affect which tool I use?
Yes, in a way. We think dogs should wear harnesses every time; not just because they are kinder, but for some other reasons too:
Larger breeds like Labradors, Great Danes and Mastiffs are strong, so using a collar can be dangerous. A harness is a much better option as it will give you much more control and keep them and everyone around them safe. You just never know with these breed’s pulls…it can be like they’re almost running on horsepower sometimes.
Brachycephalic breeds such as French Bulldogs, Pugs and British Bulldogs have delicate necks and often struggle to breathe, so a harness is much better for them. You definitely want to make it easier for these guys to walk – and enjoy it!
Sight hounds such as Whippets, Greyhounds and Salukis have long slender necks, which makes backing out of a regular collar easy as cake. That’s why harnesses will be far safer for these graceful pups.
Rescue dogs who may be more of a flight risk are recommended to wear an escape-proof harness. These typically have three sets of straps – regular harnesses only have two.
Toy and Companion breeds such as Chihuahuas, Miniature Pinschers and Pomeranians have delicate necks and can actually suffer from tracheal collapse, so they’ll appreciate using a harness much more.
Here at Zigzag we love a blingy collar, but we truly believe that most dogs benefit from wearing a well-fitting harness much more. The perfect harness is one that’s comfortable, isn’t tight, and doesn’t pull harshly if they try going a bit farther ahead. But besides using a collar or a harness, you must remember that in the end, Loose lead walking is about training and not equipment!
And yes, loose lead training is when the fun really starts. Don’t worry- in the Zigzag app, you’ll get full, step-by-step instructions on how to go about it. Whether you have a new puppy, a teenage terror, an adult dog who needs a refresh with training, a dog who’s come from a breeder or a rescue, there’s no need to panic. We have a programme for you. Doesn’t that sound great?
Download the app today and get started! Our ZiggyAI or team of professional dog trainers will be happy to help you out on any troubles you may have 24/7 via our in-app chat. Just give them a bark!
