Prevent Dog Neck Injuries With the Right Equipment

Dog collars can cause neck injury. Dog neck injuries occur when dogs pull against their collars. While we assume this only happens to large dogs, it can happen to any dog regardless of size. If your dog pulls against his collar, it’s time to change up his equipment for walks around the neighborhood and visits to the vet’s office. The equipment I’m about to tell you should be used until your dog is taught how to walk politely on leash. 🙂

Why Dogs Pull Against Their Collars

Dogs pull against their collars because it works for them. Dogs will pull against restraints, such as tight collars, because these forward movements will inevitability move them and their pet owners to where they want to go. It sounds overly simplistic, but that’s why dogs pull. I see it happen every day. When a dog pulls his neck against a collar, both the pet owner and the dog move forward—or the pet owner’s arm will grow three inches longer—but something has to give.

Dog Neck Injuries are Common

It’s very common for dogs to experience a neck injury or throat damage from pulling their collars. When dogs pull against their collars, the front of their necks sustains the most amount of trauma. It’s important to understand that a dog’s trachea (windpipe) is located in the front part of his neck, which is why your dog chokes, gasps and coughs when he pulls against his collar. Other areas are affected too.

For example, a dog’s spine can easily be damaged from collar pressure, his delicate thyroid can be damaged because it sits right where a collar digs into a dog’s neck and his eye pressure can increase. Collar pressure can also cause glaucoma. A 2006 study conducted by a veterinary ophthalmologist “showed an increase in intra-ocular pressure (IOP) in dogs while pulling on a collar, confirming a correlation between glaucoma and collar stress” (Tremayne, 2006). In addition, a dog’s eye pressure can increase after just one collar-pulling incident. I mean when you think about it, all that forward pressure has to go somewhere.

RELATED: How to Get Your Puppy Used to a Collar

Best Collar for Dogs That Pull

Of course, I don’t recommend pinch or choke collars. Those types of dog collars are the main causes of neck injuries and throat damage. Somehow, pinch collar enthusiasts feel that pinch collars won’t choke a dog, but they think it’s OK for its metal spikes to dig into fleshy and fragile neck areas. I would rather base my dog training methods on facts by leading veterinary behaviorists instead of feelings.

Research shows that pinch collars do cause damage and dogs will pull against them too. Do know that flat buckle collars and Martingale collars can still cause dogs neck injury if the dogs are constantly pulling against them. If your dog pulls against his collar, regardless if he weighs 5 pounds or 150 pounds, stop this behavior before your dog gets hurt.

For strong-pulling dogs, I recommend a front clip harness. For this type of dog harness, you clip the leash in front of your dog’s chest and back. Yup, instead of putting all the force in one area of your dog’s body, this harness evenly distributes the force onto the front and back of your dog’s chest. Plus, you have more control over your dog’s forward movements because you’re controlling your dog’s body and not just his neck.

Dogs will pull against collars, it’s going to happen, so it’s important you have the right dog training equipment to keep your dog safe and prevent you from being pulled toward another dog or moving car. Plus, this harness is an excellent dog training tool to positively teach your dog how to walk politely on leash.

But What About Your Dog’s Collar?

Flat buckle collars should be worn for ID tags only. If your dog pulls, give a front clip harness a try. It’s a new piece of equipment that works amazingly and it keeps your dog’s neck injury-free.

Does your dog pull like a freight train?

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