# harness or collar and lead?



## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I have used both collars and Harnesses on my Toy Poodles and Mini, the three Poodles I adopted as adults all used harnesses because that is what they were used to and that was that. The two Toy poodle puppy , one I used a regular collar and she was great, but with my current puppy Beatrice I tried the regular collar first and she pulled like a sled dog and did the tracheal hack all the time, and she was too small for off the shelf Martingale collars, I currently use the Easy walk harness on her, she 10 months old now.Soon as she stops growing I'll try again with a Martingale collar


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Yes, many small dog people use harnesses rather than collars because small dogs' neck tend to be more delicate and they will often be gaggy when they pull as a result.

That being said I have my mom's small mpoo here right now and he does have his leash on his collar when training. He does fine. You should only walk a couple of steps and as soon as your pup pulls you stop to show him/her that pulling won't get them anywhere if on leash. When you start moving again go in a different direction to show your pup that you are in charge of where and when you move. 

Another way to teach not to pull is to use no leash at all, but instead a target to teach the pup proper heel position before expecting good work on leash. The target can be a long handled wooden spoon with something yummy and sticky on it (think peanut butter). You hold the spoon in your left hand with your arm at your side so that the spoon is in a position to show the target just ahead of your left leg when you are stopped.

No pull harnesses are in their own way coersive tools (just as any collar and leash are). The best way to use a no pull harness is to have your dog wear it without hooking it up to the leash for a couple of weeks every time you walk with your pup. After that period of letting pup get used to the harness you will put a new collar that you have scented with fish oil or mink oil on your pup and hook up the leash to the harness. Now the harness will give the correction but the pup will think it is because of the collar. This way you will be able to fade the need for the harness once your pup has learned good leash manners.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

That's a fallacy that harness encourage pulling. They only do if the owner/trainer allows the dog to be rewarded BY pulling...just the same as with a collar. I use both on Matisse and the vast majority of the time, a harness on Maurice, my tiny Poodle. Maurice walks beautifully, right along side me. I trained him to. Pulling got him nowhere. Walking nicely did. After all, that's what he wanted...to go for a walk. That's the reward for walking nicely on a loose leash without pulling. I change speeds from fast, to slow, to fast to medium. I change direction when he gets out too far on the leash. If there's any tension in the leash, we stop, change direction. We do figure 8's and other random turns. The goal for me was not to get somewhere and it mustn't be for the dog either...not until he can walk the way you like. 

We practiced at first with very few, if any real distractions and worked up as he became proficient at the previous levels. 

As long as he would be walking along side me with slack in the leash, he got a teensy, tiny, tasty treat every couple of steps and praise. Frequent delivery of an extra reinforcer (besides getting to walk) speeds up training. 

Matisse also walks nicely on the leash. Sometimes though, when we first start out he pulls a little until he remembers that it won't work to go too fast or put tension in the leash. 

Both dogs have learned to "watch" me when asked. So, I can get their attention easily. That was taught in the house with no distractions at first, then little by little distractions were added, varying the context and location, as we do with any skill taught. Mix things up so they can learn to generalize the behavior.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Even large dogs will pull and hack. If I really want to stop it, it's easy... for a while. I snug his Martingale *which I swear by* up to his ears, and he walks easy. Until it slides down to his chest again. 

From what I've seen dogs will not pull against their throat... only against their chest. I'd like to try that theory on a small dog, but I've never had one. 

And the other thing I've never done... yet... is figure out how to keep that durned Martingale high. Maybe tie it to his ears???


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

All collars should be up high behind the ears for relaxed walking. A martingale could be a very good collar for the OP since her dog is a puppy. Given that puppies are prone to lots of stops and starts, the martingale is good since they can't pull out of it when they decide to dig their heels in.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

If your dog is a real "puller" be aware that traumatic damage can occur to the trachea. This collapsed trachea is often not repairable and dogs are euthanased if still alive. This is most usually caused when an excitable dog is tethered by the collar. I witnessd an awful episode where a young kelpie was tied up while his children were at school. When they returned his little mistress called to him excitedly. He lunged to the end of his tether did a cartwheel, choked and died. I don't like to reiterate horror stories but hopefully it might prevent a repeat performance.
Eric


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## Chagall's mom (Jan 9, 2010)

At my veterinarian's suggestion I used a front clip harness for my mini boy when he was a pup. The vet felt it provided the best protection for Chagall's trachea. I used an Easy Walk Harness. I know others who prefer the Freedom No-Pull Harness. And some people don't care for harnesses all together. I had no problem transitioning Chagall to a collar once he was a bit older. I use a hemp martingale. I have over the years also started puppies right off using a collar,_ many_ decades ago even what was then in vogue, a choke collar. My preference over the years has become to use the safest, non-aversive alternative I can for training a dog to do anything. You have lots of options and you'll make a good choice. So happy to hear how earnestly you're training your pup. It will pay off!:clover:


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## Luce (Mar 4, 2013)

Luce is a mini and I put her in a regular collar from day 1. On day 2, the first day of puppy class I asked the trainer about a harness because I wanted to make sure I did it right from the start. This is my first dog as an adult. She looked at me with a "really?" type of look since Luce was a small pup at 2 1/2lbs. I mentioned the pulling, she told me not to worry too much since Luce was young and needed to learn.

I think my trainer and Catherine (lily cd re) went to the same training school!! My trainer told me to get a long handled wooden spoon and put peanut butter on the end to teach loose leash walking!! It worked great!! I also got some "looks" from passers byes. One woman actually asked me if it was to hit the puppy with!!!:afraid::afraid: NO!!!! I showed her the peanut butter on the end and explained it - she thought it was genius!!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

I use a wider collar than most would for a small dog, and a thicker, stiffer lead because being in the city, she can't just walk next to me, I have to be able to move her from side to side, front and back of me to constantly avoid pedestrians and obstacles. The wider collar I feel is less likely to cut into her neck when I give light tugs than a thin one would, and the stiffer leash allows me to give the side to side directions more easily.
When she went through a pulling phase, I used an easy walk harness attached to one lead and another lead attached to her collar, keeping the easy walk lead shorter so it would engage first if she pulled. The smallest one was loose on her, so I would never trust just that.
Wide Collar - not easy to find in an xs, but got some on EBay.









Two leads, one attached to the easy walk, one attached to the collar.


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

I think that the problem that you trainer is speaking of is that most small dog people who use a regular harness, allow their dogs to pull, never bother training them not to, because it is "safe" to do so they think.


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## Bizzeemamanj (Apr 14, 2014)

We use both with Cooper. I find I have more control when he is on a collar/lead set up than when he is on his harness. His harness is primarily used for outings where strict/tighter control isn't an issue: hiking primarily. He definitely responds to corrections faster in a collar than he does in a harness.


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## Marcie (Aug 2, 2011)

sweets said:


> I've been using a harness on my poochon puppies (18wks old) , but she does pull a bit. I've heard that harnesses are better for smaller dogs.
> We went to puppy training this week and the trainer said that collars are better as dogs are easier to train not to pull. I tried her with one today but sort of gagged on it when she pulled a bit. I know you can get no pull harnesses but just wondered what everyone else use?


I always use a harness as it keeps the pressure away from their trachea which can become damaged if yanked or pulled. My girls do not pull but my Pomeranian does and we use a "no pull harness" on him and it works well.

Harnesses for small dogs are great in case you are walking along and need to pull them up to you quickly, you are not strangling them. With my blind dog, Sasha, sometime I can't warn her quickly enough and will pull her back from something with her harness. She has enough problems without a damaged trachea. 

My girls wear collars for identification and to look pretty but I never put a leash on their collar.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

I used a harness when coming home until about 4 months then went into a martingale.


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