It’s important to choose the right collar and leash for your dog.

Part of that is to ensure the dog leash and collar are the correct size and fitted properly for your pet’s comfort.  A collar or harness that is ill-fitted is not only uncomfortable but potentially dangerous as they can cause injury.

Halti

The Halti allows you to control your dog’s head so you can steer it where you want it to go.  We have used Haltis before on our 2 German Shepherds many years ago.  Although they did help to direct the dog, they weren’t right for us.  One of our dogs was rather aggressive, so when he lunged it wasn’t a good option for him. The Halti would pull on his face and slip up over his eye on one side, even though it was the correct size for him.

So we’re not a fan of these as they can cause injury and many dogs won’t like them.  They can work for some people.  However, they don’t really help in getting your dog to walk to heel, only to steer it.

Harness

We see many people using harnesses on their dogs and we see most of the time the dog is in front and pulling the person along behind them, instead of walking to the side without pulling.  Unfortunately, harnesses don’t tend to help if you have a dog that pulls, as they do actually make your dog want to pull more, especially if you have the kind that only has a top loop to hook the lead onto.  As they’re put around the strongest part of the dog with a lead attached to the top of its back, you will get little control over your dog if it doesn’t walk calmly.

If you want your dog to pull a sled, or pull you along on roller skates for instance then a harness would be a great option, as it not only reduces the strain on the neck, but increases its pulling power, whilst allowing for free breathing.  However, for controlling a difficult dog on a walk, unless you have the type that has a loop at the front of the harness, and even these can make your dog walk funny as it will tend to lean to one side, you might encounter problems, so we wouldn’t recommend it.

Martingale

This type of collar is typically used on Greyhounds and Whippets.  However, they can be used on other breeds, and could be a good option if your dog is prone to slipping out of its collar.  The Martingale is slightly different to a regular collar in that is has 2 loops – one is used to adjust the tightness of the collar on the dog’s neck and the other allows better control when attaching a leash.  These collars could be a good option if you have a dog that pulls but you are reluctant to use a slip lead.  The collar will tighten slightly if they pull but without choking.  It also prevents the dog’s collar from slipping off.

They’re ideal for a dogs with necks as wide or wider than their heads.  Although they should be supervised while wearing them and not left on all the time as they are a choking hazard.  In our opinion they are no better or worse than slip leads or any other kind of lead that goes around the neck.  That includes a collar.  They all have the potential to damage a dog’s neck if not used/fitted correctly.

Multiple

These are good if you walk 2 dogs at once as it means you only have to hold the one handle.  The lead splits into 2, or more in some instances.  However, these are only recommended for dogs that walk politely on the leash and who are non reactive, and can both walk properly together.  They wouldn’t be ideal if you have dogs that don’t walk properly together on one side.

Retractable

We see many small dogs being walked, or rather walking their owners, on a retractable lead.  These, in our opinion, are not the best leads to use for walking any dog.  They can be dangerous and get tangled up easily and can cut through the skin if they get wrapped around your legs too tightly, and can even cause burns on your hands.  If you happen to drop the lead, it will make a noise which can be scary for a nervous dog and the handle will chase the dog if it moves away too quickly.

They’re also not very easy to handle if you have to ‘retract’ your dog from danger or other dogs for instance.  It’s never a good idea to allow your dog to walk in front of you, they should walk safely and calmly by your side to heel.  So you will get very little control with one of these leads and any dog that’s out of control has the potential to be dangerous or a risk to others.  So we do not recommend these at all.

Slip

There is a bone of contention (pun intended!) when it comes to slip leads.  We use these on our dogs and they do not pull and we have far more control over them.  However, if used incorrectly they can cause injury, as with any lead, collar or harness.  Many trainers are against these and say they’re cruel.  In our experience they are not cruel if used properly and have a stop on the lead to stop it overtightening around the dog’s neck.  That being said if they are not placed high enough up the dog’s neck under it’s ears they could cause injury.  Especially if your dog is prone to pulling and lunging.

This is also the case with any type of leash or collar around the neck, not just slip leads.  So if you’re against slip leashes, you should be against Martingales and traditional leads and collars too.  They all go around the area that covers the windpipe so all have the potential to harm the dog.  However, if a slip lead if used correctly it does not go around the windpipe area.

Our dogs do not pull on a walk, so we have no issue with them.  Any dog that pulls or lunges could potentially hurt its neck if any leash is not used properly.

Traditional

This type of leash has a handle on one end and a hook on the other.  The hook is used to attach to your dog’s collar.  While the lead itself is not dangerous, if attached to an ill-fitting collar it could hurt the dog.  Especially if the dog is reactive or pulls.  So we don’t think they are a particularly good option.

If the collar is too loose, when the dog pulls or refuses to walk, it could slip off.   A loose fitting collar can also rub around the dogs neck.  Conversely, if the collar is too tight,  then the collar alone will be uncomfortable for the dog.  Also, any tension on the lead could cause injury or more discomfort.

Conclusion

There is no wrong or right choice when it comes to choosing the best lead or leash for your dog.  It ultimately depends on the breed of dog, its tendencies, and how comfortable you feel using it.

Remember, there are laws in the UK about dogs that are out of control.  That doesn’t necessarily only mean a dog that is aggressive.  Even if your small dog is loose and runs barking up to a larger dog, it’s out of control.  There is a risk to the little dog if the larger dog does happen to be aggressive.  The bigger dog could be reactive or may not get on with other dogs.  So, it’s your responsibility to ensure it is under control both on and off the lead.  If you allow this behaviour, it’s ultimately your fault if your dog gets hurt.  If your dog does not have good recall then it should not be allowed off the lead until it does.

We often see dogs allowed to run up to other dogs potentially instigating an altercation, due to its unwanted approach.  So if your dog gets hurt the larger dog gets blamed even though they didn’t instigate it.  If you are walking past another dog, put it on a leash, for its own protection.  Don’t take the risk!  Be a responsible dog owner by making sure your dog is under control.  You could be prosecuted otherwise and risk your dog being destroyed.