Do you have a small puppy under your care, and you do not know what will be better for him – a harness or a collar? If so, I have the answer for you. The body of puppies is very delicate, so the choice of walking accessories should not be accidental but very well thought out.
For a puppy, a collar is a much better choice. A harness can negatively affect a young dog’s body posture. Additionally, it is easier to control a young dog that cannot walk while wearing collars. Putting a collar on a non-spoiled puppy is much easier than a dog’s harness.
What will you learn from this article?
- I recommend a dog collar for puppies more than a harness
- the harness can hurt the puppy’s not-yet-normalized posture
- it is easier to control a young dog that cannot yet walk on a leash with collars than with a harness
Collar or harness for a puppy
When preparing a layette for a puppy, you are surely asking yourself what is the better choice, a collar or a harness? That is a significant decision, although many dog owners may not be aware of it.
The puppy’s body is quite fragile. The doggie grows and develops all the time. His body is not in its final form yet. Therefore, poorly selected walking accessories that the dog wears properly every day can negatively affect his posture, spine or joints.
For this reason, it is so essential to prepare a layette for your dog correctly. Otherwise, we may unknowingly hurt the dog.
Collar for a puppy
When answering the title question, puppies should wear a collar, not a harness, during walks. That does not mean that every collar will be suitable for a very young dog. The choice of a model that will be entirely safe for puppies plays a key role here.
First, for a small dog, you should choose a collar with a classic cut and purpose. What do I mean? Among dog accessories, we can find many collars with various functions. You can read more about this in my other post, to which you can find a link HERE.
In the case of puppies, it will be a terrible idea to choose a collar to train the dog, so all kinds of spikes and the like. This type of collar can be hazardous for a young dog’s delicate neck.
Moreover, these products are supposed to discipline the quadruped through pain. Puppies tend to be very fearful by nature, so wearing this collar can be traumatic for them and affect their self-confidence in adulthood. Therefore, when choosing collars for your puppy, in no case decide on this type of model.
Which puppy collar to choose
Remember a few things when choosing a suitable collar for your puppy. Thanks to them, you will be sure that your product will be entirely suitable for your little four-legged friend.
Adjustable width
The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a collar for your puppy is the ability to adjust it. Little dogs grow up very quickly. Therefore, first, select a collar that can change its width.
To be precise, the point is not that you can regulate the collar enough to last for the dog until he is entirely adult. However, it is worth it to have such a supply that you do not have to buy a new one as soon as your little pet grows up a little.
Fabric
The material of the dog’s collar is essential. It has direct contact with the dog’s body for a lot of the day. First, you should avoid a dog collar made of artificial material. It can cause abrasions or even chafe on the skin.
A metal collar is a terrible choice for a puppy in winter. Why? Because on frosty days, this material absorbs low temperatures. As a result, when such a cold surface meets the dog’s skin, frostbite may form on it. What’s more, it is worth paying attention not only to puppies but also to older dogs. Contact with a metal collar in winter can be very unpleasant.
So, what material for the collar should you choose? I can recommend you a collar from the MONACO line from the Bowl & Bone Republic brand, made of Italian leather. It is also worth noting that the inside is made of Alcantara. That makes the collar very comfortable, even on the puppy’s delicate skin.
Dog collar |MONACO hazelnut
Weight
The size of a puppy depends on what breed it is. A three-month-old Labrador will differ in size and weight from a French bulldog born at the same time. However, this does not change the fact that puppies should not be overloaded with the accessories they wear daily.
When choosing a collar for your puppy, make sure it isn’t too heavy for him. The high weight may be due to the collar’s material, e.g. if it is all metal.
The collar can also weigh too much for a small doggie when it contains too many unnecessary ornaments. That may not be a problem for a large-breed puppy. However, if your pet is a chihuahua, you should remember this when deciding on a collar for your little four-legged friend.
Appearance
I don’t know about you, but I pay attention to what accessories I choose for my dog. I mean their general external appearance, i.e., cut and colour. I know what my dog looks and feels like. The colour that looks nice on his coat is burgundy, dark brown and beige. Therefore, when choosing his walking accessories, I prefer these colours.
The collar is a permanent fixture in your puppy’s life. He wears it every time you leave the house. Therefore, it is essential that your pet feels good about it. Not only because of its material but also because of its overall appearance.
If you want to learn more about choosing the colours of your pet’s accessories, please refer to the entry HERE.
Why a puppy shouldn’t wear a harness
You already know that a dog collar will be a much better choice for your puppy. However, you probably wonder why the harness is not the right solution for young dogs.
That is because the harness can affect your puppy’s posture badly. As I mentioned, young dogs’ bodies constantly grow, making them very delicate. Wearing a harness may harm the not-yet-normalized posture of the quadruped.
I think you’ll admit that puppies can be very unruly when they go out together. Moreover, they cannot walk appropriately alongside the leg, so they break out and pull on the leash. If they are wearing a harness, this behaviour causes pressure on the whole body. First, the spine is susceptible in this early period of the dog.
The harness allows the dog to pull his guardian with greater force during a walk than with a collar. The dragging resistance is evenly distributed over the dog’s body. As a result, he is not aware of the strength with which he wrestles with the guardian who is keeping him on a leash.
Therefore, controlling your puppy when walking with the collar is easier.
Is a puppy harness always a bad idea?
If we have a choice of what type of walking accessories to choose for our puppy, I will select collars for peace of mind and peace of mind. However, you are probably wondering if a harness is always a bad idea for very young dogs.
An essential consideration in this situation is the breed size of your pet. In the case of Labrador puppies, German Shepherds or other larger dogs, the adverse effects of wearing a harness early in life will be less troublesome.
However, when it comes to pets that belong to the group of small breeds of dogs, the harness will have a terrible effect on their attitude during this puppy period.
An important choice – a collar or harness for a puppy
Deciding what will be better, a puppy collar or harness. I hope I was able to dispel all your doubts. The choice of accessories for a dog should not be accidental but well-thought-out. I am glad that more and more dog owners are aware of this.
Share with me in the comment if you have decided on a harness or a collar for your puppy.
If you have any questions or want me to discuss a topic in the next post, share it with me in the comments section.
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