Choosing The Right Walking Tools For Your Dog

In order for a walk to be successful, it has to be comfortable for everyone. A calm, enjoyable walk starts with the right equipment, and not all walking tools are created equal! In fact, some of the most commonly used tools on the market can cause problems for you and your dog. If your dog pulls, zig-zags, or seems anxious on leash, the solution often isn't "more control," it's better communication.

No walking tools will ever replace good, positive reinforcement training, but they do support training by eliminating our dogs' ability to practice (and perfect) unwanted behaviours such as pulling while we teach them new skills.

I want to break down the most effective and humane options, but first let's discuss why dogs pull in the first place.

OPPOSITION REFLEX

It's not just huskies, folks. Did you know that all dogs are hard-wired for pulling? All dogs have what's called an opposition reflex. This reflex causes dogs to lean into pressure instead of avoiding it. Ever notice why huskies have large padded harnesses that fit across their chests? It's not just a comfort measure: these harnesses are actually designed to encourage pulling because the huskies will instinctively lean into that pressure to create the unstoppable forward momentum that pulls the sled.

Other walking tools work the same way. Even a regular flat collar! As soon as your dog feels that pressure against their throat, they will lean into it and pull. This is painful and dangerous and can cause injuries such as tracheal collapse. Some dogs are so motivated by their environments (golden retrievers, I'm looking at you!) that any negative pressure or pain is worth it for environmental rewards (i.e. meeting new friends), and so these dogs are at higher risk for injuries.

Now that we understand this innate reflex, let's look at ways to balance it so that our dogs can be fulfilled but safe, while keeping our sanity in check.

HARNESSES: DESIGN & FIT MATTER

Front-Clipping Harnesses

Harnesses that clip to the leash in front of the chest are designed to gently redirect your dog's momentum sideways when they pull. In other words, your dog turns back toward you instead of leaning into the pressure with full force (opposition reflex). These can be a really helpful training tool for strong pullers.

Some front-clipping harnesses have shoulder straps that can slightly restrict shoulder movement if worn for long periods or fitted too low. Over time, this may affect your dog's natural gait and lead to muscle strain and joint stress.

Think of these harnesses as a short-term support, and not your dog's forever walking tool. Remove them when your dog is offleash so that their shoulders can extend naturally while running and playing.

H-Style (aka Y-Style) Harnesses

I like these harnesses much more for everyday, lifelong use. This type of harness clips in the front, but does not have the strap across the shoulders and chest that restricts proper gait. Instead, the front strap follows the dog's chest from the sternum down the breastbone, to meet the rear straps behind your dog's ribcage.

My personal favourite example of this type of harness (and what I personally use with my Great Dane) is the Blue-9 Balance Harness. This is a sturdy, effective harness, that has never let me down with my 140lb dog.

Clip in the front or back?

Most harnesses have two clip rings - one at the chest, and one at the back between your dog's shoulder blades. Clipping at the back can actually encourage pulling. If you think about it in the context of the opposition reflex, it makes sense. Skip clipping at the back.

HEAD COLLARS: GENTLE, EFFECTIVE GUIDANCE

Head collars can be incredibly effective when introduced properly. They work by guiding your dog's head - where the head goes, the body will follow. This gives you more control with less physical effort, especially for strong or reactive dogs.

As a professional dog walker, I can tell you I happily rely on head collars for walking multiple dogs of various sizes, arousal levels, and walking skills all at once. I like the Halti, which is padded across the nose strap, has a moving loop that can close the mouth (effective for dogs who are bite risks or at risk for eating things off the ground), and also has a separate strap that clips to your dog's regular collar for added safety.

That said, they require a gradual, positive introduction. This is not a "just put it on and go!" tool. Take the time to build comfort and confidence.

Be careful not to use leash corrections while your dog is wearing a head collar. If your dog is reactive and likely to lunge, use head collars in tandem with positive reinforcement training done below your dog's trigger threshold.

MARTINGALE COLLARS: Not actually a training tool.

Back when I became a dog trainer, there was a popular dog training show on TV. The "trainer" was super mean and he liked martingale collars with the chain loop because the noisy chain communicated to the dog that a correction was coming if they didn't get back in line.

Martingales were actually developed for dogs like high-drive greyhounds who have skinny heads and long, thick necks. Martingales are actually a safety collar that stops these dogs from escaping their collars by tightening with pressure and relaxing once the pulling pressure is removed. The original martingale collars were made with fabric loops only, and no chains. Chain loops were added later by punitive trainers who misunderstood or ignored the martingale collar's intended purpose.

WHAT TO AVOID (and WHY)

Prong Collars & Choke Chains

These tools may stop pulling in the moment, but they do so by causing discomfort or pain. These tools are associated with increased stress, and stressed dogs are more likely to react defensively or aggressively over time.

Did you know that dogs can accidentally be conditioned to become aggressive? For example, if your social dog moves towards another dog to say hello and receives a correction from the collar, your dog can begin to associate other dogs with that painful correction over time. Barking and lunging are distance-increasing behaviours. Your dog is anticipating the correction and reacts at the oncoming dog to keep it away. Unfortunately, your dog might be experiencing leash corrections while doing this, which solidifies their belief that other dogs cause the pain.

If you do use these tools, be sure to remove them when your dog is playing offleash. If a choke collar catches on something and is tightened, the opposition reflex will take over. Your dog will lean into the direction of pressure and this can be fatal. Prong collars can flip inside out and the prongs can catch on things or cause eye injuries to other dogs.

IF FLAT COLLARS ARE RISKY, what are they even for?

Short answer? They're cute and all dogs should be wearing their identification. My dog doesn't actually have a collar! She wears a slider-style identification tag on her Blue-9 Balance harness instead.

But Wait, There's More!

The gear your dog wears is only half of the equation. Did you know the actual leash you clip to the gear is an important consideration too?

Stay tuned for next week's Training Tip Tuesday to learn why.