How To Harness Your Dog Correctly
I expect that we’re all in agreement that we all love a well behaved dog who knows how to sit, fetch and walk on a lead without tripping us up!
But how do you achieve these qualities without months of training and potential frustration?
Well, when it comes to getting your dog to sit, some simple hand gestures and a few treats will usually do the trick within a short timeframe and to get a dog to fetch, throwing a ball is usually all you have to do as they catch on pretty quick!
Getting a dog to walk sensibly on a lead can be a real drag – my Cavoodle puppy has proved far tougher to train than I expected!
After much frustration with my own dog I took advice from a professional dog trainer, who let me in on a little secret – if you harness your dog correctly, your dog will learn much faster and be far more responsive when being trained, so here is what to look out for when considering the Best Dog Harnesses for your pet.
Are Harnesses Better Than Collars With A Lead?
In short, YES.
A correctly fitted harness will lead to a much more responsive and well behaved dog than just a lead on a collar as they fit snugly and securely and are good for training puppies. Using a harness over a lead is also good as it prevents any tension or strain on the dog’s neck and reduces the chance of injury. They’re also very useful for securing your dog in the car.
Can Collars Choke A Dog?
Although the danger is minimal, unfortunately dogs have been known to become strangled or injured when being restrained while wearing collars so please keep this in mind when choosing how to restrain your dog.
We still believe that collars have a place in your dog’s kit and are extremely important for your dog’s welfare and safety as they usually contain an ID tag or emergency contact number but caution should be used when walking them on a collar.
What Makes A Good Dog Harness?
Once you give it some thought, it seems obvious which features go into making an effective and comfortable dog harness. It might sound strange but ave a think about what would be comfortable if a human had to wear a harness.
My shortlist for the features I would like to see in a harness would be :
- a soft and stretchy fabric
- no sharp edges
- no clips or straps that could rub, chafe or pinch the skin
- good control over your dog so they can visit dog friendly cafes with you
- some cool dog colours 😉
Bright colours and fashion aside, when selecting a harness you really need to be looking for a good level of control centred around the middle of the dogs torso, harnessing the front legs and with evenly set leads.
We’ve tested a few harnesses recently that have the leads attached on either side rather than in the centre and we have found these work really well for medium to large dogs as they feel a more centred guidance rather than just from a centre point on the harness.
