20/08/2026
I’m seeing a lot of puppy posts and videos at the moment where harnesses are being recommended almost automatically, often with very little discussion about why that particular piece of equipment is being chosen, how it affects the dog, or whether the advice is actually based on current evidence.
Whether we’re talking about harnesses, collars, leads or any other piece of equipment, we should be asking questions, looking at the research, considering the functional impact on the dog and making informed choices, rather than simply following whatever happens to be popular on social media at the time.
I’ve been presenting on the use of harnesses since 2014 and published my first blog on their impact in 2020. I revisited the research last year and also recorded a video looking at the evidence in more detail.
The point has never been that one piece of equipment is automatically good and another automatically bad. It is that equipment affects our dogs, physically as well as behaviourally, and we need to understand what we are using, why we are using it and what the evidence actually tells us.
So if you are being told that you “should” use a particular type of harness, or that one style is inherently kinder, safer or better, don’t just take that at face value.
Go and look. Read the research. Check who is making the claim, what they are basing it on, and whether the advice still stands when you look beyond the current trend.
Good dog ownership and good dog training should be based on informed choices rather than fashionable ones.
If you want to look at the research for yourself, I’ve brought it together here, along with the video:
https://lezgraham.com/blog/the-dog-harness
Dog Behaviour Specialist | Author | PNP+ Positive, not Permissive
