Thanks for that link luvmylabs!
I think there was a great point made there.
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Just remember that each dog’s temperament, breed, and weight differs, and thus so should their training methods and equipment. Get to know your dog.
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That's so important - every dog is differently and reacts differently to certain types of stimuli and tools.
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So if someone came to you with a young puppy for training, and did not like to use a training collar but wanted to use a harness you would tell them different?
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If they wanted to use a safe harness, yes. But not the traditional harness. I absolutley do not believe in them (I'm sure you could tell
), and if the client did not want to use a collar we would have to sit down and go through all of their other options.
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And a training collar is meant to get tighter as they pull, so it is a negative response to pulling, do you not think this could harm a VERY young pup, or small delicate dog?
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From experience, no, I don't believe that a martingale collar will harm a young puppy or a small dog. They are made to be safe and comfortable, when used correctly and sized properly. And I think that is the important point to remember - if someone does not know how to properly use any type of collar/harness and if they don't properly know how to correct their dog or train through either positive or negative reinforcement - they just shouldn't do it. A professional should be contacted. But that's for another thread.
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If someone chooses a harness it is not right to tell them they are doing something wrong, and will create problems for themselves.
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I agree. But in this situation the OP did not say anything about choosing a harness, which is why I brought up these points so that they were aware of all their options.
I would never tell anyone NOT to use a harness, just like I did not tell you to stop after you told me you used a harness on your dog. If it's successful for dog and owner, then I would never expect anyone to stop. I think it is important though to be open-minded about the different tools and educate ourselves to know as much as we can about them.
And yes, I think we've both basically been saying the same thing, just in different ways.