As we attend many dog events, we see lots of dogs that are wearing harnesses. Harnesses can be useful for pulling exercises like dog sledding, tracking, and working with a cart.
When training a puppy/dog, the most important thing is to control the head. What the dog focuses on determines what it will listen to.
Whether you are working with a puppy or adult, a dog harness does not help control and train a dog to behave on a walk. It only encourages ‘PULLING’ and allows the dog to focus on other things and be distracted.
Most Humans buy them because they feel their Dog will be more ‘secure’ and because it looks less restrictive.
Listed below are some reasons to stick with a collar and loose the harness. It will allow you to guide your dog and to take better control of them when they get distracted, or start barking and pulling towards other smells and dogs.
- A dog harness is NOT a substitute for a collar. Humans worry about the Dog getting away so they use a harness for a walk. The best types of collasr for walking are a martingale collar, Slip Collar, or a choke chain. This will depend on the level of control required for the dog.
- A Harness encourages pulling! By design, the harness encourages pulling. Dogs should not be given the opportunity to lead and pull on the walk – this only allows unwanted behavior; barking, pulling, jumping, and walking in every direction.
- Correction timing is always going to be off. When a dog is on a harness, they are more distracted, and usually on the end of a leash. This makes them hard to correct because you are pulling against their whole body weight. When a dog properly walks with their owner (by their side) the owner is able to keep their attention so they can easily respond to ques and corrections. With a harness connected at the shoulders or waist, the signals and corrections are not received correctly.
- Communication isn’t clear. With a signal going to the shoulders with a harness, the dog will feel the tension and will be able to resist it. Owners normally repeat commands and call the dog repeatedly by name trying to get control of them while they are distracted. This only allow the dog to ignore the commands and become numb to the expectations. Always remember: if you control the head you will better control the mind.
- A harness is not more secure. A harness is not as ‘secure’ as people believe. The harness gives the owner false security. There are many harnesses that a dog can back out of and since it doesn’t allow for clear communication between the owner and the dog, it can become dangerous. A harness can put a dog in a vulnerable position while meeting other dogs and people because the owner is trying to control the full weight of the dog while his attention is focused elsewhere.
In conclusion, a harness doesn’t assist an owner to gain control of a misbehaved dog, nor train a puppy/dog to pay attention and learn how to properly walk on a leash.The best way to leash train is to remember the rule of “If you control the head you will control the mind”. Training the animal to walk by your side without pulling will allow you both to enjoy your outings together. By finding proper ways to allow a puppy to release energy and teaching them the correct leash etiquette, you will foster a happy and healthy relationship with your companion.