[Mike Schoonbrood]

I worked my dog on a harness for a while thinking that he'd pull harder to get to the decoy on a harness... but i've come to realize he pulls harder and gets more worked up on a flat collar. I've been working my boy on a collar for the last 4 training sessions n he does well on it, it's just a 1" standard flat collar, so I need to buy an agitation collar since this thing will probably snap one day lol. He's an ass-biter so that would be bad :lol:

What are the pro's n con's for Collar vs. Harness? What do you prefer and why? I was working under the assumption that a correction comes from the neck so keep bitework away from the neck. Also I would assume pulling from the chest would be more comfortable than the neck, but that doesn't seem to be the case here, or he's a massochistic dog lol.

 

[Sarah Hall]

I have found this really depends on the dog. Because agitation collars are made to be very wide, a dog will not recieve a correction as long as the leash is fed out correctly. If the leash is let too loose, and the dog runs to the end of it and it gets jerked because he hit the end, he may think the force of the impact was a correction.
Generally, I use harnesses for tracking/searches because the dog can endlessly pull on it with little discomfort. I then switch to the agitation collar for bitework. I really like the agitation collars with handles on them, so you can immediately release the dog instead of having to fumble with the snap on the leash if it isn't a quick release. The switch from harness to agitation collar sometimes can immediately switch the dog's mind from tracking to bitework.
All in all, if Cujo pulls like a demon and works better on the agitation collar during bitework, that would be the way to go. Try it next time you work him. Just remember to not use the agitation collar for obedience exercises, or you may confuse him to what you want him to do. A regular flat collar or a correction collar would be best for obedience.

 

[Selena van Leeuwen]

I use the harnas with dogs who gets uncertain on a collar (thinks they are corrected), mostly very young dogs. Or if they get out of breath on a collar. Usually they are already worn out on the ...don´t know english word..stek (stake-out?). When they about 9 mo. they will be on the aggitation collar. The collars I use are the "american" style ones.

 

[Jeff Oehlsen]

Just like everything else, this should be what the dog needs, and not what one thinks the dog needs.

Mike, if your dog has never worked on a harness, he may be hesitant to pull for fear of doing something wrong. If you try it again, have the decoy aggitate, moving backwards, and let Cujo inch forward. Shouldn't take long for him to figure it out. It is a good drive builder as well.

 

[Phil Dodson]

Being as I do all my actual work PSD with a choke collar I use a leather collar for crowd control and agitation exercises. I use the harness when fooling around with the bungee cord though as I do not want my partner to have any negitive experiences with the collar.

 

[Kristina Senter]

As many have said- depends on the dog.
Occasionally, I'll start a softer dog on the harness as long as he has been allowed to get used to the harness before hand (the presence of this new strange thing around his body isn't going to add a level of insecurity by itself).
I do a lot of backtie work and insane drivey dogs I usually put in harness as well because the dog does not wear out as fast. While I certianly work the dog in collar to ensure they don't have a comfort zone, a harness helps to reduce long and short term wear and abuse to you'r dog's body and neck- especially hard hitting dogs. Additionally, I work with these dogs on a shock absorber adding yet another level of frustration but cushioning the blow at the end of the line. Why kill you'r dogs body in training?

-Kristina