Do you have a dog that pulls?
Oftentimes, when i'm talking to someone with a puller, and the subject of harnesses come up, the first question I'm asked is, 'don't harnesses make it more comfortable to pull?'
I think the root to this question is harness (supposedly) feel more comfortable than a collar. So if there isn't discomfort when they pull, surely they will pull more, right? Not quite.
Firstly, I can't imagine either the pressure of a collar or harness to feel particularly comfortable when pulling. And not all harnesses are well designed enough to even be comfortable in the first place.
If a dog is constantly pulling, that's going to be changing how they use their muscles and joints. Think how your body would feel after dragging a heavy weight behind you for the length of your dog walk, regardless of which part of you it was attached to.
A collar may well be less comfortable, due to the added factors of restricted breathing, the smaller surface area in which pressure is applied, the sensitive skin of the neck and the delicate structures within it.
But this is the important bit.
Something we should think about before we question how to change any behaviour, including pulling on the lead, the first thing we should be asking is, ‘Are all of their needs met?’. To be free from unnecessary pain or discomfort is one of the most essential needs.
Dogs do not pull because it's comfortable to do so. So making sure they are as comfortable as possible isn't something we should be avoiding. Addressing the root cause of WHY they are pulling is what we should be focusing on instead.
In fact, some common causes of pulling on lead are overstimulation and stress. So ensuring the equipment we are walking them on isn't exacerbating this issue can actually be helpful.
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