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Best Dog Walking Collars: Front Clip Harness Review

dog walking on harness

As a dog walker, it’s a question I get from my human clients regularly: what collar or harness is best for their dog? As with most questions about pets, there are some best practices to follow, but the answer is largely a matter of personal preference and the individual needs of your dog. We’ve previously talked about the gentle leader collar but there are tons of other options to consider before you hit the streets. There’s an enormous variety of collars on the market, so it can be a tough selection to make. In the coming months, I’ll be breaking down the pros and cons of some of the most popular dog collars and harnesses to help you decide for yourself which is the best option for you and your pup.

I have gotten more recommendations from fellow pet care professionals for the front clip harness than I have for anything else, so it’s safe to say that this is a preferred piece of equipment for the pros! While I personally prefer the head collar, the front clip harness is a close second. I happily recommend these to clients, especially for those with large dogs who pull.

The front clip harness goes over the back, chest, and belly of the dog, not unlike a traditional harness. The difference is that, rather than the leash attaching at the dog’s back, it’s attached to the chest area. Attaching the leash to the chest allows the walker to “steer” the dog from the front, rather than just stopping or slowing their forward motion by pulling from behind. The principle of how it works is the same as the head collar, in that the dog will actually be turned back toward the walker if they pull too hard. The dog is prevented from straining forward (and taking you with them) since they turn themselves to the side when they pull against the leash.

Dog walking with front clip harness

The Pros

The front clip harness is great for dogs who pull – especially large ones! Because the dog’s own momentum is used to turn it back toward you when it pulls, you won’t have to use your own strength to slow them down or redirect them. These harnesses come in an array of sizes and can usually be adjusted to fit just about any dog perfectly. This harness is a safer alternative to traditional collars, which can injure a dog’s trachea/neck if they pull too hard. The harness wraps around the dog’s body, displacing the pressure caused by pulling much more evenly than a collar, which focuses the pressure squarely on the vulnerable neck area. Front clip harnesses are so effective against pulling that they’ve even been recommended by dog trainers for sled dogs – the strongest super-pullers out there! This isn’t costly equipment either, usually running between $10 and $40, depending on the size of the dog and the specific brand of the harness.

Front clip harnesses actually have a leg up on my favorite collar (the gentle leader) in one area: they don’t require any training to use! It might be tough to get your pup to sit still long enough for you to get the harness on correctly but, once it’s on, you can simply clip the leash on and go. The anti-pulling action is automatic and won’t require you to learn any special moves either, so it’s perfect for dogs and handlers at almost all levels of training and expertise.

The Neutral

One note of caution about the front clip harness is that it’s somewhat specific in how and when it should be used. I recommend that you only use harnesses on walks or during other monitored activities where a leash is used (such as a training session). I don’t suggest leaving a harness on your dog when it’s not in use because the multiple straps stretching across the dog can easily become snagged on things, grabbed by another dog, etc. The good news is that, because the harness does not wrap around the neck, there’s a much lower chance that snagging could be deadly than there is with a regular collar. However, your pup could still injure themselves or damage something in your house if they got hung up on something and panicked.

Dogs can also reach a harness with their teeth and claws pretty easily, so it wouldn’t be a challenge for them to chew through or otherwise destroy it if they were so inclined. As long as you are willing to take the harness off between uses, none of this should pose a problem for you. However, if you’re looking for something that your dog can wear all day long, this might not be your best bet.

The Cons

There isn’t much of a downside to using a front clip harness, and the few cons that do exist are relatively minor. The biggest complaint that I have with this harness style is that it can be difficult to put on. There are multiple straps that need to be put in the right places and it’s not hard to get your harness on upside down or backward – especially when you’re working with an excited dog who won’t sit still. I sometimes mess up the order of operations and have to start all over, even when I’m using a harness I’m very familiar with. I also find that the leash becomes easily tangled under the dog’s feet if the tension on the leash is allowed to slacken. That’s not usually a problem for dogs who pull since they’ll keep the tension tight for you, but it can be a bit irritating if you’re walking a dog who likes to stop and smell the roses. This is by no means a dealbreaker, but it does mean you have to pay attention to the leash or use a shorter one than you might otherwise.

The only other point of caution I would give someone who’s considering a front clip harness is that it doesn’t offer the very best control out there. As Vetstreet pointed out, head halters offer more control, which might be necessary if you have a particularly aggressive or reactive dog on your hands. However, this harness still provides the walker with an easy command of even large dogs in a safe way. It should be perfectly adequate for most dogs, but there are more effective options available if needed.

The Take-Away

I heartily recommend front clip harnesses to anyone looking to curb a dog with leash-pulling tendencies. For dogs without pulling issues, there isn’t much advantage to using this over a traditional harness, but it still works just fine. The bottom line is that this harness is a safe, effective, and easy to use option. I would not recommend front clip harnesses for all-day use or extremely reactive dogs. However, in most cases, I believe it is a useful tool for walking dogs that pull. In my opinion, front clip harnesses deserve the good reputation they’ve gotten in the pet care industry. I’ve personally seen problem pullers turn into easily-handled walking companions by simply using this harness, so it has my enthusiastic recommendation.

Is there a collar or harness you want covered? Email me with your suggestions.

Xanadu Pet Care is ready and willing to be your dog walker of choice in Palm Coast and Flagler County. I’ll be happy to teach you the basics of using the face collar!

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Best Dog Walking Collars: “Gentle Leader” Head Collar Review

As a dog walker, it’s a question I get from my human clients regularly: what’s the best collar to use for dog walking? As with most questions about pets, there are some best practices to follow, but the answer is largely a matter of personal preference and the individual needs of your dog. We’ve previously talked about the best places in Palm Coast to walk your dog and about making sure your dog gets enough exercise, but before you even think about hitting the streets, it’s important to select the right equipment to keep everyone safe and comfortable. There’s a huge variety of collars on the market, so it can be a tough selection to make. In the coming months, I’ll be breaking down the pros and cons of some of the most popular dog collars and harnesses to help you decide for yourself which is best for you and your pup.

The head collar gets first billing because it happens to be my personal favorite. I use this style of collar almost exclusively for all three of my dogs and have few complaints.

Head collars can be a useful tool for walking dogs who pull. The collar clasps around the dog’s muzzle and neck and the leash connects at their nose, rather than at their neck or back as it does with traditional collars and harnesses. The head collar works by turning the dog’s head to the side when they pull. The result is that, the harder they pull, the more they turn back towards the walker holding the other end of the leash. The idea is to use the dog’s own momentum to slow them down when they pull.

Xanadu dog walking with face collar

The Pros

The head collar is the clear winner, in my humble opinion, when it comes to pulling prevention. Every pull-prone dog I have trained on this collar has improved significantly – including extreme pullers like Xanadu HQ dog Millie (pictured above). In my experience, the head collar leads to better walking behavior long-term. I’ve found that it even curbs pulling when the dog walks with other types of collars once used consistently for enough time. Unlike traditional collars, head collars do not pose a significant injury risk to the neck or windpipe. If that wasn’t good enough, these collars are easy to find online or in stores. They are relatively inexpensive, mostly ranging in price from $5 to $20. They are usually adjustable, so they accommodate even the slenderest or droopiest of snouts. Another bonus is that the collar slips on easily and is pretty uncomplicated hardware.

The Neutral

While the head collar is versatile and fits most dogs, it isn’t an ideal solution for brachycephalic or “smush-faced” dogs. For instance, breeds like pugs and Boston terriers are not great candidates. Simply put, your dog needs a long enough snout for the collar to hang on to. Aside from this notable exception, it works well with dogs of nearly all sizes, shapes, and breeds.

It is worth noting that head collars do require some upfront work on your part. Most dogs have little trouble pawing the collar off if they want to. This means it’s necessary to train your dog to walk with the head collar without trying to take it off. That training is too involved to get into here, but veterinarian Dr. Sophia Yin wrote an easy and comprehensive guide that I would recommend to anyone starting out. Some dogs take more readily to the collar than others, but I haven’t found the process any more difficult than training a puppy on a leash for the first time. I have trained both puppies and older dogs with the same relative ease. My dogs didn’t immediately like the new contraption. However, after simple training, they now put on (and more importantly, keep on) their collars without protest.

The Misconceptions

Some people confuse the head collar with a muzzle and may even worry that it hurts the dog. These are misconceptions, due entirely to the aesthetics of the device. I have had issues more than once with strangers presuming that my dog was a bite risk, or becoming concerned that the dog can’t breathe or pant properly. My simple solution to the first issue was to buy collars in bright, fun colors. I’ve found that brightly colored collars look less intimidating to the uninitiated than the black or gray ones. The concerns around restricted panting or breath, however, might require some explanation. As you can see in the picture above, a dog can indeed comfortably pant while wearing the collar. They should be able to take a drink, carry a stick, and do pretty much everything they would normally do. The only way panting could be impaired would be if the collar was put on much too tightly. I don’t consider this a specific danger, as injury or discomfort can be caused by a walker misusing nearly any piece of dog walking equipment.

There have also been rumors about dogs lunging suddenly or breaking into a run and injuring their necks from a whiplash-like pull to the side. While I am not a vet, I find this to be a highly unlikely scenario. Paws Abilities summed it up well when they stated that, “this ignores simple physics. If a dog hits the end of the leash while wearing the Gentle Leader, it will start to turn him towards you. If he has a lot of force behind his lunge, that force will flow through all of his body, turning him further towards you. This means that a dog walking to the end of the leash may just be turned slightly towards you, with his body still facing the direction he was going, while a dog lunging to the end of the leash will end up with his entire body facing you.” Dr. Sophia Yin notes that “few cases of injury due to head collars have been proven or medically documented.”

The Cons: The head collar can be a fantastic dog walking tool, especially for those dogs who are shameless pullers. However, it is not the appropriate collar for every case. One of the biggest cons I have found is how easily a dog can take these collars off. You can usually address this issue through proper training, but it can still pose a danger for highly reactive dogs. I will say that I have never experienced a total failure – but I have had a couple of close calls.

https://www.high-endrolex.com/17

The head collar tends to be thinner than other collars. It’s not far-fetched (no pun intended) that a strong enough dog could break the neck strap. I strongly recommend leaving on a traditional collar while walking, so you have something substantial to hold onto if needed. When first training Millie, I walked her with both a body harness and a head collar, using a double leash attached to both the collar and the harness. This isn’t a necessary precaution for all dogs, but Millie is large, powerful, and can be reactive on the leash. This double attachment served as a failsafe in case she was able to break free from the head collar, ensuring everyone stayed safe while we were learning how to properly use the new collar. Today, Millie and I use only her regular collar as back-up, but not all reactive dogs can safely use a head collar. Safety should always come first. Use your best judgment when walking a reactive dog and consider sturdier collar options if necessary.

The Take-Away

I heartily recommend head collars to anyone looking to curb a dog with leash-pulling tendencies. For dogs without pulling issues, there isn’t much advantage to using a head collar over a traditional one. The bottom line is that these collars are safe, effective, and easy to use – but only if the walker takes the time to properly train their dog and learn the basic skills of using this device. I would not recommend head-collars for reactive or smush-faced dogs. However, in most cases, I believe it to be the single most useful tool for walking dogs that pull. This little device has made dog walking exponentially more enjoyable for me. I highly recommend it to anyone dreading their dog walks because of a pulling canine.

Is there a collar or harness you want covered? Email me with your suggestions.

Xanadu Pet Care is ready and willing to be your dog walker of choice in Palm Coast and Flagler County. I’ll be happy to teach you the basics of using the face collar!