I decided last fall when Murray started having throat problems that there would be no more collars for him! I have actually become a total harness convert! I am half horrified at myself for training Piper during his difficult younger years with a prong collar. I had always had a bad feeling about them, but my trainer convinced me they were the best choice for safe, effective training. It worked, but I wonder at what cost. Murray was never in a prong. He always used a regular collar. We did use a combo collar for a while, but now, low and behold, we are now harnessing up! Piper still is walking on a regular collar, but I plan to transition him over as well. We first bought Murray a front latching harness to further prevent the pulling on his neck. It worked OK, but not ideal for us. At their ages, our dogs (and us) have set in place our family walking style. While I love the idea of front latching harnesses, it just wasn't a perfect fit for us. We have now happily settled on our Lupine Step In Harness. It places the "pull" lower on his chest and legs and not on this neck. His throat issues have been much better.
Safety Note: Go naked at home! In our house we have never worn our collars just lounging around. We only "suit up" when leaving the house. Dogs can (and often do) get hung up on other dogs during play and other random items with their collars hooked in place. It can be a very dangerous and harmful situation.
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Murray sporting his Lupine harness in "Dapper Dog" |