The collar restraint vs the harness restraint: The pulling behaviour of restrained dogs during walks
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Authors
Loft, G.R.
Adams, Nigel
Kemp, Caralyn
Adams, Nigel
Kemp, Caralyn
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2025-11-06
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Conference Contribution - Oral Presentation
Ngā Upoko Tukutuku (Māori subject headings)
Keyword
New Zealand
dogs (Canis familiaris)
dog walking
leashes (dog equipment)
collars (dog equipment)
harnesses (animal equipment)
parks for dogs
dogs (Canis familiaris)
dog walking
leashes (dog equipment)
collars (dog equipment)
harnesses (animal equipment)
parks for dogs
ANZSRC Field of Research Code (2020)
Citation
Loft, G.-R., Adams, N., & Kemp, C. (2025, November, 6). The collar restraint vs the harness restraint: The pulling behaviour of restrained dogs during walks [Paper presentation]. Unitec School of Environmental and Animal Sciences Research Symposium 2025, Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand
https://hdl.handle.net/10652/7056
Abstract
Two types of restraint are commonly used by owners when walking dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) on a leash. These are the traditional neck collar and the more modern harness. The harness restraint redistributes pressure from the throat to the chest and under the front limbs when dogs pull. This broader distribution of pressure from the harness may reduce the potential for harm or discomfort when leash pulling occurs, leading to its rise in popularity in recent times as a more humane restraint method. There is also a belief that harnesses may reduce pulling by dogs, also contributing to their popularity, but evidence on this is limited. Our study compared the popularity of the two restraint types by public dog walkers, and the frequency and duration of pulling behaviours of dogs walking on a leash at three public parks in New Zealand. Eighty-nine randomly selected dogs were observed using focal animal continuous sampling for 5 minutes each. Only 40.45% of these dogs wore a harness. Dogs on a collar were more likely to pull (37.74%) compared to those on a harness (27.78%) and pulled for slightly longer (mean = 46.95s ±84.23s compared to 32.58s ±74.42s). Medium sized dogs were more likely than small dogs to be walked on a collar restraint than small dogs, while large dogs were 50/50. Interestingly, medium sized dogs pulled for longer (53.05s ±92.79s) than small (25.33s ±56.17s) or large (29.41s ±71.14s) dogs, especially when on a collar (61.79s) compared to a harness (31.19s). Our study suggests that harnesses do reduce pulling behaviour in dogs, although a larger sample size is needed to confirm. Owners with dogs that pull when being walked should consider using a harness restraint.
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