It is pretty common for a brand new puppy to throw a little bit of a temper tantrum when you first introduce a collar and leash or a harness. It’s something that feels different to them,they’ve never been exposed to it before and their natural instinct is to pull away from any pressure they feel. This is called opposition reflex. It’s the fancy term we use when a dog pulls away when they feel pressure on their collar or harness.
Often, we have to play a few training games to teach your puppy that the collar or the harness or even the leash mean good things are going to happen. Puppies tend to pull away or bite at the leash when it’s first introduced to them. With a little training, you can teach your puppy to love wearing a collar or a harness. If by chance you’re having trouble with puppy biting or nipping be sure to watch this video here or even this one here.
Introduction to Puppy Training Tools Collar vs. Harnesses
How to train a dream dog. In this article, we’re going to discuss the pros and cons of each so that you can make a better choice about which tool to use with your puppy. Before we dive right in, if you
Pros and Cons of Collars (Collar vs. Harnesses)
Types of Collars
Collars and leashes are the most common tools that new puppy owners purchase first. There are tons of different styles of collars they come in all shapes and sizes. I prefer using a regular flat buckle collar because the quick-release collars or the ones with the plastic clasps don’t stay snugged to size very well. This means when your dog starts pulling, it actually stretches the collar and expands in size. This leaves too much room for error, and your dog can then back out and pull away, or it becomes too big and falls super low on the neck.
Proper Collar Placement
When a collar is on our pup, we want to place it higher on the neck, not down close to the chest. You’ll have better control of your pup when the collar sits higher on their neck. Now, I know what you’re thinking… how do you get your dog to walk nicely next to you so that you don’t have all the pulling going on? If you watched any of my other training videos, you’ll know there’s never one quick fix to make a problem like this go away. As a matter of fact, there are lots of little things we can do to work on teaching our puppy where they should be, which ideally is next to us or at our side.
Issues with Collars
Keep in mind every step you take and the direction your dog is pulling only reinforces the pulling behavior. This means that your puppy will quickly learn that pulling gets them to go where they want, as you just follow behind. This also means that if a dog is wearing a collar and they are pulling, it puts a lot of strain on your dog’s neck. This can cause damage to the trachea, neck muscles, and spine. The collar is much easier to put on than a harness, especially for middle-of-the-night potty breaks. I like to keep the leash attached to the collar, ready to go, next to the crate. This way when the pup comes out of the crate, I can quickly put it on without a lot of fussing, which can lead to an accident if the pup really has to go.
Collar Challenges for Specific Breeds
Here’s where a few problems arise with collars. Some dogs with super sensitive necks and throats will routinely cough and sputter with the tiniest bit of pressure applied—dogs like Yorkies and tiny poodles or poodle mixes. If you have a dog that has a thicker neck, such as a Pug or a Bulldog, the collar might slip right off because their neck is about the same size as their head. This isn’t safe. In case you were wondering, it’s also not safe to put any other training-type collar on any pup under 5 months, such as prong collars and chain-like collars.
Pros and Cons of Harnesses
Benefits of Harnesses
So if your dog is a puller and you’re still working through the leash skills lessons in the course you may want to consider a harness. This will alleviate any injury to the neck with strong pullers. A properly fitted harness will decrease pulling and decrease pressure on the neck.
Risks of Poorly Fitted Harnesses
If the harness does not fit correctly and your dog is still a serious puller injury can occur. We don’t want our dogs to pull at all in either a harness or a collar but if too much pulling happens with a dog wearing a harness it can cause neck and spine problems as your pup grows.
Types of Harnesses
Here are a couple of options for good harnesses. I really like the Freedom harness which has a D-ring in the front and a D-ring on the back. You don’t want to use a harness with only the clip on the back because the pressure point or pivot point is on the dog’s back. This means you won’t have any way to steer or turn them if they are pulling you. When the D-ring or the place where you attach the leash is in the front you have more control over where they are headed. The Freedom harness comes with a double-clasp leash and a harness with a D-ring on the front and back. This makes walking your dog a lot easier. You can control your dog’s movements and decrease pulling. I also love the TrueLove harness because it too has two D-rings and a chest piece that covers more of the chest than the Freedom Harness.
Harnesses for Small Dogs
It can be tricky to find a harness for really small dogs so you may have to temporarily use a cat harness until your pup grows into an extra-small or small-sized dog harness. It’s not uncommon to go through a few collars or harnesses over the first year or so of your pup’s life. They grow pretty quickly, so make sure you size up when your pup has grown.
Proper Harness Fit
Remember we want a properly fitting collar or harness. Collars should have two finger widths between the collar and neck. A harness should fit snug on your dog without rubbing or causing irritation. For some dogs that means only one finger width, while others may require two fingers. Be sure to adjust all points on the harness.
Safety Considerations
Removing Accessories in Crates
A note about when to remove a harness or collar: These items should not be left on your dog when they are in their crate. It’s too easy for a dog’s harness or collar to get stuck in the bars or door of a crate and cause your dog to panic, twist, spin, and suffocate themselves. This happens to several thousand dogs each year. That’s super sad since it can easily be avoided by removing accessories before your dog goes in their crate. Remove all accessories before putting them in their crate.
Choosing the Right Tool for the Occasion
Let’s break down a typical puppy who doesn’t pull a lot and talk about what tool should be used for which occasion.
In the House
Let’s say you are chilling in the house with your dog you can let them run around naked. There I said it. They don’t need any accessories on in the house unless you are in training mode, in which case a collar would be just fine.
In the Backyard
Don’t forget to get your dog microchipped in case they do get loose and go on an adventure around the neighborhood without you. This way when they are brought in they can be scanned and your information will pop up. If your pup is in the backyard running around or you’re in training mode you can use a collar. I’m not a fan of tags jingling on a dog’s collar so for that reason I either choose a collar that can be embroidered with contact info, have an engraved nameplate attached onto it, or use a tag silencer. It’s never a good idea to allow your dog’s tags to jingle. This can be extremely irritating to a dog and can agitate them enough not to focus 100% on you. Would you like a set of bells or tags ringing right next to your ear all day long, 365 days a year? That would drive me crazy. Since dogs have a much keener sense of hearing, those tags actually sound louder to your dog.
During Walks
If you’re going out walking, you will choose an accessory that best fits your dog based on the criteria I mentioned a few moments ago. Pullers get to wear a harness, and easy-going, relaxed dogs can wear a collar.
Running with Your Puppy
If you are running with your pup, which for most of you watching this won’t be for several months, you are going to use a harness. I’m recommending you wait a while before you turn your pup into a running partner because your dog’s growth plates can easily be damaged while running. I talk more about proper exercise for pups and why we don’t want to damage those growth plates in this video here.
Playdates
If your pup is attending a playdate with another pup, it’s important to remove harnesses and only use a snug-fitting breakaway collar if they are outdoors. If they are indoors, we remove all accessories for playtime. Dogs use their mouth to engage in play, and oftentimes a dog will bite at the neck or ear of another dog; this is typically normal play. But they may miss and grab onto a collar instead. Their teeth or jaw may get caught on the other dog’s collar, and both dogs begin to panic and thrash around. A dog with a broken jaw came into the vet clinic after an incident like this.
Dogs with Breathing Problems
Remember, if your pup has any kind of breathing problems, you will want to use a harness.
Tiny or Low-Rider Puppies
Oh, before I forget, if you have a super tiny pup or a low-rider pup—that’s a pup that is really close to the ground—it may be better for you to use a back-clip harness. I don’t normally recommend these types of harnesses because, as I mentioned earlier, without proper training, they really can lead to more pulling. But the smaller dogs will stumble over a front-clip harness because the leash will get caught up under their leg. Be sure to use a lighter leash with a smaller clasp with the small dogs, as a big, clunky, heavy leash will feel like a ton of bricks to them.
Car Travel
Now, before I share the last tool or accessory with you, be sure to hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss the next lesson all about puppy training. Now you’re probably wondering what your dog should wear if they are traveling in the car. Well, if you’ve watched my Dog Crate for Car Travel video, you may remember I always recommend your pup travel in a crate, but if you can’t fit your crate into your car…
Additional Resources
Oh, before I forget, if you have a brand new puppy, you may want to learn more about potty training or even bell training. Be sure to grab my New Puppy Starter Kit from the link below in the description—tons of valuable training tips in there for all new puppy owners.
Overview Table
| Tool | Pros | Cons | Best Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collar | Easy to put on, ideal for quick potty breaks, widely available, variety of styles | Can stretch or slip off, potential trachea/neck damage if dog pulls, not suitable for sensitive necks | Relaxed dogs, in-house training, backyard use, non-pullers during walks |
| Harness | Reduces neck strain, better control with front-clip, safer for pullers | Can be tricky to fit, may cause injury if ill-fitted, not ideal for crate use | Pullers, dogs with sensitive necks, running, tiny/low-rider puppies, car travel |
| No Accessory | Comfortable, safe for crate and indoor playtime | Not suitable for walks or outdoor control | In-house lounging, indoor playdates, crate time |
