Harnesses or collars?

[Skits]

I started to wonder if my two breeds needed collars or harnesses on walks. I have a 66 pound am bulldog x APBT, and a 75 pound golden retriever x border collie. Is a harness, collar, or something else best for these dogs?

Also it's way in the future, but for a breed like an airedale terrier, what choice is best?

 

[Maxy24]

I personally prefer harnesses because they take pressure away from the throat, but if your dog doesn't pull it doesn't matter. None of those breeds are prone to collapsing trachea as far as I know, so I don't really think it matters too much for them.

 

[CaliTerp07]

Lucy walks on a harness because UPS trucks, squirrels, or cats = lunging/barking/pulling and I feel more in control with a harness.

 

[*blackrose]

See, I'm the opposite. I feel much more in control with a collar versus a harness.

To the OP: only you can decide what works best for you and your dogs. I've walked dogs on harnesses, buckle collars, martingales, prongs, gentle leaders, and choke chains, all for various reasons and they all did what I wanted them to do (the collars, that is). Use
whatever makes you feel most comfortable.

If your dogs are trained to walk on a leash and dont have any behavior issues while walking that would warrent a different device, I dont see why a normal flat buckle collar or harness would be a bad choice.

 

[skittledoo]

I prefer to walk on collars. Bamm is walked on a flat collar or martingale. Joey is walked on a starmark collar most of the time but sometimes he is walked on a martingale.

Cricket is mostly walked on a harness now because her neck is too sensitive to be walked on a collar much. She does pull sometimes but for the most part is good on leash but her skin is just super sensitive. I still like her to wear a collar but she is walked on a harness majority of the time.

 

[AmberH]

I use both on my dogs. Depends on my mood and what we're doing. Each of my dogs are trained to walk well on a leash however when you get them all together on a walk, they seem to loose all manners. I don't often take them all together but if I did, I would use a harness. Or in general long walks = harness. Walks alone = collar. The little dogs are always on a harness but Bayleigh does walk very nicely on a collar too.

But yeah, it's up to you. I definitely feel like I have more control on a collar.

 

[AmandaNola]

Up to you. My girl's trained to walk politely on both, but I almost always use a harness. I have more control, and she's less likely to slip.

 

[Sit Stay]

I generally use a collar - flat or martingale. I like harnesses for puppies or for hiking on a long line though

 

[Tortilla]

I use a harness on Seamus about 99% of the time. Just a personal preference. He doesn't pull and his leash manners are awesome, I just feel better with a harness on him.

 

[Beanie]

I generally use a collar - flat or martingale. I like harnesses for puppies or for hiking on a long line though

Same, except I don't ever use flat collars, only martingales on my guys. But puppies get harnesses and I like to use harnesses for hikes/running.

 

[meepitsmeagan]

I basically only use a martingale collar and sometimes a slip tag collar. Both my guys have comfortflex harnesses (which I love!), but Rider's rarely gets used and Harlow's only goes on for on leash hikes and biking.

I feel like I have no control with a harness. My dogs just pull me around. On a collar, they know they are LLW.

 

[Southpaw]

I don't usually use harnesses. I sometimes use one with Juno, because I feel like I have more control, especially in instances where I kind of want her out in front of me and don't care about LLW. Cajun has a harness as well, only because when we got her she had no concept of what it meant to walk on a leash.... she was more comfortable walking in a harness. But I feel like I have no control of her when she wears it.

So I guess it's really dog dependent lol. In general I prefer just using a collar.

 

[SpringerLover]

Unless I have some specific training task in mind, my dogs wear harnesses. They put pressure on it most of the time, but all are taught that they're not allowed to dig in and pull.

Really, I reserve my LLW expectations for situations like pet supply stores or anywhere else "crowded" I may take them. And the rest of the time my give-a-d@mn is broken.

But that doesn't mean they can turn their ears off and drag me around, either!

 

[Saeleofu]

I have a boxer and a collie. With them, collar = walk nicely, harness = pull.

The only special collar need I have is that Logan (collie) has to be in a martingale so it doesn't slide off his narrow head.

 

[halblingefrau]

My pit mix is about the size of yours, and I prefer martingales. I only prefer those over regular flat collars becuase her neck is huge and she can back out of most collars. My other girl is smaller and wears a loose buckle collar. She can back out if she really wanted to, but she just never does.

I've used harnesses in the past and I prefer the collars. I have more control with them. The only time I use harnesses is when I had the girls on 30' leads at the beach. I was afraid that they'd slip collars somehow while swimming, and their recall isn't good enough to be off leash in an unfenced area.

I agree with everyone else who has said to go with what works best for you... whatever you feel gives you better (and safer) control.

 

[JacksonsMom]

I use a harness on Seamus about 99% of the time. Just a personal preference. He doesn't pull and his leash manners are awesome, I just feel better with a harness on him.

This is pretty much me. I don't like the way he walks when his leash is attached to a collar... it's almost like it gets in his way, and he kind of walks sideways LOL...

But there's been a few times where I've literally yanked him up by his harness into safety (when he was nearly attacked by a dog on my dads street) and it's those kind of moments that make me thankful he was even in a harness.

It's just what I'm most comfortable with.

For quick potty breaks, I do use a martingale-type collar and a flexi.

 

[Skits]

I use martingales for both my dogs, but I prefer a harness on my golden since he chokes himself a lot with collars or martingales. It's been a while since I've walked him without the harness, he's not as bad as he used to be. I'd never imagine walking Nitro without his martingale.

 

[golden&hovawart]

Kennel leashes or collars but 95% of the time,nothing.

 

[Danefied]

I started to wonder if my two breeds needed collars or harnesses on walks. I have a 66 pound am bulldog x APBT, and a 75 pound golden retriever x border collie. Is a harness, collar, or something else best for these dogs?

Also it's way in the future, but for a breed like an airedale terrier, what choice is best?

The best choice is whatever works best for you and your dog

I have a great dane and a very large mutt-dog, and they wear harnesses. Both have awesome leash manners, so it’s not a control thing, though I don’t feel like I have less control with a harness than with a collar (or vice-versa to be fair).

We use EZ-walk harnesses that I put on upside down and backwards The leash attachment ends up over top of their shoulders. I can’t stand front attachments, they’re incredibly awkward for me to manage the leash (ends up under the dog most of the time), and with a committed puller I think it affects their gait which can’t be good for them. See, this is the personal preference part - some people swear by front attachments, I hate them.

The more I research, the less I want to use a collar for anything but tags. I still have to clip a leash on to a collar for rally and obedience, but otherwise, if there is a leash involved, you’re going to see me clip it to a harness. I just don't think the potential damage to delicate neck structures is worth it. But again that’s just me. I have dogs who have great leash manners, who aren’t particularly reactive, and who do just fine on an $8 cheap harness.

So it really is what ends up working for you, your dog, and your unique situation. Lucky for you, there are only about a bazzilion and one different options out there