One Thing I Wish All Dog Owners Did

Last time, I talked about One Thing I Wish All Dog Owners Knew. Today, I want to talk about something I wish all dog owners did.

There are so many good things that benefit owners and their dogs, but one of my top choices is walking their dog in a harness. Few things make me grimace like seeing a dog straining against his collar (fabric, prong, or chain).

Pressure on the neck from a collar hurts dogs as much as it would hurt us humans. Don’t be fooled into thinking that because the dog continues to pull he must not be in that much pain. Aside from the obvious interference with breathing, collar pressure also increases the pressure in a dog’s eyes, can cause problems in his cervical spine and may even injure the thyroid and salivary glands.

My favorite options are the Balance by Blue-9, the Front Range by Ruffwear, and the Perfect Fit. For details on why I like these and what makes a good harness, check out my recent blog post, “How to Pick a Dog Harness.”

“What if the dog isn’t a puller? “
No matter how well trained a dog is, he’s still a dog and unpredictable things happen. Imagine if he got spooked and darted to the end of the leash, or ran out after a squirrel? He may not constantly pull into a collar, but the sudden impact of hitting the end of the leash while wearing a collar is bad too. If you have any doubts, put his collar and leash on yourself, tie the end of the bumper of your car and then run full speed the opposite direction. Yikes!

Using a well-fitting body harness avoids all these problems.