Good dog harness/collar?

Question

Well, my dog has gone through alot of harnesses/collars very quickly.. He snapped off the snap on his snap-on collars, managed to somehow mess up his classic belt style buckle nylon collar so it could no longer be tightened/loosened, and the two harnesses we bought him he stretched completely out of wack within 1-2 weeks of wearing them.. I'm guessing the harnesses got stretched because they are around his chest, and he's strongest at the chest when pulling.. But the harnesses were also ALOT harder for him to slip out of than the collars. Also easier to grab him in the rare occurence that he bolted and needed to be captured.. but collars aren't stretched out as easily. I don't know if it's just the style or the brand I've messed up with, but I'm asking you what style, and what brand of collar/harness have you had the best luck with?

I'm not looking for a training collar or a collar to take him on walks with, I've already got a pinch collar, I'm just talking about the ones that he will get tied outside with when he has to go potty(no fenced in yard), and when we take him out to the country/park for hikes or runs, no leash. Just need some that he can wear around the house/on runs/outside goin potty.

Honestly guys, my dog doesn't need training. He walks perfectly on lead, the only reason he stretched the harnesses out is the hell of a fight he puts up for things like baths and getting rinsed with ACV, and the only reason I worry about him bolting is he used to go after squirrels occasionally when off lead, or birds, but I haven't seen that behavior in about a month. Never know though... Also, he is a lab/GSD mix, 90 lbs.

Answer 1

The gentle leader is the most useful lead because it guides the dog to the side rather than being able to just pull you straight forward. We used one on my rambunctious dog and it works.

Answer 2

You are not buying heavy duty enough collars for the dog. You don't say what his breed is but some breeds can really wreck havoc on the best of collars.

Also, your dog should be ignoring his collar, not fighting it. If he is fighting it you may have it too tight. You must be able to get two fingers between the collar and his throat easily or it will be choking him. This will also cause him to tear at it constantly.

Get your dog a good leather collar thick enough and strong enough for his weight and have it sized to fit him. The local feed store/co-op will be a better choice then the pet stores. The type they carry that are like those designed for horses are much higher quality and tougher then the woven ones sold by pet stores.

While you are out getting the collar, pick up a copy of Cesar Millan's books on dog training. He has a great insight into training dogs and their owners.

Answer 3

Harnesses are not meant to be used for anything other than walking the dog. They are not for tie-out. As for collars, it's trial and error. I go through a new collar each month for each of my dogs. I found that I prefer the old leather and buckle collars as being the best for the money...they do last longer and you can get them to fit the animal correctly which you can't do with nylon collars that stretches with wear and the plastic clips aren't about anything if you have a real dog.

Answer 4

I know I'm going to get thumbs down. But who cares.

Deny it all you want, your dog needs training and so do you.

First off, leaving a dog tied in a yard by himself is inviting trouble. Dogs are pack animals and want to be with others. He sees being tied out in part as punishment and is also bored. How hard is it to walk your dog for his potty breaks? Tieing a dog out, by himself, isn't an option.

If your dog is reacting that badly to baths, he needs to be desensitized to the bathing ritual. First off, I don't recommend bathing a dog with this kind of issue in the back yard. That is his domain. If you're bathing a 90 lb dog in your bathtub, it's too small of an area. You are probaly getting stressed out about it and it causes him to be stressed out about it. Look at your grooming technique as well.

I used to be a bather, and with a dog like this, I'd start slow. I'd make sure the water temperature was comfortable and pour water on his hind feet and legs first. I would slowly work up, reassuring and rewarding the dog when he is behaving appropriately. Once he is calm with pouring water on him, I'd use the hose and the gentlest setting and gradually increase the force of the stream. The big thing is you have to remain calm and reassuring. Remember to reward and praise when he is behaving approrpriately. This may take a few times before the dog is completely confident about the bathing process. Usually the first bath was difficult, the second bath was a little stressful but better, and by the third bath, he was starting to accept the process. It just takes time and you have to keep every session calm and positive.

I would look into having him professionally bathed or at least use a Self Service Dog Wash facility (a lot of Petco's have self service dog wash, here it's 10$). There, you have the space and equipment to do a good job in a low stress environment.

Answer 5

I prefer a harness as i think the dogs are more comfortable. but if you have a large dog then a collor is proabuly better as a harness allows them to pull with the strongest part of thier body - chest and shoulders. I've always bought from Petsmart also and find they are pretty dependable. Also do you allow to play him to play with the collar and harness like a toy - i wouldn't let him do that if you do. He should only see them when it's time to go for a walk. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

I would highly recommend the Co-Leash for a medium or large sized dog. I found it to be a very sturdy and high quality product. The collar has not failed with a young, but full grown, high spirited APBT. The best feature of the co-leash is a short leash that is part of the collar. It is attached with velcro around the collar when not in use. Your dog is Never off leash! Also very helpful when someone comes to the door, reach down and your friend is on a short leash. Please let me add that I have the glow in the dark version and it is wonderful. I never step on my guy in the middle of the night anymore! Also got one of the glow collars for my cat.

Answer 7

Harnesses are for pulling sleds or buckling a dog in the car.
They are not for walks or for going out in the yard.

Pinch collars only work if your dog doesn't pull on walks. They are meant for you to give a fast tug-release as a correction when they are not paying attention to you the leader of the walk. If the dog is constantly pulling with a pinch collar is is ineffective and will desensitize his neck.

A clip collar is for little dogs.

A choke chain should not be used if your dog is unsupervised or is playing with other dogs, because they tend to get stuck on things or other dog's collars and there have been cases where dogs have chocked each other to death on snagged choke chains.

You need to invest in a quality collar that is made up of metal and leather parts.

If your dogs continues to break good quality collars this is a sign that he needs more exercise and walks.

Answer 8

We have rolled leather collars for around the house and all dogs wear them. Then for walks, we use the Easy walk harness http://www.premier.com/pages.cfm?id=74 It clips in the front and is harder to slip out of. We also use a Halti http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=875 Lets you have control of the dogs head and helps with reducing pulling. I suggest that you don't leave a harness on because it can rub and cause hair loss and sores on a dog. They can also get caught on things. We use the rolled leather collars becaue they are tough adn we haven't had a problem with hair loss or sores.

Answer 9

Your dog needs a stronger collar. Try ordering one from someplace that specializes in sled dog equipment. The collars have no buckles to fail. They slide over the dog's head and adjust with a slider. The D-rings are heavier than pet store collars and there is more stitching where to hold everything together. Go to sleddogcentral.com and click the equipment links. One other benefit, they are less expensive than what you find in the stores.

Answer 10

I use a greyhound collar. It's great because it allows the dog plenty of slack around the neck but when you need to get pressure, it closes up a tad and will not slip forwards or backwards. I've had plenty of broken plastic snap collars so I know what you mean.

Answer 11

Get different Camouflage dog collar types.
Atozpetcare.com.