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Collars
Collars are a matter of taste, however here are some general things I look for:
- A collar with a secure buckle for stronger dogs.
- A stiff material that stays wide across the neck when your dog pulls, nothing too soft or elastic feeling, that may narrow and choke your dog when they pull.
- A relatively thick collar, ideally half the width of your dog's paw or thicker, to spread the pressure of the lead across their neck.
- Choose a material that stays light and comfortable when wet, or get two collars, so you can have one drying while your dog wears a dry one, so your dog isn’t sitting about for hours with a damp neck.
I have found my favourite collars with smaller independent sellers, I have struggled to find many collars I am happy with on Amazon or Pets at Home.
A couple of collar suggestions:
Biothane collar
Biothane is a tough, light, waterproof material perfect for if your pup likes going out in all weathers or going swimming.
Purchase with Collared Creatures
Haku's current collar is from Collared Creatures, who offer a buckle collar.
Large synthetic collar
Here is another example of a good supportive collar for medium or larger dogs.
Head Collars
If you have a very strong dog and you are struggling physically, a head collar takes all the strength out of your dog by turning their head when they pull, in the same way a horse's harness pulls. Dogs can find them unpleasant, so initially short practice sessions and lots of treats are recommended, otherwise you end up with a dog constantly trying to roll or rub the harness off their face, or having a sulk.
Gentle leader
PROS
- This head collar is easy to put on and remove (once you've practiced a bit!), which makes it useful if you only need to pop it on for certain sections of the walk.
- It is easily adjustable to fit lots of different dog’s muzzles. It comes in three sizes and is quite widely adjustable.
CONS
- It is also easier for the dog to remove themselves too, so ensure you have done some training at home so your dog doesn't keep trying to take it off.
Halti head collar
PROS
- This head collar boasts being the most secure on the market, so your dog can't remove it as easily.
- It has a padded area around the nose to stop your dog's muzzle getting sore.
CONS
- While being more difficult for your dog to remove, this device is a bit trickier to fit, put on, or remove from your dog's head, so it can be more awkward to use if your dog is very fidgety or if you would like to remove then put it back on for different parts of the walk.
- The Halti is a more tailored fit and comes in quite specific sizes to control escaping, some people struggle to find the correct size that works for them.
Harnesses
Harness Types
If your dog doesn’t pull, find a harness with light material that fits your dog best. As dogs are all different shapes, you may need to shop around to find something that best suits your own dog. I have a few recommendations below, but they are by no means the only good harnesses, and they may not suit your dog.
Haku prefers a harness with a clip on the side so it doesn't have to fit over his head, and I prefer a D-ring on the front and back, as it gives me more control over Haku if he starts pulling.
Perfect fit harness
Book a fitting with Claire at Educating Paws
A great higher-budget harness, these harnesses can be fitted personally by a stockist and so are adaptable to most dog breed body shapes.
There are rings both on the front and the back of the harness which is ideal for managing pullers, side clips so it doesn't have to be put on over your dog's head, and the material is very light, strong and comfortable.
A local trainer fits these personally, and if you are keen, I recommend contacting her for a fitting using the link above.
Front and back ring type
I suggest at minimum looking for a harness that has two side clips in case your dog doesn’t enjoy having the harness put over their head, and for pullers I always recommend having a D-ring on both the front and back of the harness for better control.
The link above is an example of an affordable harness Haku uses with two side clips and a back and front ring.
No-pull front-lead harness
For persistent pullers, I have met quite a few dogs now wearing this style harness to great effect.
However, there is not much padding and occasionally owners find the fit of this harness rubs their dog’s skin, especially behind the front legs, but this doesn’t happen to everyone.