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Dogs pull harder on the leash when they wear a harness than a collar

Dog harnesses are sometimes claimed to reduce pulling forces on the leash, but an experiment found they have the opposite effect

By Christa Lesté-Lasserre

11 December 2024

Dogs wearing harnesses can pull with a force exceeding their body weight

CBCK-Christine/Alamy

Dogs generally pull about 60 per cent harder on a leash when wearing a padded harness compared with a collar, even when the equipment is marketed as “anti pull” – putting the people walking them at risk of injury.

Some dogs – especially smaller breeds – pull with a force more than twice their body weight on the collar, potentially damaging their throats, says Erin Perry at Southern Illinois University.

“It’s really very shocking,” she says.…

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