Personally I dont use harnesses except for car harnesses to keep the dogs secure. I think you have less control with a harness and generally make it more comfortable for the dog to pull (usually creating a pulling dog).

But its down to personal choice I guess, but even in training classes I try to persuade people to use collars. The only times I recommend harnesses to owners is for recall training on long lines or dogs with throat problems.

I tried a harness with our two ESS when they were pups. It was good to get them used to walking but as they grew I realised that they pulled more as they could use ther full force of their body on the harness.

When our dogs go out now which is normally from the house to the car then to the field we don't use a lead but if we have to walk further then we use a slip-lead, although they will still pull but no to the extent of the harness.

My friend on the otherhand moved to a harness from a collar with her terriers as she found them easier to handle.

Trial and error I think

I use both, when my dog came to me at 6 months old he was an established puller and being a lab x spaniel, he is incredibly strong, so a harness changed the behaviour he had learnt and broke the association between his collar and pulling. We are now working back to walking on a collar again.

I have a great harness, its actually a car harness made by Hunter in Germany, but it is just such fantastic quality and super strong that he uses it to walk in too. I want to move back to a collar because he spends a lot of time off lead and there is less chance of him getting his collar snagged while bombing through the undergrowth as he does (he has reappeared twice now minus harnesses) and also because it seems a lot less bulky and restrictive for him.

I have often heard that you shouldn't use a harness on a young dog because it will have adverse affects on the developing skeletal system, but as I have yet to see any scientific evidence to support the theory and the only alternative is to have a dog that permanently anyway damages its throat by straining against a collar, I tend to take no notice. Use what suits your dog and what is the most comfortable, practical and safe for both of you.

Ollie is and always has been walked on a harness he does wear a collar too as these carry his ID tags which is the law in this country when walking out in public places when indoors he does not wear a collar.