collar vs harness
 

Hi all. I have a 10 lb 9 mo. old puppy. does anyone walk their dog on a collar? My dog is trained to walk in heel and he is so much happier on a collar. he actually prances with his head up. On the harness he is always nose down and I actually have to tug him a lot on it. He also will not appraoch me at all if he sees the harness and this is my 2nd brand i've tried. I am mindful of the breeds issues w/ collapsing trachea and I do not wish to injure my dog. He is larger for a yorkie and i just want to be sure..Is their anyone out their that uses a collar?

I use a collar on one of my guys because he doesn't pull at his leash at all. The other guy pulls and gags with a collar, so I haven't used one on him in a couple years. I sometimes wonder if he was injured during the year I let him use a collar because he gags frequently when it's on.

I'd say let that be your guide. If your dog never pulls, even when he wants to get a cat or other dog or favorite person, then you can probably get away with a collar. If there's any danger of pulling, get him used to the harness.

I believe there are some harnesses out there meant to immitate a collar with the ring up by the neck. You might check around.

There are a lot of dangers with collars. Collapsed trachea is one of them but a lot of dogs have also been hung or strangled because of collars as well. One little baby hung herself with her harness. There's not an easy answer to the problem. Check out this thread about the ongoing debate.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90218

I prefer the harness, only because I feel there's less chance of harm.

if you have taught your pet how to heel properly and he doesn't pull when you walk him, then you are not gonna have any problems with a collapsed trachea. You would have to get him used to the harness a bit more but mine feels more natural on a collar as well. When i asked my vet he said the because mine was a larger one that i need not worry. Like i said in another thread. I think it doesn't apply to all Yorkies because Larger ones are built a lot better for this than a smaller one. IMO

Thanks all for responding. I am new to this forum and pleased with all of your varied opinions. I wasn't sure if this was the place to ask. I perhaps assumed all here had tiny teacups or would kill me for suggestion a collar.I my dog is larger but I am still concerned about how easily exactly it is to harm the trachea. Is it really a threat for all Yorkies? is it a breed defect if it happens/ I wish to go with the collar as he is awesome in heel ..but my fear is he'll charge at something one time and do permanent damage. is that really possible? I need a level headed Yorkie expert/vet to tell me. what did people with Yorkie do before harnesses? I see harnesses all over the place now on all sorts of dogs. I know it is really a threat with Yorkies but I am wondering if it is also a bit of a trend/fad. I did read the ongoing debate that was suggested. It is a bit of a shame some words got out of hand but I appreciate how much you ALL must love your dogs. I can understand how one might feel attacked by going against the grain on an issue that appears to be putting one's dog in harm's way. Believe me I am thinking about this a lot but in the end may end up going with the collar. My dog has made the honking sound on occasion..off the harness /collar even before I've gotten the collar when he was smaller while running around like crazy. It wasn't even a spell but i've heard the sound and he has made it while on the harness. I'm speaking about a few times the whole 6 mo. we've had him. it may have just been a cough but I want to know what it means. I am full disclosure! he has not made the sound on the collar ..granted I've just switched this week.

Thanks all for responding. I am new to this forum and pleased with all of your varied opinions. I wasn't sure if this was the place to ask. I perhaps assumed all here had tiny teacups or would kill me for suggestion a collar. My yorkie is 11lbs and there are several yorkies here ranging from the tiniest to 25lbs :) I my dog is larger but I am still concerned about how easily exactly it is to harm the trachea. It should still be a concern even if he's a larger yorkie. I have a larger yorkie at 11lbs and he HAS to be on a harness...He does have problems with honking and all of that, and there have been a couple of time, where he couldn't settle down for 2 minutes. I thought we were going to lose him. He couldn't breathe. We were on our way to the Vet when he started breathing again.Is it really a threat for all Yorkies? Yes, it's a threat to all yorkies...That doesn't mean collapsing trachea will happen to all of them, but it can. is it a breed defect if it happens/ I wish to go with the collar as he is awesome in heel ..but my fear is he'll charge at something one time and do permanent damage. is that really possible? IYes, this is possible. One time could do the trick. Think about it...If someone chokes you really hard just ONE TIME, it could do permanent damage. need a level headed Yorkie expert/vet to tell me. what did people with Yorkie do before harnesses? I'm not sure, but what did people do before antibiotics? And what did people do before electricity? :) Just playing devil's advocate... I see harnesses all over the place now on all sorts of dogs. I know it is really a threat with Yorkies but I am wondering if it is also a bit of a trend/fad. Not sure that it's a fad...I think most people just want to keep their dogs safe regardless of size. I read somewhere that even Golden Retrievers could get collapsing tracheas which makes sense.I did read the ongoing debate that was suggested. It is a bit of a shame some words got out of hand but I appreciate how much you ALL must love your dogs. I can understand how one might feel attacked by going against the grain on an issue that appears to be putting one's dog in harm's way. Believe me I am thinking about this a lot but in the end may end up going with the collar. My dog has made the honking sound on occasion..off the harness /collar even before I've gotten the collar when he was smaller while running around like crazy. It wasn't even a spell but i've heard the sound and he has made it while on the harness. I'm speaking about a few times the whole 6 mo. we've had him. it may have just been a cough but I want to know what it means. I am full disclosure! he has not made the sound on the collar ..granted I've just switched this week.

In the end, it's your choice, but I think it's wonderful that you came on here to get people's opinions on the matter. It shows you care about your yorkie. Good luck on your decision. If you decide to go with a harness, a step-in harness are easiest for them, in my opinion.

i have a collar on my yorkie at all times. when she goes outside for a quick pee in the yard i use her collar and attach her to a long line. she doesn't pull and she listens to me. However, when we go on long walks i put a harness on her just because she gets excited if she sees another dog and will take a leaping head start to get to that dog before i can correct her.