Do Non Pull Harnesses Work?

dog harness

If your dog likes to tug on their lead during walks, you may be interested in the idea of a non pull harness. This uses a “squeeze and lift” approach to tighten on your dog’s body whenever they pull on the lead and is designed to encourage your dog from continuing to do so.

How Do Non Pull Harnesses Work?

As the name suggests, non pull harnesses work to minimise your dog’s ability to tug hard on their lead during walks. Here, the clip is at the front – in contrast to a more traditional harness that usually clips on at the back and makes it easier for dogs to pull strongly on the lead via their chest. Most owners will then find it difficult to stay in control of the situation when using a standard leash on walks unless their pet is extremely well trained.

Having a front clip means that a non pull harness takes the advantage away from your dog and discourages them from trying to pull on the lead. Whenever they try to pull using their chest muscles, the harness will ensure that they feel uncomfortable enough to learn to stop doing so.

Are Non Pull Harnesses a Good Idea?

Many owners have reported that using a non-pull harness has made a big difference in their ability to control their dog during walks but although they are perfectly safe if fitted correctly, not all dogs will necessarily get on well with them. This can be the case with dogs that are quite large and/or quite strong, for example.

If your dog is very enthusiastic about pulling on their lead, a non pull harness can go some way towards helping the situation but may not fully resolve it. It can stop them from pulling on the dog as much as before but does not offer complete control for owners.

A well-made harness that fits well is usually more comfortable for your dog compared to a lead or a head collar, and is usually much more effective in discouraging them from pulling on their lead in comparison.

Which Dogs Can Use a Non Pull Harness?

In theory, any dog can benefit from using a non-pull harness on walks but size can play a big part in how effective this will actually be.

Alternative Options

Obedience training is another way to discourage your dog from tugging on their lead. It’s not necessarily as difficult as you might think to teachyourdogtostoppullingontheirlead, and we’ve previously covered thisverytopic in another blog post.

[Photo Credit: Tambako the Jaguar]