by Mary Lake

Created on: January 06, 2009   Last Updated: November 09, 2009

Taking your dog for a walk can become incredibly stressful if they pull on the leash, drag you, and try to chase other animals. But you can not skip your dogs walk, because it is harmful to their physical and mental health. With the build-up of physical and psychological energy, eventually your home will become a target of your dogs boredom and problems such as excessive barking, chewing, and even aggression can result. So what can you do to make your daily walks easier?

Using a harness is the easiest way to simplify the chaos of daily walks. Regular collars do not provide good control of a dog who is erratic on their walks because you are pulling on the strongest part of their body. Harnesses on the other hand target their two "weaker" points, their head and/or shoulders.

A head harness loops around the neck and the nose, but does not restrict the dog in any way - they can still drink, chew, and bite. Once they have the harness on, all you need is a gentle tug on the leash when they start to misbehave. Almost immediately, they will return back to a normal walk. However, it can take a bit more time for some dogs to acclimate to this type of harness. Some do not like having the harness on their face so you may have to take some time and use positive reinforcement to help them adjust to the harness. Start with having them wear the harness in the house for five to ten minutes at a time, and reward them for their good behavior. Eventually start using the harness for short walks, and soon your dog will adjust to the harness like they would a traditional collar. Your dog may be able to manipulate the loop around their nose off their face (this is very uncommon but my dog managed to figure out how to do this) but eventually with positive reinforcement and association with walks they will leave the harness on.

The shoulder harness specifically targets the action of the weakest muscle groups in a dogs body. An energetic dog will not notice or acknowledge a tug on the neck on the collar which contains the strongest muscles, but they will notice it when applied to the weaker shoulder area. Also, this type has the added benefit of your pet not being able to slide the harness off while you are not looking. Again, it make take time for your dog to adjust to wearing a harness, but with positive reinforcement they will associate the harness with going for a walk which is something that a majority of dogs look forward to in their daily routine.

Once you find the harness that works for you, your daily walks will become much easier and more pleasant for you and your dog. If you are not sure what type would be the best for your situation, talk to and obedience trainer or vet and they will be able to give you their personal recommendation. On some occasions, your obedience trainer may let you try out a harness during a training session which will help you learn how to properly size and use the harness. Keep in mind there are multiple types and brands available so it may take a few attempts before you find the harness that works the best for you and your dog.

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