Puppy Walking Equipment: Harnesses, Collars and Leads – What Do You Really Need?
Updated: Oct 27
Choosing the right equipment for your puppy, understanding how it works and why training matters more than the tools you use.
One of the questions I get asked most often in my Puppylicious classes is:
"Should I use a harness or a collar? And what's the best lead to stop my puppy pulling?"
With so many different products on the market, it's no wonder puppy owners get confused. There are harnesses that promise to stop pulling, special collars that claim to give you more control, head collars, slip leads, retractable leads and all sorts of clever-looking gadgets.
But here's the first thing I want you to understand:
No piece of equipment actually teaches your puppy to walk nicely on a lead. That's our job!
Some equipment can make walking safer, more comfortable and easier to manage while you're both learning. Other equipment relies on discomfort or pressure to discourage pulling.
And that's an important difference.
Why I Often Recommend Starting With a Harness
When we're teaching a young puppy to walk on a lead, we need to remember that we're working with a growing animal who is still learning about the world.
Puppies are naturally curious. They want to investigate smells, greet people, explore new places and sometimes suddenly stop because they've spotted something fascinating!
They don't arrive knowing what a lead is, how long it is or why they can't simply go wherever they fancy.
So, when your puppy reaches the end of the lead, what happens?
If they're wearing a collar, that pressure is concentrated around their neck.
Their neck contains some rather important structures, including the trachea (windpipe), muscles, nerves and the cervical spine.
Repeated pulling or sudden jerking on a collar can place unnecessary pressure on these sensitive areas. Research has demonstrated that significant pressure can develop beneath collars when dogs pull.
A well-fitting harness spreads the load across a larger area of the body, particularly around the chest and torso, rather than concentrating it around the throat.
For me, this makes a harness a very sensible starting point for a young puppy who hasn't yet learnt to walk on a loose lead.
A harness won't necessarily stop your puppy pulling, but it can help protect their neck while they're learning.
Not All Harnesses Are the Same
My preference is generally a comfortable, well-fitting Y-shaped harness.
These allow the puppy's front legs and shoulders to move relatively freely when fitted correctly.
Look for:
A Y-shaped front that sits comfortably across the chest.
Adjustable straps to accommodate your growing puppy.
A secure fit that doesn't rub behind the front legs.
Lightweight but strong materials.
A back attachment point for everyday walking.
An optional front attachment point for additional guidance if needed.
Some harnesses have a horizontal strap running directly across the shoulders. Depending on their design and fit, these may interfere with normal movement.
Remember, your puppy is growing quickly. A harness that fits beautifully this month might be too small next month!
And bigger or more padded doesn't automatically mean better. It's the fit, comfort and freedom of movement that matter.
What about front-clip or anti-pull harnesses?
A front-clip harness can help manage a dog that pulls by gently changing the direction of the pulling force.
This can make some dogs easier to manage, particularly larger or stronger breeds.
However, it's important not to confuse management with training.
Some anti-pull harnesses work by tightening around the body, while others may affect the dog's natural movement.
I prefer designs that don't tighten and that allow freedom through the shoulders.
A double-ended lead attached to the front and back of a suitable harness can also offer additional guidance when used gently.
But remember, the harness is there to support you while you're teaching, not to do the teaching for you.
What About Collars?
There's absolutely nothing wrong with a comfortable, correctly fitted flat collar.
In fact, in the UK, dogs in public places are generally required to wear a collar with identification showing their owner's name and address, even if they're walked on a harness.
A collar is useful for carrying identification and may also be suitable for lead walking once you and your dog understands how to walk without pulling.
However, I don't recommend relying on a collar to control a puppy who is repeatedly lunging, pulling or reaching the end of the lead.
The issue isn't simply the collar itself. It's the pressure that can be placed on the neck when the lead becomes tight.
When fitting a collar, you should generally be able to slip two fingers comfortably underneath it without it being so loose that your puppy can back out.
Check the fit regularly as your puppy grows.
Why I Don't Recommend Slip Leads for Puppy Training
Slip leads are often sold as a simple solution because they combine a collar and lead in one.
However, they tighten around the dog's neck when tension is applied.
This means that when your puppy pulls forward, the pressure increases.
For a young puppy who is still learning what a lead means, I don't consider this an appropriate everyday training tool.
Not only can the tightening place pressure on sensitive neck structures, but the puppy may also associate that discomfort with whatever they're looking at or trying to approach.
Slip leads can have a place in certain professional handling situations, but that's very different from using one to teach a young puppy loose-lead walking.
I want my puppies learning through understanding and reward, not through discomfort.
What About Head Collars, Haltis and Gentle Leaders?
Head collars fit around the dog's muzzle and behind the head, giving the handler more influence over the direction the dog moves.
They can be useful management equipment for certain dogs and handlers when properly fitted and carefully introduced.
However, they're not something I would generally recommend as a first choice for a young puppy, and also to an owner who has also not learnt lead technique.
If a puppy suddenly lunges or hits the end of the lead, pressure may cause an abrupt movement of the head and neck.
Some dogs also find the sensation of wearing a head collar uncomfortable and may paw at their face, freeze or repeatedly try to remove it.
For an older or particularly strong dog, there may be circumstances where a head collar is appropriate with professional guidance and gentle conditioning.
But for a young puppy?
I'd much rather begin with a comfortable harness and teach the skills properly.
Why Harsh Corrections Don't Teach Loose-Lead Walking
Years ago, lead corrections were commonly taught as part of dog training.
The idea was that when the dog pulled, the owner gave a short, sharp tug to tell them they were doing something wrong.
But think about what the puppy actually learns from that experience.
They may stop pulling momentarily because the correction is uncomfortable or startling. That doesn't necessarily mean they've learnt what they should do instead.
Some puppies become worried about the lead, while others become so focused on whatever they're trying to reach that they continue pulling despite the discomfort.
Stopping a behaviour through discomfort isn't the same as teaching a new skill.
What we really want is for our puppy to understand that keeping the lead relaxed allows the walk to continue.
And that brings me to probably the most important part of this blog.
The Most Important Piece of Equipment Is YOU!
Or, more precisely, how you handle the lead!
Before worrying about which harness is best, we need to understand what happens when we put tension on the lead.
Dogs can have a natural tendency to push or pull against physical restraint. This is often described in training as the opposition reflex, although responses vary between individual dogs and situations.
Think about it.
Your puppy pulls forward.
You instinctively pull backwards.
Your puppy leans further forward.
You pull harder.
Before you know it, you're both playing tug of war!
And neither of you is learning anything particularly useful.
The answer isn't to pull harder or buy stronger equipment.
It's to stop turning the lead into something you're fighting over.
Teaching Your Puppy to Walk on a Loose Lead: Be a Tree!
This is one of the exercises we introduce in my Puppylicious classes.
And it's wonderfully simple and really works.
Puppies Don't Need Long Walks to Learn This!
There's something else worth remembering.
Young puppies are still developing physically. Their joints, muscles and coordination are maturing, and their exercise should be appropriate for their age, breed, individual development and veterinary advice.
This doesn't mean every puppy needs exactly five minutes of walking per month of age. That commonly repeated rule isn't a scientifically established limit.
But it does mean we shouldn't be expecting our puppies to march miles along the pavement.
So why not use this early stage to build good walking habits?
You don't need to walk around the entire village to practise loose-lead walking.
You might spend ten minutes in your garden, driveway or a quiet stretch of pavement learning how to walk together.
You could even cover hardly any distance at all!
And that's absolutely fine.
Because at this stage, quality is far more important than distance.
Let your puppy sniff, explore and take breaks. Mental enrichment is every bit as important as practising walking skills.
Which Lead Do I Recommend?
For everyday puppy walking, I recommend a standard fixed-length lead of approximately 4–6 feet (1.2–1.8 metres), with around 5 feet being a lovely practical starting point.
This gives your puppy room to move naturally while allowing you to maintain safe control.
I particularly like leads with a comfortable, padded handle or a grippy material that feels secure in your hands.
Look for a strong clip, comfortable grip and a lead appropriate for your puppy's size.
A lead should feel comfortable for both ends of the partnership!
Why I Don't Recommend Retractable Leads for Teaching Loose-Lead Walking
Retractable or Flexi leads may seem ideal because they give your dog extra freedom.
However, most work using a spring-loaded mechanism that maintains a small amount of tension on the line.
To extend it, the dog generally has to pull against that tension.
And what are we trying to teach our puppies?
That a loose lead is what makes the walk continue!
This creates two conflicting messages.
Retractable leads also come with practical safety concerns. Thin cords can cause friction injuries, handles can be dropped, and locking mechanisms or internal parts can fail.
I therefore don't recommend them for teaching loose-lead walking, particularly around roads, other dogs or busy public spaces.
They can have a use in suitable open areas with careful handling, but they're not my preferred option.
Long Lines: A Better Way to Give Your Puppy Freedom
Once you reach a suitable safe area, I much prefer swapping the standard lead for a long line.
A long line is simply a longer, fixed-length training lead, I recommend 6 metres, like the ones I use in my classes.
They're wonderful for allowing your puppy to sniff, explore and practise recall while remaining safely attached to you.
A long line also allows you to give your puppy more freedom without relying on a retractable mechanism.
For younger puppies, a shorter, lightweight long line is often easier to manage.
And remember:
Always attach a long line to a suitable, well-fitting harness rather than a neck collar.
Choose a safe, open area away from traffic and obstacles.
Never wrap the line around your hand or fingers.
Don't allow your puppy to run at full speed into the end of the line.
Learn to gather and release the line safely so it doesn't become tangled around legs.
Long lines are brilliant training tools, but they still need to be handled correctly.
My Puppy Walking Equipment Recommendations
If I were putting together a shopping list for a new puppy owner, I'd keep it very simple.
My puppy essentials:
A comfortable Y-shaped harness – adjustable, secure and allowing natural movement.
A flat collar with identification tag – correctly fitted and checked regularly as the puppy grows.
A standard 5-foot lead – comfortable to hold, strong and easy to manage.
A lightweight long line – for safe exploration and recall training.
A treat pouch – because rewarding the behaviour you want is much more useful than correcting the behaviour you don't!
That's really all you need to get started.
You don't need the most expensive equipment on the market, and you certainly don't need something that promises to magically stop your puppy pulling.
Choose equipment that is safe, comfortable, well-fitted and appropriate for your individual puppy.
A Final Thought From Me
Whether you eventually choose to walk your dog on a harness or a collar is a personal decision, and different dogs will have different needs.
But my preference for a young puppy is usually to start with a comfortable, well-fitting harness while teaching good loose-lead skills from day one.
Remember, your puppy isn't being naughty when they pull. They're simply doing what comes naturally and haven't yet learnt what we expect of them.
Our job is to teach them.
Not through jerking, pulling or making walking uncomfortable, but through patience, consistency and clear communication.
The equipment should keep your puppy safe. The training should teach your puppy what to do.
And that's the Woofies way!
Happy training!
Beverley
Woofies Dog Training & Behaviour
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