Dogs need collars and harnesses when they go out for walk. A collar or harness on leash keeps your dog under control, away from traffic, and prevents them from being a nuisance to other dogs and people. Some people like to walk their cat too, a small dog harness will most likely fit a cat.
Pet collars and harnesses are often categorized by the material, design and functions. Pet collars are usually made of nylon, polyester, leather, metal whereas harnesses are often made of nylon, polyester and leather.
The everyday collars and harnesses are good for most dogs and dog owners. However, if your dog likes to pull or is aggressive, you may want to consider the choke collar and the martingale collar. Both collars will close when you tug on the leash or when your dog pulls, but the martingale collar has a mechanism to prevent complete closure on the neck. The head collar is like a muzzle, when the dog pulls the leash, it will cause the dog head to turn, which deters the pulling behavior. The slip lead works like the martingale collar but it is an all-in-one collar and lead. It is often used for toy dogs in show ring.
Many people don’t like collars fearing it will cause neck damage. No matter whether you are using an everyday collar, choke collar, martingale collar or slip lead, never pull your dog with the leash. You should make a quick tug of the leash, so the dog feels the pressure and stops pulling itself.
Harnesses are placed around the chest and abdomen, so they are more comfortable to wear. However, some trainers think harnesses encourage pulling. Everyday harnesses are best used for toy breeds and calm and obedient dogs. If you have a large dog that pulls in dog walk, you can try the no pull harness which has the ring located in the front instead of the back. When you pull the leash, the dog will turn towards you instead of pulling you forward.