Harness or collar for city walks, I picked wrong first

I got a new puppy back in March and spent a whole week going back and forth between a harness and a flat collar for our downtown Portland walks. I went with the collar because it felt simpler, but after three days he slipped right out of it when a squirrel crossed our path near the park fountain. Switched to a basic front-clip harness from the local pet shop, and honestly it changed everything, he pulls way less and I can actually trust him on busy sidewalks. Has anyone else had a dog that figured out how to back out of a collar that fast, or is mine just extra sneaky?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_eric28d ago

Realized my dog wasn't just sneaky, he was smart about it. He'd stop walking, let the collar go loose, then back up real slow until his head popped free. The harness trick isnt just about pull control, it removes the whole escape game from the table.

emmawood27d ago

lol that collar escape is a classic move, mine did the exact same thing at a crosswalk and i nearly had a heart attack. front clip harness is the only way i'll walk him now, it's like he forgot he even knows how to pull. your pup isnt extra sneaky, they all figure it out eventually because collars are just too easy to slip when they're focused on something exciting. honestly i think flat collars should only be for tags and ID, not for actual walking in the city. the harness just takes that whole game away, and it's way less stressful for both of you. plus you dont have to worry about their throat getting yanked every time a bus goes by.