Harnesses are better than collars for dogs
I have a lifelong interest in the harnesses that animals wear when working with humans.
Back in my late twenties, I spent a year travelling through Asia, through the Pacific and then back via the Americas.
One of my planned projects at the time was to carry out my own global survey of the way that draught animals are linked to their loads. From horses pulling carts in Europe, to oxen hauling ploughs in
Asia to draught Clydesdale horses in Canada, I saw many different ways to connect ropes to animals to control them and to make use of their pulling power. I ended up gathering a few photos, but I never wrote up the work in the way that I had planned. However I’m still fascinated by the topic.
In the end, I ended up working with dogs, rather than horses. Recently, I’ve been curious about how we harness our canine friends. From dogs being taken around the city block, to longer walks in the countryside or going for runs with athletic owners, to Huskies pulling sledges behind them, there are many different activities that require dogs to be connected to humans.
The big question is: what is the best way to link animals to the humans who are with them?
The most traditional device is the simple collar: a loop of fabric that fits around the dog’s neck. While this is an important item of dog apparel (under Irish law, every dog is obliged to carry an identity tag with owner contact details), a collar is the worst way of connecting to a dog. It stops a dog from running away, but if a dog is walking in front of you, pulling hard, a collar isn’t fair. Can you imagine having a loop around your neck as you try to move rapidly forwards? The collar applies direct pressure to the windpipe, restricting the breathing, and impacting on the sensitive muscles and tendons around the mobile part of the neck.
A collar is only appropriate when a dog is carrying out low level exercise, when there is no pressure applied. An example would be a dog walking in a city area with their owner. In such situations, the collar is just an emergency device to stop the dog from bolting. For most of the time, the dog is willingly walking beside their owner. There is no sustained pressure on the collar.
For situations where the dog is straining on the leash, collars do not work well at all: they are inhumane and ineffective.
This is where harnesses come in. These are more elaborate structures, with broader webbing, straps and loops, connecting the animal to a leash which is in turn connected to a human. Different types of harness are available, and it can be difficult for a dog owner to navigate the plethora of choices.
The main aim is that the harness is secure (i.e. the dog can’t wriggle out of it and escape), and that when the dog is pulling forwards on the harness, there are as few restrictions or compression points on the animal’s body. Most harnesses are designed to be worn during exercise, being removed after a dog has been taken for their walk. The best choice of harness depends on the individual animal, and on the planned activity. There are different types in common use.
Body harnesses have become popular in recent years. They have much to commend them. There are two main designs.
In the “Y strap type”, the horizontal strap across the chest is connected to the rear of the harness by a strap running backwards between the front legs.
The “H strap type” has, instead, two straps, one on each side over the dog’s shoulders, low-down.
The Y-strap type causes less restriction of the forwards movement of the shoulder blades, allowing the dog to move more freely.
The best way to choose a harness is to fit it to your dog, and do a trial walk ( just like you would try out a new pair of shoes). If you buy online, you can return it if it doesn’t fit.
Assistance dog harnesses are used for animals that live as companions for people who are blind or physically disabled are assisted by guide dogs. These optimise the sensitivity of the connection between human and animal, so that they are kept continually aware of each other.
Mobility assistance dog harnesses have handles on top, with custom-designed harnesses that allow the assistance dogs to provide help people balance, offering bracing and stability to their owner.
A dog lifting harness or dog lifting sling is a harness that wraps around a dog’s body, with a handle that allows their owner to lift the weight off of their hips, spine or legs. These include front harnesses, rear harnesses, mid-section support harnesses, and amputee harnesses. There provide useful ways of helping dogs with physical injuries and disabilities to live a more mobile life.
Car safety harnesses are used to restrain dogs in cars, usually using the car’s seat belt. These harnesses reduce the risk of injury to a pet during a traffic collision, as well as restraining the pet so that they do not distract the driver. Some of the other types of dog harness can double up as a car safety harness.
Harnesses are a huge improvement on traditional collars: choose one that meets your dog’s individual needs, and you’ll significantly improve the quality of life of your canine friend.