Dog Walking Equipment – What’s Best for Me

 There is such a wide variety of dog collars, leashes, harnesses and other walking equipment out there, sometimes it can be a bit confusing as to which is the best suit for you and your dog(s). To be honest, there is no one right answer either. Every owner and every dog is different, so the type of equipment you choose will be based on several variables. Some variables include; dog size and weight, owner/handler skill, dog temperament, number of dogs being walked and even more.
Another aspect of choosing the right equipment is to understand what options are available as the dog care industry has grown tremendously the past decade and we have more choices now than ever for equipment. We will review some of the most popular choices at a high level to help provide some insight into each type of equipment.
• Traditional Collar and six foot leash: this tends to be the most commonly seen variation of dog walking equipment because it’s time tested, cost-effective and easy to walk multiple dogs.
• Slip Lead: commonly seen for use in vet clinics and animal shelters, this collar/leash in one combo is convenient to use and when implemented properly is our preferred equipment to train a dog to walk properly, one down side is that a slip lead does require more understanding of how/where to place on the dog’s neck and more handler awareness as it is easier to cause injury
• Prong Collars: typically used for very large or aggressive dogs, the collar is two steel prongs which firmly secure around the dog’s neck, while this may be the most convenient method to control your dog, it is also the easiest to injure as well
• Harness: we could write a whole other article on harnesses alone, there are many varieties which serve different purposes, for comfort, security from escape, “no pull, and can double as a pet seat belt in the car when used properly
• Head Collars: there are several, with the most popular being a Halti or Gentle Lead, these are attached to the dog’s face/head and ideally require minimal exertion from the handler to get obedience from the dog since they’re controlled by their face
• Flexi Leashes: we typically don’t recommend these as a 17-foot length creates many more potential dangers than most clients realize.
Feel free to contact us for more questions about dog walking equipment. Doggy Duty US is licensed, bonded and insured.  For more information, please call 661-418-7595 and visit online at www.doggyduty.us.