Collar or Harness?

[ceruleanspiral]

Do you prefer a collar or harness to use with the leash for your dogs? I have our new puppy's daily collar picked out, but not sure if I should get a harness too. I just use the daily collars for my 2 Bassett-mixes. We do not walk often, mostly play/run in our decent-sized back yard.

 

[Chanticocat]

If you are actually going to walk, I suggest a harness. Pulling on a collar can be damaging to throat/larynx. imagine wearing your collar buttoned all the way up and a tie. Then, someone grabs the end of your tie abruptly and says "Hey! Over HERE. " Wouldn't you rather be guided gently by the shoulders?

We have had one lil girl that we lost to collapsed larynx complications. This was a genetic issue. We have recently lost another to degenerative myleopathy. Both conditions could have been worsened with the use of a collar for walking. Emma doesn't even have a collar. Her tag is on her harness. I'm a huge fan of microchips too.

 

[harveyspecter]

If you are actually going to walk, I suggest a harness. Pulling on a collar can be damaging to throat/larynx. imagine wearing your collar buttoned all the way up and a tie. Then, someone grabs the end of your tie abruptly and says "Hey! Over HERE. " Wouldn't you rather be guided gently by the shoulders?

We have had one lil girl that we lost to collapsed larynx complications. This was a genetic issue. We have recently lost another to degenerative myleopathy. Both conditions could have been worsened with the use of a collar for walking. Emma doesn't even have a collar. Her tag is on her harness. I'm a huge fan of microchips too.

nicely worded. Harness all the way. While a little bulky, the Julius K 9 is the easiest to put on. Highly recommended.

 

[Brian Melton]

Harness without a doubt

 

[KatieToth]

I would recommend a harness for sure! Jack has a Julius K9 and we both love it!

 

[dolphin]

Harness for sure! well said [MENTION=12858]Chanticocat[/MENTION] ! As much as Buster loves his spiked collar and Elsa loves her bling-ed out collars, the harness gives you much better handling.

 

[OpieRay]

Definitely harness for walking. Opies neck is much larger than his dome so it would just slide off. However he does wear a collar for pictures and wore a bow tie collar for our wedding!

 

[nycbullymama]

Bulldogs should always wear a harness for walking. Safest thing for this breed.

 

[Vikinggirl]

You've been given great advice already, and I agree a harness is best for long walks. We use both a collar and a harness.
we use the K9 Julius harness for long walks, and we use the Kong collar for potty breaks, and for when we go in the car. Their tags are on their collars and they are also microchipped.

 

[bully602]

K9 Julius harness

 

[ceruleanspiral]

Thanks for the replies! I already have her daily/fashion collar picked out for her tag and she will come to me micro-chipped. I have a couple harnesses I like too, but wasn't sure if I should get both. The neck/head ratio is something I had thought about, so a confirmation on that is good.

 

[KatieToth]

i'm sure you already heard this before but they are very sensitive for pulling on their neck, like berating wise. (I hope this make sense) So make sure you buy a harness that lays lower on the chest and not on the neck. Like the Julius IDC is designed to lay lower, actually they recommend them for bullies too! I hope it all works out

 

[ceruleanspiral]

Well I really think the Julius IDC ones look nice- and they have purple (my favorite color and what I will "dress" Mim in- she'll love it, bluish-grey, lol).

 

[KatieToth]

They not only look nice but they are also high quality harnesses. I like how easy it is to put on one you fitted properly. Also the side patches can be so much fun to play with. They have so so many different ones and you can customize them as well.
Here is my latest favorite...

 

[ccbulldog]

I have gone through 4 different harnesses with Rosie. Some are bulky and she wouldn't walk, some I just couldn't figure out how to put it on correctly or she realized she could get out of the harness (uggg--panicked a bit on that one) Recently I got a "harness lead" from amazon Pet Halter Harnesses : Amazon.com: Harness Lead ESCAPE PROOF, REDUCES PULL Dog Harness MEDIUM/LARGE BLACK I really love it. Rosie loves it too. Seems to be comfortable for her (very soft)