Myth: Harnesses Teach Dogs to Pull
A properly fitted harness protects your dog’s neck and can make training easier for you and your dog.
MYTH
Harness teach your dog to pull.
This sounds plausible. After all, those sled dogs wear harnesses, and they’re REALLY good at pulling!
It is true that some harnesses make it easier for dogs to pull, but wearing one doesn’t automatically teach them to pull any more than driving a Ferrari teaches me speed.
TRUTH
Consequences (aka results) teach your dog to pull.
Your dog learns to pull based on what happens after he pulls—not based on what he’s wearing.
If pulling gets him closer to that bush he wants to smell, then he is rewarded for pulling and will do it more often in the future.
This is why one part** of teaching nice leash manners is to stop walking if the dog starts to pull. A properly fitted harness with leash attachment at the chest can actually make this easier for you.
“I clip the leash to my dog’s collar and don’t have any problem stopping when he pulls. Do I still need a harness?”
I recommend it, yes! Collar pressure is really bad for dogs all around, so I use a harness even if the dog has fantastic leash manners.
“So if consequences—the, ‘what happens after’—teach your dog to pull (or not), does that mean a prong or chain training collar is the best answer? With that tool, the collar tightens after the dog pulls so that will teach him not to pull, right?”
Possibly. But I’ve seen dogs pulling into these collars anyway and you may have too. But for the sake of argument, let’s say your dog actually does back off the collar when he feels the discomfort. We’re still left with at least one massive problem: negative associations.
Dogs learn through consequences AND associations. If your dog hits the end of the leash whenever he sees another dog or person (out of either ‘aggression’ or excitement), he’s going to feel discomfort every time he sees another dog or person. The repetitive pairing of dog/person + discomfort will actually teach him to dislike dogs and people. A properly fitted harness avoids that problem.
**Teaching your dog not to pull usually takes more than just stopping every time he pulls, especially if he’s a determined puller. You’ll also need to teach him how to pay attention around distractions, and walk next to your side (if appropriate). You also need to consider if your dog is pulling because he is scared or extremely over-stimulated by the outside world; if so, those emotions need to be worked on too.