Choosing a harness or collar, what to look out for?

Are you the proud owner of a dog, or are you looking forward to taking a dog into your home soon? Choosing the most suitable dog food is probably one of the first things you think about when looking after a dog, but choosing the right dog accessories should not be underestimated either. A harness or collar is part of that. Could you use some help and advice when choosing the right harness or collar for your four-legged friend? We’re here to help!

Choosing the right harness or collar for your dog: why is it important?

Today, there is more traffic than ever on the road, so you can’t risk not keeping your dog close to you through a leash. However, there seems to be so much choice in different types of harnesses and collars, making choosing the right item seem almost impossible. Nevertheless, it is important not to buy just any harness or collar. Because just as every dog has certain requirements when it comes to food, it is also important to take your four-legged friend’ s personal preferences into account when choosing accessories. He may not tolerate a harness or may not be able to handle one for medical reasons. In this article, we will give you some tips that will help you choose the right harness or collar for your favourite four-legged friend!

The difference between a collar and a harness

The main difference between a collar and a harness is that a collar only encloses the neck, while a harness encloses the entire chest. Because a collar only encloses the neck, your dog can logically move more easily. However, this also comes with some drawbacks. Harnesses, also known as harnesses, thus enclose a larger part of your dog’s body, which reduces the freedom of movement a lot. However, this has some strong advantages! Both work in different ways, but which do you choose best: a collar or a harness?

Which is best for your dog?

A collar often turns out to be the most popular choice of owners, but does that make it the best one? Actually no! In general, we always recommend choosing a harness, as a dog harness, unlike a collar, distributes the pressure well while walking or running. When enthusiastic dogs start pulling hard on the leash, pressure is exerted on their necks, which is obviously not optimal for their health and can result in injuries. By the way, did you know that research has shown that dogs will start running faster in this situation to try to escape the pain, but thereby pull even harder and only make the situation worse? So it is definitely not the case that dogs will stop on their own when they experience pain!

It could just be that your dog does not tolerate a harness, or cannot handle one for medical reasons. Dogs with spondylosis, for example, have a stiffer and painful back due to their wear and tear of the intervertebral discs. Other dogs simply don’t like wearing a harness, and will resist it. In these cases, a collar is still recommended. To make wearing a collar as pleasant as possible for your dog, it is extremely important to make the right choice. That is, a collar of good quality that also offers enough comfort for your dog.

What should you consider when choosing?

A collar or dog harness is an accessory that your faithful four-legged friend will wear every day. Therefore, it is very important not to skimp on quality here! After you have made your choice between a collar and a harness, it is time to start looking at the material of these accessories. Preferably choose a material that is both comfortable for your dog and durable. Moreover, this way you will be doing your bit for a better environment!

Besides comfort and quality, it is always handy if the material is easy to maintain. To let your dog run and play to his heart’s content, it is important that the collar or harness can be washed in the washing machine.

Morso: top-quality dog accessories

Our partner Morso turned out to be a match made in heaven in terms of quality dog accessories. The collars and harnesses manufactured by Morso are made from their typical intensely soft satin. As a result, they feel nice and comfortable on your dog’s skin, and do not irritate or chafe. All dog collars are also washable at 40°C. So your faithful four-legged friend can enjoy the outdoors to his heart’s content! Every Morso accessory is made in Italy, and each one is hand-reinforced. And they look very stylish too!

How do you get a puppy used to a collar or harness?

Because a dog originally will not stop on its own when it experiences pain from a pulling leash, it is important to teach your puppy to do so. But how exactly do you do that? As it is common when teaching puppies, we recommend combining wearing a collar or harness with something pleasant. An example is to let your puppy eat with his collar or harness on, or to reward him after wearing a harness while playing. It is also important to always put the collar or harness on the same way.

With this article, we hope to make finding the right harness or collar a little easier.