Dogs are a popular pet in the United Kingdom, and walking a dog is widely recognized as an important
part of dog ownership. A number of different restraints can be used when walking dogs on leashes, such
as collars and harnesses. Previous research has examined the behavioral effects of walking dogs on head
and neck collars. Harnesses are often anecdotally proposed to be more beneficial to dog welfare than
other alternative restraints; however, to date, the effects of walking dogs on harnesses have not been
investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the behavioral responses of dogs walked on neck
collars or harnesses. The broader purpose of this study was to examine if the type of restraint worn
causes stress in dogs. To explore this, a within-subject counterbalanced design was used. Thirty privately
owned dogs were recruited within 2 groups (each group: n ¼ 15); those previously walked on a harness
and those previously walked on a neck collar. Dogs were walked for 20 minutes each while behavioral
indicators of stress were recorded. After this trial, owners were given the alternative walking restraint
and returned a week later to perform a second 20-minute walk. Behavioral indicators were again
recorded. No significant differences were found between behaviors shown by dogs when walked on
either collar or harness. However, dogs with a history of being walked on a collar showed increased low
ear position. This may suggest that these dogs are more stressed; however, because of the lack of support
from the other stress indicators, motivations, such as indicating appeasement toward their owners,
should also be considered. These findings suggest that, at least for the specific harness and collar trialed,
neither neck collars nor harnesses are eliciting stress in dogs. However, future research determining the
long-term effects of neck collar and harness use would be beneficial.