Walking your dogs can be a pleasant “walk in the park” experience for any dog owner.
Or not…
The thing is, dogs are pretty unpredictable creatures. Even the most behaved ones will scramble and run at the sight of anything that catches their attention. Be it a wandering squirrel or even a stray ball.
Unfortunately, this can become a horrible game of tug-of-war that can pose a serious risk to both you and your dog.
The solution? No-pull dog collars!
These collars make it safe for you to pull your dog and correct their behavior without choking them or putting them at risk, but with tons of types and options in the market, which one is the best? In this article, we review and search for the best dog collar for pulling on the market!
Table of Contents
The best dog collar for pulling is the Petsafe Gentle Leader Head Collar, in our opinion. It's incredibly effective, completely safe, and fits virtually any sized breed.
Here are some other great options:
The Petsafe Gentle Leader is a great dog collar created by a veterinary behaviorist.
The PetSafe Gentle Leader Head Collar, so far, was pretty effective in taming our Golden Retriever. First off, it fit his head comfortably. The neck strap was pretty easy to adjust, and we were good to go in minutes.
As per the recommendation, we trained him with the head collar for a week (watched some helpful videos online), and after that, we were surprised by the results! Our dog was literally walking beside us as we walked, and there was no tugging or pulling for the first time in forever. It's as if he was a different dog altogether.
So yeah, the Petsafe Gentle Leader definitely does what it says it will. We're thinking we can even switch to a regular dog collar, and he will still retain this new behavior.
As with most head collars, this will take some patience initially as some dogs will be uncomfortable and try to resist it actively.
The Petsafe Gentle Leader Head Collar is the best dog collar for pulling we have tried. It's one of the rare ones that really work as advertised.
The Herm Sprenger Ultra-Plus Prong Collar is a safe and effective prong collar from the original inventor.
Most prong collars are getting a bad rap for looking like Medieval torture devices, and some brands do carry a bit of risk in using them. But for the safest prong collar out there, you can’t go wrong with Herm Sprenger. After all, they invented it!
While prong collars are generally for Pros, this particular one is actually easy to use once you’ve seen a few instructional videos online. And through experience, I can vouch that it neither suffocates nor hurts my dog, even in the beginning, when he was pulling at it like crazy.
Most importantly, though, the Herm Sprenger works like a charm.
This is undoubtedly not a beginner-friendly collar, and it can be intimidating for first-timers to use.
Despite the fearsome look and reputation, the Herm Sprenger Ultra-Plus prong collar is actually a safe and effective no-pull dog collar.
The Country Brook Martingale Dog Collar is an inexpensive yet gentle solution to your dog's excessive pulling behavior.
These bright and cheery collars will quickly become a fashion statement for your dog, as it did for ours. We like how there are lots of colors to choose from.
But behind all that cutesy exterior is a collar that still manages to be effective. The collar tightens with even extreme pulling but is gentle enough that it doesn't cause any unnecessary pain or damage to your dog. The safe design makes this virtually impossible.
The tightening action also means these collars are escape-proof
The collar is not recommended for unsupervised use, as there is some risk of over-tightening if the collar gets tangled on something. Remove it as soon as you get home.
The colorful and fashionable Country Brook Martingale Collar, although inexpensive, works great on most dogs with mild pulling behavior.
The Sporn No-Pull Dog Halter is a unique dog collar that applies pressure on the front legs rather than on the neck.
The Sporn No-Pull Dog Halter is, in a word, unique. Rather than restrict your dog via his neck or chest, it applies pressure to their front legs. This immediately stops them on their tracks, with no risky neck pulling.
It works by physically stopping pulling, rather than by simple encouragement. Over time, this has proven as effective, if not more, than the traditional pulling neck choking or front chest harness. Our friend reports his dog pulls less and less with each successive walk, and now obeys simple commands to stop.
Due to the design, this dog collar isn't as effective when used with smaller breeds.
The Sporn No-Pull Dog Halter’s unique approach makes it particularly effective and safe for the most persistent of dog pullers.
The Guardian Gear Martingale Dog Collar mixes nylon and steel for added longevity.
The Guardian Gear Martingale Collar combines the adjustable comfort of a regular collar, with the effectiveness of a choke collar. Despite this, however, it’s safe overall for your pet. It’s so safe that it’s even recommended for puppies who are first learning how to walk on a leash.
While most martingales are all nylon, this one combines it with some stainless steel, giving it better durability.
This collar is better than most martingale collars on the market, but it's still not as effective at stopping pulling behavior as a head collar or harness.
The Guardian Gear Martingale Collar is an above-average choke-style collar that wins points in durability and adjustability.
The Halti Head Collar is a capable headcollar from the pioneers who invented it in the first place.
The Halti is a head collar that works exceedingly well. We like the amount of control this gives us, and it doesn’t take a lot of effort for us to direct our Golden, which is an extremely aggressive puller. Keeping him in line never was simpler!
The great thing is that this collar doesn't interfere with my dog's activities in any way. He can still eat, drink, pant, or lick like normal. The neoprene padding on the nose also prevents chaffing, and I know he’s comfortable because I don’t get any violent reactions when he puts this on.
Compared to other head collars, this option more challenging to put on and off.
The Halti Head Collar is a comfortable but practical head collar that allows you to control your dog with ease.
The Mighty Paw is a premium leather martingale collar that’s both effective and stylish.
The Mighty Paw will totally redefine what martingale collars should be for you. The stylish leather strap is fashionable and classy, but more than that, it adds longevity and durability to this collar that should last for years.
It’s overall well-made, and the gentle action really does help train your persistent pullers without being too harsh. Think of it more as a warning your dog rather than punishing them. Besides, the leather finish will make this look like a fashionable collar than a corrective tool.
Because of the leather strap, it's generally more expensive than your typical collar.
The Mighty Paw Leather Training Collar's premium look, durable build, and effective mechanism means it might be the last collar you'll ever need
The best way to prevent your dogs from pulling on your walks is to train them not to. This is where training collars come in. Most of them introduce some mild inconvenience on your dog when they start to resist you pulling the leash, such as tightening.
When all else fails, however, you need a way to pull your dogs without harming them in any way safely. The traditional dog collar does a poor job at this since it has the potential of damaging your dog's neck. In this case, there are better collars that do a safer (and better) job.
Prong collars are fearsome-looking collars that might be mistaken for a torture device, but in reality, they are a safe and humane way of training your dog not to pull on their leash during walks.
Usually, these all-metal collars sit comfortably around your dog's neck. When he begins to pull or resist, however, it begins to tighten, causing discomfort and (hopefully) discouraging him from pulling in the future.
It’s important to note that this collar doesn’t choke or restrict your dog’s breathing in any way. It simply pinches your dog’s skin, enough to cause some discomfort. They also have a limit on how tight they can go.
These collars are generally safer than choke collars. Nevertheless, it’s considered a tool used by more advanced dog trainers, since it CAN harm your dog if fitted improperly.
Martingale collars are a type of choke collar, in that they tighten when a dog pulls or resists. The idea is that it will cause some discomfort, which will discourage pulling behavior. Unlike a choke collar, however, martingales are typically gentler and less harmful.
While they don't work as effectively as choke collars, they are much safer. For some owners, this is an excellent trade-off to ensure no lasting damages to their pets.
For the most stubborn of dogs, the head collar is a great way to help gain some control over. Instead of the usual collar that fits on your dog's neck, head collars attach themselves to your dog's snout. It works similarly to the halter used on horses; hence, these collars are sometimes called head halters.
The main advantage of head collars is that they give you a tremendous amount of control since they are attached directly to the head. Pulling also doesn't do as much damage as compared to the more sensitive neck. Dogs will also have a tough time escaping from head collars since they can't chew or pull through them.
Since they’re so unorthodox, head collars take some getting used to for both you and your dog.
Most dogs will find head collars uncomfortable and will try to resist them. So, you might have a harder time when you first use them, but given enough time, they will most likely adapt. Controlling your dog will also feel a bit different in the beginning and will require less force versus other collar types.
Throughout this article, we’ve covered a lot of no-pull dog collars that promise to help rein in pull-heavy dogs. There are lots of different options and types to choose from, which made picking the best one for the job much more difficult.
However, if we were to pick, we'd choose the Petsafe Gentle Leader Head Collar. Headcollars are generally the most effective no-pull collars, in our opinion, since they offer the most control and safety—and Petsafe is undoubtedly the best in this category. It's completely safe, works exceptionally well, and its adjustable size fits virtually any breed.
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