Harnesses, Pulling, and Tools To Teach Not To Pull

As a dog trainer I am often asked if harnesses are good for teaching dogs not to pull. The short answer, despite society’s answer, is not at all. 

Let’s look back to a very popular race that takes place in Alaska. The Iditarod.

Harnesses originally were created in 10,000 BC for dogs who’s job it was to pull. It’s safer for them to pull from the chest and body than at the neck. Using traditional flat collars applied pressure around the soft tissue in the neck and the blood vessels within it. This would cause soft tissue injury, choking, and occasionally the surmise of the dog. We can all understand how this would cause a problem with them pulling cargo, like in the Iditarod. Hence the better and safer way of pulling was created.

Using a harness in itself isn’t a bad thing. It’s often safer for dogs who do need to pull but we don’t want or need our dogs pulling us into a dangerous situation, especially if we aren’t strong enough to control them or hold them back. That’s where the corrective tools like the gentle leader, slip lead, Martingale Collar, or Herm Sprenger Prong Collar come into play.

I personally am most fond of the Herm Sprenger Prong Collar and I’ll explain why after I explain the others. 

Gentle Leader

With the Gentle Leader, a loop goes around the dog’s snout and a ring hangs under the chin and is secured by another strap around the head. The idea with this method is if you give a correction, the dogs head will turn, and the body will follow. This is a decent corrective measure, I’ll give it that. I don’t like that it snaps the head with force. It’s not comfortable and can be dangerous if we do it to ourselves, I don’t want to do that to our dogs.

Slip Lead

Martingale Collar

With the slip lead and Martingale collar, this is what I start with on most dogs. The way it functions is as the dog pulls, it tightens, and if they respond to the pressure, they release the pressure by finding the off switch which is either returning to the command in place or not reacting inappropriately. Now, of course, they don’t understand what is inappropriate until we, as their loving and guiding leaders help them understand what is and is not. When fitting a slip lead or Martingale Collar, it should be high on the neck directly beneath the head. The purpose of the placement is to not cause injury to the cartilaginous tracheal rings of the airway. ( I have a medical background. ) Having these tools placed high on the neck also allows you to control the head easier and use it as power steering.I often have a slip lead with me as I work with a reactive dog due to a understanding that on a dog that is bent to get to something, if they get their jaws locked into something or someone, all we have to do is apply pressure to a dog’s neck to get them to release. It activates a gag reflex or incapacitates the dog long enough to get the object of their mouth. 

Herm Sprenger Prong Collar

Now finally, the Herm Sprenger Prong Collar. This is the safest and most humane acting corrective tool. If we think about how dogs interact with each other when one crosses a boundary with another, the dog that crossed that boundary is often corrected by the dog with a bite to the scruff to the neck. It is a natural thing and it is what they understand the best. Herm Sprenger invented this collar with rounded or dulled “prongs” that simulate the feel of teeth. The space in between the prongs does not hold any corrective measure and does not apply any force. This space also allows the blood flow to be unobstructed. The fit of a Herm Sprenger Prong collar is the same of the slip lead and Martingale Collar, high on the neck, under the jaw line. When fitting the collar, it should be snug but not tight. You should be able to fit 2-3 fingers under the prongs.