Whether you’re a dog parent or a professional dog walker, you want to make sure you’re using the right equipment to keep your companion safe and happy on your walks. Based on many years of experience walking dogs of all sizes and personalities, I’ve put together a list of some of my basic necessities – and a few products you should avoid at all costs. Most items will work great for everyone, but for items like harnesses which can vary from pup to pup, I’ve given my top three options to help you find the best fit.
A few things to consider when choosing new equipment:
- Is it safe? Obviously, you want to choose products that are well made, fit properly, and your dog won’t be able to chew through. Bonus points if it makes your dog more visible, or makes it easier for you to keep them away from danger. Also keep in mind that it’s usually a good idea to remove everything but your dog’s collar and tag when they’re left unattended.
- Does it require aversive training methods? If a collar or harness relies on painful corrections in order to “work,” that’s gonna be a no from me, dog.
- Will it put pressure on my dog’s throat? I’ve long avoided collar-walking because it can cause hacking, reverse sneezing, and even tracheal collapse. But veterinarians also suggest that walking with a collar could put your dog at risk for cervical spine damage, nerve damage, and thyroid trauma. To be safe, especially if you have a puller, choose something that secures your dog around their head or torso, instead of around their neck.
Without further adieu, let’s get to the list!
The Best
Four Paws Nite Brite Reflective Leash
If you walk at night or early morning, it’s important to make sure you and your dog are visible to motorists and other dog walkers. I’ve tried a few other reflective leashes, but this specific one by Four Paws is my favorite due to durability and comfortable grip. You might also try a collar light, LED collar, or go all-out and get this reflective dog vest with matching human vest! Make sure to remove safety gear when your walk is over.
Gentle Leader
In most cases, this is my number one harness recommendation for dogs who have difficulty with leash manners on walks. I’ve seen it work for big dogs and small dogs, reactive dogs and high-energy pullers. I’ve even seen parents go from prong collars to Gentle Leaders, and watched their dog walks get much more enjoyable for everyone involved. Use of a head harness can help keep your dog more focused on you, turning down external stimuli and making them more attentive to your cues. Some dogs take to Gentle Leaders immediately, but with others you’ll have to do a bit of conditioning. If your dog is particularly resistant to the Gentle Leader, or you have other reactivity issues to work on, I highly recommend planning to introduce the Gentle Leader with the help of a positive reinforcement trainer. Bonus: If you want your dog’s personality to shine, check out the bones, floral, and donut prints!
Sporn No-Pull & No-Choke Dog Harness
This is the harness I’ve used with Bruce from the beginning. It’s comfy, easy to take on and off, and I like that the leash attachment fits perfectly through the hole in most dog outfits, so he can wear it under his jacket, shirts, or raincoat. (Hey, sometimes you gotta have fashion and function.) I also highly recommend these for dogs who have body shapes that don’t work well with more basic harnesses – barrel chested? stubby legs? – as long as the neck is the right size, you can adjust the arm holes to fit perfectly.
EzyDog Premium Quick Fit Adjustable Harness
I’ve used these with fosters and clients, and I think this will be my next harness purchase for Bruce. His back can be a bit sensitive, and I love that this design doesn’t require the dog to go up on their hind legs or lift their arms to put it on. It just goes over the head, and clips under the chest while all four paws stay on the ground. It has a handle on the back which is great for when you want to keep your dog especially close, like in a crowded vet’s office, or if you need to pull them away from something dangerous. It also comes in fun colors with reflective stitching, and has a matching leash.
Earth Rated Waste Bags
These bags are manufactured to break down over time, unlike standard plastic bags. I’ve linked the most popular and economical Earth Rated bags above, but this brand also makes compostable bags which are even more environmentally friendly (at a slightly higher price). At home, you can further reduce your plastic usage even more by switching to a scooper.
Lola Bean Pooch Pouch
Cute and functional – the extra zipper pouch is a great place to stash your keys, cash, treats, or a spare roll of bags. This is another item I’ve been using ever since I adopted Bruce!
Red Dingo ID Tags
Red Dingo has a huge selection of beautiful, durable identification tags that are made to last. Automatic tag machines in pet stores are convenient in a pinch, but they come at a similar price or higher, and often don’t hold up. I’ve seen other tags fall off and digits of phone numbers wear away, but Red Dingo tags look great and keep your information intact, year after year. Note: I recommend keeping a collar and tag on your dog at all times.
PetSafe Treat Pouch
If your pooch is in training, or you just want to be able to give continual positive reinforcement on your walks, this is my favorite bag for keeping treats at the ready. The quicker you have access to your treats and can get them to your dog following a desired behavior, the stronger your dog will associate that behavior with a reward. Treats can also be great for redirecting your dog’s attention away from things that scare them, such as other dogs, bikes, or skateboards – keeping their attention on you instead of the scary thing.
Pepper Spray
Coyote encounters are becoming more common here in the South Bay, not to mention you could come across a less-than-friendly stray or off-leash dog. There have been an unfortunate number of coyote attacks on pets, which can be reduced by following proper deterrent and safety protocols. In the event that an aggressive animal is approaching you and your dog, pepper spray could help prevent an attack and save their life. Position yourself and your dog upwind from the spray, to prevent it from blowing back toward you. I recommend spraying to a few inches to the side of the animal if you have time to do so safely – sometimes, the smell and loud blast is enough to send them running. But if you do have to spray them directly, know that the effects should only last about 45 minutes and not cause permanent damage.
The Worst
Retractable Leashes
I hate them. Under any circumstances, for any dog. I hate them so much that if a client has one, I will bring my own leash to use. When I was a child and took my first dog training class with our family dog, I learned to walk dogs by putting your wrist through the handle and wrapping the leash around your hand – that way, it’s unlikely that you will lose your grip and drop the leash. You don’t get this security with a retractable leash and they are extremely easy to drop, especially if you’re trying to juggle more than one! Imagine your dog takes off after a squirrel, you lose your grip on the leash, and now your dog gets spooked by the clunking hunk of plastic dragging along the ground, “chasing” them. I’ve gotten rope burned trying to recall a dog on a retractable leash, and have heard of other walkers and animals getting lacerations or even severed fingers. In a dangerous situation, retractable leashes offer almost no control over your dog – which is why when I have used them in the past (provided by clients), I always kept them retracted to about 3-4 feet, making them even more pointless than they already are.
Couplers
Like retractable leashes, these are another product marketed for ease and convenience for the walker, without considering comfort and safety of the dog. I’ve literally seen dogs get yanked mid-poop by their friend, who was ready to move along. Like retractable leashes, couplers offer the walker very little control. And what little ability you do have to correct or communicate via the leash gets applied to both dogs, whether they need it or not. Imagine every time your brother chases a cat or sniffs a discarded chicken bone, your leash gets pulled back? What a bummer! Couplers are a leash manners disaster waiting to happen, and I don’t recommend using them.
Prong Collars, Choke Chains & Shock Collars
If you’ve gotten in the habit of using these, or think they’re the only way you can control your dog, I can’t say I blame you. For years, aversive training was incorrectly used as the go-to method of correcting inappropriate dog behaviors, but these days we know that positive reinforcement is much more effective. Training methods or equipment based on pain or fear can even make the behavior you’re trying to correct worse, and make your dog less trusting of you. As mentioned above, collars that constrict around a dog’s neck can also harm their trachea, thyroid, and spine. If this information is all new to you, don’t worry – there are a lot of great free resources online, books, podcasts, and YouTube videos on the subject of positive reinforcement dog training. Working with a positive reinforcement trainer or taking a group class can also be a great way to start learning these methods and bond with your dog.
I hope you found this blog post helpful! Dog walking equipment recommendations are some of my most frequently asked questions from friends and clients, so I figured it was time to put them all in one place. Be sure to let me know if any of these items work out for you, or if you have any favorites that I missed. What should I cover next?
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