Why do Dogs Become more Excited when They Wear a Chest Harness?
Hi, everyone who takes dog care seriously!
Today, I’d like to talk about an interesting phenomenon: Many dog owners have reported that after changing their dogs to chest straps, they become more excited and more prone to running around than when they wear collars. Why is it that the intention was clearly for “greater comfort”, but the result was contrary to expectations?
I think there are the following three key reasons
01 Trigger of “Working Mode”
The design of the chest harness was originally intended to enable dogs to exert force safely (such as when pulling sleds, searching and rescuing, etc.). When a dog feels the even wrapping and pressure on its chest, it instinctively thinks, “It’s time to work!” Especially high-driving breeds such as sheepdogs and sled dogs.
In contrast to collars: The pressure on collars is concentrated in the neck, and when dogs pull them, they will self-restrict due to discomfort (although this is not an ideal training method). The chest harness eliminates this kind of “negative feedback”, allowing the dog to charge forward without any scruples.
02 Equipment = Exit Signal: A classic conditioned reflex
If you take your dog out to play immediately after putting on a chest harness (especially in highly stimulating environments such as parks or meeting other dogs), it will directly associate the chest harness with exciting events.
Case: A Border Collie would chase frisbee every time it put on a chest strap. Over time, it would get excited as soon as it saw the chest strap and even bring it up to ask to go out.
03 The Owner’s “Unconscious Reward”
When dogs get excited about the chest harness, many owners will:
Speeding up the process of getting dressed (in a hurry to go out) → indirectly rewarding the dog’s impatient behavior.
When the dog is charging forward, pulling the chest strap forcefully → instead, it forms a “tug-of-war game” with the dog, intensifying the pulling behavior.
