Is It Better To Walk a Dog With a Harness or Collar?

The only thing dogs love more than begging for dinner scraps is going on walks. Those short trips around the block or long hikes in the wilderness allow them to break free and enjoy what the outside world can offer. As their pet parent, however, you don’t want them to break completely free.

A collar or a harness are the two options for walking with your four-legged friend. Knowing whether it is better to walk a dog with a harness or collar highlights the pros and cons of each and what option should work best for you.

The Case for a Harness

There are several advantages to using tactical dog gear like a harness for your furry friend. The most obvious and arguably the most beneficial is that harnesses make it nearly impossible to escape. A harness is your best bet if your hound is active on your walks and has it in their blood to dart after other animals.

Since it’s more difficult for your dog to escape a harness, you’re more in control of where they walk. Front-clip harnesses control more of your dog’s body than a collar, balancing out the pressure throughout their body, leading to you maintaining more control.

Harnesses are generally kinder to a dog’s body than a collar. A harness will not cause back pain or harm their throats. A harness is ultimately the best option for larger dogs active on their walks who cannot get enough of sniffing everything in their path.

The Case Against a Harness

While all that sounds dandy, there are some drawbacks to harnesses. A collar is a perfect spot for your dog’s identification information, but there usually isn’t a great spot on a harness. You might also face difficulties achieving the perfect fit.

Harnesses take time for you and the dog to acclimate to. You’ll likely have issues putting it on and removing it at first, making your pup uncomfortable. Back-clip harnesses could make a dog pull more, particularly if it’s in their DNA to pull.

Pros of a Collar

Collars’ primary selling point is their simplicity. Collars have been a staple for domesticated dogs for decades now. Harnesses take time and effort to put on your dog, while collars only require one easy clip.

Since harnesses are relatively new in the scheme of things, there isn’t much variance between styles and colors. On the other hand, collars come in many variations of style, colors, and type.

Cons of a Collar

As with most cons when comparing two things, the positive of one thing is a negative for the other, and that’s true regarding control. Your dog won’t have to pull a Houdini-like act to break free from a collar. A loose collar might help their comfort levels, but it could lead to an escape.

A collar can magnify the aches and pains for dogs with pre-existing conditions like chronic back and neck problems because it doesn’t even out the pressure like a harness does.

The call is ultimately in your hands and might differ based on the breed, but it is better to walk a dog with a harness over a collar. A collar might be worth transitioning to as they age, but a harness is now the safest option.

You would undoubtedly want a harness if you were walking a WOLFpak dog. Keep your pooch at bay with one of our robust dog harnesses to make your neighborhood strolls a cakewalk.