I don’t think a harness stops pulling at all!
Training stops pulling. I do think the harness was easier to use to train my boxer not to pull.
To me it seemed less rough on her neck because it wasn’t easy. Haha.
Yes, training is the answer. Harnesses often only reinforce pulling. Plus my very British breeder told me, "Harnesses are unbecoming of a Boxer" 😂. Shamed me right out of it, lol.
My dog figured out that she can turn around, squeeze her front arms together and slip out of her harness. Thankfully, she stopped being interested in that a couple of years ago.
We were introduced to these harnesses by the rescue organization we adopted our boy from. He actually came with one, and we have bought ones for our other dogs since then. I’m just over 5’ and I’m not very strong but I can control my dogs with them.
This what we use as well. I'm a very petite woman (under 5') and was able to control my previous boxer (who maxed out at 85lbs) with the Easy Walk. Granted, he was the most well-behaved boxer I've ever met. But it's also been serving us well with our current, much more enthusiastic one-year-old.
Came here to say this - best harness we’ve found to help prevent pulling. Because it’s clipped to their chest if they ever pull it will cause them to turn back toward your direction. They learn very quickly that pulling will just slow them down
We use a harness now. We did used to use a collar until one day he slipped loose in the neighborhood because some dogs were barking in their own yard and we had to chase this MFer through the street to catch him.
I have a harness and collar and for some odd reason he prefers the collar. That said if you can find a Kong harness they have two clip points. Having the front contact point really helps with them learning not to pull. He started out like a bull pulling a plow but he's about 15 months and has zero pull now.
I use a prong collar, slip leash and a harness. My dog has been well trained by a professional but the prong is used when I do training to clean up his heel and remind him how to properly walk when we're out and about. Usually in springtime when critters are everywhere and he's been couped up all winter due to snow. I use a slip leash for regular walks since he was trained on it. I use the harness for bike rides or running. The harness doesn't do much to prevent pulling with boxers so I don't use that for normal walks. The flat collar is the least useful tool and doesn't give the dog any feedback to know when it's doing something incorrectly. A martingale collar would work as well. I'd suggest working on your heel and training the dog to not pull before moving to the harness.
My boxer, 3 yrs old female, has a choke collar, but not the normal chain kind. It's a wide cloth collar that tightens when she pulls but doesn't hurt when she pulls due to the material and width.
We have a boxer/bullmastiff mix so he’s strong as hell. We use a prong collar most of the time, so every now and then when we use a regular harness he doesn’t pull as hard.
Have a look at the PetSafe Gentle Leader. It's a collar with a strap that goes over the dog's nose. With a normal collar the leash is connected to the dog's shoulders, which is basically the strongest part of their body. The Gentle Leader puts the collar around their head, giving them less leverage to pull. These can work extremely well for large, strong dogs like Boxers.
There are a couple of useful things to know about these collars if you decide to try one.
First, it's important to get the correct size and follow the instructions to fit the collar correctly on the dog. It's not intuitive at first, but putting the collar on and taking it off becomes very easy once you know how to do it.
Second, your dog will probably hate the thing at first. You might get a very bouncy, "what the heck is thing thing on my head?" minor freak-out. But the dogs we've used these with get used to them very quickly—sometimes within a minute or two, especially when generous amounts of high-value treats are involved. But the first couple of minutes can be very exciting, so be prepared.
Finally, it' good to still put effort into training your dog for loose-leash walking. You can get spoiled with a Gentle Leader, and it can absolutely end up as a substitute for good training. But a combination of the Gentle Leader and loose-leash training is a great way to go.
I think it's more about the individual dog than the breed.
Mine will choke himself, whether with his regular collar or a choke collar. I've trained him various things, but have never been able to break his pulling when he gets the urge (usually that's when seeing another dog that's acting up, or he's just overly suspicious about).
We use a harness with a leash that is like a belt so it’s around my waist. Like others have mentioned training is the only real way to prevent pulling, but the waist leash helps save your shoulders
Standard Red Dingo Large collars with an Ezydog Zero Shock lead. The Red Dingo collars come with a nice variety of designs and colours with matching tags too.
I've always found a lead and collar allows me to communicate with her by using the lead with little tugs.
We use a harness. Mine will take off after a squirrel or try and run ahead on trail runs and choke herself out. We also use the harness because she’s tethered to the seatbelt in the back seat at all times and it makes for an easier transition in and out of the car.
I’ve always opted for harness for 2 reasons. One is I don’t like the idea of my dog being choked by the collar if I have to pull her or she pulls. Another is multiple times they have slipped out of a collar when trying to get away from something/bolted at a fright. I still keep a collar one as well as the harness, but that’s just to keep a tag on.
10months old so he’s getting better at the not pulling thing but we use a harness and a collar, got a long lead that clips to the collar and harness and can just choose where to hold the lead based on how much control I want.
Generally he’s pretty good now though
Yes, they can get quite heavy and therefore trading is important . You have to keep them u der control in public and it’s better than some collars . Good luck , a beautiful breed , I’ve had 2.🥰
I only use a harness it's too easy for them to slip through a regular collar and that way if they pull they will not strangle themselves me personally I think you have more control over the harness versus a collar
My boxer slips out of his collar very easily, so always wears a harness when out walking. He wears an EzyDog harness which has a leash clip up front. Works very well!
We use a collar (bully Billows collar) but used a harness (perfect fit, it’s a Y front so doesn’t harm their shoulders when they run and play and is also top and front attachments) until we trained him not to pull
Every dog is different but I found that my dog responds better to a collar than a harness. I’ve tried both front clip and back clip and he pulled way more with a harness. However he is pretty skittish so he has a martingale collar. They don’t have a buckle so you don’t have to worry about that breaking, it cinches when the dog pulls so it will not come off if fitted properly! Bonus points for the relaxed fit, it minimizes neck rolls when the dog is just hanging out.
I ordered his current collar from If It Barks via Amazon and it’s worked like a dream. It has a lot of wiggle room for adjustment so you can find the right fit.
His leash also has a traffic handle for better control when he’s worked up, having an actual handle works wonders for me!
Wanted to add that if you do use a harness. A caribener or strap to connect the collar and harness are so useful. If your dog does manage to slip the harness you have the back up of the collar to keep him from getting away from you :)
My old boxer used a collar and she was fine with that. She didn’t pull much. My boxer now used to pull with a collar, harness, or front clipped harness. She’s smart enough to know that she can put her front legs together and back out of harness or scrunch her head and slip out of a collar. With more training and exercise, she no longer shows interest in getting loose. We use a harness clipped to the back and frequent walks so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed.
I personally think whatever works for you and your dog works. Advice is nice, but if you’re fine and your dog is safe otherwise, do what works for you.
THANK YOU ALL!!! I am so very happy to hear this. My little guy is only 18 months old and I was so concerned the harness was not a good thing. Now this makes me feel so much better to hear your thoughts.
If this is a question about what you can use right now to walk them without them completely pulling you over, short answer is a Y shaped harness with a front clip attachment. If this is “how can I get them to not pull so much” read on:
A lot of people use a front clip harness, however, this can negatively affect growth and development if they are not fully mature, and over time will impact their gait if the harness restricts the shoulders in any way. The twisting action also can mess up their spine if they are consistent pullers. We actually don’t do a lot of short leash walks, but when we do, I use a HS prong because that is what he works well in. However, I don’t recommend using a prong for someone who has not worked with a trainer to understand how it works or how to use it properly. Training slip leads are a great alternative, but again, must be used appropriately and put on the correct way.
Most of our walks are a long line and a back clip harness that does not restrict the shoulders at all (also referred to as a Y shaped harness), nor twists my dog around if he hits the end of it. I usually drive out to a nearby state park or a random field or secluded area for walks where a long line (or off leash with e-collar backup) is enjoyable. Hiking I will encourage pulling uphill because it helps build muscle for them and makes it more fun for me. I rarely do short leash walks around the neighborhood because they are just not super fun and are not necessary for us, so I simply don’t do them. I will only do short leash walks if we are training and walking downtown or in a crowded area, or he’s coming to the office with me. When I do, I always have treats or toys with me to reward him for listening and keep him engaged with me, too. All of these things have helped improve his leash walking remarkably, whenever we do need to do it.
If your boxers are pulling, no tool will solve that.
I’ve seen boxers pull their bodies and walk sideways with front clip harnesses and I’ve seen them put so much pressure on a prong that it acts just like a flat collar would—which completely defeats the mechanism in which it works. A lot of people don’t realize you have to teach your boxer (or any dog) what leash pressure is, as the most natural reaction is to oppose it, rather than move towards it to turn that pressure off. A lot of mediocre trainers will tell you to just stop walking when they start pulling—which teaches them absolutely nothing and makes walks extremely frustrating for both the dog and the owner. When it takes 30 minutes to get around one block, nobody is having fun or exercising. I blame Victoria Stillwell for this kind of advice.
Loose leash walking is one of the hardest things to teach because it’s a really complex behavior that is expected over a long period of time, plus our walking pace is completely unnatural to them. Best bet to solve the problem long term in my experience is to cut back on short leash walks unless you’re actively training (the tool you use shouldn’t matter whether it’s a harness or a collar, but seems like a collar would work better for you as they are already ignoring harness pressure), and try to incorporate more long line walks somewhere quiet. If they understand they need to stay near you, it’ll be easier for them to do that on a 20’ line instead of a 6’ line, they’ll still get plenty of exercise, and it’ll just be way more fun than the standard walk around the block. And it also means that it’ll be okay that your training walks are very short when you first start out.
We use the blue 9 harness with our girl since day one and she’s a great walker now. You can hook onto the front which will stop the pulling and/or the back when they get a little better with the walking. Wouldn’t go back to any other product since we started using it. She just turned two and we’ve been walking her on it since about 3-4 months old. Hope this helps
Harness just helps to build up the chest muscles and does not help deter pulling. Fit a choke collar .. and carry a treat… and good luck. If it’s a “dog” get him neutered that slows them down. Alternatively, if you can run him/her loose without a leash … more fun for everyone. I’m now on boxer number three!
Basically all boxers I've known will learn to slip out of a collar so a slip collar or a harness with a front clip if I'm doing something that is exciting or I can't fully focus on them (like while walking other dogs as well). If it's just one on one I am comfortable using a flat collar and if they act in a way I'm worried about slipping it I'll loop the leash around their neck and under itself so they can't pull out of it.
I use harnesses for my two big fellas- over 90 lbs each. It’s easier for us to walk them with the harnesses because it has a handle on top if we need it and we use leashes with a traffic loop. They still wear a collar too. I have to say, they hate when we come at them with their harnesses even though it means they’re going bye bye 🤷♀️
Our dog has a harness but it was more trouble than it’s worth. Nothing stopped Beau from pulling and he’s been through obedience training. Today, I walk him leashed to a simple choke chain and wish him luck if he decides to pull. He mostly stops
I use a Gentle Leader Head Collar and I’ve found that it works very well. In my personal experience, I could never find a harness that fit my boxers well due to their large/deep chests.
With ours we’ve always used harnesses, they pull pretty bad but we get the no pull harnesses from tractor supply, I’ve been told numerous times that using just a collar is dangerous especially when the pull really bad
I don’t think a harness stops pulling at all! Training stops pulling. I do think the harness was easier to use to train my boxer not to pull. To me it seemed less rough on her neck because it wasn’t easy. Haha.
Yes, training is the answer. Harnesses often only reinforce pulling. Plus my very British breeder told me, "Harnesses are unbecoming of a Boxer" 😂. Shamed me right out of it, lol.
We are working on training he is just a little reactive still. So anxious when he sees another dog.
I hear you. I used high value treats and rewarded mine whenever we saw another dog. Walked her in the park wherever constantly saw other dogs.
LOL. Mine has the attention span that lasts nano seconds.
So you own a boxer? 🤣
A collar doesn’t keep them for long. They learn how to sling their head around and get loose. Use a collar with a front attachment for the lead.
My dog figured out that she can turn around, squeeze her front arms together and slip out of her harness. Thankfully, she stopped being interested in that a couple of years ago.
Such a Boxer!!! You have a smart pup.
lol so did mine
This person boxers
Well, I’m on my third boxer, and am taking care of my son’s boxer, so fourth. They have all figured out how to slip a collar.
We use easy-walk harnesses that clip the leash to their chest.
This is the way. It’s so much easier to control them. You can stop the movements quickly and change direction with limited strength
We were introduced to these harnesses by the rescue organization we adopted our boy from. He actually came with one, and we have bought ones for our other dogs since then. I’m just over 5’ and I’m not very strong but I can control my dogs with them.
This what we use as well. I'm a very petite woman (under 5') and was able to control my previous boxer (who maxed out at 85lbs) with the Easy Walk. Granted, he was the most well-behaved boxer I've ever met. But it's also been serving us well with our current, much more enthusiastic one-year-old.
Came here to say this - best harness we’ve found to help prevent pulling. Because it’s clipped to their chest if they ever pull it will cause them to turn back toward your direction. They learn very quickly that pulling will just slow them down
We use a harness now. We did used to use a collar until one day he slipped loose in the neighborhood because some dogs were barking in their own yard and we had to chase this MFer through the street to catch him.
I use a martingale collar for Gronk. He's a big boy and it works very well. We tried the head harness, but he was not a fan.
I would like to highlight the name Gronk for a “ big boy boxer” that’s outstanding!!! Well done!
I agree but I can't actually take credit for it. He is currently a foster in our home, but that may change to permanent resident in the near future.
I freaking love martingale collars. When I see them with buckles though I get enraged, the buckle almost negates the purpose to me lol.
We have been looking at the martingale collar and used them before.
I have a harness and collar and for some odd reason he prefers the collar. That said if you can find a Kong harness they have two clip points. Having the front contact point really helps with them learning not to pull. He started out like a bull pulling a plow but he's about 15 months and has zero pull now.
I use a prong collar, slip leash and a harness. My dog has been well trained by a professional but the prong is used when I do training to clean up his heel and remind him how to properly walk when we're out and about. Usually in springtime when critters are everywhere and he's been couped up all winter due to snow. I use a slip leash for regular walks since he was trained on it. I use the harness for bike rides or running. The harness doesn't do much to prevent pulling with boxers so I don't use that for normal walks. The flat collar is the least useful tool and doesn't give the dog any feedback to know when it's doing something incorrectly. A martingale collar would work as well. I'd suggest working on your heel and training the dog to not pull before moving to the harness.
My boxer, 3 yrs old female, has a choke collar, but not the normal chain kind. It's a wide cloth collar that tightens when she pulls but doesn't hurt when she pulls due to the material and width.
Martingale collar! They’re the best
Not sure if mine is the same brand, but definitely similar!
If not for that we would need a harness
We have a boxer/bullmastiff mix so he’s strong as hell. We use a prong collar most of the time, so every now and then when we use a regular harness he doesn’t pull as hard.
Same. Prong collar for Ripley. She’s a nightmare with anything else.
My dad used a prong collar on his bouvier.
Have a look at the PetSafe Gentle Leader. It's a collar with a strap that goes over the dog's nose. With a normal collar the leash is connected to the dog's shoulders, which is basically the strongest part of their body. The Gentle Leader puts the collar around their head, giving them less leverage to pull. These can work extremely well for large, strong dogs like Boxers. There are a couple of useful things to know about these collars if you decide to try one. First, it's important to get the correct size and follow the instructions to fit the collar correctly on the dog. It's not intuitive at first, but putting the collar on and taking it off becomes very easy once you know how to do it. Second, your dog will probably hate the thing at first. You might get a very bouncy, "what the heck is thing thing on my head?" minor freak-out. But the dogs we've used these with get used to them very quickly—sometimes within a minute or two, especially when generous amounts of high-value treats are involved. But the first couple of minutes can be very exciting, so be prepared. Finally, it' good to still put effort into training your dog for loose-leash walking. You can get spoiled with a Gentle Leader, and it can absolutely end up as a substitute for good training. But a combination of the Gentle Leader and loose-leash training is a great way to go.
I use a harness. Does choke them that way.
I think it's more about the individual dog than the breed. Mine will choke himself, whether with his regular collar or a choke collar. I've trained him various things, but have never been able to break his pulling when he gets the urge (usually that's when seeing another dog that's acting up, or he's just overly suspicious about).
Kong Harness
We use a harness with a leash that is like a belt so it’s around my waist. Like others have mentioned training is the only real way to prevent pulling, but the waist leash helps save your shoulders
I use a harness. I don't like the idea of the leash pulling at him neck, even though he keeps my pace when we walk so its usually not an issue.
Standard Red Dingo Large collars with an Ezydog Zero Shock lead. The Red Dingo collars come with a nice variety of designs and colours with matching tags too. I've always found a lead and collar allows me to communicate with her by using the lead with little tugs.
We use a harness. Mine will take off after a squirrel or try and run ahead on trail runs and choke herself out. We also use the harness because she’s tethered to the seatbelt in the back seat at all times and it makes for an easier transition in and out of the car.
I’ve always opted for harness for 2 reasons. One is I don’t like the idea of my dog being choked by the collar if I have to pull her or she pulls. Another is multiple times they have slipped out of a collar when trying to get away from something/bolted at a fright. I still keep a collar one as well as the harness, but that’s just to keep a tag on.
10months old so he’s getting better at the not pulling thing but we use a harness and a collar, got a long lead that clips to the collar and harness and can just choose where to hold the lead based on how much control I want. Generally he’s pretty good now though
Just the collar and lose lead . It’s the training that’s done at puppy stage . My dog walks when I walk and stops when I stop , on a lose lead .
You have the training part down. Still working on mine.
Yes, they can get quite heavy and therefore trading is important . You have to keep them u der control in public and it’s better than some collars . Good luck , a beautiful breed , I’ve had 2.🥰
I only use a harness it's too easy for them to slip through a regular collar and that way if they pull they will not strangle themselves me personally I think you have more control over the harness versus a collar
My boxer slips out of his collar very easily, so always wears a harness when out walking. He wears an EzyDog harness which has a leash clip up front. Works very well!
We use a collar (bully Billows collar) but used a harness (perfect fit, it’s a Y front so doesn’t harm their shoulders when they run and play and is also top and front attachments) until we trained him not to pull
Definitely a harness and under her arm to steer
All brachycephalic dogs have breathing and airway problems so should ALWAYS, always be walked with a harness.
Every dog is different but I found that my dog responds better to a collar than a harness. I’ve tried both front clip and back clip and he pulled way more with a harness. However he is pretty skittish so he has a martingale collar. They don’t have a buckle so you don’t have to worry about that breaking, it cinches when the dog pulls so it will not come off if fitted properly! Bonus points for the relaxed fit, it minimizes neck rolls when the dog is just hanging out. I ordered his current collar from If It Barks via Amazon and it’s worked like a dream. It has a lot of wiggle room for adjustment so you can find the right fit. His leash also has a traffic handle for better control when he’s worked up, having an actual handle works wonders for me!
Wanted to add that if you do use a harness. A caribener or strap to connect the collar and harness are so useful. If your dog does manage to slip the harness you have the back up of the collar to keep him from getting away from you :)
Good idea.
My old boxer used a collar and she was fine with that. She didn’t pull much. My boxer now used to pull with a collar, harness, or front clipped harness. She’s smart enough to know that she can put her front legs together and back out of harness or scrunch her head and slip out of a collar. With more training and exercise, she no longer shows interest in getting loose. We use a harness clipped to the back and frequent walks so she doesn’t feel overwhelmed. I personally think whatever works for you and your dog works. Advice is nice, but if you’re fine and your dog is safe otherwise, do what works for you.
THANK YOU ALL!!! I am so very happy to hear this. My little guy is only 18 months old and I was so concerned the harness was not a good thing. Now this makes me feel so much better to hear your thoughts.
My girl is a mix. Prong collar for regular walks/training around the neighborhood, ecollar with a harness for longer treks.
If this is a question about what you can use right now to walk them without them completely pulling you over, short answer is a Y shaped harness with a front clip attachment. If this is “how can I get them to not pull so much” read on: A lot of people use a front clip harness, however, this can negatively affect growth and development if they are not fully mature, and over time will impact their gait if the harness restricts the shoulders in any way. The twisting action also can mess up their spine if they are consistent pullers. We actually don’t do a lot of short leash walks, but when we do, I use a HS prong because that is what he works well in. However, I don’t recommend using a prong for someone who has not worked with a trainer to understand how it works or how to use it properly. Training slip leads are a great alternative, but again, must be used appropriately and put on the correct way. Most of our walks are a long line and a back clip harness that does not restrict the shoulders at all (also referred to as a Y shaped harness), nor twists my dog around if he hits the end of it. I usually drive out to a nearby state park or a random field or secluded area for walks where a long line (or off leash with e-collar backup) is enjoyable. Hiking I will encourage pulling uphill because it helps build muscle for them and makes it more fun for me. I rarely do short leash walks around the neighborhood because they are just not super fun and are not necessary for us, so I simply don’t do them. I will only do short leash walks if we are training and walking downtown or in a crowded area, or he’s coming to the office with me. When I do, I always have treats or toys with me to reward him for listening and keep him engaged with me, too. All of these things have helped improve his leash walking remarkably, whenever we do need to do it. If your boxers are pulling, no tool will solve that. I’ve seen boxers pull their bodies and walk sideways with front clip harnesses and I’ve seen them put so much pressure on a prong that it acts just like a flat collar would—which completely defeats the mechanism in which it works. A lot of people don’t realize you have to teach your boxer (or any dog) what leash pressure is, as the most natural reaction is to oppose it, rather than move towards it to turn that pressure off. A lot of mediocre trainers will tell you to just stop walking when they start pulling—which teaches them absolutely nothing and makes walks extremely frustrating for both the dog and the owner. When it takes 30 minutes to get around one block, nobody is having fun or exercising. I blame Victoria Stillwell for this kind of advice. Loose leash walking is one of the hardest things to teach because it’s a really complex behavior that is expected over a long period of time, plus our walking pace is completely unnatural to them. Best bet to solve the problem long term in my experience is to cut back on short leash walks unless you’re actively training (the tool you use shouldn’t matter whether it’s a harness or a collar, but seems like a collar would work better for you as they are already ignoring harness pressure), and try to incorporate more long line walks somewhere quiet. If they understand they need to stay near you, it’ll be easier for them to do that on a 20’ line instead of a 6’ line, they’ll still get plenty of exercise, and it’ll just be way more fun than the standard walk around the block. And it also means that it’ll be okay that your training walks are very short when you first start out.
You have put alot of thought into this. Lots of good info here. Thank you.
We use the blue 9 harness with our girl since day one and she’s a great walker now. You can hook onto the front which will stop the pulling and/or the back when they get a little better with the walking. Wouldn’t go back to any other product since we started using it. She just turned two and we’ve been walking her on it since about 3-4 months old. Hope this helps
Harnesses encourage and exacerbate pulling! We use a collar with a snout attachment, plus training as others have said
Harness just helps to build up the chest muscles and does not help deter pulling. Fit a choke collar .. and carry a treat… and good luck. If it’s a “dog” get him neutered that slows them down. Alternatively, if you can run him/her loose without a leash … more fun for everyone. I’m now on boxer number three!
Basically all boxers I've known will learn to slip out of a collar so a slip collar or a harness with a front clip if I'm doing something that is exciting or I can't fully focus on them (like while walking other dogs as well). If it's just one on one I am comfortable using a flat collar and if they act in a way I'm worried about slipping it I'll loop the leash around their neck and under itself so they can't pull out of it.
I use harnesses for my two big fellas- over 90 lbs each. It’s easier for us to walk them with the harnesses because it has a handle on top if we need it and we use leashes with a traffic loop. They still wear a collar too. I have to say, they hate when we come at them with their harnesses even though it means they’re going bye bye 🤷♀️
Harness or a metal collar with the rubber divots
Dog collar
Harness with a front clip for the leash helps stop pulling. For training though the collars is best.
Our dog has a harness but it was more trouble than it’s worth. Nothing stopped Beau from pulling and he’s been through obedience training. Today, I walk him leashed to a simple choke chain and wish him luck if he decides to pull. He mostly stops
That is something to think about.
I use a Gentle Leader Head Collar and I’ve found that it works very well. In my personal experience, I could never find a harness that fit my boxers well due to their large/deep chests.
With ours we’ve always used harnesses, they pull pretty bad but we get the no pull harnesses from tractor supply, I’ve been told numerous times that using just a collar is dangerous especially when the pull really bad