Urban Dog Living - Leashes, Collars, and Harnesses

There are many choices out there when it comes to collars and harnesses for your dog.   Leashes, on the other hand, should only come in one length - 6 feet.   The reason for this is simple; when you train your dog the one thing you want is consistency.   When the length of the leash is never fixed (Flexi-Leash) how does the dog know when he is going to hit the end of the line?  He never can be sure, he only knows that he needs to get as far away from you as fast as possible to get the most freedom.  This doesn't bode well for having a well mannered urban dog.

When choosing which tool (collar or harness) you need to know how to use it.  A tool is only as good as its operator.  Read the internet, talk to experts and learn the correct fit for which ever collar you decide to use.  I'm not going to suggest that any collar or harness is superior to the other.  You need to choose which tool will be most effective to control your dog.

The following collars and harnesses are designed to be used with a 6 foot leash and should never be used with a flexi-leash.

• A front walk harness (harness that attached to the leash in the front of the dog's chest)
• Head Halter (Gentle Leader, Halti)
• Prong Collar (How to Properly Fit a Prong Collar)
• Slip Collar (also incorrectly called a choke chain)
• Scruffy Guider (scruffyguider.com)

The reason for this is simple: all of these specialty products are designed to prevent the dog from pulling by making it awkward or uncomfortable.  If the dog becomes desensitized to the sensations that are supposed to discourage him from pulling you will have a much harder time training and controlling your dog. 

If you have to use a flexi-leash use it with a flat buckle collar or a normal harness and don't use it in any urban area. 

One more thought: the last six foot leather leash I purchased didn't come with a warning label that talked about finger amputation, abrasions, severe cuts, serious injuries to eyes or face.  Such as this warning that comes with a flexi leash (and is also posted on their website):

 This is an improvement over the 2 pages that they used to put in with every leash.