Enjoying the great
outdoors with your dog can be a special bonding time for both you and your pet,
but an out of control, pulling dog can make it a misery (and potentially
dangerous). The use of a body harnesses can be a
great tool, it can provide control and comfort for your pet. They can be especially important to consider for dogs that have pushed-in
faces (that restrict breathing), those with trachea or throat problems, and
ones with slender necks. For these pets, a traditional leash hooked to their collar can cause
them injury or discomfort. There are
many options that vary in style and function. Below lists the pros and cons of
the three most common types.
Back-Clip Harness
This type has a ring that the leash will hook
to on the top of the dog’s back. Usually
the dog adjusts to the back clip harness easily.
Pros:
·
Easy to put on and comfortable for a dog to wear.
·
Less tangling under the front legs.
·
They protect the fragile neck area.
Cons:
·
They offer little control if a dog has behavior issues, such as pulling on
the leash, jumping up or displaying aggression.
Front-Clip Harness
Front-clip harnesses (as the name suggest)
clips on the front and is centered on the dog’s chest. Often trainers will suggest the front-clip
harnesses, because they will give the owner more control over pulling, and
direction the dog is moving.
Pros:
·
More control over
pulling on the leash, jumping up or other poor leash manners
·
Provides the ability
to direct the dog
Cons:
·
The leash on the front
of the chest can tangle under the dog’s front legs if too much slack is
given.
Tightening Harness
There
are variations of the body harnesses that will tighten and add pressure if the
dog pulls. The slight tightening can be uncomfortable for the pet, which causes
him to lessen or stop the pulling and walk on a looser leash.
Pros:
·
A harnesses that will apply slight pressure to a dog when they pull,
but it does not cause pain.
·
They are generally easy to put on a dog.
Cons:
·
The dog doesn’t necessarily learn to walk on a loose leash, only
with this type of harness.
·
Some tightening harnesses can feel uncomfortable to your pet. The pet might
associate the pain as a negative association with the harness and might fight
the usage of the device and/or the activity.