What's the better choice for my dog: harness, neck or head collar?
When selecting the best collar type for your dog there may be a few things you would like to consider for example:
- Activity type – running, hiking
- Breed, size, energy level
- How hard does the dog pull on the lead, if at all?
Finding the right dog harness or collar can be important for safety as well as comfort for you and your dog. The main aim when walking with your dog on the lead is to have them walking beside you and not pulling. Off the lead you want your dog to be comfortable in its movement and not hindered at all by what you're dog wearing.
Dog Harness
- Better control of your dog
- Can help with pulling
- Reduces neck strain and pressure on your pet's oesophagus
- Less likely to escape with a dog harness on
- Good for control when jogging with your pet or when on a bike
- Good for hiking, you can use some harnesses to help lift your pet or grab hold of them quickly if needed if they have a handle feature
- More comfortable for smaller dog breeds with delicate necks
- Some have reflective material so good for out dog walking in the dark
Dog Neck Collar
- Convenience – you can leave the collar on throughout the day, it is less invasive than a harness so they won’t mind keeping it on
- Better control of your dog if they are trained to walk well on the lead
- Easy to take on and off
- A much more humane method than choke collars or prong collars
Dog Headcollar
- You will have good control of your dog at all times with a headcollar
- Can help train dogs who pull or reduce pulling
- A much more humane method than choke collars or prong collars
- Applies gentle pressure to the back of the head as opposed to the throat like a normal dog collar
Each has its own benefits when walking your dog, some may be more suitable for your dog than others. There are so many styles, colours and types available that it can sometimes be hard to choose! But as long as your dog is comfortable and you can both enjoy the walk then that is all that matters when choosing.
