If you are not sure if your dachshund should be wearing a collar or harness keep reading. In this post you'll learn why many dachshund owners like to walk their dachshunds with a harness instead of a collar.

Harness vs Collar: Why a Harness is Safer

If your dog pulls on leash then a a harness will be safer than a collar for many doxies. A standard collar puts pressure on the dachshund's neck and throat area. Too much pulling can injure your dog's throat.

Unless your dog is trained to walk next to you while on leash there will always be a chance of injury when walking with just a collar.

What a lot of dachshund owners do is use a collar for ID tags and a harness for control. In this case a collar is not going to be a problem. The only issue is when a collar is the only device being used and the dachshund pulls a lot.

Pros of Using a Harness for Your Dachshund

Harnesses help keep your dachshund safe and secure while out on walks.

Harnesses can help prevent injuries to your doxie's back and spine.

Unlike a collar that puts pressure on your dog's neck, a harness helps distribute pressure more evenly.

Safety reasons are really the two main pros of using a dachshund harness for a lot of dachshund lovers. With modern veterinary services getting more expensive it's best to avoid injury whenever possible.

Best types of dog collars and harnesses

There are many different types of dog harnesses for dachshunds that are available that you can try. Every different type of harness has different pros and cons to it.

So a lot of the decision making comes down to your individual needs. Here are a few of the most common types of dog harnesses available for your little buddy to wear.

Harness with front attachment

A front clip harness is a great type of harness to use if you are training your dog. An important thing to remember is that the harness itself will not train your dog.

The harness is meant to be a tool to use in your training sessions. It is not a magic wand that will make your dog walk perfectly on its own.

How it works: A harness with a front clip is designed to make your dog pay more attention to you than to other things...like other dogs or grass or other people.

When your dog tries to pull or lunge forward the clip in front tightens up the lead which turns your dog's body toward you. With a standard dog collar or lead clipped behind the head your dog will have more freedom to keep moving forward.

No pull harness

How it works: First, does a no pull harness really work? A "no pull" harness is a harness similar to a harness with a front attachment.

A no pull harness has one job...it discourages pulling when used correctly.

The leash attaches in the front of your dog's chest area. So if your dog tries to lunge forward the front ring will cause her to be pulled toward you.

A no pull harness is a training aid meant to help you train your dog to not pull while on leash. It will not stop pulling on its own.

Step in harness

How it works: Step in dog harnesses fit more like a pair of human pants. It's called a "step in" harness because your dog will put her legs through the holes in the front of the harness.

The other parts of the harness may wrap around the chest and fasten near the back or chest area. Step in harnesses can be tricky to put on for many dog parents because some dogs do not like to step into the harness.

Vest harness

How it works: Vest harnesses usually go over the head and are the most stylish type of harness for dogs. A vest harness normally has leg holes (similar to a step in style harness) and looks like a vest when worn.

Vest harnesses cover more of your dog's skin too so for small dogs it can help keep them a little bit warmer when it's cold out on your walks.

Service dog harness

How it works: A service dog harness is different from the other harnesses on this list. Usually, service dog harnesses are red in color and will have a handle on the top.

A service dog harness also has a patch on it that says "Service Dog" so that other people are aware that the dog is working and should not be bothered.

Service dog harness

How it works: A service dog harness is different from the other harnesses on this list. Usually, service dog harnesses are red in color and will have a handle on the top.

A service dog harness also has a patch on it that says "Service Dog" so that other people are aware that the dog is working and should not be bothered.

Can you just buy a service dog vest?

Yes, you can buy a service dog vest harness almost anywhere these days. But before you go out and buy one there's something you need to know.

It is a misdemeanor in many states to represent an untrained dog as a service animal. Unfortunately many dog parents these days buy service vests for the specific reason of getting into areas that only service dogs can enter.

If you do not have special needs and are not with a highly trained service dog then you should not buy a service vest for your dog.

Car harness

How it works: A car harness is any harness that you can use in your car that keeps your dog safe and secure.

If you take your dog with you in the car it is a good idea to make sure your little buddy is buckled in and secure before driving.

Did you know? - Many states require dogs to be buckled up in a support harness when they are in the car. You can check your state laws here.

A study by Volvo car marker found that dogs that roam free inside of your car without being in a harness caused pet parents to drive over twice as unsafe and twice as distracted.

If you drive with your dog in the car it is a good idea for you and your dog to both be buckled up. A good type of harness for the car is one that keeps your dog secure and buckled in like this Y-Harness.

Back clip harness

Our most popular style of harness is a back clip harness. The D ring is on the back of the harness on top of the dachshund's body. It is not a step-in style so there is no need to have to put it through the front legs when trying to put it on.

In our experience dealing with thousands of happy parents and dogs, we have learned that most dachshunds that try our harness love wearing it.

As with many nylon harnesses, it's a great harness for warm weather because there is not a lot of material that touches the skin. The lightweight harness material also puts no pressure on your dog's throat area.

What kind of Harness is Best for Dachshunds?

Every dachshund is a bit different. They all have different personalities and different moods. There is not a one size fits all harness that will work for every dachshund.

A dachshund puppy may require a different type of harness than a 30 pound standard dachshund.

Active dachshunds may need a harness that is fits them in a way that doesn't put too much pressure on their back or neck. Dachshunds that have spinal issues or general back issues may need a bit more support when they are out for long walks.

Your dachshund's chest also plays a part in whether or not the one you buy is a good harness for her or not. Our family has a dachshund with a large chest and some harnesses we tried did not fit her very good at all.

Adjustment Points:

Some harnesses have a few adjustment points and some only have one. Many dachshund parents agree that the fewer adjustment points the better.

A lot of dachshunds just don't like a bunch of fussing around with a harness, so for many parents it's simply easier to use a harness that doesn't need a college degree to put on.

Proper Fit - How should a harness fit on a Dachshund?

If you want your dachshund's harness to have a perfect fit you just need to measure her the right way.

Different types of harnesses have different places that you measure so it's just a matter of following the manufacturers instructions.

A harness that's too loose or tight won't be comfortable and your little buddy will hate wearing it. A harness that's too loose can be dangerous if your dog is able to wiggle out of it.

Most harnesses are adjustable so as long as you measure correctly there shouldn't be any problem getting the harness to fit perfectly. If your dog wears a medium harness from one brand and you try a different brand of harness you still need to measure.

It is common for folks to assume if their dog wears a medium harness that the dog will wear a medium for any type and brand of harness. This leads to a lot of exchanges and refunds for pet parents.

If you aren't sure, measure twice.

Why I Use A Dog Harness

Our family only uses harnesses when we walk our dachshunds. We use a lightweight harness like this fast fitting harness for dachshunds.

We have had countless dog owners swear that our fast fitting harness is the easiest harness they have ever used for their dog. It works great for many other breeds, but we've found that a lot of our customers use it for small dogs like dachshunds.

We tried using flat collars for dog walks but found that our dogs are not behaved and like to pull on the leash. Our standard dachshund Molly will pull on the leash until she chokes and starts coughing.

So we use harnesses and our dogs love wearing them.