Summery :

1. Collar or harness?
2. What are they?
3. What are the advantages of the collar?
4. What are the disadvantages of the collar?
5. What are the benefits of the harness?
6. What are the disadvantages of the harness?
7. Which one to choose?

1- Collar or harness?

The  collar and the harness are two different and alternative accessories, which serve the same purpose: walking the dog. Both have advantages and disadvantages, which this article intends to clarify.

2- What are they?

The collar is the “older” of the two accessories used to walk the dog.
It is designed to be fastened around the neck, using a buckle or a clip.
There are many varieties; only with regard to the material with which it can be made, we note the existence of collars in leather, steel and nylon.

A more recent accessory, the harness is a sort of adjustable harness , which covers a much larger area than the collar : once worn, in fact, it involves the dog’s chest , shoulders and upper back .
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3- What are the advantages of the collar?

The collar has several advantages:

• It is comfortable and less invasive than the harness . The collars are light, easy to put on and take off, and comfortable, so much so that they can always be left on the animal without bothering him excessively.
• It allows you to better control aggressive dogs , puppies and dogs in training . The collar also allows you to more easily correct the animal’s bad behavior.
• It requires less physical strength from the owner when controlling the animal while walking.
• It facilitates the application of the dog’s identification tag . In fact, all collars are provided with a D-ring, on which it is possible to attach the tag intended to report the address or telephone number of the animal’s owner.  

4- What are the disadvantages of the collar?

There are also disadvantages to using the collar; here are what they are:

• It can damage the neck , thyroid , trachea , spinal column and/or back . This danger exists if the dog has the habit of pulling when on a leash: tractions, including those to control the animal’s impulse to pull, can in fact cause damage to the above-mentioned structures, which are very delicate.
  Some breeds are more at risk than others with regard to these problems: this is the case, for example, of the Dachshund and the Poodle.
  Always depending on the risk mentioned above, the collar is contraindicated in cases of exophthalmos , glaucoma , neck injuries and spinal malformations.
• It can slip off more easily than a harness . This risk is greater for dogs that naturally have a neck as thick as their head (e.g. Pugs and Whippets) or even a neck that is thicker than their head (e.g. Greyhounds).
  To address this risk, the industry has developed martingale collars.
• It is contraindicated in toy breeds (e.g. Chihuahua and Chinese Crested) and in brachycephalic dogs (e.g. Boxer and Pug).

5- What are the benefits of the harness?

It is recommended for dogs with orthopedic problems , such that the animal has difficulty getting up and walking . The use of a harness can facilitate these maneuvers.

It produces less stress on the structures of the neck . When the dog pulls, if he has a collar, the pressure is localized exclusively at the level of the neck; if he has a harness, however, it is dispersed over a larger surface.
The use of the harness is free from all the problems mentioned for the collar in relation to the neck: even if the dog pulls when he is on a leash, the harness is not harmful to the trachea, thyroid , etc.

Helps prevent skipping .Reduces the risk of the leash getting caught between the owner’s legs (more common with dogs wearing collars).

It is recommended for brachycephalic breed dogs (e.g. Pug, Boxer, French Bulldog , Shih Tzu, etc.). Due to their conformation, these breeds have respiratory problems, which a collar, unlike a harness, would exacerbate.

It is recommended for dogs suffering from tracheal collapse , a condition in which the trachea is folded in on itself causing breathing problems. In dogs with tracheal collapse, the collar is contraindicated.

It is recommended for dogs with spinal problems , especially intervertebral disc disease . A breed that, due to its conformation, is typically prone to these pathologies is the Dachshund.

6- What are the disadvantages of the harness?

The harness also has its disadvantages:

• It is more difficult to put on the dog . The collar is applied with a simple and quick maneuver; the harness, on the other hand, requires more time and greater familiarity.
• It is more uncomfortable for the animal . The dog needs more time to get used to wearing it; moreover, after a while it may find it annoying.
  When resting, it is advisable to remove it.
• It requires more physical strength to walk the dog , if the dog gets agitated etc.
• Models that clip onto the back may encourage the dog to pull .
• It makes it more difficult to use weatherproof clothing and clothing indicated for certain canine diseases. These dog clothes may cover the ring on which the leash is attached, making it more uncomfortable to use the harness.
• Finding the most appropriate model takes more time . It is important to choose the most appropriate model for the physical conformation of the dog, since a harness that is too tight could be painful, while one that is too loose could slip off.

7- Which one to choose?

What is better between a collar and a harness?

It is difficult to give a definitive and universally accepted answer, since, as described in the previous lines, both accessories have advantages and disadvantages.

In this regard, the advice of experts is to choose based on the breed (size, physical conformation, etc.), the personality of the dog and any pathologies the animal suffers from .

Here, for example, a harness is preferable to a collar in brachycephalic dogs and in dogs with tracheal collapse.
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